xkcd

by **Mavketl** » Mon May 30, 2011 1:18 pm UTC

Hmm... also a valid interpretation. I guess between our replies we have both bases covered now.

by **phlip** » Mon May 30, 2011 1:24 pm UTC

Cue Joeldi coming back and saying we're both wrong...

by **animeHrmIne** » Mon May 30, 2011 2:50 pm UTC

It's not on Mark Watches, but if you go to Mark Reads, you'll see that the tagline of the site is "You are not prepared". And personally, I really love the sentiment, because it meshes so perfectly with the way he forces himself to write his reviews -- chapter by chapter, or episode by episode. Most people writing reviews, or even summaries, have quite a bit of hindsight and are able pick and choose what they talk about -- even unconsciously forgetting things that they LOVED while reading/watching the first time, because those things end up being useless in the plot as a whole. By forcing himself to review after each chapter/episode, he essentially has no hindsight and is literally going off of only what he has been shown up to that point. So when a plot twist happens he isn't just reporting a piece of the plot, he's reacting to the fact that it's actually a twist, not something he's internalized as a piece of the plot. He's completely unprepared for the story.

Also, I kind of love the phrase because it is always my reaction at least once in every review. When he picks up on foreshadowing but then denies that it will happen because it's a children's show/a YA series; when he mentions just how dark the series is when it's at a relatively light point in the arc; when he offhandedly talks about something that's crucial later that he doesn't know about; I always want to pick him up and either hug him or shake him and tell him "Don't get too attached, she's going to die," "You love parallel universes? Then Amber Spyglass is going to be awesome," etc. etc. etc. Or, basically "YOU ARE NOT PREPARED -- this series is going to hit you in the face like a ton of bricks and you will enjoy every second of it."

by **Joeldi** » Tue May 31, 2011 2:03 am UTC

That makes a lot of sense when you put it like that. I'll take it back, because I guess I get spoiled too much to have that experience very often.

(It's always a violent internal struggle to stay away from tvtropes until after I've finished a book/series. One I do not win very often.)

by **cephalopod9** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:08 am UTC

Spoiler:

How did he catch that??

I wonder if he'll remember that.

by **animeHrmIne** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 3:15 am UTC

cephalopod9 wrote:
Spoiler:
Mark Watches wrote:THERE ARE CREATURES CALLED LION TURTLES? what. I much prefer turtle ducks.

How did he catch that??
I wonder if he'll remember that.

That's actually insanely hilarious. Imma have to read the comments, because you know there will be people that won't be able to keep themselves from commenting, and I want to see their contortions to make it not spoiler-y.

by **Isaac Hill** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:59 am UTC

Thanks for the heads up on Mark Watches Avatar. He's picked up on some details I either missed, or forgot about, like the parrallel between Sokka and Zuko seeking their fathers' approval.

The A.V. Club (an affilliate of the Onion that reviews pop culture) just started reviewing Avatar here. Their reviewer has seen the series before, as well as the movie, so there's some comparisons explaining how the movie got it wrong. There are also apologies for bringing the movie up and reminding us that it esists.

by **Zohar** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:09 pm UTC

I really like Mark Watches Avatar, and I keep watching as he watches (one episode ahead of the reviews, basically). It's a lot of fun, considering it's the 3rd time I've watched the series. I'm surprised he disliked The Earth King so much.

by **headprogrammingczar** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:24 pm UTC

To be fair, the earth king was kind of a doofus, and that whole segment of the episode was a thematic shift back into the sort of silly stuff that happened in the first few episodes.

by **Zohar** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:01 pm UTC

Mark Watches Avatar just ended, pretty much, it will take a few days for him to post his review(s) for the finale. Another chance to bump this thread to remind anyone who hasn't seen this magnificent series that it exists.

by **headprogrammingczar** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:16 pm UTC

Zohar wrote:Mark Watches Avatar just ended, pretty much, it will take a few days for him to post his review(s) for the finale. Another chance to bump this thread to remind anyone who hasn't seen this magnificent series that it exists.

He is so unprepared!

by **natraj** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:52 pm UTC

Oh my gosh I had to stop reading it somewhere in season 2 because I couldn't take him saying that one more time.

by **cephalopod9** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:25 pm UTC

Trailer!!

Spoiler:

I'm going to give myself an ulcer waiting for it to be on t.v. "Mid 2012".

Does anyone know if Mark(watches) is still planning to review the movie? I thought he was planning it for shortly after he finished with the series, but I could only agree with him if he decided not to watch it at all.

by **Thadlerian** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 11:02 pm UTC

cephalopod9 wrote:Trailer!!

Beaten to it, just discovered this myself

Looks beyond amazing.

by **Okita** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:16 pm UTC

Thadlerian wrote:
cephalopod9 wrote:Trailer!!

Beaten to it, just discovered this myself

Looks beyond amazing.

I'm pretty impressed with it. The whole Hong Kong/ Shanghai in the 20's/30's look is really cool in my opinion. It's a time period you don't often see in media unless you're (obviously) watching some show produced in Hong Kong/ China (Kung Fu Hustle comes to mind). Besides that time period being visually neat, I am impressed that they are not going old-hat with what they had in the first series but attempting to create a continuation of canon history. What I mean by this is that it would have been way too easy to just make Avatar with different characters but in more or less the same setting. It's certainly easier and panders to fans who want to see callbacks to what they enjoyed. I don't think that's going to happen here which means we get brand spanking new material. Not to mention brand spanking new material but material that's fresh and not just an attempt to be new.

So I'm excited.

by **Thadlerian** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:06 pm UTC

Also, they seem to be having more money this time around. The animation quality is on a completely different level - like the scenes with the "camera" fluidly panning in circles around fighting characters. Never saw anything like it in the original series.

by **Box Boy** » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:17 pm UTC

I like the new art style for the scenery and objects, really, I do, but does anyone else think that it sorta clashes a bit with the characters?

Like when you're watching an old timey cartoon and everything looks painted except for one bush that looks drawn, so you know it's about to be animated in some way?

by **Belial** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:37 pm UTC

I like that, after as much trouble as Aang had getting his head around his opposite element (earth), Korra seems, based on the trailer, to freaking love fire.

it makes a sort of sense for someone born in a polar wasteland, too. If I suddenly learned I could be warm whenever, I'd learn that shit with a quickness too.

by **Zohar** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:30 pm UTC

I know what you mean. We don't know how old Korra is, though. She's probably 16-ish? I think I remember they said avatars only get told they're avatars when they're 16, so that's a bit strange. But maybe if she was told earlier for some reason, like Aang, she could have had a lot more time to practice. Fire and air are pretty useful elements to bend in that you don't need to need to have that many materials handy. When she's away from water or earth (especially since things look paved in this time), and considering she doesn't know airbending yet, fire is a natural solution.

by **Izawwlgood** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:41 pm UTC

Also, and this may be way off the mark, it seems like there's more or less an era of peace that they're living with; it's possible that she's had more exposure to other cultures than previous Avatars did? Although that admittedly seems unlikely, considering two of the Avatars Aang consults with on the Lion Turtle speak of peaceful times.

by **Box Boy** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 4:28 pm UTC

Maybe the way the Water, Earth and Fire nation leaders are all on good terms (assuming Bumi, the Earth King and Toph's Parents (they're in charge of a major shipping company and are nobility or something, right?) are the/almost the majority power in the EN) means that there's a lot more multiculturalism going on, especially since they now have have a Pacifist Avatar who's got friends in the highest places possible?

At least that's what I assumed.

by **cephalopod9** » Tue Jul 26, 2011 6:38 pm UTC

this website has some info from comic-con

I am doing a terrible job of avoiding spoilers.

by **Nat** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:18 am UTC

Started watching recently, it's pretty good. The only major flaw is the voice acting (which has been improving. And Katara, because I hate getting crushes on fictional characters.

by **Thadlerian** » Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:20 pm UTC

If we can discuss flaws, I would like to point out (to people who've watched it all) that some of the art degenerates rather spectacularly from season 1 to 3. Katara really gets the short end of the stick. Compare her face in "The Boy in the Iceberg" and "Nightmares and Daydreams".

by **Nerd Mike** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:51 pm UTC

It's a new animated Airbender series from Nickolodeon Studios. YAY!

Supposed to be out this summer. 70 years later, Aang is dead, and a young waterbender named Korra is the new avatar. She has mastered three of the elements and is now striving to master Air. It's set in more of a cosmopolitan/steampunk sort of setting to reflect the 7 decades that have passed, and apparently has a running theme of anti-bending sentiment.

There's lots more information available, and I'm not going to read any of it, because I don't want to ruin it. I adored the first series, and I love that this builds on the same mythos but doesn't look like a simple rehashing of that which has come before. I have very high hopes.

by **clockworkmonk** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 6:44 am UTC

so, there is a small chance that the first episode of legend of Korra might have leaked, so I've heard.

nudge nudge wink wink

by **MisterCheif** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:34 pm UTC

clockworkmonk wrote:so, there is a small chance that the first episode of legend of Korra might have leaked, so I've heard.

nudge nudge wink wink

And a very high probability that is is AWESOME!

That is definitely conjecture based on the trailers. Yep. Absolutely. Not really.

by **Joeldi** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:26 am UTC

The first episode didn't blow me away, but it was pretty solid. Some really great moments. I loved the

Spoiler:

I hope they frame it like that for a few episodes then turn it on it's head. Also

Spoiler:

That was awesome forever. They clearly having something really good planned for the rest of The Promise.

Still left wondering what Mako and Bolin will be like.

by **Derek** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:01 pm UTC

First two episodes go online tomorrow!

by **Izawwlgood** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 6:20 pm UTC

Just a series prediction;

Spoiler:

Also, I loved seeing why they knew Korra was the avatar. Yup. Headstrong.

by **Argency** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:07 am UTC

I love the music in the new episodes already!

by **Xeio** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:16 am UTC

Now to wait for Shyamalan to make a movie out of it.

by **Thadlerian** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:01 pm UTC

Great Scot, what a soundtrack! That's all I can say for now, need more episodes to judge the storytelling.

by **Ryom** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:44 am UTC

Great episodes, definitely reminded my in a positive way about the Last Airbender series.

by **PeteP** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 1:18 am UTC

Oh I have to look at the new series later.

But thanks at the thread for introducting me to the Mark Watches review of avatar. It's adorable how exited he seems to be about many things. Nice read. And I just reached the tales-of-ba-sing-se post , it's surprising how sad it makes me to just read about that scene with Iroh.

by **Angua** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:22 am UTC

I'm really enjoying getting the chance to see airbending training and the thought that goes into it.

by **Belial** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:40 pm UTC

Yeah, I don't think it's a coincidence that the one type of bending training that we never really saw in the first series is the one type that she needs in the second.

by **Izawwlgood** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:53 pm UTC

Also, there were a bunch of other people hanging out in the dining room with Tenzin and Korra. Other air benders? My impression is that while there's kind of a genetic component to all this, that Republic city has a lot of intermingling... I feel that Tenzin and his kids probably aren't the only airbenders around, right?

by **maybeagnostic** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:03 pm UTC

I think Tenzin is the only airbending master. The other people either have a very minor talent or no bending ability at all but are culturally air nomads- like his wife who specifically says she can't bend at all. The whole benders vs non-benders thing is kind of weird- the original show always left me with the impression that everyone can bend but most people are just pretty bad at it.

What I am really curious about is the metal benders. There are clearly quite a few of them which seems to contradict the idea that it is essentially very powerful earth-bending. Will we also see groups of blood- and lightning-benders?

by **phlip** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 10:32 pm UTC

maybeagnostic wrote:What I am really curious about is the metal benders. There are clearly quite a few of them which seems to contradict the idea that it is essentially very powerful earth-bending.

My speculation is that it took someone as powerful as Toph to recognise that it was possible, and figure out how to do it... but that once that was figured out, she was able to train others in the technique, and refine the process (note that metalbending in TLAB was very crude and imprecise, while now it seems to be just as accurate and reliable as any other form of bending...).

Who is online