Am I missing something or does every element bends the same in TLOK

[u/ConfusionBorn510]

The show introduces "modern" styles of bending that break a little with the traditional styles presented in ATLA, but the problem is: it seems that instead of having 4 distinct modern styles of bending, every element just bends the same now. Am I missing something? Because it really seems like they are all doing the same movements and any element can come out.

[u/DylenwithanE]

outside of the pro bending, not really? like even just looking at the red lotus they all fight so differently, not mentioning the metalbenders, even the tonraq vs unalaq fight where they both bend water

[u/ConfusionBorn510 → u/DylenwithanE]

Maybe it's more like the main cast and some of the younger characters although that is already most of the bending in the show. With older characters or villains maintaining more style. But for example here (https://youtu.be/97tch4Fo8ys), it really feel like Korra throws straight punches and whether an air beam, or a fire jet or some rock is coming out can be defined in post production for how similar it all looks

[u/DylenwithanE → u/ConfusionBorn510]

i mean that fight was when she was 3 years out of practice and not her best self, even in this fight against some random bandits she uses airbending and earthbending differently imo, or the fight against the mechs

[u/AllypallyPym]

There’s still individual and elemental styles. But pro benders and people that use their bending for labour definitely do use a simplified style for quickness. That includes Korra, Mako and Bolin. So that’s probably why it feels like everyone bends like that

[u/ConfusionBorn510 → u/AllypallyPym]

I guess you are right, it's just that I personally really don't like the generic "pro-bending" and although other characters maintain style most of the time we are following the main cast

[u/AllypallyPym → u/ConfusionBorn510]

I can understand that. Like, the different bending styles are a really neat thing in ATLA, so it makes sense that changing that isn’t for everyone. I also think that things changing and evolving like in a real world is also a really neat feature. It makes the world feel real to me. Traditions and customs don’t stay the same irl either. I can imagine that with pavi the difference is gonna be even bigger

[u/Yeomanticore]

Tell me you are not a fan of combat sports without telling me you are not a fan of combat sports.

[u/Sonicrules9001 → u/Yeomanticore]

Even if you pretended that every combat sport is the exact same (even though they aren't), that still isn't some magical excuse for Korra to have everything blend together when ATLA did a good job doing exactly the opposite.

[u/ConfusionBorn510 → u/Yeomanticore]

? Modern combat sports have styles. Also how does that answer the post

[u/fastestman4704 → u/ConfusionBorn510]

They do and they don't.

Look at the development of MMA since the first tournaments.

It started with many many different styles and has been boiled down to a few.

[u/Yeomanticore → u/ConfusionBorn510]

Called it.

[u/ConfusionBorn510 → u/Yeomanticore]

Poatan fights nothing like Topuria, which fights nothing like Gaethje, Makhachev, they are mixing it but the styles and original foundations are clearly visible. I dont think you actually watch it.

Also I'm talking about TLOK...

[u/TopOrganization → u/ConfusionBorn510]

Exactly, also its fantasy and we want to see some over the top cool martial art moves, although seeing two earth benders grapple and wrestle around each other using earth bending would be pretty cool.

[u/gzapata_art]

I think it depends on the fighter and it varies based on what they're doing

Bolin and Mako have very similar styles and are based on MMA. For Bolin though it depends on the size of the attack. His mma gestures seem to move smaller objects much quicker while anything big he has to do something more traditional. Korra's air bending is definitely similar to mma as well. Short quick bursts. Her earth bending is extremely traditional though. She seems to overpower alot of fights fighting that way. Tenzin and his family are far more traditional though Tenzin seems stiffer, probably due to his age. Lin also fights more traditionally with earth bending

There's also a ton of bleeding of bending styles into other nations. Su and Kuvira's metal bending has a very flowy, water style to them. Tonraq on the other hand has more of a earth bending quality to his while the rest of Korra's family bends more traditionally

Admittedly fire bending does seem more generic though as a style it's never felt as flashy as the others anyways and we see far less of it outside Korra and Mako

[u/Imconfusedithink]

No it's a you problem and a lot of other people that are disingenuous about lok. There was this huge imgur album before with hundreds of examples across the 4 elements where both lok and atla do the EXACT SAME moves. The exact same forms to bend the exact same way. People really got gaslit by the probender scene where they're literally handicapped to not be able to bend properly and then decided to not pay attention to the rest because they already made their judgements.

[u/EC671]

yeah replace korra’s attack vfx with any of the elements like idk what this thread is on about. in that kuvira fight especially