The Legend of Korra News and Discussion Thread (NEW: Animation Line Test)

In regards to Korra, I think the prodigy explanation would be an example of lazy writing. I can buy that Azula was a prodigy. It fits her. Katara, I think had natural talent, but I think she was also extremely determined to master waterbending, not only to prove that a chick can do it as well or better than a guy. While I can agree with the viewpoints of people who were bugged by how quickly she learned waterbending, I can't say that it bothered me personally. Katara had enough personality that she was in no danger of becoming a Mary Sue. But learning that Korra is no older than 18/19, and has already mastered two elements outside her native element (including her natural opposite, which should have been more difficult for her)- I don't know, it doesn't sit well with me, especially if the avatar is still told of her identity at 16, as was the tradition.

Well, certainly he mastered air and water. I would argue that he was pretty darn close to mastering earthbending, but I agree that his firebending was probably not the best (though we never really see him fight with firebending, when he's not superpowered by the comet). But still, he learned all of that amazingly quickly, given his age and the circumstances. And given his tendency to want to goof off.

This would explain Korra being extremely epic while in the Avatar State (though, hard to imagine someone more epic than Aang XD), but I don't think that would have any bearing on how quickly she learned the elements. An unrealized avatar can't draw on that knowledge without losing control of herself or even control accessing the state at all (at least based on Aang), and even though Aang in the Avatar State could do some awesome things, he couldn't take those actions and then duplicate them outside of that State. At least that I noticed.

 

A little news, from an interview with Andrea Romano, casting and voice director on Avatar: The Last Airbender (and she confirms, The Legend of Korra). Source

Fail to the part I bolded. I thought there was still a chance we could see an old-as-hell Firelord Zuko or Gran Gran Katara. v_v

 

The Track Team talk a little about the music of The Legend of Korra: Source

There's more to the interview, but this is the part concerning Korra.

 

Definitely the franchise can use more Koh.

I personally wouldn't mind a miniseries about the first avatar. I think that'd be an interesting take on it.


A little more news (kinda oldish, I'm thinking), from an interview UGO did with Mike and Bryan at Comic Con: Source

The more interesting bits (to me):

On that third quote, I'm thinking the writers of the article meant just benders in general, since there aren't exactly that many airbenders in the world left to persecute.

 

From Last Airbender Fans Online:

Some familiar faces from the Avatar the Last Airbender series, including Sifu Kisu (the martial arts consultant), Joaquim Dos Santos (director), Ki Hyun Ryu (character designer), and Ian Graham (storyboard supervisor) are returning for Korra. JM Animation, who was one of the two main Korean animation studios working on AtLA, will also be returning.

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Not exactly groundbreaking news, but good to know. The series wouldn't be the same without Sifu Kisu, and Dos Santos directed The Headband, The Puppetmaster, The Beach, Sozin's Comet Part III: Into the Inferno, and Sozin's Comet Part IV: Avatar Aang, all good episodes in my opinion, especially the finale ones, and it's nice to have him back.

EDIT: And according to his twitter page, Dee Bradley Baker, voice of Appa, Momo, and practically anything else awesome, will also be back. Source: Dee Bradley Baker on Twitter

 

Source? This is the first I've heard of that, except a mention in the trading card game of a female airbender (Malu the Ghost Witch) who hid in a cave after the temples were destroyed.

I believe that Tenzin, the son of Aang and Katara who will be Korra's airbending master, will fulfill a similar purpose as Iroh, in that he'll be the mentor figure of the series.

The one concern I have is that they could try too hard to copy the original series (i.e. have characters in the new Team Avatar who are basically the old Team Avatar with different appearances), but I think Bryan and Mike and the rest of the team are smart enough to keep it as original as they can. And having the main characters of Aang's team all dead is a way for them to start fresh.

I wouldn't really consider this a new season. I think of it as more of its own separate miniseries.

One thing I am excited about is the chance to see someone learn airbending. Aang started his series already a master, and we never got to see what all that entailed.

 

I don't remember it, though maybe I'm just flaking out and forgetting. I thought the only airbenders left in Korra's day would be descendents of Aang. But I could be wrong.