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Legend of Korra Book 4: Balance |OT| A Feast of Crows

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Azula said:
Might be an over time thing. Like as they got more power a coup in the army took place. Kind of pathetic that the metal clan stabs Su in the back though after everything she built for them. Also lol at Tophs legacy of metal bending leading to communism. Oops.
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Chariot said:
Well, she did let the Red Lotus compromise her city. She was fully trusting Aiwei and put him in a position of power. WE know, that she didn't mean bad, but this is certainly something that could be used against Su.
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Good point about the whole Red Lotus affair.
Should be interesting to see/learn how Kuvira took over the metal clan. I wonder if Su was unwilling to try and go in and stabilize the Earth Kingdom and Kuvira used this as an argument against her about how they should help their fellow earth benders.

WhereAreMahDragonz said:
You mean adorable noses
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So adorable

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Hamlet said:
Good point about the whole Red Lotus affair.
Should be interesting to see/learn how Kuvira took over the metal clan. I wonder if Su was unwilling to try and go in and stabilize the Earth Kingdom and Kuvira used this as an argument against her about how they should help their fellow earth benders.
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Given Su's position on "getting with the times" in regards to leadership and governance, Kuvira likely takes this to extremes. I just hope she doesn't turn out to be a generic "I want to control everyone" villain.
 
Cloud Strife said:
Given Su's position on "getting with the times" in regards to leadership and governance, Kuvira likely takes this to extremes. I just hope she doesn't turn out to be a generic "I want to control everyone" villain.
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That would be as bad as book 2.

Unless we get an AWESOME battle again.
 
Toa TAK said:
That would be as bad as book 2.

Unless we get an AWESOME battle again.
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I'm thinking she will be. People should prepare for a generic villain. This season won't be about a single person conflict, rather the shifting of the worlds political makeup. Going to be about the communism movement rising after red lotus set things off. But even prior to red lotus the old guard (monarchies) were becoming dated and revolution was bound to happen regardless.

So I see the main conflict being that rather than a great villain. She'll just be your typical dictator pushing for a power grab. Which I think is more realistic and has a more tangible motivation than Unalaq.
 
Azula said:
I'm thinking she will be. People should prepare for a generic villain. This season won't be about a single person conflict, rather the shifting of the worlds political makeup. Going to be about the communism movement rising after red lotus set things off. But even prior to red lotus the old guard (monarchies) were becoming dated and revolution was bound to happen regardless.

So I see the main conflict being that rather than a great villain. She'll just be your typical dictator pushing for a power grab. Which I think is more realistic and has a more tangible motivation than Unalaq.
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That's a bummer. I want this shit to be personal. Or a giant people fight.

Seriously, I hope they nail the politics in this season, because it's the single most interesting part of the series.
 
Toa TAK said:
That's a bummer. I want this shit to be personal. Or a giant people fight.

Seriously, I hope they nail the politics in this season, because it's the single most interesting part of the series.
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That's my worry too. I thought the equalist movement (a political/social movement) in Book 1 started out really fascinating. But the writers never wanted to truly touch on it, and it was always a surface level thing (they didn't want to dig deeper into the social political aspects of the movement). So if they are going to shift to politics being the major conflict this season, I hope they actually commit to it. It's always been something that has been in the background and under the surface in the Korra Series anyways (the shifting landscape of governments etc.)

My fear is that, they don't really go deep into it, and the entire conflict is focused 100% on Kuvira and her army trying to make that power grab. I mean, if that's all it is...i guess? Seems kind of boring way to end the series. Hopefully the fight/action stuff is cool enough to satisfy if they go that shallow route. Basically, I want to see how the earth Kingdom is effected by chaos after the Queen is killed (I imagine much of the landscape will be set up with the time skip, so we won't get to see this in depth). But I kind of want them to explore WHY people are for Dictatorship's, when the alternative is no leadership. I want that complex conflict. Someone suggested that Bolin could be used in this. And I can agree. If Bolin is apart of the metal clan army, it would be interesting to see him believe what Kuvira is preaching (at first). Basically, nothing is ever black and white. SO I would like to the the struggle for why this political movement takes off (because even if we know it's a bad thing, there is clearly people that believe it's a good thing. I'm interested in them, and not so much the EVIL person that is just trying to get power.)

EDIT: of course this is all assumptions based off the trailer. All of what I said above, is assuming the plot plays out the way we think it does. It might not!

WhereAreMahDragonz said:
I'm gonna have to power through book three in a week
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Meh god, I thought you had seen all of Book 3 already. FINISH IT. It's soooo goood.
 
I don't think the metal guys will be the "final bosses" so to speak. Korra still has to sort out the vines and stuff, and they don't really tie into them at all. The only way they could be a serious threat compared to other villains is if
Toph is leading them.

Maybe Vaatu will be the big bad again somehow.
 
RedShift said:
I don't think the metal guys will be the "final bosses" so to speak. Korra still has to sort out the vines and stuff, and they don't really tie into them at all. The only way they could be a serious threat compared to other villains is if
Toph is leading them.

Maybe Vaatu will be the big bad again somehow.
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Prepare for let down. I really don't think they'll touch on spirit stuff again. :(

This is allll geo-political stuff. I'm really let down they are focusing so much on Earth Kingdom. I HOPE I'm wrong though. Would be nice if the spirit stuff came back around, and became a huge factor in how Korra solves this problem. Like there is something else we don't know about.
In the trailer, we know she goes to the swamp (the Toph moment). So it will be interesting to see if spirit stuff happens there as well.
 
RedShift said:
I don't think the metal guys will be the "final bosses" so to speak. Korra still has to sort out the vines and stuff, and they don't really tie into them at all. The only way they could be a serious threat compared to other villains is if
Toph is leading them.

Maybe Vaatu will be the big bad again somehow.
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Balance = Equality
oW0cIW8.jpg
 
Azula said:
Prepare for let down. I really don't think they'll touch on spirit stuff again. :(

This is allll geo-political stuff. I'm really let down they are focusing so much on Earth Kingdom. I HOPE I'm wrong though. Would be nice if the spirit stuff came back around, and became a huge factor in how Korra solves this problem. Like there is something else we don't know about.
In the trailer, we know she goes to the swamp (the Toph moment). So it will be interesting to see if spirit stuff happens there as well.
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They really need to explain how the Airbenders came back, hopefully it was something to do with the conflict of the season.
And I want to see Vaatu :3
 
YoungBlade said:
Didn't the Airbenders come back because Korra fused the Spirit World with the physical world?
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Yeah, I think that is the best explanation we'll get. I'm actually kind of fine with that...because how do you even explain that plot without getting midichlorian bad? I mean logically, how do you explain something magical. It's fair to say the plot shouldn't have existed if they couldn't explain it. But it is what it is now.

But the gist I got out of it..."it's magic" is the explanation. Basically fusing the spirit and physical world started to heal things by trying to bring back balance. Physically, really makes no sense. But eh. I guess it works in a higher concept way?
 
Guys... I have an insane idea.

OK.

Maybe Korra is on a wisdom trip and goes to the swamp and what not. Finds evidence of Toph being there. She follows the clues over the series and eventually finds here. Turns out she's Mako and Bolin's grandma and has amnesia.
 
Sketchbag said:
Guys... I have an insane idea.

OK.

Maybe Korra is on a wisdom trip and goes to the swamp and what not. Finds evidence of Toph being there. She follows the clues over the series and eventually finds here. Turns out she's Mako and Bolin's grandma and has amnesia.
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Lol I hope something comes out of this trip. Thing is, I think the swamp journey happens before she comes back and fights the army. So I kind of doubt any major mythology plot or spirit thing happens as a result. I get a feeling the journey will just be her discovering herself and recovering. Nothing major plot wise.
 
Azula said:
Prepare for let down. I really don't think they'll touch on spirit stuff again. :(

This is allll geo-political stuff. I'm really let down they are focusing so much on Earth Kingdom. I HOPE I'm wrong though. Would be nice if the spirit stuff came back around, and became a huge factor in how Korra solves this problem. Like there is something else we don't know about.
In the trailer, we know she goes to the swamp (the Toph moment). So it will be interesting to see if spirit stuff happens there as well.
Click to expand...

At the very least the vines thing is making a big appearance. I think a lot of what people think is the swamp in the trailer is actually Republic City. Check out this shot, and this one. Looks pretty overgrown. Plus there's Korra visiting
the southern spirit portal
.

I think there is going to be a fair bit of spirity stuff mixed in there.
 
RedShift said:
At the very least the vines thing is making a big appearance. I think a lot of what people think is the swamp in the trailer is actually Republic City. Check out this shot, and this one. Looks pretty overgrown. Plus there's Korra visiting
the southern spirit portal
.

I think there is going to be a fair bit of spirity stuff mixed in there.
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Good observation! I actually missed that. So maybe the side plot will be the air benders trying to restore balance? Kind of strange to see them there. I still don't have hope that it will be a major point in the season. But the fact that they are even here, shows my initial post was wrong. I just hope I'm really wrong.

If they do in fact have this plot in this season, I then hope it feels fleshed out, and not a background plot that kind of doesn't have enough time to develop. I guess that's to be expected at this point (every season has had a problem juggling the main plot with the side plot).
 
Sketchbag said:
Bending isn't spiritual.
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Doesn't it require a spiritual connection? Hence why blocking the chi (the spiritual flow within the body) stops bending?

EDIT: I guess that doesn't dispute what you said (about it being of spiritual origin). I dunno. Animals in nature had the ability to bend. So bending elements was genetic at least for some species. Lion turtles could give people bending, and then it became genetic for humans. There is some spirituality connected to bending. Just not sure how bending itself is created (what it's actual origin is).
 
Azula said:
Doesn't it require a spiritual connection? Hence why blocking the chi (the spiritual flow within the body) stops bending?
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They don't really block Chi as it shows. It looks like they're hitting pressure points and prevent them from doing the move.

Chi is defined by health mostly (in the real world). The Turtles also gave people bending abilities or it was passed down from generation to generation.

It's implied Zaheer could enter the spirit realm without bending (as he so easily did it and was able to remember names, areas, etc. in the spirit world, so he had to have been there previously before he got bending). It seems, from the usage in the show, that it's outside of bending but can be amplified by bending. It's never really explained fully.

Edit: If chi was part of bending then Aang would have difficulties even bending if his Chi was blocked and had to be unblocked with the help of the Guru.
 
Sketchbag said:
They don't really block Chi as it shows. It looks like they're hitting pressure points and prevent them from doing the move.

Chi is defined by health mostly (in the real world). The Turtles also gave people bending abilities or it was passed down from generation to generation.

It's implied Zaheer could enter the spirit realm without bending (as he so easily did it and was able to remember names, areas, etc. in the spirit world, so he had to have been there previously before he got bending). It seems, from the usage in the show, that it's outside of bending but can be amplified by bending. It's never really explained fully.

Edit: If chi was part of bending then Aang would have difficulties even bending if his Chi was blocked and had to be unblocked with the help of the Guru.
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Talking about Amon bending the chi paths closed. That stopped them from bending (interrupting the spiritual flow).

Maybe I'm mixing up terms. I'm confused, because the Guru episode kind of made it seems like Aang's Chi Pathways, were also where spiritual energy flowed. But if Chi and Spirit is not the same okay. But I don't get why Chi has to do with bending. *confused*

Aang's chi wasn't blocked completely though. It was more so mucked up, and it was because all his chi paths weren't 100% open that he wasn't able to achieve control of the Avatar State. So it wasn't really 100% blocked or cut off like what Amon was doing. The Guru compared it to a rock blocking a river from flowing freely. Some water will get through, but it won't let everything through. Aang had burdens that kept his chi pathways from being completely open and free flowing.

That's how I took it anyways. So it make sense why Aang could still bend, but just couldn't bend as good as he could be (or unlocking his full power). The Amon stuff kind of made it confusing though. My understanding was that he was using blood/water bending to close off their pathways. I could have sworn they said it was spiritual energy that was being blocked off as result of him using his bending to close it off. Maybe someone can confirm.

But at least to me, I always thought spirit energy/and chi energy went hand in hand, and had a basis in bending elements. If not, then I really don't see how Turtles touching someone magically gives their body the DNA/ to be able to bend things. There has to be more to bending, then it purely being genetic.
 
WhereAreMahDragonz said:
Increased spiritual energy in the physical world = emergence of spiritual abilities
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Although airbending involves spirituality, as do all elements to an extent, I wouldn't say it is inherently spiritual.

I guess like how Wan physically touched the energy in Harmonic Convergence and formed the Avatar State, it would have been nice to see a scene where all would-be airbenders are hit by lightning from the portal or something to awaken their obviously dormant abilities. Could have been pretty epic foreshadowing.
 
Azula said:
Talking about Amon bending the chi paths closed. That stopped them from bending (interrupting the spiritual flow).

Maybe I'm mixing up terms. I'm confused, because the Guru episode kind of made it seems like Aang's Chi Pathways, were also where spiritual energy flowed. But if Chi and Spirit is not the same okay. But I don't get why Chi has to do with bending. *confused*

Aang's chi wasn't blocked completely though. It was more so mucked up, and it was because all his chi paths weren't 100% open that he wasn't able to achieve control of the Avatar State. So it wasn't really 100% blocked or cut off like what Amon was doing. The Guru compared it to a rock blocking a river from flowing freely. Some water will get through, but it won't let everything through. Aang had burdens that kept his chi pathways from being completely open and free flowing.

That's how I took it anyways. So it make sense why Aang could still bend, but just couldn't bend as good as he could be (or unlocking his full power). The Amon stuff kind of made it confusing though. My understanding was that he was using blood/water bending to close off their pathways. I could have sworn they said it was spiritual energy that was being blocked off as result of him using his bending to close it off. Maybe someone can confirm.

But at least to me, I always thought spirit energy/and chi energy went hand in hand, and had a basis in bending elements. If not, then I really don't see how Turtles touching someone magically gives their body the DNA/ to be able to bend things. There has to be more to bending, then it purely being genetic.
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It seems even based on Amon that he was probably damaging a physical part of the person. It's odd that they couldn't be cured though by water healing. Every thing aside it's still not explained.

Ty Lee would hit the person and go limp. It gives off the idea they're blocking chi because, well, it fits well with the terminology in the show. Is it blocking chi though? Theie bodies go limp and prevent them from doing the motions and since they're not adept like Jacone or Amon or even that armless water chick they couldn't bend.

The turtles bend the energy within the person. Maybe they change the person from wavelength 1 to wavelength 2 and they have a chance to pass that on. What they show in the show is quite different from what they actually say.

AVATAR GUYS. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT A LOT.
 
Sketchbag said:
It seems even based on Amon that he was probably damaging a physical part of the person. It's odd that they couldn't be cured though by water healing. Every thing aside it's still not explained.

Ty Lee would hit the person and go limp. It gives off the idea they're blocking chi because, well, it fits well with the terminology in the show. Is it blocking chi though? Theie bodies go limp and prevent them from doing the motions and since they're not adept like Jacone or Amon or even that armless water chick they couldn't bend.

The turtles bend the energy within the person. Maybe they change the person from wavelength 1 to wavelength 2 and they have a chance to pass that on. What they show in the show is quite different from what they actually say.

AVATAR GUYS. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT A LOT.
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I agree you can't over analyze Magic in fantasy/fiction. So while I can't say for certainty what the canon explanation is for bendings creation and how it's used, I think making it spiritual makes more sense as spirituality in this show is a magic element. So it allows for us to say: yep it's spirtuality and be done with it lol

Basically, from a writing perspective I think spirtuality works as an explanation that doesn't need to be analyzed beyond that. Just me though lol
 
I am on the incredible minority in this forum where I don't give a shit about Platinum games. But I'll see how the Korra games looks in action without the creators talking about it, like a video review.
 
Azula said:
I agree you can't over analyze Magic in fantasy/fiction. So while I can't say for certainty what the canon explanation is for bendings creation and how it's used, I think making it spiritual makes more sense as spirituality in this show is a magic element. So it allows for us to say: yep it's spirtuality and be done with it lol
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But... Zaheer... knows the spirit world so well he can teleport (even Korra can't do that). Unless he learned in a day he's entered the spirit world before he received air bending.

I would say bending is tied to the spiritual world and spirituality is everything. Every one has spiritual powers but it's mostly just meditating and what not and those more naturally tuned with it can astral project, enter the spirit world, etc.

It can't be air since Iroh was able to enter the spirit world without being an air bender so it's not directly an air trait, it's possible study and meditation of the air nomads boosts their spirituality as they seem to focus the most on it (that's why the Guru is a spiritual being but not a bender).

So there's overlap but they're independent from each other.
 
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