I watched Avatar (animated series), and now...?

[Aginor]

Hey y'all!
This is mainly @NIGHTBRINGER as he recommended the show to me, so I'd like to talk about it and ask a question or two

So yeah... I liked most parts of it, and so did my wife. The first half of the first season was a bit...meh. But then the series picked up momentum and the characters were developed.
Not bad, so thanks for the recommendation!

Favourite characters:
- Uncle Ihro (just great. Funny and wise and powerful)
- Toph (great jokes, cool moves, very powerful, an interesting character)
- Sokka (I know he is mainly there for comic relief in many episodes, but he is the only one who cannot bend at all - which gives him my underdog bonus - but without him they would fail. I like how the writers managed to make him awesome without being a bender.)


Plot and stuff:

Cabbage merchant is funny.

I think that Katara should be with Zuko, it feels like the writers wanted to do that but decided against it at some point during season 3.

The end fight - while well done - had one thing in it that I didn't like. The deus ex machina of Aang's 7th chakra suddenly opening by him being thrown at a rock. Really? That was lame.

I would have expected that we see Katara blood-bend Azula to help Zuko, but she didn't.

Man, it is sometimes hard to ignore physics. For each way of bending I can imagine at least one or two ways that are vastly more powerful than what those guys/gals are doing.

related:
Why does it take so long until Katara realizes that sweat and tears and blood are water that you can bend, and that you can get water out of the air?
My wife and I were screaming at the TV for what felt like half a season until she finally did it.

related:
https://xkcd.com/965/

We both love Appa.

Now, should I watch Korra? I read that it is in the same universe. Is is worth it?

 

[Captaniser]

I haven't seen that show in a few years now, but it still one of my favorites.

I would have expected that we see Katara blood-bend Azula to help Zuko, but she didn't.

Man, it is sometimes hard to ignore physics. For each way of bending I can imagine at least one or two ways that are vastly more powerful than what those guys/gals are doing.

Didn't Katara have a mental breakdown when she used her blood bending the first time? i could understand someone being a little reluctant too then use it.
Generally with animated shows, you have too have a fair amount of suspension of disbelief.

related:
Why does it take so long until Katara realizes that sweat and tears and blood are water that you can bend, and that you can get water out of the air?
My wife and I were screaming at the TV for what felt like half a season until she finally did it.

related:
https://xkcd.com/965/

We both love Appa.

Now, should I watch Korra? I read that it is in the same universe. Is is worth it?

Sweat and tears might be a little thing you overlook, but still a little tiresome when the viewer sees things the characters don't. The setting is low tech and science, with some exceptions, and Katara came from a fishing village, she might not have known that blood and air contains water.

I haven't seen the legend of Korra either, i hear good things about it. Is Korra a continuation of Avatar? And could i, a person that has a hazy memory about the original show, see it without having too re-watch Avatar?

 

[Aginor]

As far as I understood Korra is the Avatar, but 150 years or so after Aang.
That's pretty much the only thing I know about the series.


About Katara: Yeah, fair points. She used blood bending only twice. Once against the woman who taught her, and once against the soldier who killed her mother.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Uncle Ihro (just great. Funny and wise and powerful)

Best character in the show. I absolutely love Iroh. The dynamic between Iroh and Zuko (the deepest character in the show) is sublime.

I even made White Lotus tiles...

I would have expected that we see Katara blood-bend Azula to help Zuko, but she didn't.

In this series, one can only blood bend during a full moon.

Man, it is sometimes hard to ignore physics. For each way of bending I can imagine at least one or two ways that are vastly more powerful than what those guys/gals are doing.

That was part of the fun for us. We'd come up with all sorts of scenarios and weigh the relative strengths and weaknesses of the elements against one another. We came up with a whole slew of theories ranking the bending styles.

Why does it take so long until Katara realizes that sweat and tears and blood are water that you can bend, and that you can get water out of the air?

It's easy for us now from the vantage point of our scientifically derived knowledge, but this takes place far in the past. Perhaps sweat should be obvious, but blood and especially pulling water out of the air would be a bit of a stretch. Also consider that just because you know that these sources contain water, does not mean that you could necessarily utilize them right away (similar to Toph and metal bending).

Personally I am not a fan of the inclusion of blood bending at all. For one, it is too powerful and unbalances things. Second, it opens things up for abuse. For instance: earth benders can learn to bend metal... your blood has hemoglobin... hemoglobin contains iron... iron is metal... ergo if one can water bend blood it should be possible to earth bend the iron in hemoglobin. Similarly, an air bender should be able to bend the air out of a person's lungs.

Now, should I watch Korra? I read that it is in the same universe. Is is worth it?

In my opinion, Korra is nowhere near the level of the Avatar The Last Airbender. It does take place in the same universe and involves Korra who is the next incarnation of the Avatar... right after Aang.

The story isn't as gripping and some of the choices the series makes are questionable in my opinion. The biggest pitfall of Korra in my opinion is that the characters are nowhere near as endearing. I don't really care for them throughout the series, whereas in the first series I loved so many of the characters. Many of the characters in Korra come off as bland, annoying, forgettable or some combination of these traits. Also much of the humor in Korra misses the mark (with the exception of Varrick, who is my favourite in Korra).

Assigning Avatar The Last Airbender a rating of 10, I'd say Korra is deserving of a 6 or 6.5 at best. I won't go as far as to say not to watch it, but it is a big drop in quality. Several of us that are major Avatar The Last Airbender fans felt the same way about Korra.

Didn't Katara have a mental breakdown when she used her blood bending the first time? i could understand someone being a little reluctant too then use it.

The episode featuring blood bending did focus on the ethical concerns of using such a technique. Katara would indeed be highly resistant to employing it again.

About Katara: Yeah, fair points. She used blood bending only twice. Once against the woman who taught her, and once against the soldier who killed her mother.

She didn't use blood bending against the soldier who killed he mother. Remember that even if she chose to, she can only blood bend during a full moon.

 

[Captaniser]

Has there ever been any explanations too what element bending is? Is it magic? Genetic like in X-men? Or something else?

 

[Aginor]

Best character in the show. I absolutely love Iroh. The dynamic between Iroh and Zuko (the deepest character in the show) is sublime.

I even made White Lotus tiles...

View attachment 44273

In this series, one can only blood bend during a full moon.


That was part of the fun for us. We'd come up with all sorts of scenarios and weigh the relative strengths and weaknesses of the elements against one another. We came up with a whole slew of theories ranking the bending styles.


It's easy for us now from the vantage point of our scientifically derived knowledge, but this takes place far in the past. Perhaps sweat should be obvious, but blood and especially pulling water out of the air would be a bit of a stretch. Also consider that just because you know that these sources contain water, does not mean that you could necessarily utilize them right away (similar to Toph and metal bending).

Personally I am not a fan of the inclusion of blood bending at all. For one, it is too powerful and unbalances things. Second, it opens things up for abuse. For instance: earth benders can learn to bend metal... your blood has hemoglobin... hemoglobin contains iron... iron is metal... ergo if one can water bend blood it should be possible to earth bend the iron in hemoglobin. Similarly, an air bender should be able to bend the air out of a person's lungs.


In my opinion, Korra is nowhere near the level of the Avatar The Last Airbender. It does take place in the same universe and involves Korra who is the next incarnation of the Avatar... right after Aang.

The story isn't as gripping and some of the choices the series makes are questionable in my opinion. The biggest pitfall of Korra in my opinion is that the characters are nowhere near as endearing. I don't really care for them throughout the series, whereas in the first series I loved so many of the characters. Many of the characters in Korra come off as bland, annoying, forgettable or some combination of these traits. Also much of the humor in Korra misses the mark (with the exception of Varrick, who is my favourite in Korra).

Assigning Avatar The Last Airbender a rating of 10, I'd say Korra is deserving of a 6 or 6.5 at best. I won't go as far as to say not to watch it, but it is a big drop in quality. Several of us that are major Avatar The Last Airbender fans felt the same way about Korra.


The episode featuring blood bending did focus on the ethical concerns of using such a technique. Katara would indeed be highly resistant to employing it again.


She didn't use blood bending against the soldier who killed he mother. Remember that even if she chose to, she can only blood bend during a full moon.

Wait... she didn't? Huh... I thought it was that scene. I remember her using it against someone of the fire guys.

 

[Aginor]

Ah, found it. It was in that same episode, it wasn't the soldier who killed her mother but his successor as commander of the Southern Raiders.

I don't remember if the full moon was mentioned in that episode so I guess that's why I forgot about it being necessary.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Has there ever been any explanations too what element bending is? Is it magic? Genetic like in X-men? Or something else?

Not that I recall.

I think this is a good thing, we don't need another midichlorians explanation.

 

[Aginor]

I watched the first two seasons of Korra now and I must say I like it.
The characters are a bit less interesting than in Avatar (although I kinda like Mako, Tenzin, Chief Beifong, Korra herself, and Bolin is hit and miss. I like his less silly moments) but - to me at least - the stories are a bit more... mature. And less episodic but more building up on each other. Like the last season of Avatar.
I also like the ~1930 aesthetics. Quite unique with the benders and technology coexisting. The person who designed the planes has definitely seen some 1915-1935 planes in real life, those designs are quite cool and have some nice technical details.


About bending: I think the episode showing the first Avatar shows that it originally was magic, given by the huge lion turtles to the humans so they could protect themselves. The first Avatar basically stole that and the ghost of light helped him control more than one. So he wandered to all turtles and got to bend all elements. And then he became one with the ghost, that is the Avatar state and his link to the spirits.

It is only implied but I think the rest of the benders are all either descendants of the Avatar or of the people that left their cities on the backs of the lion turtles, and spread over the world when the age of the Avatar started.

Looking forward to the rest of the series.

 

[Killer Angel]

"I watched Avatar (animated series), and now...?"

Watch Avatar - The movie.
You will appreciate the animated series even more!

 

[Aginor]

"I watched Avatar (animated series), and now...?"

Watch Avatar - The movie.
You will appreciate the animated series even more!

I watched the Honest Trailer about it, that was enough already.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

"I watched Avatar (animated series), and now...?"

Watch Avatar - The movie.
You will appreciate the animated series even more!

What kind of advice is that? Do you also offer drugs to small children?

 

[Killer Angel]

What kind of advice is that? Do you also offer drugs to small children?

Don't be silly.
They don't have the money.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Don't be silly.
They don't have the money.

Touche!

 

[Aginor]

Finished Korra last night.

And I know this is probably insulting @NIGHTBRINGER but I actually prefer big parts of Korra over big parts of Avatar.
In fact the thing I dislike most about it is that it ended. The ending felt like it was planned to do more, not like a proper end.
But I am not buying comic books so I guess I will never find out how the story continues. Sad about that.

So thanks again for the recommendation, @NIGHTBRINGER , both my wife and I did enjoy the vast majority of both shows.

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

And I know this is probably insulting @NIGHTBRINGER but I actually prefer big parts of Korra over big parts of Avatar.

To each their own.

So thanks again for the recommendation, @NIGHTBRINGER , both my wife and I did enjoy the vast majority of both shows.

I'm glad you & the Mrs. enjoyed them.