Legend of Korra Book 4: Balance |OT| A Feast of Crows
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I'm actually really surprised that so many people loved this ending. And thought the series on a whole is incredible. So me and you both. We are both confused here. I've seen more people that say The Legend of Korra was superior to ATLA, then people that had major critical issues with Korra's writing. And I don't get it.
I can understand people not having the same kind of issues. Or, not being bugged to the same degree over some issues. But I'm genuinely surprised by how much the overall fandom (including critics), think this show front to back was perfection. That so many people, think it was better than ATLA. That so many people think this ending was superior to ATLA's ending.
It's a really big disconnect for me. I don't understand it. So if it makes you feel better, I would say the majority seem to say this series is better than ATLA.
I think this series had potential. I think, it had moments of greatness. I think, if you compare this animation to other western animations, it is surely high caliber. But I still think the show had some major issues with the writing. And was a big mess like in the overall context. I loved (and I mean, genuinely loved) about 50% of this show. So it's not like I want to hate it, or am set out to hate it or pick it apart (I defended Book 1, despite its flaws. I really loved Book 1 overall).
But people saying this is a perfect show and better than ATLA. I just don't get it.
Icyflamez96
Member
What if the artist wants to give in to fans.
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Xpike
Unconfirmed Member
There is no reason for why Kuvira's mecha took 2 whole episodes to take down. Instead have her taken out in 1 episode and use the last one for an epilogue to all the million characters you created for this series, or at least have Kuvira make a last stand against Korra so we could have a last bending fight, but leave more than 1 and a half minutes to conclude a 4 season series
The finale even says itself it's not resolving shit. "I still have so much to learn, and I want to grow into the Avatar I'm supposed to be" is pretty much Mike and Bryan speaking to the audience.
JadedWriter
Member
I still can't fucking believe Kill La Kill ended up having a better story than this season. And that show was about a war against fucking clothing. Nudist Beach couldn't save this show.
lol, Kill La Kill was better than Book 4: Balance.
The end of the world is here. A show about clothes and nudity was better.
Admiral Woofington
Member
You and me both. I'm not even that cynical. I'm very easy to please with media, I constantly go watch movies with bad/ok reviews and come out saying "hey this wasn't as bad as those critics said, fuck them" then I wrote my own review. Heck I JUST came out of the Hobbit last night and thought it deserved better than the 60 something it has on RottenTomatoes. I've stuck around with Community when many have left. But with TV shows I'm much more critical, maybe it's due to the time investment?
All to them, sometimes it works out, like Bioware designing Dragon Age Inquisition with the fans in mind. But sometimes it doesn't. Like when Bioware wrote Mass Effect 3 with fans in mind.
That Dude John
Member
Nah, he returned to pure hype status with ATLA-tier lightning. Best moment in the finale to me.
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Xpike
Unconfirmed Member
To be fair, Kill la Kill had 25 episodes, and even then they resolved their romantic plot tumor in an even worse manner and wasted even more characters than Korra
CreeperBlocks
Banned
It was more so, them realizing that they had no resolution for Korra in that moment. So it was better making Korra a person that was looking forward.
She basically couldn't come to terms with the things she had done (she couldn't be satisfied with her actions up to that point)...even if someone like Tenzin was praising her for it. And she's right. Because all of the things she had done up to that point, was failing into success. Korra stumbled into success.
So Korra was looking forward.
That was bad ass. I meant his actual ending was the biggest L. He had no resolution, and the best they could give him, was him being loyal to Korra to the day he dies.
TangerineCloud
Banned
Wikipedia said:
I get the impression that most of the people who preferred ATLA just kinda... stopped watching.
EDIT: Which I guess isn't too suprising, as Korra had some low lows.
JadedWriter
Member
Blumenkrantz motherfuckers!lol, Kill La Kill was better than Book 4: Balance.
The end of the world is here. A show about clothes and nudity was better.
From like Episode 2 or whatever you could see that Mako and Ryuko would wind up with each other, that show wasn't shipping anything but those two really.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Kill la Kill is Gurren Lagann's less successful cousin.
Mr Fahrenheit
Member
Kill la Kill is one of the dumbest pieces of media ever produced, Korra just has uneven writing.
lol possibly. But that poster was right. If you go on other forums, most people seem to love Korra. And I can kind of see, people stepping back and just enjoying it for what it is. But I don't get people saying it was much better than ATLA.
I see a lot of people arguing that, this finale was infinitely better than ATLAs. That it had so much emotional pay off, and was a story about love and the ties that bind us. I swear, I've seen a lot of people say that. And it's like...huh?
Korra understanding that she's an incomplete person is actually character growth. Coming back from being poisoned was a cool show of will as well.
Season 4 didn't turn out to be what it could have been, though I suppose that's fitting considering the series it's a part of. Should have been way more Korra than there was.
I also think Korra Alone was a boring episode and indicative of the quality her arc would maintain. She got an arc, but it was not as good as it should have been. Zaheer was Korra's lion turtle in that he solved her existential issue, same as Aang in the book Air finale. I guess it's better (or worse) since Zaheer is also the reason she has this existential issue in the first place.
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Xpike
Unconfirmed Member
And then we got no resolution apart from a brief Mako speech about asking Ryuko out on a date, which we don't even get to see. And then we see Gamagoori planning to ask someone (likely Mako?) on a date, and no way he would try that if she was already taken.
You know Korra wasn't perfect
But no way in hell was Kill la Kill better, show was pointless and after the first 'big' fight it went spiraling downhill trying to add more layers to the "story". Shit was terrible plot wise all around.
Korra had good ideas but very rough execution
But no way in hell was Kill la Kill better, show was pointless and after the first 'big' fight it went spiraling downhill trying to add more layers to the "story". Shit was terrible plot wise all around.
Korra had good ideas but very rough execution
Anyways,
I still think the overall journey was fun. I loved most of Book 1. I liked about half of Book 2. Loved all of Book 3. I sort of liked and sort of hated Book 4? I guess I would give Book 4 like a 60%?
So on the whole, this is a strange series for me. I think I will be able to step back and be fond of the show on the whole. I still loved the avatar world. I still loved some of these characters.
I guess writing issues aside, I just am a bit let down. Because on paper, I actually think Korra was a better character than Aang. I really really wanted her to have a great story. I wanted that so badly for that character.
I wonder how we will all feel as time goes on about this?
I just think her arc was all over the place, and didn't really have a through line with it. I can agree with you Korra had some resolution, but it didn't feel like resolution tied to a greater whole. It didn't feel connected to her arc in the season. The whole Compassion line is still very odd. And I still think, in the greater whole...Korra's character didn't really come to any conclusion that felt satisfying or felt reflective of the overall journey she had been through.
Aang in comparison, felt like he had a resolution that tied together everything he had been through. It was a statement on who he was. What he had become. What he wanted to be. It capped off his entire journey, and tied in to everything.
I still think the overall journey was fun. I loved most of Book 1. I liked about half of Book 2. Loved all of Book 3. I sort of liked and sort of hated Book 4? I guess I would give Book 4 like a 60%?
So on the whole, this is a strange series for me. I think I will be able to step back and be fond of the show on the whole. I still loved the avatar world. I still loved some of these characters.
I guess writing issues aside, I just am a bit let down. Because on paper, I actually think Korra was a better character than Aang. I really really wanted her to have a great story. I wanted that so badly for that character.
I wonder how we will all feel as time goes on about this?
I just think her arc was all over the place, and didn't really have a through line with it. I can agree with you Korra had some resolution, but it didn't feel like resolution tied to a greater whole. It didn't feel connected to her arc in the season. The whole Compassion line is still very odd. And I still think, in the greater whole...Korra's character didn't really come to any conclusion that felt satisfying or felt reflective of the overall journey she had been through.
Aang in comparison, felt like he had a resolution that tied together everything he had been through. It was a statement on who he was. What he had become. What he wanted to be. It capped off his entire journey, and tied in to everything.
JadedWriter
Member
As dumb as it was I still found it really entertaining. With Book 4 I was just irritated in spots. Kill La Kill knew what it was. It was an oddball, silly show built around a sillier dumb as fuck premise and it had fun with it. Korra, especially this season meandered around about half way through and when it got better you barely cared because it should've been paced a lot better. Once Korra came back from being defeated by Kuvira the pacing went to shit, it didn't seem to know what to do next or whom to even focus on.
There was more resolution in the OVA.
It was better than Book 4, absolutely. Not better than the whole series.
Admiral Woofington
Member
and then DBGT happened
Icyflamez96
Member
Avatar GT incoming.
SoulUnison
Banned
I think we're to assume that the remaining Red Lotus were dealt with and/or faded into irrelevancy during the three year timeskip.
Not ideal, but, three years is a long time for things to happen, I guess.
Ranking my seasons:
3 > 4 > 1 >>>>>>> 2
Season 3 is the best, no question about it (Second best if we count A:TLA only behind Earth)
Season 1 and 4 are very close, but I think the final battle and ending of Season 4 are enough to edge over Season 1, even though I prefer Amon over Kuvira (Sry Toa)
Season 2... welp, yeah.
3 > 4 > 1 >>>>>>> 2
Season 3 is the best, no question about it (Second best if we count A:TLA only behind Earth)
Season 1 and 4 are very close, but I think the final battle and ending of Season 4 are enough to edge over Season 1, even though I prefer Amon over Kuvira (Sry Toa
)Season 2... welp, yeah.
Brawndo Addict
Banned
The catch-22 problem I have is that the tools they have to get around censorship ends up hurting depictions of female friendships, but if they don't use those tools then it really does come out of nowhere or they might decide to not even put it in at all and nothing changes.
For example, someone posted a TV Tropes link earlier to show all the "evidence" that's supposedly been the series for it and not a single thing I read was distinguishable from something that two female friends would already do. But if that's the most you can get past censors, what else are you supposed to do? I don't have an answer to that.
But that's a big problem if your only tools to set up or create a pairing like this end up being the exact same things you would otherwise use to create/show female friends. Then you just romanticize/sexualize things that should otherwise be seen as platonic, which I don't think is an inherently better or more positive outcome. I don't want to see people constantly shipping female friends simply because they complimented each others appearance or skill in battle. That undercurrent already exists because people were shipping Korrasami right from the get go in Book 1. I just don't see how this actually pushes back and fosters change against the censors if the vast majority of all content in the series never actually did any pushing except for the very end.
Book 1 already had some serious problems where Asami was less a friend and more of a romantic enemy for Korra to defeat so she could steal Mako back. Book 2 made it even worse, so it was nice to see actual female friendship develop in Book 3 but I guess we're supposed to read into that as their way of getting around censors.
I don't know, I guess I don't want this kind of progress to come at the expense of depicting and normalizing female friendships. If its truly the only options they had available, I can't really blame them. But I think they need to push boundaries consistently throughout the series to make real change, not just the end.
For example, someone posted a TV Tropes link earlier to show all the "evidence" that's supposedly been the series for it and not a single thing I read was distinguishable from something that two female friends would already do. But if that's the most you can get past censors, what else are you supposed to do? I don't have an answer to that.
But that's a big problem if your only tools to set up or create a pairing like this end up being the exact same things you would otherwise use to create/show female friends. Then you just romanticize/sexualize things that should otherwise be seen as platonic, which I don't think is an inherently better or more positive outcome. I don't want to see people constantly shipping female friends simply because they complimented each others appearance or skill in battle. That undercurrent already exists because people were shipping Korrasami right from the get go in Book 1. I just don't see how this actually pushes back and fosters change against the censors if the vast majority of all content in the series never actually did any pushing except for the very end.
Book 1 already had some serious problems where Asami was less a friend and more of a romantic enemy for Korra to defeat so she could steal Mako back. Book 2 made it even worse, so it was nice to see actual female friendship develop in Book 3 but I guess we're supposed to read into that as their way of getting around censors.
I don't know, I guess I don't want this kind of progress to come at the expense of depicting and normalizing female friendships. If its truly the only options they had available, I can't really blame them. But I think they need to push boundaries consistently throughout the series to make real change, not just the end.
Mr Fahrenheit
Member
I've always said I enjoyed Korra more for numerous reasons, but I never pretended that there weren't things that TLA did better, they both have their good qualities, and I guess it's just dependent on what style of shows you like.
However, people talking like what I bolded there, that's just crazy talk and blind fanboyism... Unless shipping is literally the only reason you watch shows, which I guess a lot of people do, apparently to the point where they think thats what the show is about.
Ranking my seasons:
3 > 4 > 1 >>>>>>> 2
Season 3 is the best, no question about it (Second best if we count A:TLA only behind Earth)
Season 1 and 4 are very close, but I think the final battle and ending of Season 4 are enough to edge over Season 1, even though I prefer Anon over Kuvira (Sry Toa
Season 2... welp, yeah.
3 > 1 >>>>4>>>>>>>>>>2
I'm surprised people think 4 was better than 1. The Amon plot, and just the overall character stuff in Book 1 was much better.
Icyflamez96
Member
Ranking my seasons:
3 > 4 > 1 >>>>>>> 2
Season 3 is the best, no question about it (Second best if we count A:TLA only behind Earth)
Season 1 and 4 are very close, but I think the final battle and ending of Season 4 are enough to edge over Season 1, even though I prefer Anon over Kuvira (Sry Toa
Season 2... welp, yeah.
who's anon
JadedWriter
Member
Nope. Book 1, most of it and Book 3 in general was better than Kill La Kill. Kill La Kill was just dumb fun, but at least the characters were fun and I'm putting a high emphasis on fun. You have to turn your brain off a bit to enjoy that show, but it's entertaining. Just some portions of Korra just felt like a slog and something you're watching for entertainment purposes shouldn't feel like that.
lol damn typos!
SoulUnison
Banned
Thank you. Kill la Kill was *awful.*
It was just Fanservice: The Show.
I don't think I've ever felt so embarrassed watching a show, even with nobody around to see me watching it.
Maybe sometimes, people just want you to shut up and enjoy something for what it is.
I can understand that. Sometimes I have to snap myself out of the "writer" mode, and try to just sit back and enjoy something. I think in that sense, I can say the finale was enjoyable. I enjoyed it. On a very surface level, it was 44 min of entertainment.
I don't know at what point, you think about the writing not being good. But I can say I enjoyed it.
Admiral Woofington
Member
Final rankings
ATLA B2
ATLA B3
TLOK B3
ATLA B1
TLOK B1
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TLOK B4
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TLOK B2
ATLA B2
ATLA B3
TLOK B3
ATLA B1
TLOK B1
......
TLOK B4
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...
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TLOK B2
This is much better said than flatly saying she had no resolution. I can understand not finding it satisfying. I can understand that a whole lot.
Mike and Bryan set this season up rather well from a plotting stand point. Korra is convalescing and coming to grips with being limited. Meanwhile, her foil is deliberately designed to represent Korra's characterization of being willful and forceful, and that foil is running wild. So Korra has to literally and figuratively overcome herself in order to find true balance.
That's good stuff. Really good stuff. But it didn't play out that way on screen.
Ryuko and Mako was a more believable relationship than korrasami
Er, she had NO resolution to the season itself IMO. She had some kind of tacked on resolution for the series overall. I'm not really sure where it was coming from. Or where the writers were trying to land the character on.
That better?
Tal Shiar Agent
Banned
The probending dragged down book 1 for me.
Anyways, stepping back and just trying to enjoy this....
I think, I can say I enjoyed this 44 min finale. Ignoring the writing issues I had, I thought it was fun. But I still feel like, it was missing that emotional punch. You know?
Yeah, I can agree. But I still think the 2-3 episodes wasted there, were better than a lot of the Kuvira episodes wasted this season where nothing really went on. This season really lacked tension, and felt like a lot of spinning wheels. For all of Book 1's flaws, it had a lot of tension and build up. It was exciting. There was emotional weight there.
And sadly...this was the BEST Team Avatar ever was. Seriously, this legit was the only time Team Korra felt like a team, and had actual group interactions that felt meaningful.
I think, I can say I enjoyed this 44 min finale. Ignoring the writing issues I had, I thought it was fun. But I still feel like, it was missing that emotional punch. You know?
Yeah, I can agree. But I still think the 2-3 episodes wasted there, were better than a lot of the Kuvira episodes wasted this season where nothing really went on. This season really lacked tension, and felt like a lot of spinning wheels. For all of Book 1's flaws, it had a lot of tension and build up. It was exciting. There was emotional weight there.
And sadly...this was the BEST Team Avatar ever was. Seriously, this legit was the only time Team Korra felt like a team, and had actual group interactions that felt meaningful.
Procarbine
Forever Platinum
I guess on the whole I enjoyed LOK, but they just tried to do too much and came away missing the pieces that made me love ATLA. I was talking about it with another gaffer last night and it sort of reminds me of the Star Wars prequels, although not nearly as bad. Korra had her moments and I liked her development, but outside of her I just don't care much about the rest of the cast.
I feel like the last minutes of the show were a microcosm of the entire series, not giving all the characters enough time to feel whole and really care about. I leave the show feeling not much of anything, besides a chuckle for the couple.
I feel like the last minutes of the show were a microcosm of the entire series, not giving all the characters enough time to feel whole and really care about. I leave the show feeling not much of anything, besides a chuckle for the couple.
TangerineCloud
Banned
To some extent, I think it is a reaction to some of the negativity in the Korra franchise. I mean, after Book 1 and throughout Book 2, shitting on Legend of Korra seemed to be the norm. I mean, hell, even the Book 2 hype thread here was a nightmare. People would just constantly harp on the same shit over and over. As a person who actually liked LoK back then, seeing the constant negativity was super irritating and just made me want to like Korra even more. By no means do I believe that everyone who likes the show was affected in that same way, but I think that could kind of explain some of the seemingly blind, gushing praise that this series gets sometimes.
EDIT: Oh shit, we rankin'? Alright, entire series, let's go:
ATLA 2 > ATLA 3 > ATLA 1 > Korra 1 >> Korra 3 >>>>>>>>> Korra 4 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Korra 2
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Xpike
Unconfirmed Member
gt isnt even canon anymore
I really hate Endgame and really like this finale. Episode for episode, Korra 1 had more bangers. And the Winner Is...
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