damselfish | (no subject)

The last episode of Korra should have made the internet explode but didn't, so I'm gonna write a post BECAUSE I WILL EXPLODE OTHERWISE.

The writing is... really weak. Like, I can't even begin to say how weak it is, especially compared to ATLA. About the only character I have any investment in is Bolin. The world itself is more interesting, but the dialogue makes me cringe.

And today's episode was the worst. From the recap about how ~into each other~ Korra and Mako are, to all the Word of God crap. Korra likes Mako because we say so. Mako likes Korra! Never mind that they have no chemistry with each other.

Granted, Mako and Asami don't either, but since neither of them have a personality they are obviously made for each other. I'm content with Mako/Asami. They can be boring together! At least they're nice and don't turn each other into whining assholes. Mako has no personality beyond "protective brother" and "old man yells at clouds." I like his scarf, though, the scarf can stay. And he's a good counterpoint to Bolin, so I don't mind him as a character, per se. Boring dudes have every right to exist.

But I hate how they're trying to mash a romance into the series. Frankly, Korra and Mako are massive jerks together and I don't really like them very much after this episode. Especially when the Korra/Bolin date was cute, and since it happened all of 5 minutes before the childish shouting match, the comparison... really makes the contrived tension between them fall flat. Mako likes Korra because the creators say so, Korra likes Mako because the creators say so, but Bolin is all "hey you're a girl! I'm fun! Girls like fun, right!?" and it was-- yes-- fun to watch.

The series really shines when Bolin is on-screen. Everyone has great interactions with him-- the date was great, Mako fetching him and slinging him over a shoulder while Bolin cries at him was great-- and when he's off-screen, the show seems to lose its heart and everyone is going through the motions until he comes back.

Though, Korra and Tenzin's family is also good. It's... everything else that's weak.

I seriously think if they hadn't bothered with the shipping, the show would be a lot stronger than it is. I mean, the politics are also pretty hamfisted ("This is just another plot to get more power!" nawwwww really?) but they don't make me want to sink in the couch and disappear quite like Mako/Korra does. I get it, they're dumb teenagers. But dumb teenagers can still have believable chemistry, and they don't. There was literally not a single moment that I can point to where I thought "yeah! They like each other!" I just knew they were being pushed together so I was like "okay, they're the ship for the show." I didn't think it was gonna be so... painful to watch.

I think Bolin with the flowers was the only real emotionally evocative moment in the series so far. Boy needs better friends/brother!

Maybe it should be the Bolin and Pabu show? I would watch that.