Friday 23 January 2015

Context and the bisexual Avatar

(Spoiler warning for the series finale of Legend Of Korra)

I've just started watching the third season of Legend Of Korra, thanks to the generosity of the internet since Nickolodean has an almost HBO-esque inability to release timely DVDs. Anyway, I'm doing this after the end of season four was spoilered for me by the whole of tumblr going crazy about it. Not that I blame them, this was a biggie.

So I'm going into watching these final two seasons knowing who Korra walks off into the sunset with. This means I have a context for things denied the audience at first transmission, especially given the creators' insistence that they intended to develop Korra and Asami's relationship towards a romantic conclusion since somewhere in the planning phase of season three.
Anyway, I just watched the episode where Asami tries to teach Korra to drive. The two of them are sitting in Asami's car and each confesses to the other that they kissed Mako whilst the other was dating him (long story and if you don't know it then, seriously, watch this series its great). After they have this off their chests Korra tells Asami's she glad they're still fine as growing up as sheltered as she did she's never had a girlfriend before...

and God help me but the moment Korra says that Asami has a look of shock on her face, I'm sure of it. I was aware of the moment in question because of some fanfic I read but I assumed it was just the sort of moment 'shippers grab onto regardless of authorial intent (and ain't nothin' wrong with that) but it really does look like Asami's internal monologue is going “Girlfriend? She said girlfriend! Oh spirits, I wish, but she blatantly means 'friend who is a girl'... I'm glad she's driving or I'd have crashed the car when she said that...”.

I wonder what else I'll notice on the way to these two ladies walking off into the sunset/spirit world. 

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