#korrasami commentary

[linnorabeifong]

🌟⭐🌟

Okay so here is some director’s commentary on “Happy Birthday to Me…I Guess” it wa so hard to decide what to write about. I really want to talk about the creative process behind this without spoiling it.

I had the idea when I rewatched the show and saw the scene with the photo of Yasuko and I realized we know nothing about her. I really wanted to remedy that. I also really love Asami and Asami centric fics. She’s such an enchanting character. She’s so elegant and mysterious 💜🤍

I couldn’t find a fic that was exactly what I was looking to read so I decided to write it myself. The premise is a little unoriginal I’m sure I could probably find a lot of ficus tackling this if I actually looked.

Where it gets fun is well… Asami doesn’t remember anything about her childhood or mother. It’s between seasons three and four and all of her friends are busy with their respective careers and she’s just kind of left out. She is still feeling the lingering affects of her father’s betrayal, Varrick’s attempt at stealing her company etc. She’s just really going through it and focusing on keeping her company going, to be honest she is neglecting herself.

She forgets her own birthday ! A girl’s twenty first birthday should be an occasion and so while Asami may neglect it someone else doesn’t. She’s sent a dress that was her mother’s and it sparks her curiosity. But there’s more. There’s a photo too… So now she wants to rediscover her parents past and figure out who tf sent this.

Along the way she enlists the help of her friends. But there’s more to the gift because it triggers memories. She has these really creepy/bizzare dreams and nightmares.

it’s a bit obvious who the gift sender is. But there are multiple plot points besides the mystery and the focus of the story alternates and changes as it develops.

(Side tangent/ secondary plot: She also really misses Korra, who hasn’t responded to any of her letters or calls and Asami doesn’t know how to handle her more than platonic desires. More on that later)

Through circumstance she finds out more information.

there is also a Kya-centric sub plot.

i don’t want to spoil anymore of it here’s more of the creative process/ inspo.

I wanted to use a large cast of characters and really flesh them all out more ( even and especially background characters) and give them something. I wanted to fill this with so many soft moments and backstory.

I also wanted to flesh out the city itself.! I love Republic City, it’s the most wonderful mix of cities around the world. Chicago, New York, Shang Hai, (Fun fact: The square in the park where the equalists protest in episode one is actually based off of a place in London) I know some fans don’t like how Americanized LOK is compared to its predecessor and the city is a massive part of that criticism. This is valid ! But I also feel that in some ways the Chicago influence ( the city is infamous for 20’s mobsters and I personally hear more old man from the Windy City than grumpy New Yorker in Zolt’s voice, but once again maybe I am over analyzing) kind of works. Hear me out. These American cities are a melting pot of cultures, and RC is supposed to be that as well, it’s the only place where all four nations combine.

tangent aside we’re given a massive city and so little lore. So I’ve sprinkled in street names and head cannons that one day I will expand upon.

💖I LoVe Yasuko💖

The idea behind Yasuko’s backstory was what if she had a rough background and weaseled her way into the upper class… and what if she had some interesting friends… I really wanted to see her as more than just a mom. I wanted to give her hobbies and make her proud of her culture and a sassy sweetheart. I wanted her to be the kind of person who fights tooth and nail for the people she cares about and is loyal to the bitter end.

I also may or may not be writing a companion piece set about (does the math) almost forty years before this one.

maybe I’m giving away too much.

I’m trying to keep it lighthearted but it’s kind of hard because we’ll… the circumstances of Yasuko’s death and the …. details of it.

there is also fluff and there will eventually be romance .💖 Korrasami 💖

so that’s my rant … and I still have more to say.

[cleopatrachampagne]

man, i’m rewatching the following, as i do every six months or so for the nostalgia of it all and it really does seem to get worse over time but in reality i just think other media has gotten better or at least i’ve had more access to diverse media that has raised my standards significantly and now representation has improved so much that as an adult i’ve forgotten what it was like to be so starved for it that i didn’t care about quality.

the majority of the characters and media that i was obsessed with as a young person were villains and i assumed that was because i just didn’t know any better but the core of the problem was that the protagonists in nearly everything were generic wasp dudes and the heroes aside from him had to fit neatly into archetypes that served his story. every “good” woman was constrained by the need for her entire being to fit his romantic interests, every poc, disabled or gay character had to be the after school special or the token friend to exist as evidence he was so good that he was totally not racist and nice to the weirdos / down with the homos. meanwhile, the villains got plenty of attention yet got to do and be whatever the fuck they wanted because they were the bad guys. when i look back at my old fandoms and ships and all that it’s basically a “psycho lesbian” trope collage, along with some gnc villains and the big bads’ murderous girlfriends sprinkled in. like, the hunger games is probably the first time i can remember reading an appealing, relatable (in the sense of being flawed and unlikeable in many very real ways) female protagonist with dimension outside of romantic intent and outside of books or horror the situation was ten times as dire.

of course i hated claire and loved emma when the following first aired; claire got zero personality outside of being an object for the leading men to fight over while emma got to have a pixie cut, a personality and kill anybody who gave her shit over it. two main villains with loads of screen time were a compelling, human, multi-dimensional gay couple when that simply wasn’t even a concept in mainstream media only a decade or so ago. i actually wept when korra and asami openly got together because i was so in love with azula and ty lee who got to be subtly sapphic due solely to the fact that they were evil and here two heroic ladies were as a couple in the sequel to the original show. like, it’s odd that i never put two and two together about the fact that villains were appealing because they were intense, flawed, diverse and often gay and lesbian coded people, not because i was irredeemably awful.

i’m wearing a weathered slytherin scrunchie gifted to me eons ago on my wrist while taking a break from a passion paper on protecting endangered tarantulas for the field i’ve been pursuing for years as i type this and quite honestly i can’t help but wonder for the first fucking time how much of my lasting affinity and compassion for the dark side despite having long grown out of my teenage edgelord phase is because during my formative years i may have always rooted for the heroes but i only ever got to see myself in the villains.

it’s kinda sad that it turns out that my entire adolescence had been some scooby doo shit in which fred rips off the monster mask and it turns out my morals were never faulty; the morals of the culture i grew up in were.

(except fred is kevin bacon in this case i guess?)

[lok-repository]

The Avatar Wiki newsletter has published the final portion of their earlier Q & A last year with Janet Varney, Korra's VA .

Questions after the cut.

What is your favorite Korra battle scene and the change that it brought to the world? Oh you know I can never pick just one favorite! But if I have to pick one for now, I think for sheer intensity, I might have to pick the big Zaheer scene, which I’m not even really thinking about the world impact more than even just the impact on Korra and where it takes us all… the journey afterwards… the PTS… Toph… clarifying her feelings for Asami…

If you weren't Korra’s VA, which character(s) in the show would you want to voice instead? It’s funny, it’s like even though we all know you aren’t asking me to take someone else’s job, the knee-jerk response is to be like “Nooooo! I couldn’t replace anyone! I love everyone too much!” But in a multiverse where we’re all just… maybe swapping roles? I might grab Bolin or Varrick!

Who would you pick as Korra’s VA if it wasn’t you? Thank goodness this would never be up to me in real life- I could never choose between all of the phenomenal VAs out there! That said, I’m kind of obsessed with all the ladies on one of my all-time favorite shows, “Reservation Dogs…”

What is something you have come to appreciate more about the original series while rewatching it for the podcast? Great question! Just when you thought you couldn’t appreciate something more… you watch it one more time, and every “one more time” you love it even more. I think an easy answer would be how much Dante and I appreciate “The Great Divide.” Especially after a recent conversation we had with a certain author about a certain history in that episode that may have influenced a certain book or two…

How are you feeling about talking about Korra on Braving the Elements? Does it feel different than talking about ATLA? Honestly? So far, it doesn’t feel like it will be that different, because anytime I watch Korra, I get so immersed in the story, I basically forget I was in it. But how much Dante might get to tease me about little things like I tease him about Zuko? Now THAT could change things. LOL!

What is the process of planning and recording episodes like? It’s pretty involved, tbh! For a recap ep, I rewatch the episode in question at least three times. You know I like to see what Avatar Wiki has to say! I consult the art book and all the dvd commentary (luckily Nickelodeon made all the commentary/bts stuff available to me, which is great!). I think about the themes of the episode and what kind of guest would be really fun and why. And writing the outline really cements the episode for me in new and interesting ways. And then Dante and our guests STILL manage to blow my mind with their own insights!

Did you know about the spiritual arc that Korra was going to have in Season 4, or when and how did you learn about her bisexuality during production? I knew some broad strokes, but Bryke/the whole amazing team did a good job of keeping us in the moment, episode-by-episode. I can’t remember exactly when Bryke told Seychelle and me about Korrasami, but it was definitely one of the things we knew before it actually happened. And we were both so, so happy!

How do you think Korra grew from her relationship with Mako and the lessons she learned that contributed to a healthy relationship with Asami? Good old Mako. This was a relationship I recognized so well from my own teenage years, and my friends.’ So combine that it was in some ways a very classic teenage relationship with the Avatar circumstances on top of that, and it’s kind of hard to see how it would succeed. But at the same time— who’s to say what “succeeding” or “success” means? What if that relationship was a complete success in that it lasted exactly as long as it was supposed to, and helped Korra and Mako both see what they would really be looking for in a relationship going forward? Plus, it was a success in that she and Mako were ultimately able to love and support each other as dear friends, and that’s a beautiful outcome.

Do you miss and enjoy voicing Korra for as long as you have? Here’s the thing- I don’t know what my answer would be if I *didn’t* get to keep talking about both series (and all the other media in the Avatarverse!) at conventions with fellow fans and with Dante and everyone on the podcast. But because I get to live in the Avatarverse through those things, I honestly haven’t thought about “missing” doing the actual show. Please, everyone, just let me keep nerding out on Avatar forever, and I’ll be happy! ;)

[thatoneguy56fanfic]

Would love some commentary on Chapter 1 of "Starting Over"--

“Before you go, I have a request.” Asami said, slowly. Korra scoffed. “I know, I don’t have any right to ask for anything from you right now. But I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t important.”

“Fine, what is it?” Korra sighed.

“If you do confront Kuvira, knowing you as well as I do, that isn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘when’. Just, please don’t blame her.” Asami continued with determination in her eyes. “This is my fault, not hers. I didn’t even tell her that I was dating anyone. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please just try.”

“I can’t promise anything.” Korra replied, as she got to her feet. A dull thud filled the air suddenly, which made them both look down. The small wooden box that had been in Korra’s pocket had fallen to the floor, and opened. Asami gasped when she spotted its contents. Korra bent down to pick up the betrothal necklace from where it had fallen. It was made of a small blue stone, which hung on a golden chain. The stone had both the Future Industries half-gear logo, as well as the symbol for the Southern Water Tribe carved into it.

She and Asami stared at each other in silence, as Korra held the item in her hand.

This was a good pick. I really love this fic, I know I’m probably biased since I wrote it, but it’s honestly just been a fun ride to write. Also fun fact: this fic was actually born from spite. There was a particularly zealous Korrasami fan who had been very unhappy with me because of the fact that I ship Korvira. So one of my friends suggested that I write a Korrasami breakup fic that ends with Korvira. So I did, and I’m glad that I took his advice. Sure I still had to deal with the “fan” but the amount of positive feedback I’ve gotten on this fic has been incredible.

Now as for what the characters were thinking in this moment:

Korra: Is very confused. She genuinely believed that her relationship with Asami was still going good. Sure, they had some issues, but they’d find a way to deal with them together. So Asami’s confession was a total shock to her system. In this particular moment, she was also concerned that Asami had lied and there was something going on between her and Kuvira other than just a one night stand. Korra is actually kind of embarrassed when the betrothal necklace fell out of her pocket. She’d forgotten about it until that moment, and it just served as a reminder that she had wrongly assumed that her relationship was okay.

Asami: She’s feeling all kinds of horrible. She knows what she did was wrong and she hates herself for doing it. But she can’t deny that it felt kinda good too. Which just makes her feel even worse. In this moment she’s feeling incredibly guilty for dragging Kuvira into her relationship drama. Which is why she asks Korra to try and not blame Kuvira, since she’s technically innocent in this situation. And when she spots the betrothal necklace, it just makes her so much worse.

For the wording in this scene, I tried to add another layer of emotional heaviness to the chapter. I knew that the betrothal necklace was going to come up somehow, I just hadn’t figured out how yet. But then I realized that Korra probably would’ve forgotten about it because of Asami’s revelation. Which is why I decided to just have it fall out of her pocket. The necklace falling was also meant to symbolize the end of their relationship.

Thanks for the ask!

Send me a snippet of one of my fics and I’ll tell you about it.

[blazingcobaltx]

Contrary to my expectations, I am more positive about Book 3 now that I have finished the show. What's quite unfortunate about Book 4 is that it has a very strong start but then loses its stakes once Korra has her breakthrough with Zaheer. It stops being about Korra from that point onward, and more about the merry bunch that has to stop Kuvira - and there's way too many characters involved in that for the show to give meaningful screentime to everyone.

I really wanted to like Book 4 considering its good start and focus on Korra's PTSD journey, but I think the final battle would have benefitted greatly from holding Korra's healing off until the very end. This is because the moment that happens there is no longer any tension left for the final battle; from then on it's a matter of when Korra will go into the Avatar State, not if. Consider Book 3, wherein it is uncertain until the final moment if Zaheer can even be defeated. The characters have to overcome a great difficulty, exacerbated by the fact that the usual ace is debilitated. With Kuvira, you kinda know beforehand that the characters will succeed, thus there isn't really any tension about the finale.

With the quality decline towards the end, you end up nitpicking at things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Once again what stands out is the way the season wastes time in some places and then speeds through things that needed more time. There are moments where I wish they would have spent more time on Korra's struggle to tap into her spirituality, and give her more time to struggle before she succeeds. Instead, the premature payoff leads to the show having to kill time on redundant moments. There are THREE gag characters this season (Varrick, Bolin, Wu). Someone in the writing team was really into this type of humour, but at some point it is overdone and beyond exhausting.

Watching the two books consecutively, I'm surprised that there is no mention of the Red Lotus before timeskip, considering that by the end of Book 3 they openly wonder if there are others out there. This seems like a missed opportunity to have a continued storyline, with the show instead opting to present a new threat. Though I can understand they made this choice so as to show that the world has tangibly changed since Korra left it behind, to not have any reference to the Red Lotus seems a bit at odds with how much their actions changed the world.

What Book 4 needed, in my opinion, was less time. I think they ended up with too much time on their hands and that's why the season ultimately suffers in the second half. Upon this rewatch I had the same feeling in my gut as I had a decade ago: "I literally don't care about how this ends." I was just waiting for things to get over with to make this post. That's just really unfortunate - watching a series finale should not feel like a chore.

So yeah, Book 3 is miles better than Book 4 simply because it keeps it stakes high until the end. In some regards they suffer from the same writing hiccups, but because the highs in Book 3 are consistent you are more likely to forgive the lesser parts. In retrospect, Book 3 should have been 20 episodes and resolved both season storylines.

A personal nitpick I've always had when LOK aired was the odd focus on Korra needing to suffer throughout the books to "learn". Each Book ending with Korra going through worse situations had a weird vibe of her needing to be knocked down a peg. Having skipped Book 2 and now watching 3 and 4, I retract some of my frustration about this. Looking at it now, Korra's arc through PTSD was a very beautiful thing to showcase - especially with her being a woman of colour. I see now that this storyline was quite unique at its time. That said, the final commentary on "needing to suffer" still rubs me the wrong way. There is suffering, and having to work through it to come out of it better, but an innate meaning to suffering itself feels very wrong to present.

And then there's Korrasami. It's clear that the ending improves the optics of Book 4, which would have otherwise ended in a very mundane and inconspicuous way. Instead, this ending is etched into collective history and opened many doors that brings us to where we are today in terms of representation. I've thought many times about the following thesis: Was it better to have the amazing LOK ending of Book 1 without Korrasami, or the okay LOK ending of Book 4 with Korrasami?

I've watched the series ending many times this past decade and it continues to be one of the most beautiful and emotional things out there. Yeah, I would have personally preferred a LOK that was consistent in its quality throughout. But had the team been given 4 seasons from the start, they probably would not have had the time to sit with the idea of Korrasami and gradually consider it seriously. If this is the hand the team was dealt, then I'm glad an 'okay' story was at least given the best ending possible.

[hedgethemaze]

Follow up to this post

I wanted to further explain the reason why Korra is not 100% the big spoon either. At first, it goes with accordance to Asami also being the occasional big spoon but more importantly, it has to do with both of them wanting to give Korra a respite from the role she must fullfill to the world every once in a while.

The phrase “you take care of everyone, but who takes care you?” comes to mind. And the answer couldn’t be more simple. 

Also, it would be silly to ignore Korra’s time recovering before moving to the SWT at the end of Books 3. And yes, this is mostly speculation - but it wouldn’t be that crazy to think that Asami was there at night to help her fall back asleep, when the pain and nightmares wouldn’t let her do so on her own.

From then on, Korra is just as comfy being the little spoon as Asami is because she knows from experience that falling asleep with Asami’s arms around her is a nice rest guaranteed^^

But the main reason why Korra is actually the “bigger” spoon in this relationship is because of a silent agreement between the two. Because the phrase “who takes care of you?” also aplies to Asami (given the Avatar is now aware of what her absence’s meant to her) and Korra believes it is well overdue that Asami gets to be held for a change.

This also matches with the fact that Korra is the most boisterous and extroverted of the two, not to mention she’s a certified hugger 🥰:

And this is just a few of the hugs she gives in the series...

It’s a win-win for both of them because on one side, Korra knows Asami’s had enough of not having someone to hold her (when she clearly wants to feel protected, but because she’s more introverted, Asami has a hard time expressing that verbally). On the other side, Korra’s done not holding Asami in her arms - given everything they've gone through, together and separately specially separately.

And because my Korrasami shipper brain won’t ever shut up about them...like the saying goes:

Korra is Asami’s but just as clearly Asami is Korra’s. And without a shadow of a doubt, the Avatar will always want to hold and care for her girlfriend/best friend like the most precious thing that’s ever been hers.

[purplenoiseinmyhead]

First panel S3:E13 “Venom Of The Red Lotus” vs. other panels S4:E07 “Reunion”

Mako and Asami love Korra so much. They are absolutely devoted to her.

Asami's life before Korra was the life of a prissy and rich girl who had whatever she wanted. She thought she was happy till she lost everything. Fortunately, Korra appeared in her life giving her the opportunity to have a purpose greater than living to enjoy the material things.

Mako's life before Korra was the life of a lonely boy who thought his mission was just to survive for himself and his brother. Then Korra appeared in his life and he started to confront greater problems living adventures with her. He learned that selfish survival wasn’t really just the mission of a human being and that you are never alone if you can help others.

Korra was raised with the love of Tonraq and Senna so she became through the years a girl full of love. Never really needed money so she never developed a greedy or interested personality. With all that, we can’t say everything was perfect for her through the years growing up in the south. With everyone serving her from the first day of her life so devotely she could have developed a miserable personality but she chose well.

Even when Korra will be learning forever how to be a better Avatar she's completely aligned with the meaning of "what it needs to be the Avatar'' from the beginning of her life. Which is to actively help people with generosity, serve the world with honesty and inspire others with your vision and your example as a human being.

Mako and Asami -each one in a social class- were living their lives just focused on their own lives. Which is fine. It isn't judgeable at all. But with Korra they learned to live for others as well because living by her side they amplified their vision of the world.

Korra gave Mako and Asami a greater purpose and meaning to their lives. That's why Korra is a constant source of inspiration for both of them.

-

Additional notes: I think both of them, seeing the way they love Korra, they were potentially love interests for her.

The problem was that Mako had a lot of issues because of the absence of love when he was a child and he ended up being an immature boyfriend. Also, Mako and Korra were too young and immature when they started their relationship. Plus, I believe Korra wasn't completely in love with him. She liked him, yes. But that wasn't enough to establish a complete relationship. So that's how Asami ended up being a better partner for Korra. Because the two girls built a solid friendship before they started being love interests. Also, they both have grown up by the time they start the relationship.

I'm pretty sure Mako is happy that Asami takes care of Korra as her girlfriend. He's sure that Asami knows how to treat her better than him and he's happy about it because he loves Korra so much that he only wants her to be happy and safe. Of course Mako also loves Asami. He has several reasons to be super grateful with her. But I always thought his love for Korra is bigger (more devotional) because of the influence she has on people.

[obvslybatgrl]

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. I have to do this.” and “STFU BITCH! YOU FUCKING MATTER! YOU MATTER TO ME AND I’M NOT LETTING YOU GO!”

[hayleysayshay]

So, I’m fairly against this idea that Mako and Korra did not have sex when they were dating, and I’ve seen it mentioned a few times in comparison to someone like Asami. I think people imagine Korra and Mako as non sexual because they’re teens who haven’t a lot of experience and that’s completely valid and teens aren’t inherently sex fiends...

...but... Korra is Korra. If she learns more about sex in Republic City, I imagine she’d want to try it. Korra isn’t exactly shy. She’s fairly impulsive and direct and seems like she likes to try new things. I agree with the headcanon that Asami has more experience but the way people talk about Mako and Korra’s lack of sex they make it out like it’s a day long process and they didn’t have time to try it. Which it isn’t.

I could honestly see Mako and Korra bang at least once, it’s awkward because they’re young. It’s not as freaking epic as Korra imagined. She’s honestly disappointed. Whether or not they go again is up to you.

EDIT: Like I love Korrasami but I think it also comes down to people viewing sex as something that is very unique and special and happens with your true love which it just isn’t... mako and korra can have sex I don’t see why not.

Also I imagine Korra had Sex Ed at the compound and she was like ‘Ew Gross’ and then she meets someone she likes in Republic City and she’s like ‘I WANT TO TRY IT!’

[kuno-chan]

A Mini-Analysis of Asami‘s Role in LoK

I kind of want to do a story analysis here of Korra now that I’m rewatching it like 6 years and a screenwriting minor later, but...

I’ve got to be honest. You could have taken Asami’s entire storyline after s1 out and it really wouldn’t have affected the story almost at all. Except for Korrasami. That’s basically it. Every other scene or role she played in seasons 2-4 could have A) been filled by someone else already in the story or B) omitted entirely.

This is probably my biggest criticism of the show, as much as I love Korra, so so so much.

For nearly the entirety of the show, she was usually relegated to C plot and they kind of really needed to give her a necessity to the plot if she were going to stick around (because originally she was supposed to head off and join the United Forces as confirmed in DVD commentary of Endgame).

I say this as someone who likes Korrasami these days and also really kind of is more distanced and less attached from LoK. I still love the story, but it’s no longer my fandom and I have no real stakes like I used to so many years ago.

I hate to say it, but Asami was largely uninfluential in the main plotline (or even the B plot in most cases) and is primarily known for her role in Korrasami. Korra, on the other hand, is known for, well, everything about Korra. She’s the main character, we know her for her struggles, her triumphs, etc. But Asami, to the larger public outside of hardcore fans, only really know Asami as the other half of Korrasami which is a result of how little she actually was in the main storyline. Every other character in the Krew are known for more than just their romantic relationships.

Moreover, she was often used as a plot convenience in the way of transport or money.

I say this not as an insult, but just as an analysis of the storyline. Asami kind of needed more necessity in the plotline and it feels like they just never gave her that. Even Bolin, who spends most of the show in a similar space, does affect way more of the A plot than Asami does. Especially in season 4. You could honestly probably count how many lines and scenes Asami really had.

Like, I’ve written scripts where you havea subplot and I’d arguably put Asami in the situation where you get your prof/producer asking “do you really need this subplot?”

(Not to say I’m any expert at all. These guys writing Korra were experts. Just my personal opinion now that I do know more about screenwriting and it’s been so long since watching Korra and I’m doing it again from a different, less attached headspace.)

Analysis Over.

[avatarsymbolism]

Why I Should Trust Bryke More

Confession: when I first started watching Avatar, I assumed they made Iroh a tea addict (like yours truly, but worse) because Avaar was a kid’s show, and well, they couldn’t exactly make him an alcoholic (although on closer inspection, there are some cups scattered throughout both shows that are specifically meant for some very strong booze, if I'm remembering correctly, among other examples like Bolin's drunk noodles in the later series). Like, I half expected it to be revealed that Iroh started drinking tea by the kettleful as a means of coping  with his son's death.

But then “Zuko Alone” happened and I realized that no, Iroh just really, really loved his tea. I think I mainly thought this because the idea of a bunch of Americans making this guy a teaholic just for the sake of him being a teaholic seemed impossible to me. Thus, the obvious explanation was that it was a stand in for a an alcohol addiction (my logic was weird).

Mind you, I think I was still in that phase where I thought violence and swearing made something more “adult” and “mature.” You know, the same crowd of kids who’ve made it impossible to sell a G-rated movie to anyone but really little kids because we think if someone in Frozen makes a tiny dick joke it means the  writers are treating the main demographic like grown ups instead of babies.

(I could try to go into more detail about it and maybe research the topic more, but a discussion about rating systems and consumer expectations are outside the scope of what I‘m trying to get at.)

With that in mind, I really do need to trust Bryke more.

Because here's the thing, after Book 3 of Korra ended, I think I remember either Mike or Bryan saying that Korra was going to deal with the trauma of what happened to get at the end of the season.

I, as well as others, didn't believe they'd actually go through with it.

We'd say stuff like "there's no way they’re going to have Korra actually deal with PTSD. She'll be good to go by the time the season starts,” “if they allude to it, it will all be off screen,” or “she’ll do her healing and rcovery in the in the first few minutes of the preiere episode and that’ll be it.” After all, Korra might have beenmade by Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dimartino, but it was still a kid’s show airing on Nickelodean. You know, the same kid’s show that made sure every airplane pilot whose plane blew up in the Book 1 finale survived via parachute. 

Even the sneak peaks for  "After all These Years," seemed to confirm it, giving the impression that Korra would be back in Republic City in no time at all. (I may be mixing up some details though, just so we’re clear. But I do remember seeing the sneak preview clips with the shipand going “Yeah, they’re not actually going to do it. See, she’s already in Republic City” because the clips were out of context.)

...but then the actual episode premiered... 

Korra didn’t show up until the very end.

And that’s when I realized that they absolutely meant what they said. 

I was pleasantly surprised by that.

Anyway, that’s all from me. And, if you've gotten this far, thank you for reading my nonsensical ramblings. 

[low-budget-korra]

Let's talk about Mako and the end of Makorra

Cuz guys I'm inspired to talk about this.

The old fans know what was the fandom back in 2012-2014, the ship wars and love triangle haters, something that's common in fandom's.

This time i will do this commentary in a different way, i will put some questions and answer them. Hope you guys enjoy

Mako was and still is hated by some fans, he deserves that? No. Yes, he was hated by his actions in book 1 and 2, Asami was also hated by some Makorra fans because she was "getting in the way" of the ship. Some Masami shipers hates Korra because she was also "getting in the way" and was all immature and a brat. We were teenagers/young adult and we were immature and young to realize how important was that love triangle mess to the development of Korra, Mako and Asami as individuals.

Coincidence or not after book 2, Mako become more invested in his friendship and partnership with the Krew. Asami, who was always the real mature of the Krew, so she didn't change that much but she gave Mako's space to resonate all that happened and reach for Korra. And Korra started to be more calm, to actual listen to people.

We can't forget that they were all teenagers and they made mistakes

Bryke ended Makorra just because of the haters? I doubt. There's tons os reasons on why Makorra failed as a romantic relationship. Both of them were young and immature, they were dealing with serious shit -Korra in the watertribe and Mako in RC- and that slowly pulled them apart, great friends but not so great boyfriend and girlfriend kind of stuff...It didn't work. They fought all the time, they didn't have a good communication, sometimes they didn't seem to care about what the other was dealing with, it wasn't healthy for non of them

So they ended the couple because it wasn't working on screen. Ship wars and ship haters always happened in shows, and even tho Makorra had its haters, it also had its supporters. Makorra was the second bigger ship of the fandom and back in book 1 and 2, it was the bigger ship. So if Bryke would up to do fanservice with dealing with Makorra, Makorra would have been endgame or at least a real thing until book4

And also, as a writer, sometimes the characters write themselves, they tell you what they want and how things are gonna be. Makorra didn't work as romantic couple but they show us how great they can be as friends

Let's not forget that is already known that the writers thought about Korrasami since book 1 (and it shows, seriously, trust me cuz i watch the show a thousand times already), doesn't matter if started as a joke or something, or if they thought about it but was like"anyway, never gonna happen" , and then when they realized Korrasami could happen, they go full on board with it. I don't know, but i think is valid to mention

Conclusion: Makorra didn't work because it didn't have to. "Oh but they love each other" yes but love isn't the only thing in a relationship. It have to have commitment, communication, respect, trust... A whole bag of stuff that both Mako and Korra aren't ready/didn't have in book 1 and 2. And they still love each other as friends

And yes, is hella unnecessary hate Mako because of his choices and mistake in the beginning of the show because he really glow up in the next two books. And it's funny because like, I've been watching the new reactions of the show and people would be like 🙄 with him in book 1 and 2, not hate, just 🙄. But in book 3 and 4 they were like 😍🥰☺️ with him. And that proves he had development, that he became a good character, worthy or our respective and love just like the other characters in the show

[jinkies-binx]

this is my second full rewatch of adventure time and the ending of beautopia just got me so fucking hard. like, first time i remember ever crying during adventure time hard

[megashadowdragon]

on korr@sami 

same sex ships arent above being criticized or being badly written in a story a ship should have proper development in astory we expect a ship with a main character to have a certain amount of buildup and teases 

(this makes me think of  a post about how writers if people figure out the reveal or twist they change the plan to make it surprising throwing away the buildup and foreshadowing they layed down in the story for shock value which is just bad writing   )

imagine if at the last minute a writer wanted to put in a last minute twist with no buildup that is just plain bad writing 

this applys to ships including ships like korrasami  which provide representation for just like how good writing is more important then shock value its more important then representation (  is/was korrasami the only same sex ship in avatar  yes  does that change the fact it shouldnt have happened due to it having no buildup and being a last minute retcon  NO  that doesnt mean you dont care about lgbt community ( and the notion that if you are lgbt you would support korrasami or wouldnt say its forced just leads to bs like people claiming someone must be lying about bi/gay if they criticize korrasami when that is just plain bs

( the notion that because korrasami was a main girl in a same sex relationship means you should ignore that it was thrown in at  the last minute 

( bryke admitted they only asked executives if they could do it  when lok finale was being made ( and they stated how  they thought to them themselves about lgbt rep and how they didnt do anything involving it which makes me think  that they just thought of making korrasami happen at that moment  and that this happened when the finale was being made and immediately went to executives (of course they may have actually just done korrasami as a publicity stunt  and worded it like that ( the whole they thought about how they didnt include lgbt rep to make it sound better than just saying for publicity)  they threw korrasami in  just to fill that goal ) and they tried to cover their asses  for that last minute retcon by pretending it was always the plan  not to mention stuff they claimed in the b4 commentary to try and downplay mako and korras relationship etc

(dont give me any claims of censorship 

as fantastic-nonsense put it 

"Censorship explains why we couldn’t get a kiss and an “I love you” in the finale or blatant romantic scenes, not the utter lack of Korra-Asami interaction as a whole. They had six (to six and a half) minutes of interaction in the last season, spread out over six interactions/conversations. They’ve had nearly no on-screen interaction since “Long Live the Queen,” actually. They had the 5 second “I can come to the South Pole” convo in “Korra Alone” (which Korra refused), the single letter, their interactions in “Reunions,” and then the tea scene in “Remembrances.” After that, they don’t speak again until the last two minutes of the finale. The episode after “Remembrances” is the Korra-Mako field trip to the Spirit Wilds and Zaheer’s prison and the culmination of Korra’s recovery arc. Where was Asami? She had two lines in the whole episode, and they were both to Varrick."

in the korra finale when jinora cried out they couldnt find her  it was makos face that the camera shifted and focused on  to emphasize his reaction which just adds to my belief that korrasami was thrown in at the last minute if korrasami was being hinted at why not focus on asamis reaction

to be frank I dont think korra and asamis personalitys and what they would need in a relationship I dont think the way korra handles conflict would mesh well with asamis 

korra thrives off conflict and arguing ( the notion that arguing is inherently unhealthy is bs

korra and asamis relationship was the weakest of the krew “ but the letter” sending asami a letter and not mako or bolin doesnt make her relationship with asami  stronger

to quote ikkinthekitsune

“ If you’re dealing with something difficult and uncomfortable, talking to someone who understands (or seems likely to understand) the specific situation does a lot more good than talking to whoever you feel closest to and hoping they’ll respond in a way that actually helps.Just because you’re closer to/romantically interested in someone doesn’t mean they’re going to be the one with all the answers.  As such, the idea that going to one particular friend for answers about something very difficult implies closeness or romantic interest just… doesn’t really comport with reality.  =/ “

bolin is naive and was currently working for the girl she saw as taking her job 

but the blush korra blushed after she was complimented by asami after she was feeling down  just like how she blushed from bolins compliment in spirits of the competition  ( and she had no romantic feelings for bolin )

the buildup for korrasami was nonexistent

the aspersions Bryan cast on the fandom for not accepting what amounted to a last-minute retcon have been functioning (whether intentionally or not) to shield the creators from any criticism for their own fault in the poor execution of their endgame ship, allowing them to take all of the credit for being “subversive” and none of the blame for breaking their existing narrative to do it.

I have seen korrasami shippers defend it and claim it was build up 

it feels like confirmation bias when I talked with k/a shippers claiming it was built up they found evidence for korrasami where there was none  wearing their shipping goggles to find evidence where there was none and because bryke threw in korrasami in at the last minute with no actual buildup ( they admitted to only asking  if they could do it when they were making the finale and  their statement  was that they were thinking about how they didnt include lgbt rep which makes me say they only thought of it when they were making the korra finale  and of course there is a chance of them making it happen as a publicity stunt etc )  they think they were right

 when they werent there

by redheadjcb

So I was in a discussion elsewhere where a person insisted that the scene with Korra and Asami riding in a car in “A Breath of Fresh Air” was flirting.  He said that if it was between a guy and a girl, everyone would have thought it was flirting.  I asked my brother for his thoughts on if it was flirting, and his answers were actually pretty on the nose, so I thought to share them here.

He said that if what Korra and Asami said was flirting, then every time two women are talking to each other can be interpreted as flirting.  He pointed out that if it was a guy and a girl, talking about exes is generally not a sign that they’re interested in each other.  Saying something like “I’ve never had a friend to just talk to” between a guy and a girl would be a pretty clear sign of friendzoning.

and car scene was when they became friends it was first conversation we got to see with them actually being friends   (I mean seriously do these people think korra would just get into a relationship right after makorra breakup seriously  The way the Book 2 breakup was handled. You don’t break up with a kiss, tears, clinging to each other’s hands, and an “I’ll always love you.” says to me they will eventually get backtogether  I dont believe bryke in their comments about makorra or korrasami or mako post b4 and any claims that they didnt plan on them getting backtogether eventually it seems they are trying to cover their asses regarding korrasami pretending it was planned from the start and they have to try and claim book 2 makorra break up was the final part or they had other plans for mako etc

1) the breakup??? that bryke was ‘very specific about’ that they had to lean into it and kiss and walk away still clinging to each others hands?? and honestly i’ve never heard of or seen a  final breakup in which they kiss to end it.

2) the hugs/meaningful glances in book 3?

and what even was that look from korra to Mako after she hugged him??/

that special moment they shared?

the camera zooming in on their hug when they reunited

and when korra was leaving to go fight zaheer- that fuckn music?? what was that supposed to mean then (which brings me to my next point)

3) why did makorra have a music theme that they continued to use even after they broke up?? kataang had a music theme. zutara did not. what am I supposed to think about this??

bryke admitted they only asked if they could do it 

when they were making the finale and they claimed  that it was brought up by a realization they didnt include any rep ( whether thats true or its just a publicity stunt doesnt matter korrasami being the first only same sex pairing in avatar series doesnt matter it being the first same sex pairing with a main protagonist  in cartoons doesnt matter it  shouldnt have been done good writing is more important then that  throwing in a ship as a last minute retcon is just bad writing  I  would say if they were really concerned about that rather than break narrative an act of bad writing  make a side character lgbt or imply asami is bi (  just make it happen with main character in a next series they make not the same impact but it would be better given korras canonical personality  Icant imagine korrasami working (and they had to change korras canonical personality to try and get it to work ) 

fantastic-nonsense . tumblr . com/post/105951907185

Oh you mean:

literally the first time they have hung out in nearly two seasons and the first time they have hung out with no antagonism between them (which honestly makes no sense; there was no real resolution of their lingering issues. It was literally glossed over with a ‘well Mako’ with no regard to their actions and their part in the whole debacle)

That time the Krew was up against a duo of crazy good benders so Mako told Asami, a non-bender, to take a comatose Korra and go so that he and Bolin, two benders, could try and hold them off long enough for Asami and Korra to get away (they didn’t hold a candle at the time, but it was a good try)

That time Korra thought she was going off to her death (or at the very least, not a pleasant imprisonment) and so hugged all of her friends. Guess which one got the close-up and a music swell? Hint: not Korra and Asami.

When, after being heavily traumatized, Asami was being her normal sweet, compassionate self and reaching out a hand to Korra, something normal both for Asami and people who are close friends with each other (scenes like this have happened between me and my girl friends multiple times; when they are heartbroken after a breakup, when they are down in the dumps, when they’re having family issues, this is what a friend looks like: an “I’m here if you want to talk”). The scene that was incredibly ambiguous due to this.

that time where Korra wrote Asami when the other two options were her ex-boyfriend with whom she still felt awkward around or Bolin, a boy who genuinely cares but is a bit naive, probably wouldn’t understand, and is besides that currently working for the woman who is “replacing” Korra and taking her “job” during her recovery. Not to mention that Korra knows Asami has gone through a parallel experience with losing everything and having to rebuild from the ground up. Like who else was honestly a good candidate here?

a reunion which comprises one of the two non-ambiguous romantic build-up scenes in the whole show (and I hesitate to call that blush romantic, since Korra has blushed at compliments on her appearance before when it didn’t mean anything romantic and because she was embarressed and self-conscious, but I’ll give it to you anyway)

a 30 second scene during which Asami gave Korra a pep talk on what a great AVATAR she was and how much the WORLD needed her, directly followed by Tenzin confirming it and expanding on the idea. One, it’s nothing that Mako, Bolin, and Tenzin haven’t said to her before, and two, Asami makes no mention of Korra as a person or how much Korra means to her. This was also directly preceded by a ten minute long conversation about the Asami-Mako-Korra debacle during which Mako was implicitly/explicitly (depending on how you look at it) confirmed to be still in love with Korra and basically completely in awe of her, ending with “she continues to inspire me”. A scene which was completely focused on Korra as a person and very little time devoted to Korra as the Avatar. Whoops.

Really the only truly non-ambiguous romantic scene of the whole show. They talked a bit, were blatantly out of character, and then waltzed off into the sunset hand in hand and ended in a stance that paralleled the Kataang ending scene and the Zhurrick wedding. And what a ride, right? Sooooo much buildup. Not to mention they completely shoved aside literally all of the other characters (save Tenzin, who got his little moment in before the end), especially Mako and Bolin, to do this scene.

What Korra and Asami got was BARELY friendship, especially since they had a grand total of five (possibly six) on-screen interactions after “Long Live the Queen.” Pairing them up in the finale made little sense given the utter lack of romantic buildup/relationship development and the just plain lack of interaction in general.

Korrasami was horribly written. Korra and Asami both deserved better. The Korrasami relationship deserved better. And this fandom deserved better. Have fun wallowing in your denial.

fantastic-nonsense . tumblr . com/post/105933518980

And yet they had almost no interaction after “Long Live the Queen.“

Let’s count ‘em out, shall we?

The "I’ll watch over her as she meditates” scene in “The Ultimatum” (which, though people may look at it as romantic, is honestly horribly practical considering Mako and Bolin had their entire family that needed to be relocated and resettled at the time)

The hug in “Enter the Void” (of which Mako got one too–and who got the close-up and the music swell? It wasn’t the Korra-Asami hug)

The ‘I’m here to talk if you need me’ scene in “Venom of the Red Lotus” (which at that point could have easily been interpreted as a scene between two friends/a supportive and compassionate friend, and which was very in character for Asami as a whole)

Asami’s offer to go to the South Pole with Korra in “Korra Alone” (which Korra refused)

Korra’s single letter to Asami (which is also ambiguous; you could read it as romantic or you could read it as “who else is she gonna reply to? Her ex-boyfriend, who she’s still awkward with, or Bolin, who bless him, truly cares, but is naive and isn’t really all that serious and besides that is currently working for the woman taking what Korra views as "her job”)

Their interactions in “Reunions” (which focused equally on her reunion with Mako and the Wu drama)(four interactions, two of which were directly related to the Wu drama and the other two on Korra’s leave of absence/silence)

The tea scene in “Remembrances” (during which Asami said nothing to Korra that Tenzin didn’t echo and that Mako, Tenzin, and Bolin hadn’t said to Korra before)

The last minutes of the finale

So over the course of the 14 episodes of Book 4, we have a grand total of five interactions between Korra and Asami, only 1 of which can be nonambiguously interpreted as romantic ( ( altered by me ) the finale conversation). Meanwhile Mako and Korra get an entire episode dedicated to finishing Korra’s recovery arc and their friendship/relationship? And Mako is there to support Korra during the culmination of her recovery arc, not Asami, the person Bryke is attempting to write in a potential future romantic relationship with Korra? And Mako is the one who Bryke basically explicitly states within canon as being still deeply in love with Korra and being inspired by her (several times), while Asami never gets a word in about how she feels about Korra until those last five minutes? And Mako is the one who the “camera” focuses on when Jinora says she can’t find Korra in the finale, not Asami? And a dozen other things? Lol, seems unevenly balanced to me.

The only member of the core Krew Korra had less interaction this season with was Bolin, with whom she only got one direct conversation the entire season (“Beyond the Wilds”).

Like…say what you want, but that’s very poor relationship development. It’s poor FRIENDSHIP development too (like god, poor Bolin; he was her first friend, too). Bryke dropped the ball on interpersonal relationship development within the Krew this season. Like hell, I expected Korra to remain single and I still think there was a far bigger case for the rebuilding of the Makorra relationship at this point (as presented within canon) than there was for the building of a Korrasami relationship.

the problem with book 2 makorra wasnt that there was conflict it was the way they handled that conflict and they fixed that issue by b4  makorra wasnt a terrible relationship

they were ready to get back together

it feels like people were just blinded by the fact korrasami was first  canon  main character same sex  pairing  

Anonymous asked: I think that most LOK fans who aren't blinded by our need for lgbt representation understand that Korrasami doesn't make sense in story and even tough Bryke said it's canon unless it's forced down our throats that paring won't last long 

( seriously the only reason I think people shipped korrasami was due to a hatred for mako and a desire for representation which blinded them 

bryke admitted that they only asked executives if they could do it when the finale was being written  which comes off like they thought of korrasami at the last minute ( out right stating the idea of korrasami came upon due to thinking about how they didnt include lgbt rep which adds to belief that they threw in it at the last minute for there was nothing that hinted at korrasami relationship being more then platonic before hand while makorra got more romantic development ) 

and thrown in at the last minute ( heck notice when jinora said they couldnt find her it was makos face that was focused on )

it reminds me of how they admitted asami was originally intended to be an equalist but changed it ( it feels like they changed it while in middle of writing for lok but didnt think of changing previous episodes to correspond ( asami

One other thing I’d like to add that lends even more credence to this theory: Note how Bryan described the thought process behind changing Asami’s role in his “Korrasami is Canon” post:

“Asami was a duplicitous spy when Mike and I first conceived her character. Then we liked her too much so we reworked the story to keep her in the dark regarding her father’s villainous activities.”

This phrasing always struck me as odd. He makes this change to Asami’s role sound less like a complete character overhaul, and more like a last-minute tweak. Which seems more fitting in hindsight. Hiroshi’s loyalties aren’t revealed, or even remotely hinted at, until Episode 7. So I think now, up until that point in the story, Asami was still supposed to an Equalist. THAT Equalist!

Consider the episode just prior to that, 1x06: “And the Winner is…” where we get the Pro-Bending Championship match. Hiroshi and Asami are both in attendance.

But when the Equalists commence their strike on the arena, the two of them are nowhere to be found. No reaction shots from Asami when Beifong’s patrols are getting taken down. No scene of her panicking when the Lieutenant zaps the Ferrets (to include her own boyfriend!) unconscious in the pool. Not even a scene of her and her father fleeing the arena during the ensuing chaos. In fact, after she blows Mako that kiss, Asami isn’t seen again at all. Not even during the championship match! Given what we know now, it would appear the best explanation for this is: she and her father snuck off once the match began to rendezvous with Amon and prepare for the ambush.I am totally onboard the storyline of Asami initially being in on her father’s plans. It would certainly make more sense than Hiroshi hating benders for most of her life, but keeping it all a secret from his daughter and not influencing her to do the same. But as Asami bonds more with her new bending friends while spying on them, she has a change of heart and learns to see her father raised her on bigoted morals with clouded judgment of her mother’s murder. And she ultimately would represent how the Avatar’s role of bringing balance to the world includes balance between benders and non-benders. That would have been an amazing arc for Asami, and given her character some desperately-needed depth. Could they have fit that all into a 12-episode season? I’m not sure, but I would love and appreciate her character 1000 times over. And the chemistry of the Krew would have been much more solidly established through her arc there.

firelxdykatara . tumblr. com/post/639325539092594688

( the term shipping goggles exists  Shipping Goggles is when a viewer interprets the smallest, most ambiguous canonical evidence in favor of their ship of choice, even if said “evidence” is insignificant relative to other evidence, or outright nonexistent. Maybe that glance lasted just a little too long, or that remark in that conversation could be interpreted as innuendo. 

its how I describe claims korrasami was built up since v3 it requires shipping goggles to see evidence where there was none

www . reddit . com/r/RWBYcritics/comments/k80tos/my_problem_with_bumbleby_in_canon_i_do_not_think/ggbhdlj/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

This will be a lengthy reply with 5 parts, so be patient when reading through it. It took me a few days of work to write this all up.

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PART 1 OF 5

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Writing fiction is a skill but so is reading fiction, and an audience members inability to pick up to things clear to other members of the audience is not the fault the writer.  ]" Show Don't Tell has been a staple of good storytelling since the times of Confucius and Aristotle, so you'll have to pardon my serious misgivings about your attempt to weasel out of providing an actual counter argument. To conclude with a coarse metaphor, "You can Tell me that you have a foot long horse cock but unless you actually Show it to me, I'm not going to believe you."

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“Korrasami was obvious in their attraction to each other since book 2; which is when the writers got the idea for it, not last minute.

The only bad part about Korrasami was they didn't kiss and that the series ended (on tv) with that scene but blame the censors at the time for that one.”

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I disagree. No, Korrasami wasn't quote unquote "obvious" in their attraction to each other since Book 2, despite their shippers' many attempts to twist the context of every scene that Korra and Asami share together as "proof" for their ship. If you have to already be a hardcore shipper of Korrasami with shipping goggles welded to your face, peering through every frame that Korra and Asami share in like an electron microscope, in order to see the quote unquote "obvious" setting up of a romantic relationship, then Mike and Bryan have failed as writers. That’s not a genuine basis for developing a romantic relationship between two characters. Legend of Korra’s writers don’t get a free pass to mishandle storytelling because they decided to out their protagonist’s sexual orientation as something other than “hetero” in the finale. My real beef with this aspect of the finale is that the actual plotting of the show after season two did not convincingly establish any character as a credible romantic interest of Korra’s… despite the fandom’s cries of “Korrasami! Korrasami!”

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To further illustrate how flawed and facile the development of Korrasami was throughout the TV series, I will be quoting an article called "The Legend of Korra Series Finale: Three Reasons It Didn’t Work" by Daniel Rodrigues-Martin. I recommend checking out the whole article, as it is very well argued critique of Legend of Korra's storytelling and structure. For the purposes of this, I'll be directly quoting from Beef Three:

it annoys me that when there is any criticism towards a same sex ship

or when there is a ship war between a het ship and a same sex ship

people on the side of the same sex ship will claim  that if it was het we would ship it (when we could turn it around on them and say that if the het ship was same sex they would ship it 

not to mention how many times I see korrasami shippers after the last minute retcon complain about any criticism going its the only canon same sex ship we have to defend korrasami which is them using the genders involved as a defense for it or saying it deserved to happen because of its a same sex ship

and in another fandom I saw people complain about how there were feasible same sex ships available but instead they teased her with a man

which makes the accusations of shipping based on gender involved or we only say its forced because of the genders involved  feel like projection 

[kirbyspits]

A lot of Makorra shippers only moved on because they’re afraid of being called homophobic for not shipping korrasami. I LITERALLY saw someone on Instagram yesterday call a makorra shipper homophobic just for saying korrasami came out of nowhere. Also, Korrasami shippers LOVE to bring up the "popping bottles" backlash to make fun of makorra shippers. I left the tlok fandom in 2014 bc it was so toxic as a teenager, but now i’m 23. I’m no longer afraid of shipping something i always loved.

Ah, yes, I realized I didn’t address the fandom's toxicity in the last ask, but I’ve spoken about it before. I don't talk too much about the past because I was at the edge of the fandom back in 2014/2015. I was aware of fights, but the discussions I saw were moreso on bi-erasure. I saw one post saying it was wrong to ship Makorra. I remember being really confused about why Makorra was actually problematic, but I didn’t appreciate being told who I can ship the only dark-skinned woman protagonist on a major television network with. Why are you forcing me to ignore Mako and Korra’s relationship? Book 1 is practically about Mako and Korra, all other characters be damned. Me preferring the story of one pairing and a popular romance trope, second chances, is not wrong, and no one would know how I view the LGBT+ community based on who I ship in one show.

I ended up leaving the community because I was disappointed with season 4 in general. When Korra was released on Netflix, I figured it was time to rewatch the series again (plus, I’ve been binging all my favorite romance anime). So imagine my shock when I created a new Tumblr and Twitter account to rant and rave about TLOK, and I saw nothing but hate and name-calling in the Makorra tags. I saw people casually throwing around the word “homophobic,” and one person said people who don’t like Korrasami are just misogynistic. 

I just wanted pretty pictures, and people are out here psychoanalyzing shippers! So, I dug through some blogs and to feel more grounded with this fandom I didn’t recognize. After reading through their commentaries and experiences, I actually became more upset at Bryke than the teenagers/children who comment on Makorra posts saying how much better Korrasami is or accuse Makorra shippers of being homophobic. 

Yes, I truly believe these comments are mostly coming from people in their late teens and younger, at least in 2020. I can’t speak on 2014/2015, but since we were younger, the early 20s/late teens, I wonder if our age group was also the loudest. Don’t get me wrong, adults can be horrible people and can get really nasty. However, every time I look up the rudest commenters' profiles, they were teens. When one Korrasami shipper wrote “screw Makorra” on my AMV, I figured I’d have some fun trolling them until I clicked on their profile and saw a child. Needless to say, I ignored them and reflected on how parents are allowing their babies on TikTok while my parents freaked out at the idea of showing my picture on FB growing up. 

*I’m not still mad about that*

Also, while it doesn’t give anyone an excuse to make such a strong accusation, part of me, as a straight person, feels like I can’t get too upset because I also become very aware of my privilege. The space I’m in is a majority of young LGBT+ fans (at least on Twitter where I’ve seen the most toxicity). Some people see TLOK as their safe space and imply why should there be Makorra shippers when they have all these other cis/het shows they can engage with. It doesn’t work like that, of course. TLOK doesn’t only feature Bi characters. They’re POC/Indigenous, women, and Korra has dark skin. That’s a lot of marginalized communities. Makorra/TLOK is my comfort show, not because she’s with a man, but because of the reasons I just listed. Also shipping Korra with Mako doesn’t mean she’s no longer bi. She’d still be attracted to women.

Here’s who I am upset with tho, Bryke. Mostly Bryan. While Makorra shippers called out Korrasami shippers for cyberbullying, the focus seemed to be on Bryan for making it seem like there was something wrong with them for not finding Korrasami’s narrative satisfying. It was especially sad to read bloggers who identified as being part of the LGTB+ community saying Bryan’s hetero-lens dismissed their experience and then having to defend/proving themselves to anonymous messengers. 

Fans saw it as a betrayal. They saw it as the go-head for the rude Korrasami shippers to harass Makorra artists because they “didn’t watch the show correctly.” When the creator, the person you admire, also puts the blame on you, that kind of pain is on another level.

Korrasami shippers played a huge role in kicking Makorra shippers out of the fandom, but we can’t underestimate how much Bryan’s statement is a slap in the face. He used his characters and social justice as a shield for reasonable criticism. Just because we say a story is bad and Asami is grossly underwritten doesn’t mean that we’re against the idea of Korra and Asami being a couple. 

Of course, I’ve seen some very problematic statements from Makorra shippers. After all, homophobia is real. However, aside from the actual bigots, people have no issue with Korrasami. They just wanted a stronger connection between the girls. Many people seem to think Makorra shippers were looking for more romance, but we know we couldn't expect that. We can expect more screentime, musical cues, and more emotional support, which most people can see as platonic, but be romantic if you really want to. Mako’s interactions in book 4 can be seen as platonic, but all of us Makorra shippers saw it to be romantic.

Popping bottles! I completely missed that joke in 2014 and I discovered it this year. I agree it’s pretty annoying, but I become a troll and say I’m popping bottles for my Makorra moments. I don’t get any engagement, but I don’t seem to lose followers for it. Maybe popping bottles represents “straight-baiting?” I don’t get it why it’s so funny after all this time, but we’re Makorra shippers. We’re the joke 🙄

Anyways, to wrap up, lately, there seems to be a bit of a shift on Twitter. When I first created an account. I stayed in my little corner live-tweeting about TLOK and Makorra. I had to stop looking at the Makorra tag because it was so negative. Now, I’m seeing people admit they’re cute, and then saying they’re platonic soulmates. I’ll take it, although, as one commenter said, “that’s boring!” 

Someone led a Makorra Week back in October, and it was really nice! I have feeling people speaking up on the name-calling and reminding people that we’re talking about 2D characters helped. We just want to be left alone and enjoy the scenes we have in the show, art, and fanfiction. 

Keep shipping who you want! Don’t let any stranger shame you for your shipping preferences, especially in fiction! I’m so happy you feel more comfortable shipping these two dorks! You’re not alone! I’ve been a Makorra shipper since 2012, and while I find Korrasami cute (I love Korra, and I love Asami), Makorra is my OTP. I really like them, and I think they were meant for each other.

[aroace-mako]

I am always saying this but, the bi erasure towards Korra and Asami gets on my nerves so much. Every single time that I go to the Korrasami tag there is always something in the first 5 posts that either is straight up erasure or a subtle commentary that clearly indicates it and is just so invalidating...

thank you!!!! if i see them called lesbians ONE more time, or even worse, that mako somehow turned them into lesbians(???) i am going to SCREAM