I agree completely. I've always been partial to the work of _John Michael Higgins,_ the voice actor for _Varrick._ After his run as _Varrick,_ my next favorite role of his is as _Floyd Mayborne_ in an episode of *NUMB3RS* entitled, _"Dreamland."_ Of course his mockumentary work with _Christopher Guest_ is also a delight.
Yeah, he was a pretty fun character and the voice actor does a very good job (unsurprisingly).. However, when we look at what he does, as character treatment, it is problematic for the show to some extent
For everyone yelling at her to watch until season 3 she already finished S2 on Patreon and said she started watching some episodes of S3 and likes them so far
She is a basically a princess. Asking a princess to think outside of herself is a tall ask. She has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She is also super prideful and headstrong.
well kinda but her father is not really the cheif of the south because both the south and the north have the same chiefs and Unalaq is their chiefs and the south only have representative or some sort of a governor. The south is like one of their colonies and not the main capital. That is why when the south start the civil war Unalaq call it a rebellion because they are kinda rebel against their own cheif.
@@wewenang5167 that is wrong it's not a colony it's a different country with different history and culture if you read avatar the last airbender comics you would see that Katara and soka's father was chief of that tribe for decades Unalaq just started take over because he doesn't see that tribe as something equal
One thing I’ve noticed is that “legend of Korra” really likes showcasing the full power of waterbending. Season 1 we had blood bending without the full moon and Amon being able to take bending away. Season 2 has Unalaqs spirit cleansing technique and just wait till season 3
I really understood Korras frustration though. Imagine spending the first 17 years of your life pushed to train, with no friends, adventures, self discovery… just people telling what and how to be and do things. Aangs adventures, friends, and adversaries are what made him grow into a great avatar, and korra was stripped of the chance and her freedom. I feel like the show doesn’t focus on this point enough so some people lack the empathy and understanding from her perspective
It also shoehorns it in that they made Korras past be this rigid training of physical and not spiritual training, then spending the majority of the show with spriritual opponents which obviously she's ill equipped to deal with for some time. And then still have the audacity of trying to make us upset at Korra for handling things in an immature manner. They wrote her with a stunted growth, then tries to put her in a bad light in how she deals with the expectations put on her.. The one "legit" flaw they wrote for her was how she just straight up refuses any sort of protection from those that care for her. I kinda wish she'd fallen for and gotten burned by some love interest before Mako, since for the first half of s2, he's being a pretty examplary boyfriend. Instead we get this bogus "ugh, noone understands my woes" 12year old act.
People also talk about s2 being all bad and shit but its the season where characters like Mako, Bolin, Asami and Tenzin get explored the most. We see how Bolin is somewhat desperate for attention and how he can become asshole when he has that, we also see the detective side of Mako, we see Asami being vulnerable and naive while trying to rebuild her Future Industries. We see how Tenzin pushed himself into be like his father and how he feels like a loser because he cant be like Aang. We also get more into how Aang was as a father to is kids. More info about the spirit world and those damn good Wan episodes. Season 2 was far from being the best but it kind grew on me when rewatch the show
I mean the fact that she get more development in the next season rather than this 2 season is telling much how the white lotus order to lock her is dumb
@@rafaelrose14Somewhat defended by the fact that the showrunners didn't know they'd be getting a season2 at all, so the writing was super rushed, and we all feel that xD
Yes please stay with it! My favorite season is 3 ->4->1 and then----------> 2 (cool parts in season 2 but suffered because of the rushed season with writers strike and if it would be renewed.
I'm sorry, but I still found season 3 pretty overrated. The fight animations are nice, but it still doesn't match up to Last Airbender in terms of writing. Its just more battle shonen-esc than before. Zaheer is so clearly, obviously wrong that any intrigue the plot/themes could provide is dead in the water from the start.
The writers never knew how many seasons they would have, which is why each season wraps up with a neat bow. Hope that makes the pacing make more sense.
“I will make you mine” “You mean like a boyfriend, or like a slave?” “Yes. Win me prizes.” And in that moment, Aubrey plaza’s voice awakened something in an entire generation.
The interpersonal tensions and family dynamics really have a lot of influence in this season. Korra's still got more growth to go through, but she also has some valid reasons behind her frustrations. She just needs to find some balance, which is on brand for the Avatar.
@@TuskyBabydoesn’t have valid reasons for her frustrations? Hormones of a 17 year old, being locked away in a white lotus compound where all she did was train and had no life after that….no friends, no adventures, no worldly experience at all? Aang travelled the world before he was trapped in the ice berg and then had an entire avatar journey and friends to help teach him life lessons on top of the lessons he learned from the monk masters, his monk friends he had until he was given the title avatar and his friends across all the kingdoms. Korra didn’t have any life…until 17.
@@butterflymage5623 "All I ever wanted to be was the avatar" That was Korra's own words to her parents. Are the White Lotus made to looks pretty unnecessarily dumb in Korra? Yes. But she has everything provided for her and got what she wanted. You sound pretty privileged if you think thats grounds for acting the way Korra does.
@@TuskyBaby Do you not see the irony of calling me privileged because…Korra acts privileged? Which is my exact point I made in my above comment? Come on now. If you get the nuances of atla how does this go over your head?
@@TuskyBaby and I’m glad you brought up that quote. Because your correct, all katara wanted to be was the avatar and perform the duties of them…which is the opposite of who? Aang struggled with the idea of doing his duty to kill the fire lord, culminating in him finding a different path of doing so because he was a human first. Korra struggled with being human.
The writers were told that the show initially was going to be just one season and halfway into production of season one they were told that they were going to have more seasons which is why season 2 (mostly the first half) was a bit rough and some characters felt off in season 2 despite the character develpment they went trough in the first season.
That's actually not true even though people keep spreading it around, the writers have confirmed in interviews that despite initially only being contracted for a single season they started working on the show intending to make atleast 3 seasons and had the rough framework for each of those seasons established while working on season 1. The issues season 2 had weren't due to the writers being unprepaired or not wanting to make the show, it was because the Studio forced rewrites during production of season 2 which disrupted their initial plans for the season.
@@larmoth401this is also kinda wrong too. I remember reading in the art book that it initially was worked for a multiple season story but then Nick limited it to one book only. The book 1 arc was supposed to be more than one season. And then they were told season 1 was only gonna be 12 episodes and that really fucked them over. Once they began production, Nick greenlit season 2 again. But once again was told that was the last one. And then after seeing the popularity they ordered seasons 3 and 4 together. That’s why those two book some the most cohesive.
@@larmoth401 It's true that Bryke had a rough idea of how further seasons would go. However, even though Bryke are very classy and would never outright criticize or blame anyone they worked with for the production troubles on the show, I don't believe they had any confidence that book 2 would go ahead until very late in book 1's production cycle (past the point of no return). Nick didn't offer further seasons until they saw the completed first episode, and knowing how this show was produced, the rest of the 12 episodes must have been near finished by then. Additionally, Studio Mir did not want to return to animate another season, which would have had Bryke very worried because they relied on their close relationship with the animators. I think Bryke wrapped the story up in a neat little bow in S1E12 because they were genuinely doubtful book 2 would get off the ground. And even though it did get off the ground eventually, they imply it was an absolute nightmare and the most horrid production cycle they ever worked through (source: The Legend of Korra - The Art of the Animated Series)
@@carlosalejandroalvarenga4913 No they've said in interviews that their goal with Korra was for each season to be more indpendent, so that it was a collection of Miniseries rather than one long form story like the Last Airbender had been.
That two-parter is good and I actually like the ballsy choice they make at the end of the season, but beyond that (and Varric) I don't have much good to say about the season.
I think that this two parter really dumbs down everything spiritual and completely mistakes the philosophy of Yin and Yang (complex) with good and evil (no depth at all).
I like all three 'spirit' episodes. The one where Korra goes to the spirit world is also pretty good... I also appreciate the openingt arc more than most cause I think Korra's behaving more realistically in the situation than most people give her credit for... She's even trying to 'give negotiations' a chance... only for it to explode in her face cause the guy at the top of things is bad... there's more going on here than people give it credit for....... you know... it just all explodes into a dumb, lore squishing kaiju lightshow that nobody asked for.
@@jackkelly9048 the soundtrack and art design of these episodes is amazing and I loved these episodes when I watched the the first time. But as soon as you start thinking about them, they start to really disappoint.
We know season 2 is rough. But there are diamonds in that rough! There are two FANTASTIC world-building episodes in this season. And I promise, season 2 is worth it for season 3.
This is the thing with Korra's story: it's not "another avatar" where we see the external growth of a character's abilities, which also teaches the audience about bending and the world. It's an evolution and deeper dive into the world now that those things are established. The struggles for this series largely come from Korra's personal growth and finding her place in a rapidly changing world, as opposed to acquiring different skills and saving the world as it currently exists. In a lot of ways Korra's journey is representative of the position the audience is in for her series: We know all about the power of bending and what the Avatar is "supposed to be," and so Korra does too. It's basically all she knows and all she wants to be, and we want her to be a great avatar too. We don't really need to see Korra learning how to bend, because we got 3 seasons of that with Aang, Katara, and Zuko (Toph just starts awesome and stays awesome lmao). Korra's struggle with airbending in the first season was both less of a major plot-point and more about her personal growth and learning something that she's ashamed doesn't come easily to her. Making that struggle be with airbending also gives us some residual Bending Story vibes that we didn't see with air in the first show since Aang was a master from the get-go, but it doesn't need to be the main focus since we've already seen a lot of it. This show takes what was built in The Last Airbender and starts to look closer. We get deeper dives into the sociology, politics, ideologies, and personal journeys that can only really happen in a setting that we're familiar with. As well-written as they are, the characters from A:tLA don't go through too much personal development and growth beyond a few single-episode stories that don't really reverberate through the rest of the show (with the exception of Zuko). They grow and mature but largely stay the same way they were when we first met them, which is fine because that's not what A:tLA was trying to do. It's an adventure story. Even Korra's big baddies are representative of larger ideas beyond just being the Evil Firelord Who Needs To Be Stopped. Amon represents innate power imbalance and privilege, and makes some decent points about how non-benders would be less capable citizens in this world. Other villains will explore more ideas as well but I won't get into spoilers here, I'll just say that thinking that Unalaq is right about the spirits but is still being very suspicious/evil is the kind of thing that The Last Airbender doesn't really do (and doesn't need to), and it's one of the things I really like about Legend of Korra. LoK is a personal story as opposed to an adventure, so we get to see much more obviously flawed characters confront those flaws and watch their growth throughout the series. Throughout this show but especially in this season, the idea of "What the avatar is supposed to be" is brought into question. Korra has an ideal she wants to live up to but keeps learning at every possible opportunity that the world is a lot more complicated than that. Everyone has their own ideas about what Korra should be doing and how her life should go (which to me represents The Studio/Audience saying what Avatar should/shouldn't be), and ultimately it's up to Korra to figure that out for herself (the writers telling us that this show will be whatever it needs to be). Frickin' heck I love this show. I have textbooks of thoughts/opinions on Avatar and will share them at the slightest provocation xD
Really enjoyed reading this comment. Korra is definitely over hated. I love both series for different reasons, but it's sad when people don't give Korra a fair try
The one comment I have about you mentioning how dangerous her usage of the avatar state is, is that her circumstances are highly different from Aang's. By this season, Korra is already an adult who's a master level bender of all four elements and can also fully control herself in the avatar state. Aang was a kid who constantly lost himself in the avatar state and took the whole show to master the first three elements and some basics for fire plus the cool original fire bending stuff. Korra isn't easy to kill right now, plus she's usually got at least one other master level bender at her side. It's just a very different level of risk for her.
I think because of the show being half the episode count of ATLA they need things to move quickly to get to the story but it does lead to rushing certain things. Also Korra is a hot head like Zukko was and it didn't take him until the second half of season 3 to begin to really change that. Zukko had a tendency to lash out at the person he loved most his Uncle when he was angry even when he chose Azula he still yelled at his uncle in his jail cell calling him a crazy old man who would die in the gutter. He clearly was confused and angry but didn't know where to put that anger, instead of internal he lashed out externally. Korra has the same tendencies to lash out when angry then regret it later. She was very sheltered and knows very little about the world around her. She needs to grow as a person and like you mention learn more empathy and compassion. She sees things very black and white not the grey reality. I've heard something like this said before ATLA is about a person learning how to be the Avatar and LOK is about an Avatar learning how to be a person. She is literally the opposite to Aang. He struggled with the idea of ending the fire lord because of him being very compassionate and empathetic, that all life was sacred. Korra struggles with showing restraint and not being compassionate to those who she views as the enemy. She doesn't start to really learn these things til the end of this season but really season 3.
"I wasn't sure if Unalaq was sus..." Some consider this the weakest season of the show, but it really has some interesting elements like this hidden in the overall chaos that it was to restart a story that (originally) was considered to be finished. In season 1, Korra is (basically) a prodigy that hasn't had much of a hard time mastering the bits and pieces needed to be the Avatar (mostly, the bending side). Then, when it was clear she needed help with the spiritual side and airbending, she gave in and went completely to the opposite side to trust in her teachers to make some sense of that knowledge she lacked. Then she grows up a little bit more, and Unalaq shows with this "I trust you, completely" attitude that appeals to the time when she didn't have to really worry about learning from another person; but only from herself and finding, naturally, her way around stuff. As with the spirits, Unalaq's traits and philosophy come from a "positive" place (we aim to be honest with people, to help them find confidence and their own way, and maybe integrate some spirituality into the practical world); but he is playing with it to his advantage, and even there are some hints of red flags: he is not teaching anything to Korra (besides some general concepts or tales), he has just put her in situation so she does things, with no prior explanation. Korra things he is trusting her skills and intuition, but in reality she hasn't realized she is doing things without knowing what she is really doing. She has yet to learn one very sad truth of the Avatar world: people, more often than not, might sweet your ears to shape you into a tool useful to their ends, not the Avatar mission with the whole world. "The firebending take off" The concept actually exists: Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) rockets, to reach take off speed in shorter distances (in the Avatar world, airbending would be another option; except they would need to know the exact windspeed they need, other wise Korra could damage the plane; but yeah, a wing wants to fly and light wings lift off even when stationary if wind is enough). If we get technical with the fire approach, though, they should be careful to fire at the same time, with the same intensity; any differential thrust would end up with them crashing in the water or ripping a wing off of the plane XD. And that's it; nice reaction and see you in the next one.
I also didn't like Korra as a character at first, but I think that's the point. She is a 16 year old teenager put in a very stressful situation with all these expectations. Also, with the previous avatar being so awesome for ending the 100 year war and all. So, actually, feeling the teen angst and the annoying part of a teenage girl behaviour is probably the journey that we, as observers, have to take. But that's how character growth can really be shown.
Yeah such stressful situations. Aang didn't have anything like that, of course, that's why he wasn't so unbelievably annoying. And being a teenager doesn't give someone an excuse to act like that and if you use it as an excuse to do that, you too are a moron
Honestly, apart from the really good arc in S4, I don't really see any growth from Korra anywhere in this entire series. I think as fans we're inclined to be forgiving because we love the franchise so much, but to me, everyone giving Korra credit for any growth anytime before S4 comes across as awarding her participation trophies for doing the absolute barest bare minimum for extremely short durations. I never got the sense that she actually learns or retains anything. Speaking as a hotheaded impulsive brat in many ways myself (which is no doubt part of why I judge her so harshly lol), I don't see her ever really getting over that disposition for more than a couple of minutes at a time, before things go right back to "everyone saved the Special Girl and it all worked out okay without her actually having to have more than a split second of mature reasonable behavior before running off again to be an idiot about the next thing" 😂
I wish ppl had more empathy for korra she’s literally a 17 year old i think ppl forget that a lot, try to think about how u acted at 17… cause personally i really relate to korra and her attitude tbh
Plus, her ability to interact with people and the world has been stunted by the sheltered way she was raised 😢 it really is a shame people often don't see that
I agree, Korra’s motivation makes total sense. But for me it was the writing. I didn’t hate it, it was just too predictable. You just saw it coming a mile away that her uncle was a heel.
@@hellogoodbyeandallinbetweenI think the show actually doesn’t emphasise this part enough. We get she’s egotistical and bratty, but she is also massively socially stunted from isolation for most of her life and her understanding of the world is often incredibly naive. It’s something I think they should have explored earlier tbh.
Why would we have empathy for her when the prequel was about a younger avatar that actually learned from his experiences and mistakes. Hell, most of the main cast in ATLA grows and learns a lot more than Korra
its so fun rewatching this show after reading the comics - knowing who ends up with who, everything that happens, which characters r actually queer - it's so so so lovely
It’s def the weakest, but after I rewatched it I realized it’s actually not as bad as I used to think. It’s actually a surprising strong season. Specially the second half it really blew me away
@@rylymbonaAgreed. Spoilers* Turning into a giant and shooting lasers seemed completely antithetical to the idea of Korra getting in touch with her spirituality. This season was the perfect opportunity to show Korra being a diplomat instead of being just a fighter, but they didn’t seem interested in exploring that. I guess they thought it might be too boring or something lol
Yes! The relationship drama I don't like. And the fight in the finale *(spoilers)* This was in that period when every show had a huge mecha monster fight, and I started to dislike that quite a lot. And this show does it twice! Like in a show where you have martial art magic, that's not how I would've written endings.
It's always fun watching reactors to this season and specifically to early Unalaq. Some who distrust the guy from the moment he shows up and cemented after his "great plans" line to close episode 1, but a surprising amount who actually fall into the exact same trap Korra does with him... The guy has so many telltale signs of cult activity - separation from loved ones, setting up circumstances to show the validity of what they offer, using that as a further basis to show they are the "only way" and cement that isolation, and, most importantly, targeting people who are emotionally vulnerable and prone to emotional manipulation and reward-based tactics. And considering some details we learn in season 3, it makes all the more sense that this was his long term plan set up for a while.
Please don't give up on the show, just push through it, season 2 has good moments. Also remember that korra is a teenager, so she's gonna act like one.
I found this symbolism of this season and actually one of the ATLA comics about the North and South water tribe very much how at the end of the American Civil War, the norther's came down and took advantage of the decimated and weakened south very meaningful.
2:40 That was actually explained (out-of-universe) before. The reason firebending doesn't leave scorch marks is because firebending is produced through what is essentially chakra/mana/magic/spiritual energy. Normally, fire is something burning, producing the flame by using something else, creating fire and other byproducts (carbon/soot and smoke). But firebending doesn't use a physical "fuel" so it leaves no byproducts (though of course, this being a cartoon, inconsistencies likely exist with this aspect). 3:53 Seeing Bumi again, I can't help but notice that he is 100% like TLA Aang, personality-wise. 6:15 Yeah... best (supporting) character introduction ever. 9:40 This situation has happened before. The 2014 Avatar: The Last Airbender comic "The Rift" revolves around a similar case. And if Zhu Li's voice sounded familiar, she's voiced by Cherami Leigh, who is a very well-known English dub anime VA. Some of her more notable roles include: - Yoshika Miyafuji (Strike Witches) - Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail) - Asuna Yuki (Sword Art Online) - Definitely her most prominent role. - Uiharu Kazari (the "A Certain" franchise) - Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon) - Iris Cannary (Violet Evergarden) - Sarada Uchiha (Boruto: Naruto next Generations) - Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal) - Ilia Amitola (RWBY) You should really read the Avatar: The Last Airbender comics. LOTS of additional story from after the end of the main series. *The Lost Adventures (2011)* shows bits from the main series we didn't see. *The Promise (2012)* is about the Gaang's adventures after the end of the original show, and sets up The Legend of Korra (for example, showing how Toph became a Metalbending teacher, the conflict between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, the founding of Republic City, and the beginnings of what led to the Equalists' creation. *The Search (2013)* is all about Zuko's search for his mother (the long-awaited answer to the big question we all had from the main show's ending). *The Rift (2014)* is all about Aang reviving an Air Nomad holiday and discovering its important spiritual aspect. *Smoke and Shadow (2015)* focuses on Zuko and the Gaang dealing with a growing threat, the "New Ozai Society" in the Fire Nation. *North and South (2016)* sees the Gaang returning to the Southern Water Tribe for the first time since they left in season 1 of the main show. It also serves to show how the tribe has evolved in their absence over the years, as well as the growing tension with the North. *Imbalance (2018)* focuses again on the bender vs. non-bender inequality in the technologically-growing society. *Azula in the Spirit Temple (2023)* will revolve around the VERY long-awaited Azula redemption arc. Begins this November.
@@Cameron-fk5fk I believe all seasons have something good in them. From best to worst, it's (imo) 3,4 and 2. I honestly don't know where to put first season, some parts are so strong while others annoy the hell out of me.
I actually related to Korra in her frustrations. When I was her age there was a looot of stuff my dad didn’t tell me and it made me so upset. Obviously now that I’m older I can understand why he didn’t, but when your young it’s hard to see your parents making mistakes and holding secrets from you.
The reason why book 1 felt like that was because it was supposed to be a mini series first , then Nickelodeon made them stop mid-production for some reason , and after they finished they gave them book 2
Even though i didn't like S2 as much as the other seasons, it really had some very enjoyable moments and at least 2 super awesome episodes imo And Varrick alone is worth every second
During the scene in the first episode when Korra uses the avatar state to win the race consider it this way instead. Instead of cheating it was just a way to let Aang to play with his grandkids. 😌
0:41 so basically, the show had only originally been planned to be a one season thing, but it became so popular that they signed on for two more seasons, then they got another season after that
A big problem with the season is that from the minute he shows up Unulaq is just transparently evil and one-note. They really dropped the ball with him and several other plot threads. But there are some interesting flashbacks.
Season 2 is soooo many perks but it definitely struggled because it was unexpected. And honestly, kind of confusing. Season 3 and 4 really pick it up though. Stay with it!!!!!
The richest man in the world, the most quotable character in the series, and a handsome devil are all introduced in this episode. How do they all fit in one scene!?! They're all same person: Varrick!
I think the hate for season 2 is overhated personally. Its probably the weakest of the series but its still enjoyable and leads into one of the top seasons
I think when it was fresh ppl were irritated (me included) but upon rewatch it becomes less grating lol plus it has one of the best arcs with avatar Juan
I don’t hate it, I hate the things it does. They eliminate some of the most interesting parts of the world and the lore in order to “develop” korra using essentialy western morals that don’t really fit with what this franchise was supposed to be about, and then do basically nothing with the changes they make. The past arc and season 3 are probably the best of this series though, so there are upsides
I dont think Korra uses the avatar state the same way Aang did. she uses it to access abilities or special techniques from her past lives whereas Aang whenever he went into the avatar state was possessed by prior avatars.
Hey Natalie! Long-time Golden Nugget, here! Just to say that I always look forward to your reactions, they are so genuine, expressive, and funny. I was over the moon when you reacted to ATLA, and am excited for your continuation into Korra. Though this season might be a bit rocky, stick with it, because the following seasons are worth it. Anyway, keep up the amazing work!! Big cheers from Portugal!
You’ll grow to love Varrick, trust me. He may seem annoying right now but really he is such a comedic relief and also fairly important character 😂. His relationship with Zhu Li is the best, especially in the final book 🫢
LOK season 1 felt like a complete story because that's what LOK was originally supposed to be, just 1 season long show with major consequences in the end like kora and Lin losing their bending permanently, but when show got cleared for more seasons they had to make some end moment changes like giving kora and lin their bending back
She really is the opposite of Aang, He said "I never wanted to be the avatar" and just wanted a normal life with the other nomads and to be a normal kid while Korra is the opposite. "All I ever wanted to be was the avatar" while her mother is telling her how she wanted Korra to have a normal childhood.
I really like Korra’s flaws because they are perfect for her age. Teenagers are selfish, short sighted and moody but they are also hopeful, energetic and capable of growth. It’s what really separates her arc from Aang’s. They are at totally different emotional and mental development stages and the shows reflect that difference. It also matches the relative age of the viewers of each show and explains some of the difficulty the creators had with this second series. Nickelodeon is a kids’ programming network and Korra was geared more for young teens and tweens and the show didn’t fit what Nick wanted. But its still such a good ride if you follow it all the way to the end. Korra is emotionally capable of carrying a lot more of the weight of her decisions than Aang was and those consequences and experiences stick with her from one season to the next. I was so happy when you watched and enjoyed season 1 and I’m so excited to watch the rest of the series with you!
here's my obligatory "stick with it" comment- season 2 may not be consistently great or fast paced, but it is sooooo worth it to push through!! i personally think season 2 is not that bad, but compared to all the other seasons and the 3 seasons of atla, it definitely falls short. but seasons 3 and 4 are phenomenal and i think you'll love them, especially for what they bring in terms of character growth! loved the video ❤️
I really love Legend of Korra and I think it gets waaay more hate than it deserves. Season 2 isn't the strongest season of the 4, but I still enjoyed it and it has one of my favorite episodes of the whole show! I really appreciate how much you pay attention to the storylines and the characters! I love love love your reactions! 💛
The first season they had only expected one season so they wrote a self contained season, but toward the end, they were told they were getting more and so had to put together a new story.
People are so much less forgiving of korra than zuko, but when you look closely they have similar personalities and were similarly sheltered at a young age. You could even argue that Korra having her bending taken is similarly traumatic to Zuko's scar. If they'd been able to keep her bending gone for longer it would have helped, but my point still stands.
What happened to Zuko was 100% more traumatic then what happened to Korra. Zuko was hated by his father. Korra was kept hidden because she was in danger.
@@maxwell29op3 I agree. But they have both been through trauma and there are still parallels. The world doesn't want Korra and much of it hates what she represents, through no particular fault of her own.
I've been saying for years that if you're gonna compare Korra to any of the original crew, it should be Zuko. It doesn't mean that their problems are 1:1 of course, but there are *very intentional* parallels between Korra and Zuko. Both have their entire identities shaped around their title and what they think that means they need to be. Both have a tendency toward anger/aggression, and can take that out on the people who care about them. Both were rather isolated as children (though at least Zuko interacted with other kids around his age). Both of them also show that they have a deep desire to do what's right and what they think will let them live up to the legacy of their position. And that's just from what we've seen so far!
- Korra firebends at the closed portal - "You can't just brute force it" - Oh, so I need to be more spiritual right? >>> Korra begins to airbend at the portal Brute force is all she knows
Korra is using the Avatar State correctly, it is a momentary power boost, it serves precisely to expand the bend to a higher level. Aang used the Avatar State as a survival mode, he never used the Avatar State as a power boost, except in the final scene after defeating Ozai, when he bends water to put out the forest flames. PS: A LOT OF PEOPLE say that Korra was being impatient and self-centered in her decisions, but what no one realizes is that both her Spiritual Master and her Father (an authority figure) were failing to be honest with her. Unfortunately, a guy who was a leader, values her opinions and is an excellent Spiritual Master (and was her uncle), shows up supporting her decisions, and that’s were things Korra was looking for: recognition, and Unalaq offered that to her. Aang never wanted to be the Avatar, but he learned how to be. Korra always wanted to be the Avatar, but they always tried to silence her. We have a room to grow here.
I agree on all your points. Plus, despite the fact that Aang was only 12 people constantly treated him like an adult, like he had to have all the answers. Meanwhile Korra, who is now 18, is the one that's treated more like a child, with authority figures in her life lying to her "for her own good" and trying to tell her how she should be the Avatar.
I truly hope that you stay until the end. I know most of the fandom hates this season because of reasons I won't spoil. But I love this season. And thanks to this season we get the best season book 3.
The show DID end after season 1. There was no guarantee that there would be another season, so the writers needed to wrap everything up. There is more continuity from season 2 to 3, and even more from 3 to 4, so keep watching!
I'm catching up on your LOK reaction videos right now, and I want to say here in address to the beginning minute of this video : Yes, each season has it's own antagonist, and while I personally feel this takes away from the total feel of the ATLA universe, it does it well. When I first watched LOK, it was with my best friend/roommate and his GF of the time, because we had just finished watching ATLA, (My friend hadn't ever seen it all the way through, and his GF never watched it), and we didn't make it 3-4 episodes in before we shut it off and didn't revisit it for almost a year. When we did (just me and my friend) come back to try again, we watched it all the way through, and though we talked about the discrepancies along the way, it didn't dissuade us from watching the whole thing. The 4th season felt a bit rushed, but S3 has my favorite character, who needs practically no introduction because her character type is so lovable, Opal; And I personally can't wait until you get to see her.
Oh yea, something someone else mentioned that i never considered. While yes, this season is about spirits, but it also has a huge family plotpoint. Everywhere you look, someone family is there
It bothers me when people say that Tenzin was Aang's favorite. All siblings will have different relationships wiht their parents, but that doesn't make any of them the "favorite", It makes sense that Aang would take extra time with Tenzin bc he was the only other airbender and the future of their culture was on his shoulders.
He was tho. Aang even left them out on multiple vacations. To say tenzin was not his favorite is simply not true. Aang was a shit dad for putting that pressure on tenzin and neglecting his other kids. Even his own kids say it. Stop being bias just because you love aang.
@@hiymecorp.258 I honestly don't think we know enough about Aang's relationship with his children to make these assumptions. We really only get a surface -level view.
Apparently in the 70 years between TLA and LOK, due to the North's assistance in the reconstruction of the Southern Tribe, the Water Tribes united under the joint rule of the Northern Chief. While the Southern Tribe still has its own council of chiefs and elders, they still answer to the Chief of the Northern Tribe. The Southern Tribe is and of right ought to be a free and independent state.
To be fair, the vast majority of the characters (my personal exceptions being Tenzin and Lin and ... that's about it, maybe a couple others in their generation) set that bar REEEEEEALLY low 😂
Varrick was one of the best things to happen to this series. His and bolins dynamics and comedy are what made seasson 2 bearable
The side plots in general are the highlights of this season.
You meant to say "platypus-bearable" :)
I agree completely. I've always been partial to the work of _John Michael Higgins,_ the voice actor for _Varrick._ After his run as _Varrick,_ my next favorite role of his is as _Floyd Mayborne_ in an episode of *NUMB3RS* entitled, _"Dreamland."_ Of course his mockumentary work with _Christopher Guest_ is also a delight.
@@MrMastrix I think I would go with Varrable. :)
Yeah, he was a pretty fun character and the voice actor does a very good job (unsurprisingly)..
However, when we look at what he does, as character treatment, it is problematic for the show to some extent
You can say anything you want about this season… But never forget it gave us Verrick and Eska!
And Zhu Li!
@@captainnerd6452Do the thing!
eska ??? can’t be serious
I would have said Bumi & Kya before Eska.
It takes a lot to make me dislike a character played by Aubrey Plaza, but this show did it with Eska.
For everyone yelling at her to watch until season 3 she already finished S2 on Patreon and said she started watching some episodes of S3 and likes them so far
Haha thanks for calming our hearts.
She is a basically a princess. Asking a princess to think outside of herself is a tall ask. She has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She is also super prideful and headstrong.
well kinda but her father is not really the cheif of the south because both the south and the north have the same chiefs and Unalaq is their chiefs and the south only have representative or some sort of a governor. The south is like one of their colonies and not the main capital. That is why when the south start the civil war Unalaq call it a rebellion because they are kinda rebel against their own cheif.
@@wewenang5167 that is wrong it's not a colony it's a different country with different history and culture if you read avatar the last airbender comics you would see that Katara and soka's father was chief of that tribe for decades Unalaq just started take over because he doesn't see that tribe as something equal
One thing I’ve noticed is that “legend of Korra” really likes showcasing the full power of waterbending. Season 1 we had blood bending without the full moon and Amon being able to take bending away. Season 2 has Unalaqs spirit cleansing technique and just wait till season 3
I really understood Korras frustration though. Imagine spending the first 17 years of your life pushed to train, with no friends, adventures, self discovery… just people telling what and how to be and do things. Aangs adventures, friends, and adversaries are what made him grow into a great avatar, and korra was stripped of the chance and her freedom. I feel like the show doesn’t focus on this point enough so some people lack the empathy and understanding from her perspective
couldnt agree more
It also shoehorns it in that they made Korras past be this rigid training of physical and not spiritual training, then spending the majority of the show with spriritual opponents which obviously she's ill equipped to deal with for some time. And then still have the audacity of trying to make us upset at Korra for handling things in an immature manner. They wrote her with a stunted growth, then tries to put her in a bad light in how she deals with the expectations put on her..
The one "legit" flaw they wrote for her was how she just straight up refuses any sort of protection from those that care for her. I kinda wish she'd fallen for and gotten burned by some love interest before Mako, since for the first half of s2, he's being a pretty examplary boyfriend. Instead we get this bogus "ugh, noone understands my woes" 12year old act.
People also talk about s2 being all bad and shit but its the season where characters like Mako, Bolin, Asami and Tenzin get explored the most. We see how Bolin is somewhat desperate for attention and how he can become asshole when he has that, we also see the detective side of Mako, we see Asami being vulnerable and naive while trying to rebuild her Future Industries. We see how Tenzin pushed himself into be like his father and how he feels like a loser because he cant be like Aang. We also get more into how Aang was as a father to is kids. More info about the spirit world and those damn good Wan episodes. Season 2 was far from being the best but it kind grew on me when rewatch the show
I mean the fact that she get more development in the next season rather than this 2 season is telling much how the white lotus order to lock her is dumb
@@rafaelrose14Somewhat defended by the fact that the showrunners didn't know they'd be getting a season2 at all, so the writing was super rushed, and we all feel that xD
My motto for this whole show is:
Asami deserves better
She seems to be rewarded at the end. Even though it's only hinted at and not confirmed. I'm being vague to avoid spoilers.
I just wish Asami had had more going for her as a character. I mean she was fine, but in my opinion she was rarely, if ever, particularly interesting.
@@jacobd1984I don’t think every character needs to be interesting though. Asami was a solid side character.
@@chickenchicken9072if youre not interesting then youre not a solid character. Main or side.
@@jordanduran1726 I still believe she deserved better.
STAY TILL SEASON 3 PLEASE
Yes please stay with it! My favorite season is 3 ->4->1 and then----------> 2 (cool parts in season 2 but suffered because of the rushed season with writers strike and if it would be renewed.
She’s already done with Season 2
I'm sorry, but I still found season 3 pretty overrated. The fight animations are nice, but it still doesn't match up to Last Airbender in terms of writing. Its just more battle shonen-esc than before. Zaheer is so clearly, obviously wrong that any intrigue the plot/themes could provide is dead in the water from the start.
Facts like season is good and season to does not level it up lmaooo easily my least favorite
Boo to all of these negative neds still putting down this series. I love Book 3.
I think that Korra going into the avatar state all the time adds to her young mentality where she doesn’t really think she can die.
The writers never knew how many seasons they would have, which is why each season wraps up with a neat bow. Hope that makes the pacing make more sense.
“I will make you mine”
“You mean like a boyfriend, or like a slave?”
“Yes. Win me prizes.”
And in that moment, Aubrey plaza’s voice awakened something in an entire generation.
The interpersonal tensions and family dynamics really have a lot of influence in this season. Korra's still got more growth to go through, but she also has some valid reasons behind her frustrations. She just needs to find some balance, which is on brand for the Avatar.
She really doesn't...
I think you'd actually be going into detail if she did, but we're just sticking to nondescript language here.
@@TuskyBabydoesn’t have valid reasons for her frustrations?
Hormones of a 17 year old, being locked away in a white lotus compound where all she did was train and had no life after that….no friends, no adventures, no worldly experience at all?
Aang travelled the world before he was trapped in the ice berg and then had an entire avatar journey and friends to help teach him life lessons on top of the lessons he learned from the monk masters, his monk friends he had until he was given the title avatar and his friends across all the kingdoms.
Korra didn’t have any life…until 17.
@@butterflymage5623 "All I ever wanted to be was the avatar" That was Korra's own words to her parents. Are the White Lotus made to looks pretty unnecessarily dumb in Korra? Yes. But she has everything provided for her and got what she wanted. You sound pretty privileged if you think thats grounds for acting the way Korra does.
@@TuskyBaby Do you not see the irony of calling me privileged because…Korra acts privileged?
Which is my exact point I made in my above comment?
Come on now. If you get the nuances of atla how does this go over your head?
@@TuskyBaby and I’m glad you brought up that quote.
Because your correct, all katara wanted to be was the avatar and perform the duties of them…which is the opposite of who? Aang struggled with the idea of doing his duty to kill the fire lord, culminating in him finding a different path of doing so because he was a human first. Korra struggled with being human.
The writers were told that the show initially was going to be just one season and halfway into production of season one they were told that they were going to have more seasons which is why season 2 (mostly the first half) was a bit rough and some characters felt off in season 2 despite the character develpment they went trough in the first season.
That's actually not true even though people keep spreading it around, the writers have confirmed in interviews that despite initially only being contracted for a single season they started working on the show intending to make atleast 3 seasons and had the rough framework for each of those seasons established while working on season 1. The issues season 2 had weren't due to the writers being unprepaired or not wanting to make the show, it was because the Studio forced rewrites during production of season 2 which disrupted their initial plans for the season.
eh didnt seem that bad or even mid. I expected far worse because of what people were saying but it was kinda good season imo
@@larmoth401this is also kinda wrong too. I remember reading in the art book that it initially was worked for a multiple season story but then Nick limited it to one book only. The book 1 arc was supposed to be more than one season. And then they were told season 1 was only gonna be 12 episodes and that really fucked them over. Once they began production, Nick greenlit season 2 again. But once again was told that was the last one. And then after seeing the popularity they ordered seasons 3 and 4 together. That’s why those two book some the most cohesive.
@@larmoth401 It's true that Bryke had a rough idea of how further seasons would go. However, even though Bryke are very classy and would never outright criticize or blame anyone they worked with for the production troubles on the show, I don't believe they had any confidence that book 2 would go ahead until very late in book 1's production cycle (past the point of no return). Nick didn't offer further seasons until they saw the completed first episode, and knowing how this show was produced, the rest of the 12 episodes must have been near finished by then. Additionally, Studio Mir did not want to return to animate another season, which would have had Bryke very worried because they relied on their close relationship with the animators. I think Bryke wrapped the story up in a neat little bow in S1E12 because they were genuinely doubtful book 2 would get off the ground. And even though it did get off the ground eventually, they imply it was an absolute nightmare and the most horrid production cycle they ever worked through (source: The Legend of Korra - The Art of the Animated Series)
@@carlosalejandroalvarenga4913 No they've said in interviews that their goal with Korra was for each season to be more indpendent, so that it was a collection of Miniseries rather than one long form story like the Last Airbender had been.
there's an incredibly memorable two-part episode this season that I love no doubt about it where the world building really takes focus
That two-parter is good and I actually like the ballsy choice they make at the end of the season, but beyond that (and Varric) I don't have much good to say about the season.
I think that this two parter really dumbs down everything spiritual and completely mistakes the philosophy of Yin and Yang (complex) with good and evil (no depth at all).
@@Sandkasten36 I hadn't considered that before, I'll try to examine that when I watch the episodes next, Im currently rewatching Atla and LoK
I like all three 'spirit' episodes. The one where Korra goes to the spirit world is also pretty good... I also appreciate the openingt arc more than most cause I think Korra's behaving more realistically in the situation than most people give her credit for... She's even trying to 'give negotiations' a chance... only for it to explode in her face cause the guy at the top of things is bad... there's more going on here than people give it credit for....... you know... it just all explodes into a dumb, lore squishing kaiju lightshow that nobody asked for.
@@jackkelly9048 the soundtrack and art design of these episodes is amazing and I loved these episodes when I watched the the first time. But as soon as you start thinking about them, they start to really disappoint.
We know season 2 is rough. But there are diamonds in that rough! There are two FANTASTIC world-building episodes in this season.
And I promise, season 2 is worth it for season 3.
This is the thing with Korra's story: it's not "another avatar" where we see the external growth of a character's abilities, which also teaches the audience about bending and the world. It's an evolution and deeper dive into the world now that those things are established. The struggles for this series largely come from Korra's personal growth and finding her place in a rapidly changing world, as opposed to acquiring different skills and saving the world as it currently exists.
In a lot of ways Korra's journey is representative of the position the audience is in for her series: We know all about the power of bending and what the Avatar is "supposed to be," and so Korra does too. It's basically all she knows and all she wants to be, and we want her to be a great avatar too. We don't really need to see Korra learning how to bend, because we got 3 seasons of that with Aang, Katara, and Zuko (Toph just starts awesome and stays awesome lmao). Korra's struggle with airbending in the first season was both less of a major plot-point and more about her personal growth and learning something that she's ashamed doesn't come easily to her. Making that struggle be with airbending also gives us some residual Bending Story vibes that we didn't see with air in the first show since Aang was a master from the get-go, but it doesn't need to be the main focus since we've already seen a lot of it.
This show takes what was built in The Last Airbender and starts to look closer. We get deeper dives into the sociology, politics, ideologies, and personal journeys that can only really happen in a setting that we're familiar with. As well-written as they are, the characters from A:tLA don't go through too much personal development and growth beyond a few single-episode stories that don't really reverberate through the rest of the show (with the exception of Zuko). They grow and mature but largely stay the same way they were when we first met them, which is fine because that's not what A:tLA was trying to do. It's an adventure story. Even Korra's big baddies are representative of larger ideas beyond just being the Evil Firelord Who Needs To Be Stopped. Amon represents innate power imbalance and privilege, and makes some decent points about how non-benders would be less capable citizens in this world. Other villains will explore more ideas as well but I won't get into spoilers here, I'll just say that thinking that Unalaq is right about the spirits but is still being very suspicious/evil is the kind of thing that The Last Airbender doesn't really do (and doesn't need to), and it's one of the things I really like about Legend of Korra.
LoK is a personal story as opposed to an adventure, so we get to see much more obviously flawed characters confront those flaws and watch their growth throughout the series. Throughout this show but especially in this season, the idea of "What the avatar is supposed to be" is brought into question. Korra has an ideal she wants to live up to but keeps learning at every possible opportunity that the world is a lot more complicated than that. Everyone has their own ideas about what Korra should be doing and how her life should go (which to me represents The Studio/Audience saying what Avatar should/shouldn't be), and ultimately it's up to Korra to figure that out for herself (the writers telling us that this show will be whatever it needs to be).
Frickin' heck I love this show. I have textbooks of thoughts/opinions on Avatar and will share them at the slightest provocation xD
Really enjoyed reading this comment. Korra is definitely over hated. I love both series for different reasons, but it's sad when people don't give Korra a fair try
The one comment I have about you mentioning how dangerous her usage of the avatar state is, is that her circumstances are highly different from Aang's. By this season, Korra is already an adult who's a master level bender of all four elements and can also fully control herself in the avatar state. Aang was a kid who constantly lost himself in the avatar state and took the whole show to master the first three elements and some basics for fire plus the cool original fire bending stuff. Korra isn't easy to kill right now, plus she's usually got at least one other master level bender at her side. It's just a very different level of risk for her.
I think because of the show being half the episode count of ATLA they need things to move quickly to get to the story but it does lead to rushing certain things. Also Korra is a hot head like Zukko was and it didn't take him until the second half of season 3 to begin to really change that. Zukko had a tendency to lash out at the person he loved most his Uncle when he was angry even when he chose Azula he still yelled at his uncle in his jail cell calling him a crazy old man who would die in the gutter. He clearly was confused and angry but didn't know where to put that anger, instead of internal he lashed out externally. Korra has the same tendencies to lash out when angry then regret it later. She was very sheltered and knows very little about the world around her. She needs to grow as a person and like you mention learn more empathy and compassion. She sees things very black and white not the grey reality. I've heard something like this said before ATLA is about a person learning how to be the Avatar and LOK is about an Avatar learning how to be a person. She is literally the opposite to Aang. He struggled with the idea of ending the fire lord because of him being very compassionate and empathetic, that all life was sacred. Korra struggles with showing restraint and not being compassionate to those who she views as the enemy. She doesn't start to really learn these things til the end of this season but really season 3.
"I wasn't sure if Unalaq was sus..."
Some consider this the weakest season of the show, but it really has some interesting elements like this hidden in the overall chaos that it was to restart a story that (originally) was considered to be finished.
In season 1, Korra is (basically) a prodigy that hasn't had much of a hard time mastering the bits and pieces needed to be the Avatar (mostly, the bending side). Then, when it was clear she needed help with the spiritual side and airbending, she gave in and went completely to the opposite side to trust in her teachers to make some sense of that knowledge she lacked.
Then she grows up a little bit more, and Unalaq shows with this "I trust you, completely" attitude that appeals to the time when she didn't have to really worry about learning from another person; but only from herself and finding, naturally, her way around stuff.
As with the spirits, Unalaq's traits and philosophy come from a "positive" place (we aim to be honest with people, to help them find confidence and their own way, and maybe integrate some spirituality into the practical world); but he is playing with it to his advantage, and even there are some hints of red flags: he is not teaching anything to Korra (besides some general concepts or tales), he has just put her in situation so she does things, with no prior explanation. Korra things he is trusting her skills and intuition, but in reality she hasn't realized she is doing things without knowing what she is really doing.
She has yet to learn one very sad truth of the Avatar world: people, more often than not, might sweet your ears to shape you into a tool useful to their ends, not the Avatar mission with the whole world.
"The firebending take off"
The concept actually exists: Jet Assisted Take Off (JATO) rockets, to reach take off speed in shorter distances (in the Avatar world, airbending would be another option; except they would need to know the exact windspeed they need, other wise Korra could damage the plane; but yeah, a wing wants to fly and light wings lift off even when stationary if wind is enough). If we get technical with the fire approach, though, they should be careful to fire at the same time, with the same intensity; any differential thrust would end up with them crashing in the water or ripping a wing off of the plane XD.
And that's it; nice reaction and see you in the next one.
I also didn't like Korra as a character at first, but I think that's the point. She is a 16 year old teenager put in a very stressful situation with all these expectations. Also, with the previous avatar being so awesome for ending the 100 year war and all. So, actually, feeling the teen angst and the annoying part of a teenage girl behaviour is probably the journey that we, as observers, have to take. But that's how character growth can really be shown.
Yeah such stressful situations. Aang didn't have anything like that, of course, that's why he wasn't so unbelievably annoying.
And being a teenager doesn't give someone an excuse to act like that and if you use it as an excuse to do that, you too are a moron
Honestly, apart from the really good arc in S4, I don't really see any growth from Korra anywhere in this entire series. I think as fans we're inclined to be forgiving because we love the franchise so much, but to me, everyone giving Korra credit for any growth anytime before S4 comes across as awarding her participation trophies for doing the absolute barest bare minimum for extremely short durations. I never got the sense that she actually learns or retains anything. Speaking as a hotheaded impulsive brat in many ways myself (which is no doubt part of why I judge her so harshly lol), I don't see her ever really getting over that disposition for more than a couple of minutes at a time, before things go right back to "everyone saved the Special Girl and it all worked out okay without her actually having to have more than a split second of mature reasonable behavior before running off again to be an idiot about the next thing" 😂
Season 2 will have its ups and downs, but it did introduce Varrick (and the hilarious John Michael Higgins) so we can always be grateful for that
Koh the face stealer isn't evil. He's just dangerous. He's amoral not evil.
I wish ppl had more empathy for korra she’s literally a 17 year old i think ppl forget that a lot, try to think about how u acted at 17… cause personally i really relate to korra and her attitude tbh
Plus, her ability to interact with people and the world has been stunted by the sheltered way she was raised 😢 it really is a shame people often don't see that
I agree, Korra’s motivation makes total sense. But for me it was the writing. I didn’t hate it, it was just too predictable. You just saw it coming a mile away that her uncle was a heel.
Not everyone at 17 were a mess or impatient. It was not perfect but some of us knew what to do
@@hellogoodbyeandallinbetweenI think the show actually doesn’t emphasise this part enough. We get she’s egotistical and bratty, but she is also massively socially stunted from isolation for most of her life and her understanding of the world is often incredibly naive. It’s something I think they should have explored earlier tbh.
Why would we have empathy for her when the prequel was about a younger avatar that actually learned from his experiences and mistakes. Hell, most of the main cast in ATLA grows and learns a lot more than Korra
its so fun rewatching this show after reading the comics - knowing who ends up with who, everything that happens, which characters r actually queer - it's so so so lovely
Please keep watching
I swear it gets better after s2
At 17:23 I believe the glowing statue is a depiction of Wan (the first Avatar) and the Avatar spirit Rava.
Season 2 has a rough start but still has its moments!
I actually loved the first 3 quarters of the season. The tail end is what I thought could've been handled better.
It’s def the weakest, but after I rewatched it I realized it’s actually not as bad as I used to think. It’s actually a surprising strong season. Specially the second half it really blew me away
@@rylymbonaAgreed.
Spoilers*
Turning into a giant and shooting lasers seemed completely antithetical to the idea of Korra getting in touch with her spirituality. This season was the perfect opportunity to show Korra being a diplomat instead of being just a fighter, but they didn’t seem interested in exploring that. I guess they thought it might be too boring or something lol
When did Nat say she was not liking this show?
Yes!
The relationship drama I don't like. And the fight in the finale *(spoilers)*
This was in that period when every show had a huge mecha monster fight, and I started to dislike that quite a lot. And this show does it twice! Like in a show where you have martial art magic, that's not how I would've written endings.
There’s one thing this show excels at and it’s the combat animations. There are constantly new and creative uses of bending being used. It’s great.
It's always fun watching reactors to this season and specifically to early Unalaq. Some who distrust the guy from the moment he shows up and cemented after his "great plans" line to close episode 1, but a surprising amount who actually fall into the exact same trap Korra does with him...
The guy has so many telltale signs of cult activity - separation from loved ones, setting up circumstances to show the validity of what they offer, using that as a further basis to show they are the "only way" and cement that isolation, and, most importantly, targeting people who are emotionally vulnerable and prone to emotional manipulation and reward-based tactics. And considering some details we learn in season 3, it makes all the more sense that this was his long term plan set up for a while.
Please don't give up on the show, just push through it, season 2 has good moments. Also remember that korra is a teenager, so she's gonna act like one.
The later half of season 2 is like my favorite part of the entire series. I don’t understand why everyone hates on it so much I think it’s so dope.
I found this symbolism of this season and actually one of the ATLA comics about the North and South water tribe very much how at the end of the American Civil War, the norther's came down and took advantage of the decimated and weakened south very meaningful.
2:40 That was actually explained (out-of-universe) before. The reason firebending doesn't leave scorch marks is because firebending is produced through what is essentially chakra/mana/magic/spiritual energy. Normally, fire is something burning, producing the flame by using something else, creating fire and other byproducts (carbon/soot and smoke). But firebending doesn't use a physical "fuel" so it leaves no byproducts (though of course, this being a cartoon, inconsistencies likely exist with this aspect).
3:53 Seeing Bumi again, I can't help but notice that he is 100% like TLA Aang, personality-wise.
6:15 Yeah... best (supporting) character introduction ever.
9:40 This situation has happened before. The 2014 Avatar: The Last Airbender comic "The Rift" revolves around a similar case.
And if Zhu Li's voice sounded familiar, she's voiced by Cherami Leigh, who is a very well-known English dub anime VA. Some of her more notable roles include:
- Yoshika Miyafuji (Strike Witches)
- Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail)
- Asuna Yuki (Sword Art Online) - Definitely her most prominent role.
- Uiharu Kazari (the "A Certain" franchise)
- Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon)
- Iris Cannary (Violet Evergarden)
- Sarada Uchiha (Boruto: Naruto next Generations)
- Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal)
- Ilia Amitola (RWBY)
You should really read the Avatar: The Last Airbender comics. LOTS of additional story from after the end of the main series.
*The Lost Adventures (2011)* shows bits from the main series we didn't see.
*The Promise (2012)* is about the Gaang's adventures after the end of the original show, and sets up The Legend of Korra (for example, showing how Toph became a Metalbending teacher, the conflict between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, the founding of Republic City, and the beginnings of what led to the Equalists' creation.
*The Search (2013)* is all about Zuko's search for his mother (the long-awaited answer to the big question we all had from the main show's ending).
*The Rift (2014)* is all about Aang reviving an Air Nomad holiday and discovering its important spiritual aspect.
*Smoke and Shadow (2015)* focuses on Zuko and the Gaang dealing with a growing threat, the "New Ozai Society" in the Fire Nation.
*North and South (2016)* sees the Gaang returning to the Southern Water Tribe for the first time since they left in season 1 of the main show. It also serves to show how the tribe has evolved in their absence over the years, as well as the growing tension with the North.
*Imbalance (2018)* focuses again on the bender vs. non-bender inequality in the technologically-growing society.
*Azula in the Spirit Temple (2023)* will revolve around the VERY long-awaited Azula redemption arc. Begins this November.
Please don't give up after S2!!!
S3 and S4 are the best!
Well, season 3 improves a lot, then season 4 drops it a bit.
@@RabbitShirak Season 4 highs are some of the best of the show, but the average is lower than 3 yeah.
@@Cameron-fk5fk I believe all seasons have something good in them. From best to worst, it's (imo) 3,4 and 2. I honestly don't know where to put first season, some parts are so strong while others annoy the hell out of me.
Nat is definitely planning on continuing the show. She will be starting season 3 on her Patreon next week if you can't wait for the YT videos.
@@RabbitShirak Season 4 fell off pretty hard and I consider that to be the worst one
I actually related to Korra in her frustrations. When I was her age there was a looot of stuff my dad didn’t tell me and it made me so upset. Obviously now that I’m older I can understand why he didn’t, but when your young it’s hard to see your parents making mistakes and holding secrets from you.
Varrak is the only reason I will watch season two. Best comedic relief in Legend of Korra
I'll be honest, my friends all loved Varrick from the beginning, but he took two seasons to grow on me lol
The reason why book 1 felt like that was because it was supposed to be a mini series first , then Nickelodeon made them stop mid-production for some reason , and after they finished they gave them book 2
Trust me, Natalie, you’re gonna grow to love Varrick. He’s golden.
I cant wait to see nat learn why korra's been sheltered and "locked away and protected" and we can get that "i told you so" moment
There is one episode in particular this season that makes its all worth it
Even though i didn't like S2 as much as the other seasons, it really had some very enjoyable moments and at least 2 super awesome episodes imo
And Varrick alone is worth every second
During the scene in the first episode when Korra uses the avatar state to win the race consider it this way instead.
Instead of cheating it was just a way to let Aang to play with his grandkids. 😌
0:41 so basically, the show had only originally been planned to be a one season thing, but it became so popular that they signed on for two more seasons, then they got another season after that
omg this is amazing! Please watch all the seasons PLEASE
Varrick is hands down my favorite character in the show. I blindly agree w anything he says. Dont ever question varrick😂😂
A big problem with the season is that from the minute he shows up Unulaq is just transparently evil and one-note. They really dropped the ball with him and several other plot threads. But there are some interesting flashbacks.
I'm glad they at least lampshaded this later when they had to do the clip show episode
Your skin is so clear it’s insane 😭 I’m jealous
I love the finale of this season so much, can't wait for your reaction.
Yo Nat , im glad you loved ATLA and are now diving into legend of korra. I hope you enjoy it just as much
Season 2 is soooo many perks but it definitely struggled because it was unexpected. And honestly, kind of confusing.
Season 3 and 4 really pick it up though. Stay with it!!!!!
The richest man in the world, the most quotable character in the series, and a handsome devil are all introduced in this episode. How do they all fit in one scene!?!
They're all same person: Varrick!
The intro of one of the funniest characters of the entire show, Varrick!
I think the hate for season 2 is overhated personally. Its probably the weakest of the series but its still enjoyable and leads into one of the top seasons
Agreed!
Yeah it has brought huge lore and has great consequences in the follow up as well
I think when it was fresh ppl were irritated (me included) but upon rewatch it becomes less grating lol plus it has one of the best arcs with avatar Juan
The hate for me didn't really start until after watching season 3 and seeing what season 2 could've been.
I don’t hate it, I hate the things it does. They eliminate some of the most interesting parts of the world and the lore in order to “develop” korra using essentialy western morals that don’t really fit with what this franchise was supposed to be about, and then do basically nothing with the changes they make.
The past arc and season 3 are probably the best of this series though, so there are upsides
I dont think Korra uses the avatar state the same way Aang did. she uses it to access abilities or special techniques from her past lives whereas Aang whenever he went into the avatar state was possessed by prior avatars.
9:19 Spiritbending is just a subform of healing. It's 'purifying' the darkness to light. As if waterbending wasn't broken enough already...
Varrick is my favorite character lol he's like young Howard Stark
Cant wait till your season 3 watch, I really think it reaches ATLA levels of great.
4:55 "There's so much brotherly Tenzin in this show!" :P
I really enjoy these reactions. I'm glad you do several episodes at a time. 🤸🏼♂️
I know season 2 just began but I can't wait for season 3!!!
Hey Natalie! Long-time Golden Nugget, here!
Just to say that I always look forward to your reactions, they are so genuine, expressive, and funny. I was over the moon when you reacted to ATLA, and am excited for your continuation into Korra. Though this season might be a bit rocky, stick with it, because the following seasons are worth it.
Anyway, keep up the amazing work!!
Big cheers from Portugal!
You’ll grow to love Varrick, trust me. He may seem annoying right now but really he is such a comedic relief and also fairly important character 😂. His relationship with Zhu Li is the best, especially in the final book 🫢
LOK season 1 felt like a complete story because that's what LOK was originally supposed to be, just 1 season long show with major consequences in the end like kora and Lin losing their bending permanently, but when show got cleared for more seasons they had to make some end moment changes like giving kora and lin their bending back
Don't give up after season 2
I promise it gets better 🙏🙏
Season 3 is top tier
I think it's closest to a good season in this series.
@@RabbitShirakspeak for yourself
She really is the opposite of Aang, He said "I never wanted to be the avatar" and just wanted a normal life with the other nomads and to be a normal kid while Korra is the opposite. "All I ever wanted to be was the avatar" while her mother is telling her how she wanted Korra to have a normal childhood.
Don't worry everyone, she's sticking with the show and has begun watching season 3
Oooh I'm so glad to hear this! Thank you 😊
Like why are ppl even worried lmfao. She's not going to stop watching halfway through the series
@@jinx-1 Has happened before though
YIPPEEEEE
Is it watch along or a mini screen?
Season 3 and 4 is the best ones!! cant wait to see your reaction, please continue!!
She is up to 3x09 on patreon, so she is just being slow with releasing things on youtube in effort to convert more free viewers into paying viewers.
I really like Korra’s flaws because they are perfect for her age. Teenagers are selfish, short sighted and moody but they are also hopeful, energetic and capable of growth. It’s what really separates her arc from Aang’s. They are at totally different emotional and mental development stages and the shows reflect that difference. It also matches the relative age of the viewers of each show and explains some of the difficulty the creators had with this second series. Nickelodeon is a kids’ programming network and Korra was geared more for young teens and tweens and the show didn’t fit what Nick wanted. But its still such a good ride if you follow it all the way to the end. Korra is emotionally capable of carrying a lot more of the weight of her decisions than Aang was and those consequences and experiences stick with her from one season to the next. I was so happy when you watched and enjoyed season 1 and I’m so excited to watch the rest of the series with you!
here's my obligatory "stick with it" comment- season 2 may not be consistently great or fast paced, but it is sooooo worth it to push through!! i personally think season 2 is not that bad, but compared to all the other seasons and the 3 seasons of atla, it definitely falls short. but seasons 3 and 4 are phenomenal and i think you'll love them, especially for what they bring in terms of character growth! loved the video ❤️
keep pushing, Nat! 2nd half is much better (along with the best 2 parter of the whole series 🙌🔥🍻)
-Varrick, Zhu Li y Bolin
-Eska y Desna
- Tenzin y familia
We have been introduced to the best couple of the series! Well one of them lol
I really love Legend of Korra and I think it gets waaay more hate than it deserves. Season 2 isn't the strongest season of the 4, but I still enjoyed it and it has one of my favorite episodes of the whole show! I really appreciate how much you pay attention to the storylines and the characters! I love love love your reactions! 💛
The first season they had only expected one season so they wrote a self contained season, but toward the end, they were told they were getting more and so had to put together a new story.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THE SERIES! 😀
It'll be worth the wait and frustration to get to season 3, trust me. Also I love varrick, who ends up my favorite character by the end of the series
You gotta get to season 4. Cause the way it ends, i want more😢😂😂😂
Varrick "the trial is rigger no doubt"
Natalie sleeps
Judge "unaloq made the trial rigfed to get rid of your father"
Natalies mind gets blown
😂😂
I found out recently that Aubrey Plaza voiced Eska and now it makes all the sense lol
People are so much less forgiving of korra than zuko, but when you look closely they have similar personalities and were similarly sheltered at a young age. You could even argue that Korra having her bending taken is similarly traumatic to Zuko's scar. If they'd been able to keep her bending gone for longer it would have helped, but my point still stands.
What happened to Zuko was 100% more traumatic then what happened to Korra. Zuko was hated by his father. Korra was kept hidden because she was in danger.
@@maxwell29op3 I agree. But they have both been through trauma and there are still parallels. The world doesn't want Korra and much of it hates what she represents, through no particular fault of her own.
I've been saying for years that if you're gonna compare Korra to any of the original crew, it should be Zuko. It doesn't mean that their problems are 1:1 of course, but there are *very intentional* parallels between Korra and Zuko. Both have their entire identities shaped around their title and what they think that means they need to be. Both have a tendency toward anger/aggression, and can take that out on the people who care about them. Both were rather isolated as children (though at least Zuko interacted with other kids around his age). Both of them also show that they have a deep desire to do what's right and what they think will let them live up to the legacy of their position. And that's just from what we've seen so far!
- Korra firebends at the closed portal
- "You can't just brute force it"
- Oh, so I need to be more spiritual right? >>> Korra begins to airbend at the portal
Brute force is all she knows
Korra is using the Avatar State correctly, it is a momentary power boost, it serves precisely to expand the bend to a higher level.
Aang used the Avatar State as a survival mode, he never used the Avatar State as a power boost, except in the final scene after defeating Ozai, when he bends water to put out the forest flames.
PS: A LOT OF PEOPLE say that Korra was being impatient and self-centered in her decisions, but what no one realizes is that both her Spiritual Master and her Father (an authority figure) were failing to be honest with her. Unfortunately, a guy who was a leader, values her opinions and is an excellent Spiritual Master (and was her uncle), shows up supporting her decisions, and that’s were things Korra was looking for: recognition, and Unalaq offered that to her.
Aang never wanted to be the Avatar, but he learned how to be. Korra always wanted to be the Avatar, but they always tried to silence her. We have a room to grow here.
I agree on all your points. Plus, despite the fact that Aang was only 12 people constantly treated him like an adult, like he had to have all the answers. Meanwhile Korra, who is now 18, is the one that's treated more like a child, with authority figures in her life lying to her "for her own good" and trying to tell her how she should be the Avatar.
@@Lady_Yunalesca exactly
Aubrey plaza as the twin Eska makes so much sense
I truly hope that you stay until the end. I know most of the fandom hates this season because of reasons I won't spoil. But I love this season. And thanks to this season we get the best season book 3.
I forgot how great some of the new voice cast in this season is. John Michael Higgins! James Remar! Aubrey Plaza!
I get soooo EXCITED when I see an upload from you nat!!
I also love your vlogs too on your other channel ❤ but I'm all here for this series ❤
31:32
That is some classic Avatar humor right there 🤣🤣🤣
I can’t wait until the day you love Varrick. It will happen!
The show DID end after season 1. There was no guarantee that there would be another season, so the writers needed to wrap everything up. There is more continuity from season 2 to 3, and even more from 3 to 4, so keep watching!
I just finished season two and it was a bit of a struggle to get through lol. I have hope for season 3 tho 🥰
Tenzin and Kertheric Thorm being the same VA is mind bogglingly cool! Love JK Simmons
Book I: Communism
Book II: Theocracy
Book III: Anarchism
Book IV: Fascism
Equality
Spirituality
Freedom
Control
@@RabbitShirak Hah, good point! Cure or poison, the difference is in the dose.
I'm catching up on your LOK reaction videos right now, and I want to say here in address to the beginning minute of this video : Yes, each season has it's own antagonist, and while I personally feel this takes away from the total feel of the ATLA universe, it does it well.
When I first watched LOK, it was with my best friend/roommate and his GF of the time, because we had just finished watching ATLA, (My friend hadn't ever seen it all the way through, and his GF never watched it), and we didn't make it 3-4 episodes in before we shut it off and didn't revisit it for almost a year. When we did (just me and my friend) come back to try again, we watched it all the way through, and though we talked about the discrepancies along the way, it didn't dissuade us from watching the whole thing. The 4th season felt a bit rushed, but S3 has my favorite character, who needs practically no introduction because her character type is so lovable, Opal; And I personally can't wait until you get to see her.
Oh yea, something someone else mentioned that i never considered. While yes, this season is about spirits, but it also has a huge family plotpoint. Everywhere you look, someone family is there
I love the second half of this season
It bothers me when people say that Tenzin was Aang's favorite. All siblings will have different relationships wiht their parents, but that doesn't make any of them the "favorite", It makes sense that Aang would take extra time with Tenzin bc he was the only other airbender and the future of their culture was on his shoulders.
He was tho. Aang even left them out on multiple vacations. To say tenzin was not his favorite is simply not true. Aang was a shit dad for putting that pressure on tenzin and neglecting his other kids. Even his own kids say it. Stop being bias just because you love aang.
@@hiymecorp.258 I honestly don't think we know enough about Aang's relationship with his children to make these assumptions. We really only get a surface -level view.
Please do a Before Sunrise Trilogy.
You're going to love it.
Apparently in the 70 years between TLA and LOK, due to the North's assistance in the reconstruction of the Southern Tribe, the Water Tribes united under the joint rule of the Northern Chief. While the Southern Tribe still has its own council of chiefs and elders, they still answer to the Chief of the Northern Tribe. The Southern Tribe is and of right ought to be a free and independent state.
I love Varrick he is my favorite character in all this franchise
I hope your opinion on Varrick changes because he’s easily the best character in the show lol
To be fair, the vast majority of the characters (my personal exceptions being Tenzin and Lin and ... that's about it, maybe a couple others in their generation) set that bar REEEEEEALLY low 😂