Warning: Really long post ahead!
Hey guys. It's been a while since I've been on again. It's that time of year again, with term ending and AP tests, finals, whatever else has been keeping people busy. And I've been one of them.
But, I thought I'd give some of my opinions regarding the latest episode[s] and relationships. And being a huge shipper, I've been pretty satisfied.
So first thing to address would probably be the relationship between Mako and Asami. Now I'll be the first to admit, as soon as screencaps were leaked on Tumblr from episode four, I was very unhappy. (To what extent, I won't say.) And the episode itself, I would say, wasn't high on my list of things I like. But, I can't help but admit that I really do like how Bryke portrays the relationship between the two. I mean, yes, hitting someone with your motorbike and then asking you out is a bit stupid in my opinion, I think how they chose to depict Mako's feelings, and just the general feel of two teenagers dating was very well done.
Some will argue that he was being stupid/acting like a pansy/ignoring Korra's feelings, but you have to realize, he's a moron in the world of girls and dating. And Korra wasn't exactly making her feelings towards him that obvious. He was simply acting how most young men would in that situation would. (It's a new relationsip, she's gorgeous, nice and rich. I'd be on Cloud Nine.)
Even the eskimo kissing, (which honestly, I thought was kinda adorable) was put in there for a reason. Most likely, to portray the immaturity of the relationship, and to show that it probably isn't going to last.
Next, I would like to talk a bit about Bolin and Korra's bro/relationship. To me, the dynamic between these characters screams "friends only". Not to say I don't think they could be a great couple, but simply the way they interact with each other reminds me of how best friends would act. Bolin's crush is really only skin deep, I mean he seemed to bounce back really fast after having his heart broken, and he seemed really keen on keeping Korra as a friend. But I do think at some point, Bolin deserves a special lady of his own. I'm not really huge on the theory that Asami and Bolin will become rebound partners, because let's be honest, that's lame. But he seems to be a really great guy with quite a slew of girls he could choose from.
But I did really think their "date" was cute. I don't feel for one second that Korra was doing it to make Mako jealous. I think she was feeling down and when Bolin complimented her like that, she was really happy someone showed a vested interest in her. She just wanted to forget about the whole embarrassment and go out and have some fun with a friend. (Well, more than a friend in Bolin's case). And she genuinly had a good time, and wasn't simply doing it with an ulterior motive, as many people say.
And finally, there's the relationship between Mako and Korra. Now, let me start off by saying, I've been a big fan of these two since ComicCon. In the beginning, yes, because it did remind me of Zuko and Katara. (Granted, this was before we really knew anything of their personalities.) But I've always been a fan of the bickering couple, the two people that you can't really decide if they love or hate each other. And as the series has progressed so far, I can say I've been very satisfied. Many fans are upset that the show is focusing a lot on the relationships in the show, but honestly; I like it. My favorite parts of shows have always been the relationships, and I enjoy how Bryke has portrayed these two thus far. It does seem a tad rushed, though, but you've got to remember that this was originally a 12 episode series, and judging by the weather, it's probably been four or five months.
So, originally, Korra saw Mako as a pro-bender, a pretty face. Korra seems to have no experience with boys whatsoever, and coming from someone in the same boat, I think her crush was played out very well. She had a tad infauation with him right off the bat, and as she got to know him (and got past his initial "dickery") she realized "Hey, this guy's pretty great" and it really developed from there. Then, she made the mistake of taking advice from Pema, which to be honest wasn't the greatest. Korra isn't Pema and Mako isn't Tenzin. Being the impulsive girl she is, she bluntly said to Mako how she felt. (Which made me cringe pretty bad) and was rejected. Having not only witness her crush date another girl, and reject her was probably pretty painful. (But honestly, it was something I could have seen coming.) Then, in a turn of events, he reveals to her, that yes indeed, he actually does have feelings for her. And what she did next, was what any inexperienced, socially awkward young girl who just found out her crush likes her back would do. She kisses him. I don't think it was a bitchy move, I don't think it was stupid, I think it was a heat of the moment thing and very realistic.
Now on to Mako (and finally the end of this novel.) He initially saw Korra as just a fan-girl. I think once he saw that she was more than that, that she was an actually girl with substance, is when his feelings began to develop. (Whether he realized it or not.) Then, she comes in to help him rescue his brother, the only family he has left. I think at this point is where he began to think "Yeah, I could develop feelings for this girl." But then Asami came into his life and he pretty much forgot about that. He most likely figured she was into Bolin, and just gave the thought up. He was too into his new romance to really realize what was going on around him, but who can blame him? But once Korra confessed her feelings to him, is when things came crashing down. He had to not only deal with his existing relationship, but now tackle his budding feelings for Korra, that he had been subconciously holding on to. And when he saw that Korra had decided to go on a date with his brother, I think he was a little angry. He was probably jealous and angry that she seemed to be using his brother simply to get back at him. And then, after they argued, is when he realized that he couldn't simply keep denying his feelings one way or another. And when Korra kissed him, he kissed back. Because what are you gonna do? Reject her again? There's only so many times you can push a girl away before she stays away. I wouldn't consider it cheating on Asami, because first, she kissed him, and second, it was only one kiss. Now what would really be stupid is if Mako just decided to drop everything and go for Korra without considering Asami. I'd say both Korra and Mako have a lot of things to figure out before they can ever truly be in a relationship.
So, those are my opinions, what are yours? (Again, I apologize profusly for the length!)