The Legend of Korra - The New Generation of Avatar

     The Legend of Korra is the brand new Nickelodeon television programme that is quickly sweeping the world!!

WARNING: THIS BLOG ENTRY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Korra being Awesome.

     First airing April 14th 2012, the two months the first season ran for flew by. Being the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra filled the void that Aang left behind and that M. Night Shayamalan failed to fill. I think It's safe to say that we have all fallen for the characters presented to us with there being hundreds of fanart drawn, fanfictions written and cosplays cosplayed before we even had an air date.

     The Avatar Fandom in general is strong. It always has been since the first episode aired seven years ago in 2005. And it's nice to think that all of those fans have stayed with it and are now watching Korra.

     TLOK is the perfect way to carry on the story. The next Avatar in the Avatar cycle is Korra, a BAMF from the southern water tribe who has mastered Water, Earth and Fire and needs Aang's son Tenzin to Teach her Airbending. So she goes to Republic City to train with him.

     Korra is all the original Gaang from A:TLA in one awesome body. Obviously she is Aang. She is the Avatar and is just as playful as him. She has Sokka's comic-relief aspect. She inherited Toph's BAMF-ness. And she is very much like season 3 Katara in ways. I guess Zuko has been replaced by a combination of Mako and Iroh II.

Bolin

     Bolin however is a whole new character. I guess you can compare him to Sokka because he's funny but really he is nothing like him. Sokka, although funny and awesome, is a lot more serious than Bolin. Sokka also likes to have a plan and is very street-wise. Bolin goes with the flow and gets himself into trouble very easily (the Triple Threat Triads incident..). Bolin is far younger than his actual age. Because Mako has always looked over him so he hasn't had to grow up quite as quickly. Sokka is wise beyond his years, Bolin is the complete opposite.
     Bolin's character is a complete breath of fresh air! And is totally my current favourite character.

Mako does love that scarf...

     Now something that is more confusing than the most confusing thing you can think of (as I cannot thonk of anything confusing right now..) is the Ships. The ships that the fans on this show support are in the billions (over-exaggeration) the main war within the Fandom being Makorra vs Borra. Who will Korra end up with? As you can see by my right side-bar, I support both. Of course, one of them is currently Canon following the season 1 finale. But of course this could all change in the next season. I remember when the characters were first revealed and everybody said that Makorra was 'the new Zutara' because she was water and he was fire. But since I've watched the show, I (and many others I believe) have come to realise that Makorra isn't Zutara. Makorra is Kataang.
     There are also the other ships that the fans have come up with. Korsami, Tahnorra etc. just to name a few. A good friend of mine, SarcasticLeaves, said that she is supporting Mako/Scarf and Hobo/Bush as another shipping war wasn't appealing to her. I agree with her but I couldn't help myself but get involved with the ship war (even if I am on both sides).

Airbender kids

     The other characters that I think make the show are the Airbender kids! Those kids are just brilliant. Jinora, Ikki and Meelo (and then Rohan) are hilarious. I think every Avatar fan's heart broke when Ikki interrupted Katara from telling us what happened to Zuko's mother and we all had a little grudge that lasted about five minutes because we all then fell in love with her and couldn't blame her for the interruption. Meelo is just adorably disgusting ("I gotta poo!"). And Jinora is that kid we all wanted to be. She's funny and smart and is on her way to being that teenager we all wanted to be.
     The fact that the original Team Avatar had kids makes all of us squee with character feelings. Aang and Katara had Three kids. Tenzin, Kya and Bumi (Who's one 'line' made everyone fall in love with him). Zuko had some kid who birthed Iroh II (who everyone has also fallen in love with) and Toph baby bended out of a rock Lin (who everyone is overly in love with). We still haven't a clue who Sokka's kids are or have any idea if he had any, though as a Tokka fan I am always hopeful that Lin is Sokka's.

Bei Fong being a Bei Fong

     Then there are the flashbacks. Or more, Korra's visions of Aang's memories. These are enough to make any Avatar fan's heart just explode with happiness. The fact that they have screen time is just too much to handle. But the fact that they get lines and a story and we actually learn of adventures that we didn't see just makes me melt. And the fact that we do see them. As adults. All grown up and stuff. It's really emotional. Though, I think I may be the only one who thought that when we'd see them the characters would have the same voices as adults as they did as children. Which of course, they don't. I think it's safe to say that they don't look like I imagined them. But the fact that they're there just makes up for any expectations I had.
     Of course, we get to hear Zuko's voice in Iroh II as Dante Basco returned to the Avatar universe to play that role. Every time he does speak I am filled with a load of memories and love for Zuko.

Older Aang!!

Now on to the more intellectual side to this show (even though the characterisation of the characters was very very clever).

     Amon. Amon Amon Amon. Or if you've gotten to the end of the season, Noatak. He is by far one of the best villains I have ever seen in a piece of fiction. He is the leader of the Equalists. A cult of people whom strive to rid the world of benders. He's not evil. He's nothing like Oazi was. Noatak was a mistaken guy who was manipulated by his father. By the end of the last episode we were all sympathetic towards him and Tarrlok. Although Amon wasn't exactly evil that didn't make his scenes any less chilling. Every Bloodbending scene was immensely animated and directed.
     Now I really wanted Noatak and Tarrlok to go off and live a good brotherly life together but that was not to be as Tarrlok used one of the Equalist electic glove things to blow up the engine of the boat their in resulting in a murder-suicide.

Noatak before the Murder-Suicide

     A murder-suicide!!! Isn't this suppose to be a kids show? It was a brilliant way to end the character's story lines but that was completely unexpected! I applaud the writers amazing writing skills. And it didn't stop there! Korra, the main character of the series and now a major role-modal to all girls everywhere almost commits suicide herself! This is brilliant! Not because it means that these people are committing suicide all over the place, but because it means that Nickelodeon's executives aren't trying to shield this generation of kids from the real world!
     Korra's almost suicide was a really strong scene. She had just had her bending taken by Amon and was depressed out of her mind. She then runs out to the edge of a cliff a leans over. You think she's going to jump when she stops and Aang talks to her, gives her her bending back (along with the ability to give others their bending back) and she then enters the Avatar state for the first time.

     Some pretty intense stuff!!

The Pro-Bending Arena

     That's just the story side of things (well, some of the story). There are also a LOT of easter eggs that only rabid Avatar fans would appreciate. Reminding us of the fact that we still don't know what happened to Zuko's Mother. The first mention of 'Cabbage Corp' and then having the owner being dragged out screaming "Not My Cabbage Corp!!" just brought back memories. There were also a group of 'Fire Ferret' (Korra, Mako and Bolin) cosplayers in the audience of a Pro-Bending match hinting towards the many cosplayers in the world that have cosplayed Avatar characters.

     And that's another thing. Pro-Bending. Pro-Bending is the Avatar world's equivalent to Harry Potter's Quidditch. This game however is a lot easier to re-enact (as there is no flying involved). I guess Pro-Bending is a lot like the Earth Rumble tournaments seen in 'The Blind Bandit' but to me it feels a lot more like the Avatar: Legends of the Arena MMORPG (That everyone MUST play) that was released just after the Avatar Series finale.
    Pro-Bending has easily understandable rules and is as exciting as it is well animated. The matches are easy to follow and are fun to watch. And I wouldn't be surprised if they make a video game out of it soon. If they don't then I will be writing to them asking for such a game as I would pay good money to be a Pro-Bender for a day.

     There is so much more I could write about TLOK. I mean, I haven't even mentioned Asami or Old!Katara or the fact that Zuko is suppose to still be alive or anything about the Lin/Tenzin/Pema love triangle (That I will reserve for a blog entry of its own). Or even Pabu and Naga's awesomeness. So as I leave you here is a gif of the best facial expression ever to have been drawn in the history of the world.

 Remember to be kind to everyone and forever be Korrasexual.

Sleepless in Seattle - Too many Grey's Anatomy Feelings

     Grey's Anatomy is by far my favourite drama programme that has existed in the history of the world ever. It actually (as the title suggests) gives me far too many feelings of all sorts. I would even go as far as saying that the recent season 8 finale has scarred me for life. And to get away from the heartache I feel every time I think of Lexie, (I think I'm crying...) I have began re-watching the show from the very beginning.

Ack I'm crying...

     I do feel however that this was not the best judgement on my part as the heartache caused by Lexie's death (still crying..) has been replaced by countless other things. I have just finished watching Episode 25 of Season 2 and I swear I'm going to have a heart attack if i carry on watching. The Izzie/Denny storyline is just ripping me to shreds. And even though I know what's going to happen I still wish and wish some more for an alternate ending.
     I swear I almost died during that last scene with Izzie stopping his heart (although she could have done it in a more subtle way...) and that whole talk they had just before.. I seriously just cannot contain my feelings. I guess that is the reason for this blog entry. I need to let off a LOT of steam before watching the next two episodes.
   
     And to be perfectly honest it's not really replaced my Lexie heartache, more just added to the never ending pain. When Mark came into a episode a while back I couldn't stop stroking the screen and wanting to scream 'Stop wasting your time on Addison and find Lexie!! Find her and love her before it's too late!!!!!' Which I know won't change the future but my hope that it may change is keeping me sane.
     I actually thought I was over Lexie's death but I was plunged right back into a deep dark pit of sadness when Lexie's sister (who I never bothered to learn the name of) mentioned her to Meredith. Grey's Anatomy is going to be the death of me. I just know it.

Off I go, where I fall, is where I land...

     Soon enough I'm going to reach George's death again and that killed me the first time I saw it. And that was years before I turned full on FanGirl. The next time I watch it I'm sure my grief will be in the Lexie Death region.
     I mean, the first time I saw the season 5 finale I was so upset I had to draw out my pain! (And I am planning on re-drawing this picture as my artistic skills have improved over the last three years) I actually think this is connected to the reason I haven't gotten over Lexie yet. If I draw her death then I should be able to come to terms with her death as I did for George.

     It's not just all the death that's keeping me sleepless in Seattle (did you like that title? I thought it was rather clever..) It's also the heart wrenching love stories and easily shippable characters that are ripping my insides apart.

I'm crying again...

 
    Now I've already mentioned, Izzie and Denny's scenes have killed me already.

     But there's also the failing relationship between Owen and Christina.
 
     And the will they won't they but they will but they won't but oh look they did but oh no she's crying all the time now relationship between Jackson and April.

     Then there's Meredith and Derek's dramatic (to say the least) on and off love affair that I'm sure you'd like to know caused me much heartache during the first season.

     But of course, Lexie and Mark. Mark and Lexie. Sloan and Little Grey. They top the list of the most shippable ships that I ship in the shipping history of shippy ships. I just cannot describe how much I squee at just the thought of some of the scenes I have witnessed between them.

Gifs belong to....

...greysfrasi of tumblr

   
     This scene was the best moment of my shipping life. After months and months of denying their love for each other Lexie finally snaps and tells Mark she loves him.
We await his reply when his girlfriend (who, as Lexie states, is hard to hate) enters the scene and whisks Mark away from Lexie, leaving her alone to bask in her alone-ness.

     That's pretty much the last time they speak before the plane crash. And even then Mark says all the wrong things. He tells her that he loves her too and that he wants to spend his life with her and he wants to start a family with her. He says everything we've (we've as in Lexie and me...) been wanting him to say for yonks. He just says it all at the completely wrong time.
     See, Lexie has been wanting to hear those words for so long that in hearing them she's had her peace and is happy to die while if Mark had said nothing, I'm sure she would have held on long enough for them to save her.
     I'm not trying to turn this into a rant. I know show business. I know the actress felt it was time to leave (and If she's not in a blockbuster movie within a year I propose she is resurrected from the dead).
     The scene was sad. Like, really really really really sad. And after Lexie's death scene (and the other gruesome injuries caused by the crash) all of the hospital scenes seemed incredibly mild and boring.

     My feelings for Lexie are so extreme that any mention of her makes my heart hurt. I've also been listening to The Music Event almost no-stop ever since breaking down in shouts of 'Lexie!!' every time Breathe (2am) comes on (with my father laughing and saying 'I knew you were going to do that!' the first time I did it).

My Lexie Feelings.

     In Conclusion Grey's Anatomy has ruined my life and I just keep letting it. But to cover up all of these depressing pictures of deaths and sad scenes that lead up to deaths here's a picture of when we were happy.

Awwwwww!! <3