It really was bottomless.
Was it filler? Yes. Did it contain a bunch of mini-stories that I thoroughly enjoyed? Uh-huh.
Nothing particularly eventful happened in this episode. The gang just fell into a bottomless pit and told stories until they stopped falling. It was fun. I especially liked Mabel's tale about Grunkle Stan and those teeth. Man, with hindsight now, I wonder how the series would've proceeded if he started spouting about Stanford and his past.
I wonder what Stan was thinking while he was falling the pit a second time. Also, they should put up some barriers around that hole. Just having a sign just doesn't cut it.
IT'S GOOD.
TECHNICAL SCORE: 7/10
ENJOYMENT SCORE: 8/10
"Sounds like you're looking for our Piece of Shit Dad Package."
"That would be too good for my father."
Damn Diane.
To see Diane's obnoxious family and her terrible dad was sad. I'm glad she ran away and found Mr Peanutbutter. He seems like a nice guy. And it's nice to see one of my favourite characters (so far) has flaws.
Todd's massive scam is concerning. The fact that he got away with it for so long is scary. People will believe anything if it's a multimillion house, huh? Also, Diane exploding was freaky. And BoJack's longing for brothers was so unfortunate. I'm glad he pushed past it to help Diane.
That pen pal prank was messed up. I'm sad BoJack laughed and told Diane "Yeah, you wouldn't get it. It's a brothers thing," Ouch.
It's good.
7.5/10
"Nothing I do has consequence!"
Welp. We learnt the lesson, but I don't think BoJack did. This episode was basically about how we're products of our environment. Sarah Lynn, while the youngest daughter on Horsin' Around, faced a lot of bad influence from BoJack. She became obsessed with her image and sex, way too much. Being famous or a child actor/actress can turn out badly.
It's funny.
6/10
People don't like the truth? Okay.
BoJack be spitting straight facts in this episode. I do like it more than the first, and it was less depressing than the last, so I'm glad. So BoJack isn't willing to talk about some hard truths from his past, yet he's willing to shout out some hard facts about society and everything else? And it's only at the end BoJack decides to divert his truth-speaking powers towards his memoir. Diane seems like more of a mentor or close friend for BoJack already. This episode was neat.
It's solid.
7/10
This was a fun episode. A nice "let's take a break from the over-arching conflict" and just enjoy being at the Mystery Shack and with this family.
The moral of the story: be kind to your employees but not too kind. I like that Mabel gets to learn that she needs to be strict to get work done but she went full on strict instead of a little strict. So, kind of changes the message to: "Be strict. being kind doesn't work". And for Stan, he just learns that knowing the word "thank you" can help you win a game show. This episode was still hilarious anyway.
Funny.
6/10
Wow. Not what I expected.
I expected it to be more light-hearted and funnier, but BoJack has a seriously dark undertone that made me depressed. It's still a good first episode, though. I'm interested. The sex jokes weren't too obnoxious, and the animation is tolerable. And so far, nothing was laugh-out-loud funny. We'll see.
"Back in the '90s, I was in a very famous TV show."
This line summarises BoJack's character at the moment. He used to be famous, but now he's depressed. He does nothing all day but reminiscent of the old days. To see his almost lonely existence and the show where he's a father of three children being the only thing to make him laugh or smile was so sad.
I'm guessing it'll be more light-hearted in the future. I don't know. It wasn't dull, but I did check when it would end twice throughout.
It's okay.
6.5/10
This one was better than the last.
I did notice more missing frames in the animation, but the plot was more interesting. We get to see Harrow and Viren argue whether or not they should use dark magic and I'll admit, Claudia and Callum are cute. I can't take Rayla seriously when she starts naruto running, and the music felt like it tried to make me feel sad when I wasn't. It felt a bit forced.
Also, to see Rayla run on walls was a bit terrifying. Damn. And I applaud Exran for his perseverance. He went at that combination for a month!?! Crazy.
It's better than the last episode.
7/10
Seriously, Dipper! You can't go to Wendy's party if you're dead! Get your act together!
I understand Mabel's point of view, but she should realise that Dipper wants to do something different. It's just one year. Just because he isn't going trick or treating this year doesn't mean he isn't going to the next. But I understand the episode's message. Don't try to grow up too fast and enjoy the time you have with your siblings/friends. It was sweet. But I feel like they're both in the wrong here. Let the bird fly free.
It's good.
7/10
Lol. I've had a sibling height conflict before.
It made sense to see Mabel and Stan tease Dipper, so I was glad to see Soos wasn't into it. This episode's conflict is something kids can relate with and understand. Height. When we're young (and old, maybe), some of us are obsessed with being the tallest (I don't mind if I'm the tallest or not, I don't want to be below average). The tiny deer and jaguar(?) were cute. And seeing Gideon's wrath was hilarious and scary. That boy hates the Pines family.
It was interesting to see a little more about him and his family too. His dad is a fraud, just like Gideon, but the mother is something else. She doesn't talk, she's nervous around Gideon and looks like she's been through hell. The poor mother is scared of her child.
And it was nice to see that Dipper got over the height thing and let Mabel keep her extra millimetre. And that mirror maze is something that only animation can pull off. When they destroyed the gem on the flashlight, it was pretty funny (and tragic) to see they forgot to grow back Soos. Rip. Also, to see Stan is smart enough not to fall for the same trick twice was hilarious.
There wasn't any fantastical worldbuilding and or a compelling plot. There was just conflict, Dipper seeking magical help, both of them screwing up, saving the day and learning their lesson. It was neat to see that Dipper and Mabel were in the wrong this episode and not just one of them. Sure, Mabel teasing Dipper is wrong but Dipper winning at everything (and rubbing it in her face) is cruel.
It's solid.
7/10
The Dragon Prince is something special.
Is this an excellent introduction to the show, the world, and its characters? Yes. Is it a great episode? No, and that's okay. The show needs to introduce an array of characters in this episode, so I don't expect it to be that much fun. First, let's talk about the exposition. I'm glad it isn't just lines of text with a voiceover. Instead, we have visuals that helped me keep listening. And those final shots before the title card was beautiful.
A guard discovers Rayla and her group, who plan on assassinating the King. Right off the bat, we learn that Rayla is somebody who doesn't take killing lightly. She looks into the eyes of that guard and sees the fear in his eyes. She doesn't do it. We meet Lord Viren, who, in turn, lets us meet with King Harrow, and you can tell they've been through a lot together. And already, we learn of the conflict that'll be in the next few episodes, and the tension is substantial, as they describe the Moonshadow elves. It would've been nice to see more expression or fear from them to really sell how dangerous this group is.
When Rayla returns to camp, we can tell she's trying her best to fit in with the group and seeks their approval, specifically the group leader. We see Ezran, stealing from his subjects! It's funny but messed up. We're seeing prince take advantage of his people. Ouch. But it gives us some insight into his character. He's cunning and mischievous, and I think that's a charming character to have on the show.
Then we see Callum, who's training with Soren, and we can tell he's not a warrior. But not only that, he's got a thing for Soren's sister. And Soren's okay with this? Okay. I'm a bit weirded out seeing young male cartoon characters have a crush on older female cartoon characters, who are way too old for them. But I want Callum to do well? We get to see more of King Harrow and his fear of death and for his children and Viren with his, showing how different these two men and their children are.
Soren teases Callum that he's adopted, Callum scares Ezran by revealing the truth and Soren goes out looking for the Moonshadow elves. By sparing the guard's life, Rayla has killed her whole group. It's a solid episode. Nothing too big yet, and I guess l life and death is the main focus? I don't know.
I wasn't bothered by the choppy animation here except in a few shots. And I like the blend of 2D and 3D animation.
TL;DR
It's a great introduction but a boring episode. The show introduces lots of characters in interesting ways. There was plenty of exposition at the start but was made up by the characterisation.
It's a good introduction.
7/10
#Talk about hanging with the wrong crowd.
#Summary
Damn, this episode got dark fast. We start at the Sparrow Scouts again, and the Raven Leader announces the end of the year camp and with it, the chance to get another badge. Hilda's looking out the window when she hears people walk through the front door. She's looking for Frida, but she doesn't show. After Sparrow Scouts, David and Hilda go to check on Frida and see if they can get her to do something if not go to Sparrow Scouts. Instead, they find she hangs out with a manipulative blonde teen, who's trying to keep Frida away from her friends.
There are glimpses when Frida seems she's looking for a way out, but it's Kelly (the teen) who keeps her from reaching out to her friends. Frida walks off with Kelly and David walks off too, leaving Hilda alone. As she walks home with her mum after a trip to the shops (getting camping supplies), they encounter a nisse. Hilda wants to help it out (because it's homeless), but Hilda's mum wants nothing to do with it.
The next day, Hilda tries to talk to Frida again, but Kelly keeps Hilda away. Hilda walks home and finds the nisse again, Tontu. He explains how he was wrongfully banished, and Hilda offers to bring him to her home. But once they enter the room created by the space behind furniture, they find another nisse. And it's very protective of its territory. The two nisse get into a fight, and Hilda's mum arrives home, only seeing Tontu and banishes him (rip).
Hilda heads to camp, she and David find Tontu, they sneak out to give him some food but find the Marra instead. You can see the teen Frida was hanging out with, telling the others of a nightmare she concocted and standing in the group if Frida. Then some weird green energy from the campfire flows into their mouths, and their eyes glow that same colour. David runs off, scares himself (he thought he saw the Black Hound) and knocks Hilda out of the bushes and into the Marra's camp. They try to get Frida back, but after the peer pressure from the Marra, she stays.
David stands up for himself and manages to scare the Marra for a little bit, before they're all in shock after seeing the real Black Hound, staring them all down with it's glowing yellow eyes.
#Thoughts
Hilda's mum seems stressed, really stressed. And as more talk and reports on the Black Hound circulates, she gets more anxious about Hilda's (and her) safety and becomes more strict about what Hilda does in town. She snaps a lot in this episode, from keeping Hilda away from Tontu during their first encounter and kicking out of the house the next day. Frida seems to be in a darker place. She's isolated from her best friends and is hanging with the Marra. She's trying to reach out to Hilda and David, but the Marra she hangs out with keeps stopping her. It's so heartbreaking. And Tontu's tragic story, where his owner wrongfully accused and banished him, was a mother tragedy.
#TL;DR
It's great, definitely one of the better episodes. This episode reminded me again why I love this show: the characters, the creatures, and the interactions. It was nice to see some darker material and a more mature outlook on life in Trolberg. It's getting dangerous. Trolberg isn't the haven it once was.
#Very good! - 7.5/10
This episode is beautiful.
An episode about home. It's not about the possessions or the place; it's about the people. Wherever Hilda's friends or family are, that's her home. People leave homes and make new ones. But they never really leave those old homes behind. It's a part of who you are. This episode is beautiful. And when that song plays, it's magical.
When Raven showed up, I thought it was a deus ex machina. But Raven had his reasons to be there, so I'll let it slide. Alfur some cool moments. Raven did too. We got to see more of Woodman and the wilderness. It's was refreshing. This episode reminded me why I love Hilda (the series and her) so much. Simple stories set in a beautiful world with beautiful characters and animation.
7.5/10
Frida, just learn to clean your room!
#Summary
"The Ghost" is about a poltergeist that haunts Frida's room. The episode begins with Hilda and David rushing to Frida's house. Frida lets them both in and shows them her room. It's a mess. Hilda takes a look around the room and declares it was a ghost. To catch it, David brings in his old camera and to watch Frida's bedroom a night. But when they go to check the footage in the morning, it turns out Frida was the one making all the mess.
She admits to the mess but reveals that she thought rooms cleaned themselves. It turns out, the ghost haunting her bedroom, cleaned up the mess instead of making it. The next day, Frida has an encounter at school and begins to fall apart. At home, she breaks down and repeats throughout the episode how her "perfection and organisation" was her whole identity. Hilda tries to convince her she's the same person, but Frida doesn't listen.
To figure out who the ghost is, they head to the library. It was cool to get a bit more from the Librarian. Hilda asks her about a book on ghosts, and the Librarian asks Hilda if something went missing. It turns out, Frida's favourite book was missing, and it belonged to someone called Craigie Williams.
They head to the cemetery, meet Craigie Williams and learn why he left. Like Frida, it was his favourite book, so he read it every night while she was asleep and cleaned her room in return. But when the book disappeared, he had no reason to go back. Eventually, they learn that Craigie's sister, Engilbjort, had his book. Hilda gets the gang to wrestle the ghost for the book. They lose. Right after the match, Hilda learns that the ghosts have to back in their graves by sunrise. So, she puts herself on top of Engilbjort's grave (kind of disrespectful of the dead, but she did steal and wrestle you guys). Engilbjort gives the book back, but it's the wrong one.
The gang head home, devastated. Hilda talks to Alfur on whether or not she is a good friend, and Alfur comforts her saying she's a great friend for trying. But when Frida fails to show up at school, Hilda rushes to Frida's house and confronts her. Frida lashes out on David and Hilda, blaming Hilda for giving her false hope and making them wrestle with a ghost. In the end, she said she wished Hilda never moved to Trolberg. And the episode ends (with the Nisse shown stealing Frida's stuff).
#Thoughts
Both Frida and David seem very out of character in this episode. For one, David picks on Frida a few times (which he has never done. He's always praised her, and teasing doesn't seem to have built their relationship). And two, Frida keeps lashing out and attacking David. I know she's having an identity crisis, but it's still really out of character. Sure, she chased the Vittra when it stole her sash, but she never tried to hurt it (at least I don't think so, and if she did, I can't see her wanting to hurt David). But maybe it's this logical fallacy that makes Frida's breakdown so terrible and believable. I've got mixed feelings about this. But David picking on Frida is out of character.
They say when your character is under heavy pressure, it will force them to make choices that reveal their true nature. Frida is a terrible person. She's so reliant on her identity of "perfection and organisation" (which kind of reveals her one-dimensional character, but we'll ignore that), she's willing to do anything to get back to normal. She is ready to compromise all of her relationships (and life) to be her false image of herself again. These things aren't necessarily bad writing, but it shows the struggle Frida is going through.
##TL;DR
Frida's logic might be flawed, but it works to show her mental state (and perhaps depression?). Both David and Frida seem out of character (one who picks on his friend, the other who attacks hers). This episode is bolder and more challenging, but I still have mixed feelings.
7/10
This episode was cute.
The episode is about a feud between two elf families: Alfur's and the lost tribe's. Years ago, when Alfur's family wanted to sell a plot of land to the lost tribe's, they were banished after signing the contract not three but only two times! And this was considered treason in Elf-dom, so the King banished them! So to end their exile, Alfur, Hilda and Frida have to burn up this contract using the flame of a Lindworm. Also, they have to do this to save David, who the lost tribe took hostage.
David is still hilarious. They set up a future episode with the weather lady and Hilda's mum not doing well with her job. We get to see the grand library again, a water spirit and a Lindworm. In a valley hidden by rocks, which is a tiny island in the middle of the sea. Beautiful. Also, that blue fire it shoots is incredible. The story was straightforward, but the worldbuilding was tons of fun. This whole episode centres around paperwork! Yet somehow, they managed to keep my suspension of disbelief.
Sure they get out of some situations way too quickly. Some things seem too convenient. But it's hard to let those things distort my enjoyment of the series. The animation is still great, the voice acting is on-point, and I love hearing the theme during the intro!
7/10
Wow. The eeriness of this episode and the Marra reminds me of Gravity Falls.
And I like how Hilda's tendency to drag her friends into scary adventures made her an antagonist. Not just the Marra. I thought they'd just get rid of the Marra, the end. Problem solved. Instead, our characters learn to acknowledge their mistakes and experience personal growth. Now, how about that?
Also, David is such a treat. He sacrificed himself for Hilda, so she didn't have to endure that nightmare. David for president! I'm only giving this a 7.5 is because I loved this episode. It's not too short that it makes me feel there could've been more, but not too long that I get bored.
7.5/10
My initial thought upon learning of this show was that it was "just another kids show" (why are appearances so deceiving?), but after I saw season 1, episode 9, I knew I was wrong.
I knew this was a great show after I saw Episode Two of Season 2 and was wanting more when season Episode 18 of Season 2 rolled in. "See you next Summer" gives me a sliver of hope that they'll be another season, even though the last episode aired four years ago. I just went through some of the specials and read the 2018 graphic novel. I hope for a Season Three or a spin-off of some sort, but at the same time, it's fine the way it is.
But I'm just so invested in these characters! They're funny, witty and so likable! Even some of the recurring side characters seem like they have a life going on behind the scenes! This show is fantastic, and I'm ready to rewatch it and see that Summer again.
God bless Alex Hirsch; the characters you voiced are incredible. Go on and watch this show. It's worth it.
I really enjoyed it upon my first viewing. But once I started thinking about the plot, the characters and the world, I felt worse. And before you read any further, let me just say, don't watch this show. Because you might either like it (which hurts me) or you might hate it (which hurts you). I like it but acknowledge its flaws. If it wasn't the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, it would've held up a lot better.
Unlike most of my friends, I watched the Legend of Korra after Avatar: The Last Airbender and the Avatar comics. The comics allowed me to settle into Korra's world helped me jump into this new world. I had really low expectations coming into this show, after being warned not to watch it by a good friend. But I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it.
The illustrations and background art had improved. Its aspect ratio wasn't square. And I enjoyed myself (most of the time) throughout. Amon was compelling and looked badass. Unalaq was cool (before he turned evil). Zaheer is the best villain in the entire series. Kuvira seemed really contrived.
Season 1 took a while to get anywhere, and I'd give it a 4/10. It was up until the end, where Korra pulls off a deus ex machina and Amon is made less compelling, which left a bad taste in my mouth. [spoiler] If Amon was kept as a non-bender [/spoiler], he would've been my favourite villain hands-down. But he's a [spoiler] blood blender [/spoiler] who breaks the rules (and he's not the only one) and the non-bender revolution is made less compelling. [spoiler] I did feel sorry and sad when he and Tarrlok died though. [/spoiler] That was really emotional.
Season 2 started off okay. The first half was really compelling: two water-tribes put against each other, on the verge of civil war. Korra wants to learn more about the spiritual side of bending and Unalaq seems like the guy to teach it to her. But then we are introduced to Avatar Wan, who I thought was pretty cool at first until I started thinking into it more and realising how much it changes in the Avatar lore. If this show was by itself and didn't have ATLA behind it, even if it was better, this sequence would've been awesome. But it's not. It retcons everything known about bending. The spirit world is shown way too much and suddenly loses its intrigue and mystery. [spoiler] We're shown the origins of the Avatar, but all of a sudden, the Avatar doesn't seem like some all-time all-powerful being who has always been there for humanity and the spirits. We just see some punk kid who protects things because he thinks it's right (and who lets off chaos and darkness into the world). Finally, Raava and Vaatu. They look like carpets and are supposed to represent Yin and Yang (yet we had the Moon and Ocean spirit for that) and one represents "light and peace" while the other embodies "darkness and chaos". All of a sudden, spirits (and people) are either good or evil. And by letting Vaatu loose into the world, Raava starts to shrink. Why doesn't Vaatu shrink? How come he can turn spirits "dark" but Raava can't turn the "light"? Then Korra pulls off another deus ex machina: she becomes a giant spirit person and shoots a laser at Unavaatu. Also, Unalaq is evil and wants to become the first "Dark Avatar". [/spoiler]
4/10 It had potential.
Season 3 was cool. There's one scene where I actually found that Korra was a likable character. Tenzin tries his best to bring back the air nomads and we get to journey to the Earth Kingdom. But, the reason the airbenders have returned is that Korra left these "spirit portals" open. Which created "change" in the world, which also included bringing back the airbenders. Forget about the trauma and time it takes to heal the scars of war! Just open that spirit portal! Aang should've just opened those portals and he could've gotten started earlier! But here's the thing, Zaheer is the best villain in this series. He wants to bring about anarchy (which is a terrible idea, btw) and wants to remove the Avatar (for some reason he tried to kill Korra when she was young, which is pretty messed up). But here's the twist, he's one of those new airbenders! But instead of just making him some dude who discovers airbending, it turns out he's been studying air nomad philosophy for a long time. That's pretty cool. Compared to the other airbenders (except for Tenzin), Zaheer acts the most like an air nomad. And in the end, he has a plan to kill Korra while removing the Avatar cycle forever. Damn.
6/10 This season kills the least amount of brain cells.
Season 4 started off well but got progressively worse. [spoiler] Kuvira has been tasked with reuniting the Earth Kingdom after Zaheer killed the Earth Queen. We first meet her, giving an Earth Kingdom town food and supplies, but she threatens the mayor because he almost refused to sign the paper. Then, important people (I can't remember, Raiko, Tenzin and Sue?) said Kuvira was doing all of these cliche dictator things, but we're never shown it. We only see her help that town. She doesn't seem very evil. Then we see her threaten a group of Earthbenders who attack her, and it's framed to make her look bad, but really, they attacked her and she's been helping plenty of people. So...? In the end, Kuvira cuts off some "spirit vine" from the swamp (from ATLA) and gets Varrick to make a laser out of it by harnessing its energy? Then, when Kuvira declares she's bad and marches towards Republic City, it's with a giant (Voltron) mech, equipped with the spirit-vine-laser-cannon! Korra wins, democracy wins, the end.
4/10 Season 1 was better.
The only characters I care about is Tenzin, Varrick, and Zhu Li. Bolin was funny sometimes, but it's only because he's stupid. Unlike Sokka (ATLA), who actually has depth, is a character and goes through a compelling character arc. Korra has so many flaws/weaknesses that render her unlikable. She's hot-headed, stubborn, disrespectful and highly sensitive. She never takes responsibility for her actions, she gets a lot handed to her and her problems solve themselves. This show isn't more mature than ATLA but it does try to be edgier. The genocide of Aang's people and the dystopia of Ba Sing Se was pretty dark for a kid's show and wasn't there just to be dark and edgy. Why did I need to see the Earth Queen suffocate to death? Asami is a plot-device. Mako becomes boring after the stupid love-triangle in Season 1, and only really stays to look cool, follow Bolin and more love-triangle crap.
The animation in this show is appalling. It has nice illustrations, not animation. If you go frame by frame, you'll see this studio's laziness. You might also remember some creepy/disturbing shots (when Ikki discloses Korra's crush on Mako to Asami, or when she's being held captive in Season 3). I like the character designs and illustrations. The linework is phenomenal. But the animation itself is lacking. And the fact they added too much detail to their characters so they couldn't animate make each style of bending distinct, was sad. It kind of makes sense in-universe since they've been relying more on technology and less on bending. But come on!
TL;DR: Korra has no redeemable qualities. She might be flawed, but all her problems get solved for her. Does she have any strengths? Most of the villains are stupid. The illustrations are nice, not the animation. Tenzin, Varrick and Zhu Li are cool. This show isn't darker but it tries to be edgier. This show takes different elements of ATLA and make them less compelling. Watch ATLA, it's the original and it's better.
TLOK got rid of Aaron Ehasz and didn't even bother to find a replacement. This show still beats M. Night's The Last Airbender.
4.75/10
