#which is also why comics and pro wrestling frustrate me to no end

[sovaharbor]

i do also find it funny how i rag on actual soap operas but what is televised professional wrestling if not a soap opera for cishet men

[cody-hammond]

My rewrite of LoK: Book 1(Episodes 1 & 2)

@awesomechocolatesauce

So, I’m just gonna say, I like Legend of Korra. It wasn’t as grand as Last Airbender, and that’s fine! They’re two different ways to go about the universe, and that’s okay. The being said, there are a lot of things in LoK that don’t quite hit the mark as TLA did. So, for that, I’m going to go through what I would do differently for the series, Book by Book.Let’s start with Book 1!

Now, there’s actually not a whole lot I’d change about Book 1, as it’s actually my favorite of the series. I liked Republic City, I liked the story, and thought it was a good intro for “Korra.” However, there are some things I would change.

Episode 1: First, I would keep everything relatively the same in the beginning. We meet Korra, she knows 3/4 of the elements, we meet Tenzin, he tries to guide her towards spiritual enlightenment to help her master Air, she wants to go to Republic City but can’t, sneaks on board a ship, arrives, fights some thugs, meets Lin Bei-Fong, Korra’s able to stay in RC, has the press conference, and we meet Amon, finishing the episode. 

However, there is one underlying story for Korra, and that’s how she can hope to be as great, if not better, than Aang. After all, this 112 year-old boy did end a war that lasted 100 years, brought the 4 Nations together, and led everyone to a brighter future. Korra’s a capable fighter, sure, but her inability to master Air, or the spiritual side of Bending, greatly hinders her. 

Episode 2: Korra reads about the Pro-Bending matches in the paper, and desires to go and see one herself. Tenzin, of course, disagrees, telling her it’s a mockery of Bending, all flash no substance. Later, Korra fails at both meditation and the spinning fan training, argues with Tenzin once again about wanting to see a Pro-Bending match, sneaks into the Pro-Bending arena, and then meets Bolin! Now, here’s where we start to change a few things.

1. Bolin: Oh Bolin, poor, poor Bolin. I feel for him, I really do. He’s a character that just SCREAMS comic-relief. Which isn’t bad, mind you, but... I felt like he could’ve been more. The great thing about Sokka was that, even though he was comic-relief, he wasn’t the relief 100% of the time. He was smart, he was obnoxious, he was a brilliant strategist, he was a capable fighter without any bending powers, he was so many things! Bolin... I can’t think of anything about him other than he’s funny, and Mako’s brother. Which is why I would change his arc. He can still be comic-relief, sure, but make him have a purpose other than that. That’s why, in this version, Pro-Bending isn’t 3-on-3. Instead, it’s a classic 1-on-1, similar to boxing or MMA, or even the wrestling-style fight they had in “The Blind Bandit” in A:TLA. Bolin is a young up-and-comer, an underdog. He has his fans, but nowhere near enough to become a household name. 

After witnessing her first live Pro-Bending match, and Bolin’s scraped-by victory, Korra offers to train Bolin in exchange for learning a few tricks of her own, and shows him some Fire-Bending moves he could probably use to better fit the agile side of Pro-Bending, sort of like how Iroh taught Zuko lightning. 

The next day, after failing to pass through the spinning fan training Tenzin gives her a second time, and burning it down, Korra and he argue. Tenzin angrily asks what’s wrong with her, and Korra responds by saying there’s nothing wrong with her. She tries and tries to understand Air-Bending, but it doesn’t sink in, and maybe the reason is because he’s a terrible teacher.

Tenzin gets furious and says no matter how many times he tries to be patient, it’s clear the only thing she responds to is force, so he forces her to stay on Air Temple Island until her training is complete. Korra vehemently refuses, and says maybe she doesn’t need Air-Bending! Tenzin says, “That’s ludicrous, if all you care about is fighting, than you’re nothing more than a child throwing a temper-tantrum. Actually, wait, Aang was a child, but even he was doing better than you!” This causes Korra to leave, ignoring Tenzin’s call back.

At the Pro-Bending arena, she meets up with Bolin, preparing for a match. They do a little training to get ready, and we even get a little character development on Bolin wanting to be equal to his brother. “When people talk about me, it’s mostly as “Mako’s brother,” which honestly, kinda hurts. I love Mako, don’t get me wrong! But just being “Mako’s brother” isn’t good enough. That’s why I went to Pro-Bending, to win the tournament and make a name for myself, and show Republic City I’m something more... and a little training from Avatar Korra doesn’t hurt.” 

Bolin’s match is exciting, but nerve-racking. His opponent is tough, being a fellow Earth-Bender, but also rather vicious with his moves. Bolin tries his best to dodge and attack, but ends up losing Round 1, and doesn’t last long in Round 2. It’s in Round 3, where his opponent deliberately sends an Earth disk to his right arm, possibly breaking it. Bolin’s obviously in pain, and the Water-healers try their best, but it doesn’t look like he’s capable of continuing. This, at first, shatters Bolin, and he begs them to keep him in, saying he has to do this, even if it’s with one arm. When asked if he’s sure to compete, Bolin slowly makes his way up to his feet, broken arm and all, and says yes.

The final round is a nail-biter, but something seems different. The fans in the arena are cheering... for Bolin! With this new-found confidence, Bolin musters up a unique brand of offence, thanks to Korra, blending Earth and Fire-Bending moves that actually give him the win, and a spot in the Tournament! The fans go crazy!

Korra is elated, and goes down to the arena to celebrate. Bolin takes this time to thank everybody who cheered for him, but most of all, he wants to thank Korra, the Avatar, for her patience and training. The crowd cheers for both of them.

When they get back to the locker room, Korra starts healing Bolin’s arm, thanking Master Katara. Bolin than takes the time to properly thank Korra for showing him the Fire-Bending techniques, saying they really came in handy in the last round. Korra’s grateful, saying he did great out there, but Bolin still feels like he can’t live up to Mako. “Ever since we lost our parents, Mako’s been the one trying to find justice, to find the Fire-Bender that killed them and put him in prison. I admire that part of my brother, but the more I hear and read about Mako cracking down cases, putting away bad guys, and seeing him in the spotlight, I can’t help but feel left behind. I mean, I’m a Pro-Bending rookie. I know I can’t make it as a detective, but I believe I can at least bring a smile to the people of Republic City.” Korra tells him, “You shouldn’t compare your success to Mako’s. You has to make your own, and you can do that by winning the Championship Tournament, and no matter what, your parents would’ve been proud of you.” They have a bonding moment, and Korra leaves.

Later that night, Korra returns to Air Temple Island, where the spinning fans are being rebuilt. Tenzin is there, and Korra takes this time to apologize. She realizes she was impatient, and frustrated at herself, and took it out on him. Tenzin also apologizes, in trying to teach her patience, he lost his. No hard feelings between them, and if she’d like, they can go and see a Pro-Bending match together soon, maybe see her new student? Korra asks what he means, and Tenzin tells her he heard Bolin’s speech on the radio.

Finally, the spinning fans are complete, and Korra offers to give it one more shot. 

She succeeds, ending Episode 2.

(It might not be much, but I hope it’s, at least, interesting. I was going to add episode 3 on here, but that part ended up being pretty long XD So that’s for another time)