Legend of Korra Episode 2 - Brutal Bending Lessons!

With the television debut having been this weekend, I feel it’s safe to do an episode summary/review. If you haven’t seen the episodes or don’t want to hear about them, this post is not for you.

Please remember, you’ve been spoiler warned!

Episode Two, “A Leaf in the Wind”, opens with Korra reading the news about the latest Pro Bender Match. She has been a fan since she was little and dearly wants to see a real match. Tenzin hardly shares her opinion of the Pro Bender Matches. He intends for Korra to stay on the island to train. The army of White Lotus guards is there to make sure that she does just that.

The next morning sees Tenzin and Korra discussing the fact that Korra can’t air bend despite her many attempts. It’s also here that we get another wonderful “human moment”. Korra is not wearing the shawl for the air nomad costume correctly. Tenzin merely helps her adjust the shawl correctly. All the while, the duo is discussing the fact that air bending has been Korra’s elusive element. There’s no verbal acknowledgement of the shawl faux-pas at all.

It’s also here that we begin to see the different personalities of Tenzin and Pema’s children. Jinora appears to have her father’s self-control and lower key attitude. Ikki is still hyper happy. Meelo is… basically a human Lemur.

Finally we get to see what air bending training really looks like. Apparently, it’s a bit evil. To get the feeling of flowing like a leaf on the wind, a beginner must weave through a gauntlet of spinning wooden panels. Despite the children’s encouragements, Korra’s attempts are less than impressive. To be honest, I can’t imagine Tenzin being cruel enough to put his little kids through that. Jinora does give a good demonstration of how it’s done. But that thing would beat the crap out of Meelo!

No one can say that Korra is a quitter though. That night, she tries harder than ever to force air bending to work and ends up Fire bending in frustration. She becomes distracted when she hears some of the White Lotus sentries listening to a Pro Bender Match on the radio. Tenzin discovers her and sends her to bed.

For someone who’s supposed to be an Air bender, Tenzin is uptight. Korra calls him on that fact during meditation. “You’re telling me to embrace freedom. Yet you won’t let me listen to the radio and forget about leaving this island.” As one can guess, Korra grows increasingly frustrated with her inability to grasp Air bending.

Once again, nightfall brings Korra out with an escape. This time, she heads to the arena to see a Pro Bending Match for herself. Discovered by an elderly gym owner, Korra is about to be handed to security when she is rescued by a Pro Bender named Bolin. He introduces Korra to his twin brother, Mako. Korra gets to see her first match as well as her first Pro Bender fighting style lesson.

Back at the island, things still aren’t working out well. Her frustration finally peaks. Korra gives the panel gauntlet a taste of Fire bending power. Tenzin is understandably upset considering that this device has somehow managed to survive for 2,000 years. Without concern, Korra blames him for her frustration and stomps off. Again, we see an endearing “human moment” as both Jinora, Ikki and the audience realize that Tenzin’s feelings have been hurt. Even Meelo’s comical copying of Korra’s words and actions can’t detract from the emotion of the moment.

While Tenzin and his family sit down to a meal, Korra sneaks off to the Pro Bender Match again. This time she arrives to a very sullen Bolin and Mako. Their Water bender has ditched them. A team cannot participate without all three elements being represented. Korra ends up filling in and the match gets underway. In her exuberance, Korra ends up Earth bending which leads to the match referees’ realization that she is the Avatar.

When Aang’s revelation as the Avatar was announced, his friends didn’t want to play with him. They claimed that being the Avatar gave him an advantage and would be unfair to the other players. Things have really changed over the past 200 years. The referees decide to allow Avatar Korra to play with the stipulation that she only Water bend.

Naturally, Korra’s first match gets off to a shaky start. To make matters worse, Tenzin arrives to confront her. After an altercation, Korra returns to the match. Tenzin is about to leave but decides to stay and watch. With the opposing team really giving Korra all the bending they’ve got, something clicks. Perhaps a panel gauntlet just wasn’t the proper motivation that Korra needed to unlock her potential. But a barrage of elemental bending attacks sure did the trick! Korra weaves and dodges long enough for the rivals to tire. Then she, Mako and Bolin take the fight to them.

Later, Korra comes to Tenzin to apologize for lashing out at him. He concedes that he was to blame as well. Although she still can’t Air bend, Korra is ready to get back to training – both with Tenzin and with Mako and Bolin, her new Pro Bending Match partners.

With the first two episodes alone, Korra has proven that it will be another great series for Nickelodeon. Beautiful backgrounds, wonderful life in the character animation and an engaging storyline promise to keep fans deeply immersed in the Avatar world for years to come.

To be honest, I’ve only got two questions of the series so far.

1. Can Korra metal bend?

2. Has Katara passed on the forbidden “blood bending” power to anyone?

Thanks again to Tumblr.com for the pics.

Legend of Korra Episode 1

In 2005, the team of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko brought us an amazing three season story of “Avatar the Last Airbender”. This April, they return with a new installment for the Avatar series, “Avatar the Legend of Korra”. With the television debut having been this weekend, I feel it’s safe to do an episode summary/review. If you haven’t seen the episodes or don’t want to hear about them, this post is not for you.

Please remember, you’ve been spoiler warned!


Our story begins with a blizzard laden evening in the Southern Water Tribe home at the South Pole. The Order of the White Lotus has taken over for the temple sages in searching for, and guiding, the new Avatar. Three members of the White Lotus arrive at a humble abode to be greeted by a proud couple. Why are they proud? Well, when the lady calls for Korra (pronounced core-ra) to come into the room, the wall is blasted away and we see Toph jr! Well, actually, we meet their young daughter, Korra.

With a snarl of “I’m the Avatar. Deal with it!” she quickly shows that she has indeed discovered Earth bending, Fire bending and Water bending. One fire sprayed scene change later we meet teenage Korra taking her Fire bending test. As a White Lotus member notes Korra has the power but lacks restraint. The discussion after the test reveals that Korra has the power and elemental mastery. But she lacks the spiritual side that an Avatar needs. It’s elderly Master Katara who persuades the White Lotus members that Korra should begin Air bending training with the only Air bender, Katara’s son, Tenzin (pronounced ten-z-in). Perhaps he can help her achieve the spiritual side of the Avatar as well as teaching her to Air bend.

Korra and Aang are about as different as any two people could be. Aang dreaded being the Avatar because he had been all over the world and had seen the pressures that the Avatar title brought. In order to “keep her safe”, the Order of the White Lotus has built a compound at the South Pole. Korra has grown up only knowing that she has to master the four elements and use them to help people. Her sheltered life leaves her with no real understanding of what responsibilities being the Avatar will bring.

Apparently, Korra’s only grudgingly allowed out of the compound to let her polar bear dog, Naga, exercise.

Tenzin and his family soon arrive on a sky bison. (Guess Appa wasn’t the last sky bison after all.) We meet the stoic Tenzin, his exasperated, and pregnant, wife, Pema (pronounced p-emma) and their three lunatics – I mean kids. I’m not kidding. The youngest child and only son, Meelo (pronounced me-low), is literally chewing on Tenzin’s head. The daughters, eldest child, Jinora (pronounced gin-or-a) and, middle child, Ikki (pronounced eek-ee) are beyond excited to see Grandma Katara.

Unfortunately, Tenzin can only stay one night as he is needed in Republic City. The city that Aang and Firelord Zuko founded in order to promote peace and harmony among the elemental nations is not so harmonious. So, Tenzin can’t move to the compound. Likewise, the city is just too dangerous for the new Avatar Korra to move there. (In other words the Order of the White Lotus has gone from a secret club of old farts to a cagey militia of Avatar overly-protectors.)

The stage is pretty much set for Korra to do (what else?) run away and follow Tenzin to Republic City anyway. Before she leaves, Korra stops to say good-bye to her parents. This is an excellent “human moment” to show Korra’s parents as still being an important part of Korra’s life as well as supportive of her choices. If only Toph’s parents could have been that way.

Without spoiling too much more, Korra gets her first taste of Republic City’s ups and downs. In other words the fire hits the victrola once Korra gets off the boat. One of the most interesting aspects of Korra’s personality is that she’s highly confident in her skills rather than being arrogant about her title. She doesn’t walk around the city trying to use the Avatar title to get her way. Nor does she outwardly announce that she’s the Avatar. It’s up to those around her to figure out who she is based on her actions.

Another highlight of the episode is Korra’s encounter with the no nonsense daughter of Toph Bai Fong, Lin. As the Republic City Police Chief, Lin is not impressed nor swayed by any of Korra’s words. When Tenzin arrives to retrieve Korra, Lin is just as nonplussed with him. In another nice “human moment”, Lin thumbs her nose at Korra as the girl leaves with Tenzin. Korra returns the favor to Lin.

Previous series fans will see quite a bit of continuity nods to the original Last Airbender series. The old war blimps have evolved into patrol blimps. Katara is still the understanding soul that she was as a teenager. The elemental nations still dress according to their elemental colors. Even some small things come back like seeing more of a beast mentioned in Book Two of the original Avatar series – a platypus bear!

Let’s not forget all the new items to entice us. We see how much larger the Southern tribe homes have become since Katara’s days. There’s a ton of new technology like cars, victrolas and radios going around. Plus we get to see what a cityscape is like in the Avatar universe.

Just in the first episode, this already looks to be an interesting series. Episode 2 is for the next post.

Thanks to Tumblr.com for the pics.