So I know that Korra journals are about as rare as a nerd at ComiCon, but please bear with me as I have yet to express my opinions on the show!  I've written a couple of journals about my thoughts prior to the show being released.

So first and foremost, allow me to rescind my assumption that Korra's voice actor wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the VAs of the previous series.  She is, indeed, holding her own and has made Korra her own character!  I love how she reads her lines and now I can't imagine Korra without her voice!

Anyway... the series.  Due to my being in Korea, I have to wait until Sundays to watch the show since it doesn't play on TV here and thus I must wait for it to release somewhere online.  I'm just happy that I'm able to keep up with it-- if I couldn't, I don't know what I'd do!

Episodes 4 & 5 were, to me, somewhat filler.  I mean, the plot took major advances and turns, but most of the story was "who loves who?" and too much of that made me feel like Mike and Bryan might be giving into the previous series' popular love triangle.  I think that in Avatar, it was fun to speculate who was going to end up with who because it wasn't what the show was about.  But when the show actually focuses on love, you know that people are going to end up with someone, so I'm less inclined to join the forces of the guessing fans.

That being said, if I were to choose who I wanted to be together, I would say my top favorite ships are Makorra and Tahnorra (not sure if that's the 'official' name... I mean TahnoxKorra).  Not at the same time, of course, but Mako and Tahno are my favorite characters in this series (it's SO hard to choose!).  I'm also a big fan of Bolin, Lin and Amon!  ^^

As far as episode 6 goes, I have to say, I was BLOWN.  AWAY.  I remember in the commentary for one of the episodes in the Fire season of Avatar, Mike and Bryan said that they usually have a three-part formula for their episodes which is character exposition, character growth and then a battle.  I always look forward to the end of the episodes because I know that they won't disappoint!  And they never do!  I LOVED Lin and Korra's battle.

I also have to say, I am loving how mature not just the content of the series, but the maturity of the artwork.  I'm re-watching the Avatar series with a friend who has never seen it before and I am just in awe of how much growth Mike, Bryan and the whole animation team have undergone.  The part that really hit home with me was when *SPOILER ALERT* right after Korra, Mako and Bolin were electrocuted in the water, tied up and then freed by Pabu.  There is a moment where Korra jumps on top of the water, turning it to ice.  In the original series, whenever Katara turned something to ice, it was like she was unrolling a long carpet... the ice just grew from the previous ice, if that makes any sense.  But when Korra did it, you could see the star-like ice crystals forming before the ice gained any actual solidity.  It was really beautiful and I watched that moment over and over again.  Mike, Bryan, team... I salute you and how much attention to detail you put into your series.  

If there is one thing that gets to me, it's how every episode ends.  I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but Tenzin ALMOST always has the last word in the episode and it always seems to be an overly-cliched line.  "No bender is safe." "Republic City is at war." "Admitting our fears is the first step to overcoming them." Then it's always followed with low orchestra tones.  I don't mind if that happens occasionally, but honestly, I don't need a cliched cliffhanger to make me watch the next episode.  Mike and Bryan already have my undying attention, regardless of how any particular episode ends.  For me personally, it really doesn't need that sometimes forced last line.  But hey, if that's my only complaint, that's really good!

On to another note, I have to say, I'm seriously loving Tahno!  He's such an anti-hero that he reminds me a lot of how Zuko was at the beginning of the series.  I'm really hoping that *SPOILER ALERT* even though his bending is gone, he returns in the series to be a prominent part of Team Avatar v.2.  I think his character has a LOT to offer because there's so much growth he needs to experience (silly boy, did he really think that Amon wanted the championship pot?) and I would love to see Korra and the gang help rehabilitate him from his dirty, scheming ways.  I'll bet if he makes a return, it will be as someone living off of the streets, his friends having abandoned him after he lost his bending and standing.

Like I said before, Mike and Bryan could make something that's total crap and I would still love it.  They are true masters of their craft and are always visibly getting better and more experienced.  Even after Korra is over (I do hope Nickelodeon orders more episodes if Mike and Bryan feel that they have more of a story to tell) whatever Mike and Bryan do next, I will be watching and waiting for it.  I have never loved a series more than the ones they produce and that's the highest praise I can give.  I'm really looking forward to episode 7!

FLAMEO, HOTMAN!
Peace!