This series started with a lot of potential. Do not assume this negative review comes from someone who can't "cope" with how different this series is from its predecessor. I was prepared for a different world and new themes. But, unfortunately, this series fell way short (at least at this point where season 1 has finished).
We are left with characters who do little to grow, a plot which ends up confused and hanging more than reaching a true climax and resolution, and some of the most tacked-on romance I have ever witnessed. The storywriting was just so weak and each episode did little to remedy it. Would you like a better understanding of how Korra has difficulty with spirituality and air bending? Would you like to really see why? Sorry, we'll dedicate a few episodes to professional bending which will do little to expand on the overall story or its characters at all. I won't present spoilers, but it's clear how much time is wasted on a very obvious and lazy romantic pairing early on. At first I thought Bryke were just messing with the fans who are obsessed with "shipping", but no, it was serious. The question is, how do these kids even have a chance to fall deeply in love with each other so quickly when there's so little going on with their personalities to make them have a true "presence"? Amon, as a villain, seemed a redeeming area. The conflict of benders and nonbenders. And yet, the depth that could have gone into the issue was absent. Hell, everyone's parent(s) died because of some random firebender. Yeah, OK. That's a bit of a cop out if I've ever seen one.
By the end, the serious questions that should be gripping the main characters are there but they seem so much shallower than they should be. Not to create spoilers by being specific, but it's as though the ending stayed in that kiddy pool while trying to pretend it deserved to become an Olympic swimmer.
I'm not a young, insane fan. I like a good storyline and I can recognize one. It's not even a matter of opinion, this story with so much potential just fell short. I'd blame it on the shorter 12 episode length versus the 20 of season one of TLA, but Book 1 of TLA would have been a stronger story with bolder characters even if you removed the eight most filler-like episodes within it. I just don't know where the magic died... perhaps because Aaron Ehasz wasn't writing? Seems like he had a lot of the best ideas for the first series.
I hope it finds its footing in season two, but for now I'm a pretty disappointed viewer.
We are left with characters who do little to grow, a plot which ends up confused and hanging more than reaching a true climax and resolution, and some of the most tacked-on romance I have ever witnessed. The storywriting was just so weak and each episode did little to remedy it. Would you like a better understanding of how Korra has difficulty with spirituality and air bending? Would you like to really see why? Sorry, we'll dedicate a few episodes to professional bending which will do little to expand on the overall story or its characters at all. I won't present spoilers, but it's clear how much time is wasted on a very obvious and lazy romantic pairing early on. At first I thought Bryke were just messing with the fans who are obsessed with "shipping", but no, it was serious. The question is, how do these kids even have a chance to fall deeply in love with each other so quickly when there's so little going on with their personalities to make them have a true "presence"? Amon, as a villain, seemed a redeeming area. The conflict of benders and nonbenders. And yet, the depth that could have gone into the issue was absent. Hell, everyone's parent(s) died because of some random firebender. Yeah, OK. That's a bit of a cop out if I've ever seen one.
By the end, the serious questions that should be gripping the main characters are there but they seem so much shallower than they should be. Not to create spoilers by being specific, but it's as though the ending stayed in that kiddy pool while trying to pretend it deserved to become an Olympic swimmer.
I'm not a young, insane fan. I like a good storyline and I can recognize one. It's not even a matter of opinion, this story with so much potential just fell short. I'd blame it on the shorter 12 episode length versus the 20 of season one of TLA, but Book 1 of TLA would have been a stronger story with bolder characters even if you removed the eight most filler-like episodes within it. I just don't know where the magic died... perhaps because Aaron Ehasz wasn't writing? Seems like he had a lot of the best ideas for the first series.
I hope it finds its footing in season two, but for now I'm a pretty disappointed viewer.
Tell Your Friends