weirdlet: (Default)
So instead of the sort of half-assed bending-focused togetherness Aang seems to have preached and put together, part of what came out of the big United Republic reformation movement included a theoretical fifth element (ha ha, yes, Meeloo et all:) as a subject of study and cultural exchange- mastery of self, as well as mastery of elements.  Maybe it's something that was completely independent of Aang, and that's why it's looked askance at today as a hotbed for radicalism- a wide and varied philosophy that's about finding what you do best and getting very, very good at it, regardless of elemental bending or ethnic allegiance.  Shit like Jet and Mai, Jun and Piandao do, and especially Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warriors, because that's the sort of information that people would probably really like disseminated, even if a lot of the bending elites would regard it as an unfair advantage (war crime isn't the right word here- I'm looking for something like a banned weapon or technique and I cannot find the right word right now).

It seems like the sort of thing that would grow out of a huge mixed city where the paradigm is shifting.  And it would give a lot more depth and weight to the Equalist movement- not only would it be a radical fringe to a legit school of philosophy and activism, it provides a stronger background source for so *many* Equalists, as well as the paranoia about them, because there's people wearing their buttons and spouting some of the same words walking around on the street, man! -who aren't necessarily anywhere near as hardline as Amon/Noatak himself, wanting to actually destroy bending as a power.

Dunno, just a thought.
weirdlet: (Default)
-that Eska and Desna go back to the North and take the throne as co-chiefs.  People are somewhat weirded out, but it's the North, they're much more on tradition than they are personality contests.

Also Jinora becomes the next great spiritual leader when she grows up, not necessarily just of the Airbenders, but a noted figure in philosophy and in both peace-making and right action.  Because Jinora.

I'm a little iffy on this whole mixing of spirit-world and physical world (because weren't there spirits in the physical world already, even if they were rare and usually only showed up because things were out of whack?) but hey, it's a new era.  -omg, we are at the togas and crystal spires Ancient Past point of time.  The blending of technology and spirits- or maybe I'm just off my rocker, but it's a thought.

Also, part of Eska's deal with the whole commandeering Bolin and then getting completely ragey over him leaving is A) inexperience with relationships comparable to *me* as a teenager, which is saying something, B) princess!levels of "I want it, I take it, I have it, and also I'm supposed to have a fairytale wedding at about this age hey don't laugh at me Desna you ass at least I'm taking initiative- and dad certainly won't, he's too obsessed." and C) inexperience with strongly-felt emotions expressing themselves in an orderly fashion.  She and Desna are not emotion-*less*- but whether naturally or learned, they tend to have a deep well far down below the surface, and other people don't pick up on their signals because they're practically using different code-books- and unless you're interesting or loved enough, why should they explain it to you?

She has stuff to apologize for, but it's not unsalvageable.  Given time, and work.

Edit- Also, I am still waiting for Korra to actually sit down and watch Bolin's propaganda films and have a bit of a foam-fit over how ridiculous it is, the costuming, and possibly over the choice of casting.  Then again- it's the first movers, there's still a chance for it to be less evil than the real-world Hollywood machine.
weirdlet: (Default)
Oh, the sly Bolin....

Oh, *Bolin*.

I would almost want this to work out.  I like quirky, bizarre and non-mainstream romances.  Except that in the interim Eska was nuts and Bolin was a jerk and regardless of actual abusive relationship status, neither of them are really ready for Relationship at this point, I don't think.  It's- there's so much bad characterization, I keep having to focus on what points I'm keeping in my headcannon because the rest is a wild ride of nonsense, like fifty years of comics continuity in one series.

....oh god, was that just tentacle face-fucking?  She's your *niece* for crying out loud!

Spirit butterflies!

...what just happened?  Did he just cut Raava in half?  Did he just - I don;t think he could have destroyed all those other spirits, but- shouldn't Raava be stronger for having been so many others, or is it just a connection?

...you know, I really wanted Korra to learn about being herself separate from the Avatar, but I didn't want her de-powered to do it.

You know, *again*.

Iiit's a fucking kaiju.

Oh Korra, sweetie...

I'm not getting it.  Where's the eternal darkness?  What is Vaatu's game here?  Is he really, literally, just going to fucking rampage in a giant physical spirit-body and destroy human civilization?  Or is there something else he's going to try to do that's actually big and world-ending, and this is just Unalaq getting his Saturday cartoon super-villain kicks on?

Why is he bothering with this?  These planes can't threaten him.  What the hell is going on?

...Oh, Varrick.

And in the tree- this is the moment I have wanted Korra to start having.  Oh, baby girl...  (and it's also why I wonder why Raava and Vaatu were necessary in the first place).

and now I'm holding my breath.  It's like- this must be it.  This must be the true potential of *any* human spirit that truly, fully opens its chakras and holds itself open to the universe.  Having the powers just helps show you the way, the methods and stretches the 'muscles' for it.

It's a spiritual kaiju fight.

...I still don't understand this spiritual-bending thing that Unalaq does.  Is it supposed to be calming/changing emotional states in a spirit?  Binding it to your will, or just taking control of its energy like spiritual blood-bending?

Hell of a last stand for the friends of Korra-

*blink*  And that just happened?  Oh, wow, Bolin.  And Eska.  Oh my.

Oh, *Jinora*.  Be careful, sweetie, indeed!

What just- okay, recreated Raava, and pleeeeease don't have sacrificed Jinora to do it, please- re-lights the spark of light in the heart of darkness, and Korra knocks him back like an avenging goddess over an altar and rips it right out of him- she gets her Avatar-ish mojo back (maybe? she's still a giant spirit) and then spirit-soothes/spiral dances Una-Vaatu into- motes of light?  Forcibly pulled him into alignment so he could no longer maintain his vicious integrity?

Oh, Jinny, *you* saved it.  But Korra definitely helped.

Oh, Korra baby.

-oh?  You may be very good at compartmentalizing your feelings, Eska&Desna, but you have a mother?  Where?

AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH oh Eska.  I knew it.  I knew they were both riding the tide of adrenaline.

Oh, turtleduck.  Oh, Bum-Ju.

She's thinking.  She's really come to the crux of what being the Avatar is about and she's giving it real *thought* oh I've waited for this for two seasons.

A real, and clear, mature relationship decision.  Be still, my heart!  And stop leaking, face.


...Interesting.

......

Nov. 17th, 2013 04:50 pm
weirdlet: (Default)
.....things were awesome for a moment- and then Ginger.  And things were awesome, and then- reunion kiss.  And Varric is neither chastised nor in any way stripped of his power and privilege.  He's still somehow in a position to negotiate.

Still don't understand why Unalaq's doing what he's doing.

...I'm having flashbacks to The Secret Garden and Colin in that tub with the ice.  Oh, *Jinora*...  Sick and dying children are some hair-trigger points of mine, Tenzin and Pema and oh god.

At least the brothers are communicating again.  Now if only Mako could get his head out of his ass... at least we can see that it's because he's awkward and really bad at relationships this time.  Although the moment of physical intimidation, however unintended, is kinda... eurgh, it was bad enough when the Eska/Bolin thing went so horribly awry.  Boys shouldn't have to be afraid of their girls, girls shouldn't have to be afraid of their boys, and nobody should be so afraid of getting hurt that they can't *leave* when they need to.  That's not funny.  At least, not funny if it's played for serious and not just one person's exaggerating to cover their own insecurities, very briefly.

Ah-ha!  At long last, we get to see Bumi, strategic mad genius and retired United Forces commander!  -annnnd no.

Something that occurs to me from earlier- where are the girl Southern resistance warriors?

Katara!  I'm still wondering where the hell she's been for the rest of this nonsense, but Best Healer is Best, let's see what she can do for Jinora.

Oh Naga...

Ah-hah, here we go, something about why Unalaq is doing this!

*Eska&Desna's sideglance*

Asami Sato, Ace pilot and gadgeteer!

Oh shit, it's the Chitauri's giant flying slaughterfish!

(I think what I would have done is have the big flying distraction going on above, whilst I tunneled through the ice below.)

*Why* is Bumi so blazingly less competent than brave?  I know, I know, emphasizing how special bending is and how lucky he is to have made it this far- fuck you.  Fuuuuck you, 75-90% of the world is non-benders and Piandao was awesome and Bumi was a freaking *commander*, why are all his accomplishments offscreen suddenly no more than Uncle's wild stories, with no action backing them up?

Okay, this is what it's all about.  Merge the spirit and the material world, yadda yadda... still think Unalaq is either not telling us something about *why*, or is completely delusional/riding high on Vaatu-juice.

Okay- the world is out of balance with Light presiding, but that means that true balance is- probably really inimical to human life.  Also, I'm not getting what balance they're going for- balance of ruling power?  Balance of physical forces?  Balance of positive and negative spiritual energy?  It's one thing to prate about balance, it's quite another to actually find it.  I think what most people think of as 'balance' is more 'equilibrium', equilibrium being a self-sustaining point that favors and supports whatever they feel is right, such as human life.

He *calls* himself a Dark Avatar.  ....  Seriously.

I just- this just does not fit with the whole mythology and narrative established in A:tLA.  There was no *evil*, just aggression and lack of empathy.  I just.  argh.

...why do I want there to be fisticuffs leading to freindship between this dark spirit and Bumi?

...but even if he's right, Desna, hundreds of thousands of people may die in order for his 'new world order' to become.  And therein lies the problem- what's this new world order worth if it destroys everything rather than changes things for the better?  Or is it supposed to be a world full of only spirits, with humans fighting for their lives in tiny enclaves, as in the time before the Avatar, when Lion Turtles gave them their only shelter?

At last, we see the Southern troops' reaction to being constantly cheek-by-jowl with these spirity types!  I think they're mostly going with this because Unalaq is chief, pays their wages and possibly he sold them on some kind of becoming-a-stronger-tribe-with-us-in-control thing.

...and this is how Bumi always manages to save the day.  By sheer, dumb hilarity.  While I am still pissed off about his general competence levels and the way he's being treated as a non-bender by the story itself, not just his family- I gotta say, that was pretty fun, even if I'd have preferred some of it having been part of his crazy plan rather than just flailing about until something awesome happened by happenstance.

...and there is no exit strategy.  The only way out- is through.

Is anyone else getting an eye-of-Sauron feel from the Tree of Time?

...Waitasec- ah, right, they all just came through the spirit portal, so of course now they can bend in the spirit world.  That makes no sense and I don't know why that's in there aside from justifying not having to come up with some other way for folks to do battle in the spirit world.

...annnnd the world just got spiritually super-charged.  sort of there and not-there at once with the whole merging of spirit- and material-worlds?

This is something that has bothered me since the episode with Avatar Wan.  So these are the great spirits of the universe, the apparent forces for 'good' and 'evil', whose fighting has kept the world spinning for time immemorial, from the very beginning (so far as we can tell).  Is that why they look like proto-intestinal parasites?  No, trilobites might be the better word for it.  But they look like tapeworms.  They're so ancient they go back to the time of the beginnings of life itself, not just life as we know it.  But it still looks utterly alien and kinda freaky, which is why I wonder why they are human-relatable *at all*.


-And that's the end of the episode(s).  I've seen .gifs of much more stuff than this, so there must have been a two-hour finale instead of a one-hour, so I'm off to grab the last two episodes.  Man, Nickelodean is giving this such a weird schedule, with breaks and mashups- I think they're trying to get rid of this, or at least mush as many episodes together as they can in one chunk so they can have it over with and get the room back in their schedule.  I hope we can get the next season off the ground with this attitude.
weirdlet: (Default)
Legend of Korra, Season 2, Episode 10-

This moment was awesome!  And that moment was awesome!  Now if only the stuff between and leading up to it made ANY SENSE AT ALL.

I want their writing staff fired.  There are these occasional, profoundly beautiful moments, that are just *wasted*.  And I'm sick to death of Korra being helpless despite being the most badass chick since Toph, Mai, Katara, and Ty Lee.  I'm *sick* of it.  That one sequence would have been so cute and had so much meaning, but nothing she does is ever competent and she never gets out of problems on her own recognizance and soseeing her as a little baby girl lashing out and flailing until she's set straight by Irohis just icing on the damn cake.  There's flawed and then there's rolling the idiot ball, Sisyiphean style, before you.  I don't mind watching her fight and fail and learn again- but I really want that last part in there.  She doesn't learn, change or grow.  None of her choices matter.

And this nonsense with Vaatu and Unulaq has got to stop.  Where is his motivation, what is he going for, and Wan Shi Tong really is the epitome of the intellectual idiot.  What the fuck.  I am so done.  And why would you waste Professor Zei?  Spirits should be a bit alien and frightening, but this just makes them seem so- small.


I mean *really*.

There are definitely going to be overhaul AUs.  I can't let this stand.
weirdlet: (Default)
Current thought- Legend of Korra vid, "On My Own," Les Mis.  Listening to different versions to see which voice I like best- so far Lea Salonga's winning.
weirdlet: (Default)
Is it weird that I kind of want to see Korra working construction?
weirdlet: (Default)

I seriously haven't had this much trouble watching an episode since The Ember Island Players.  I just- I have this horrible reflexive embarrassment watching dumb shit happen.

I love the ideas of Legend of Korra.  I love the characters- just not how they're used in the narrative.  And I hate, hate, *haaaaate* the thought of being that one fan, the one who writes a huge alternaverse that's entertaining at first but you just have to wonder 'did you actually like *anything* about the original, or did you just see it as a fine skin to try and wrap your own clearly genius ideas in?'  Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, the ElfQuest Alternaverse, Embers...

And at the same time, it's fucking painful to watch what should be so awesome just flatly *fail* at it.

Anyone wanna help me?  Just brainstorm, maybe prompt some stuff?  A timeline divergence here, a character's hidden personality being different there, a larger exploration of some significant event that got skimmed over there...

weirdlet: (Default)
 Wait-

What if Eska and Desna's mom is some kind of spirit-woman?  Their dad is obsessed with spirits, their mom is absent in the show so far, and they themselves are adorable little creepazoids (with badass waterbending) who have serious problems interacting with other human beings.  Wouldn't that make so much sense?
weirdlet: (Default)

Because she totally is.

I'm just really hoping that as the season progresses we actually get to see her humbled and willing to learn the meaning of being the Avatar, rather than just flail around as she gets used and manipulated and tied up by bad guys and tentacle-vines.  That is- I'm waiting for her exile to Midgard to actually kick in.  Love her dearly, buuuut...


In other news, clearing out crap from house in prep for moving at end of the month.  Hoping to get sword-making into gear once established in new place.  Here's hoping no more major explosions in life anytime soon, unless they're of the excellent-job-shows-up-and-boyfriend-doesn't-have-to-move-to-Arizona kind.

weirdlet: (Default)

Zuko's Daughter
by ~weirdlet on deviantART

Just some speculation on my part.
weirdlet: (Default)
Bits and pieces of headcanon/trying to get a grip on certain characters.

Mako- )


Bolin- )


Korra- )


Tahno )


Asami- )

I ship Korra/Tahno, Korra/Mako/Bolin, and Korra/full harem, because Korra/Mako just isn't gonna cut it.  Also Korra/BFFs for all, because you can have a badass adventure saga with boys and girls and have mutual love and respect and loyalty without necessarily romance getting involved.  (Though it is fun to see hints of where it'll all fall out after the big events pan out.)
weirdlet: (Default)

As we won’t have Korra for a long, long time, I’ve decided to come up with something that might be fun, or not. Please use this challenge to deal with your Tahorra feels for at least 30 days. After this, we can think about something else. This ship is huge and magical, so we might stumble upon some new fresh cookies once in a while, right?

Day 01: Your first reaction to Tahorra
  "That makes so much sense.  Why didn't I think of that?"

Day 02: When and how did you start shipping it?
  Just about then.  Hard.

Day 04: A song that fits Tahorra
  Buffy Sainte-Marie, Cripple Creek

Day 05: Favorite Tahorra fanart
  This thing here.  Also, this.

Day 06: Favorite Tahorra fanfiction
  Most of what's on Toe-to-Toe already.  1,000 Yuans does hit a lot of guilty-pleasure/yeah-that-works headcanon moments for me, though.

Day 07: Favorite Tahorra video
  None so far- I'd love to see some.

Day 08: Favorite Tahorra headcanon
  That he's got some old-school Water-Tribe tattoos under his clothes.  Also, that he totally ends up her wife.  Her snarky, stylish, vicious, cunning wife who can navigate her through high (and low) society with aplomb.

Day 09: Favorite Tahno moment on the show
  Losing his shit in the arena.

Day 10: Favorite Korra moment on the show
  The thing with Naga- she's not impressed with his attitude, and she's not about to be gulled into fouling their chances in the tournament.

Day 11: Something you think that could’ve happened involving Tahno and Korra on the show
  Oh, lots- Naga dragging him in to rescue Korra from the cabin in the mountains, Korra hauling his mopey butt to Air-Temple Island to dry out after he loses his high lifestyle from the pro-bending, him being totally unimpressed with her country-girl ways and giving her a lesson on some of what the city has to offer.  Him joining up and using Equalist zap-gloves ("Really, honey?  One-handed gloves are sooo  tacky...")

Day 12: What do you like the most about the ship?
  That they challenge each other.  That they're both needful of change and capable of it.  And they're one of the few antagonistic ships that I can really see just chilling out and helping each other as well as making hella-frontpage scenes.

Day 13: What do you like the least about the ship?
  That it'll never happen for realz.

Day 14: A random line from a Tahorra fanfiction

Day 15: A color that fits Tahno and Korra

Day 16: Another ship (from any series) that resembles Tahorra

Day 17: Favorite Tahno line on the show
  "You gotta get'im for me."

Day 18: Favorite Korra line on the show
  "You wanna go toe to toe with me, pretty boy?"

Day 19: Waterbender Tahno or non-bender Tahno?
  Both.  Non-bender for a while, but once the cure's been invented, he'll probably take it up after he's settled his affairs.  Possibly after a while of avoiding it because he's afraid of losing *what makes him him* all over again.  It's not going to bring back the championship, the stardom, the place in the world he had before- but damnit, it's his and he can get that good again.

Day 20: List every Tahorra-related fanwork you’ve produced so far (fanfiction, fanart, music videos, etc.)
  Zilch.  Need to remedy that soon.

Day 21: Favorite Tahorra graphic

Day 22: Favorite Tahorra fanwork genre (drama, smut, fluffy, etc.)

Day 23: Favorite Tahno/Korra/Tahorra blogs

Day 24: A prompt for a possible Tahorra fanfiction
  Tahno is descended from the Foggy Swamp tribe.  After the arena attack, the whole clan shows up to support him.  "Uh-vatar, you gotta save me from my relatives!"

Day 25: A Tahorra moment that you would like to see in a fanart
  Korra looking pimpin' and Tahno playing it up for the cameras, hanging off her like a gold-digger with his sugar-mama.

Day 26: In a scale from 1 to 10, how hard do you ship Tahorra?
  Um... I like it better than the canon ship, but would accept it as about a level five or six crack-pairing if I could stand how Mako was written the last six episodes.

Day 27: A friend of yours that ships Tahorra

Day 28: Your reaction whenever Tahno shows up on the screen
  "You look so glorious when you've been kicked in the teeth."

Day 29: Write a Tahorra drabble

Day 30: Your Tahorra-related hopes for Book 2
  That it will exist?  Given that I'm going to be blithely re-imagining canon as I go already, let's say that after Korra went on her vision-quest and came back with the first hints of how to cure being de-bended, she kicks Tahno's ass out of the dumps and has him take her home to the Foggy Swamp to study up on the closest thing to bloodbenders she can get.  Tahno is horrified to realize she gets along better with his relatives than he does.

weirdlet: (Default)
This is a list of theoretical changes I would make to Legend of Korra, Season 1.  It is by no means complete, and specific scene-rewrites are a long way off. 

Things to Change in Legend of Korra-


On Mako... )


Team Avatar... )


On General Iroh... )


Asami and the Awesome That Could Have Been- )

Amon, Tarlock, and Other Villains- )

Korra's Restoration- )


weirdlet: (Default)
Having finale seen the finale and had a chance to chew over some things-

Legend of Korra: lots and lots of bits of awesome, kludged together and hobbled by some really bad writing.  Some of the flaws in the original that I could easily gloss over in my head are magnified and inflamed in the current series- plenty of events happen that I could accept and enjoy if there were long enough and enough justification shown on-screen, but which end up feeling just ridiculous and out of place the way they're strung together as is.

Verdict:  Love Legend of Korra in theory, displeased by large parts of its execution as unworthy of itself, and behavior on part of and perpetrated on characters as unworthy of them.  Yay paradox/cognitive dissonance- I watch this show for my own enjoyment, and I will cheerfully use it as suggested guidelines on which to hang my headcanon, but I can see a lot of fixit-fic and rewrite/extended edition writing in the future.  Not necessarily my future, but I'll keep an eye out for good ones from other writers.

I wonder what they'll do for an encore?
weirdlet: (Default)
As everyone knows, I am crap at finishing my memes.  But, it's fanfic, it's all in good fun, and stressing/guilting is not going to get things writ- so.  Korra meme!

Give me a prompt, and I'll drabble a bit for you.
weirdlet: (Default)
...Huh.  That was an interesting episode (watched it late because I was out larping all weekend- I have glorious blisters).

Some of the more logical theory-tossing has turned out to be exactly right, and I kind of like that.  At last, something makes sense and has continuity.  Amon continues to be badass and scary and now *really* intriguing, and I'm more looking forward to what happens after this again.

The Asami/shipping/Mako and Korra thing continues to spiral into irritating mediocrity without interest or tension, until such times as they eventually confront one another.  I want to like Asami, I think she's got the potential to be cool in her own right and a solid corner of a love-triangle- but we don't see a whole lot of her beyond very sweet girlfriend behavior, a little bit of physical badassery, and some very understated hurt.  I can't get into her head, really get a sense of who she is.  She's almost generically good, and even when utterly betrayed she's very very quiet.  I don't dislike her because she's getting in the way of my ship- I dislike the way she's being skimmed over.

I really, really want to see Tahno have an arc.  He's got to be one of the most interesting assholes ever to flaunt across a screen, and now that he's been kicked off his throne and utterly wrecked- I really want to see what he'll do next.  He's this series' Zuko, arrogant and brash and probably hiding a whole lot of hurt and hate under it, even before he got everything taken away from him.  Asami seems like she ought to be the one set up to take this arc, but she's got nothing like the snark of this guy.  Mako is too focused on survival to make a decent boyfriend to anyone, Bolin is sweet but still a bit immature even as he loves whole-heartedly, and Korra is a bull in a china-shop when it comes to her friends' feelings and goals.  But Tahno would stand up to her, resist her, zing her, pull her in and push her away- and if he threw her over for a sugar-mama, at the very least he would be loud, proud and vicious about it, and hurting himself as much as her at the same time.

I'm kind of curious about when they'll look into the issue of poverty that seems to be driving a lot of stuff in the background.  Who feels helpless and angry?  Who gets pulled into professional sports, turned into young gods, then chewed up and spit out?  Who's easily divided based on how much better someone else has it who doesn't deserve to?  Where do alternate systems of rule come into being that go around the law?  Korra realized that the city was out of whack in the first episode, on meeting a bum who lived in a bush.

Just pushing stuff around in my head.  I'm sure it'll all seem different once I've seen the whole series, rather than the in-the-moment as we go.
weirdlet: (Default)
Watching now.  Squeeing hard.  Thinking Korra's life looks a little lonely so far, even if she's got the brash attitude to carry it off.


Edit- Bwahaha... "Don't bring my mother into this-!" )


I NEED MORE!!!

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