The Legend of Korra is Nickelodeon's highest rated show, pulling in a 3.8 on average per episode and frequently out-scoring Mad Men in the ratings. With rumors of an additional 26 episodes getting picked up, everyone wants to know what this animated sequel-series to Avatar: The Last Airbender has up it's sleeve. For a 12 episode first season, called “Book One: Air,” Korra covered a lot of ground from what we inherit from our fathers to the differences between socialism and facism. The creators and voice actors are here, now! Let's do some live-blog-bending!
Expecting an 11:15 start!
11:15 Clips from Book One wit the brillant Track Team Korra theme. Cheers for Lin Beifong and Amon
11:18 Gasps at (spoiler) scene of Lin getting her bending taken away
11:19 Here come the panelists Mike DeMartino and Bryan Konietzko are first. Juaquin De Santos, producer, Janey Varney (korra), David Faustio (Makp), P.J Byre (Bolin), and the girl who plays Asami (Seychelle Gabriel)
11:22 Bryan confirms: There will be 4 books split over 52 episodes, we're only 1/4th of the way through. CON. FIRMED.
11:23 Janet Varney really liked playing Korra who was all about being the avatar and is headstorng. David says that he's glad he gets to play a tall hero, because he can't do that not animated. David says his one on one scenes with Korra. PJ says: 'Like when you steal her from me."
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11:25 Seychelle is like Asami because they are both independent and they are both over-packers.
11:26 We're going to do some live table reads. First scene: Bolin and Korra's first meeting in the Pro-Beding arena
11:28 PJ Byrne is improving Bolin reaction zingers. It's amazing.
11:29 Next scene from "A Voice In The Night" - Asami hits Mako on her moped. It's kind of weird to see the kid from Married With Children hit on Yue from the M. Night Last Airbender.
11:30 Next scene, from "The Spirit of Competition," opening scene at Fire Ferrets practice.
11:32 No one mentions the eskimo kiss. Byrne kills with "here we are in the gym...two alone people..."
11:34 "You know what I'm talkin' about Pabu, I'm talking about REAL LOVE." Next scene is outiside the pro-bending arena."Hey Makkoooooo!"
11:36 When P.J. Byrne says "We're the new team Avatar" everyone cheers. We're doing scenes from the latter half of the season now
11:38 Time for the Mako/Asami argument from "Turning the Tides." As soon as a still of the kitchen goes up on the screen the shippers collectively go: "OOOOOOOOoooooo!"
11:39:: Asami stands up for herself, the women in the crowd cheer.
11:40 The Mako/Korra scene in the Hobo Village from Turning The Tides is actually more touching in this reading. Turns out the Korra romance works better if they have room to let the individual lines breathe
Steve Blum (Amon) and Dee Bradley Baker (Tarrlock) are in the audeince? WHY AREN'T THEY ON STAGE?
11:41 Bryan: "We love you guys. Sorry we blew up the boat."
11:42 Track Team is here as well 11:43 Book Two will be called "Spirit" and takes place 6 months after Book One. It's concept art time! Fred Stewart and Emily Tetre (sic) are the artists.
11:44 There will be a festival at the southern Water Tribe. It looks like it's been biult like the Northern Water Tribe was in Avatar. They will also journey into the tundra of the southern water tribe
11:45 There's a glowing ice location they are travelling to. It looks like a cross between Aangs Ice ball and Superman's fortress of solitude.
11:46 We will visit the Southern Air Temple and more ancient airbender sites.
11:48 We will visit the spirit world and there will be two "very special episodes" in the middle of the season that deal with the mythology of the spirits an the Avatar.
11:49 Everyone gets winter garb this season. Asami gets a business outfit because she's taken over Future Industries. We get to see Bumi and Kya in Book 2. Bumi has pink earmuffs in his concept art.
11:51 Updated Kya art - her favorite song is "Secret Tunnel," she's a bit of a hippy, has a special relationship with Jinora. We'll be seeing more of Korra's parents next season, so they both get updated designs. Korra's dad is like Gaston size.
11:52 Ulak is Korra's Uncle, she is the chief of the northern tribe, we will learn how Korra's fate ties into the whole family and how that family ties into the two water tribes.
11:53 Ulak has twins. One boy one girl, they are similarly designed, the voices have been cast (but we can't be told).
11:56 "There will be no shortage of sprits this season" We're looking at one that looks like a demon owl with legs. They have an animatic clip! Let's watch!
12:02 Mako is a cop! He takes down some criminals. Bolin is still a Fire Ferret. We got to see Korra go into the Avatar State to win an airball race with the air-kids on Air Temple Island. We also get to see Korra fight a spirit, which looks like it will be a massive battle. We get to see Asami who is ready to ship bi-planes to get Future Industries back on the map.
12:04 Andrea Romano is talking everyone through voice acting, keeping consistency, etc.
12:05 Fan question from Facebook: "As creators, what do you do day-to-day?" Now: Mike is working with the writers on book 3 and Bryan is looking at animatics since he's the art director. Designers in Burbank are hard at work on Book 2 and 4.
12:07 Bryan: "Mike and I got to write Book One together, which was nice, but all my design work fell behind." So Book 2 has some more writers working with Mike, and Bryan's peeking in whenever he can. "If you want your own show: BEWARE."
12:09 We're going to record sounds for Pro Bending crowds! Yay!
12:10 We get to be anticipatory mumbling, gasping!, 4000 peole saying "awwwwwwwww." Then laughs divided by gender (first women, then just men), then only kids laughing. Except there's only like 5 kids. Bryan: "They were 4 years old when Firefly came out, so they're kind of kids." 12:12 And we all cheer for the Fire Ferrets and love and the panel is over!
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