The Legend of Korra - Does it Live Up to Aang?

Yesterday I was looking for anime to watch, and stumbled upon The Legend of Korra. I had started this back when it originally aired, but due to work and weak internet connection, I stopped after the first 5 episodes. Although I found it to be interesting at the time, the time between the broadcasts slowly dimmed my interest in Korra. This time, however, all three seasons had been completed and I could watch all episodes continuously, which I thought was better as you're not confused by the following episode.

Korra is basically the next reincarnation of Aang. She was born in the Southern Water Tribe and has a polar bear as a pet. The first season basically introduces her, and follows her through her adventures in Republic City, the new united city founded by Aang. Having mastered fire, water and earth, she undergoes airbending training with Aang's son Tenzin. She also meets her companions throughout the next 2 seasons, brothers Mako & Bolin, as well as Asami. The main plotline in season 1 revolves around the dispute between benders and non-benders, with a pro-non-bending activist called Aman allegedly being able to take one's bending ability away. He is the main antagonist Korra and gang must face in order to restore peace back to Republic City.

Season 2 was a lot more interesting, delving more into the spirit world with a Miyakazi-like influence. We also learn more about the first avatar, Wan, and how he acquired the powers of the avatar. Every 10,000 years, the spirit of light (Raava) and the spirit of darkness (Vaatu) fight to determine who will rule the earth for the next 10,000 years. Wan fused with Raava to defeat Vaatu, trapping him in the time tree in the spirit world. Wan also closed the portals to the spirit world to prevent Vaatu from escaping. However, Korra who did not know about Wan's history, and being manipulated by her uncle, opened one portal thinking she was mending the relationship between spirits and humans. Eventually her uncle fused with Vaatu, but Korra was able to defeat them, and left the portals open so spirits and humans could freely roam each other's worlds.

Season 3 explores the consequences of spirits co-existing with humans, as in the very first episode we see Korra attempting to rid Republic City of huge overgrown vines throughout the city. The aftereffects of the defeat of Vaatu and keeping the spirit portals open means random people were also gaining the ability to airbend, balancing the four elements. Korra and gang travel the world to find these airbenders so they can learn and train with Tenzin, and eventually recreate the Air nation. On the way, she also encounters the Red Lotus group, who are intent on killing all higher powers and the avatar to achieve 'true' freedom. Korra was able to defeat them and save the new Air nation.

Overall, the Legend of Korra was good. The first season was relatively weak compared to the following two, but did improve with time. I particularly liked the fight scenes in season 2 and season 3, and I would say season 2 was my favourite. The artwork was beautiful and it was definitely interesting to learn about how the avatar became the avatar. You really feel like you were transported to a 'Spirited Away' world in this season. It was also nice to see how Aang's generation grew up, and how their families turned out. I would also say the plotlines for all three seasons were interesting and well written, and the artwork was spectacular.

What I didn't enjoy was the constant love triangle between Korra, Mako and Asami. This dragged on and on throughout the series, and was seriously boring. Mako has to be the most indecisive douche-bag in the whole of the Avatar series. It also seems a bit odd (spoilers alert) that Korra was able to defeat the spirit of darkness but had trouble with the Red Lotus group. It was also a bit unbelievable how the leader of the Red Lotus, who was able to airbend after the spirit portals were open, could master airbending to a level above Tenzin, who trained with Aang and has had much more experience and training...hmmm....

I would say the Legend of Aang was better, but Korra isn't bad either. The way they explored how bending existed in more modern settings was definitely innovative and exciting to watch. I look forward to how they will wrap Korra up with the new season coming this October.

Rating: 7/10

Tiny

Ugg Boots - Is it Really Worth Extra?

Autumn and winter is a-coming, and out comes the uggs. These snugly fluffy boots are not only a wardrobe favourite, but also a fashion favourite for some. With ugg boots however, there is a huge choice out there with the most obvious being the Ugg Australia brand. Others include EMUs, Bearpaws, and other high street and online brands. I've owned 3 ugg boots including 1 Urban Ugg Co, 1 Bearpaw and 1 Rodius (bought on eBay).

With some uggs at a price of £140 on average, is it really worth all that extra money though? The major difference between the higher-end ranges vs high street brands is the material, which is sheepskin for boots at a RRP of over £80. Compared to the synthetic material used in high street shops, the sheepskin is more expensive to acquire, hence why more well known brands are more expensive.

The Rodius ugg

My first pair was a pair of Rodius boots, which I bought online from a Korean eBay seller, and this brand is quite popular for fashion shoots over in Asia. I'm still not too sure about the origins of this brand. Anyways, it looks like a regular ugg boot, my one was mid length, so it covered from my ankles to my calves. It has a really cute eagle-like logo sewn into one side of the ugg boot, which I actually really liked. Looking at the picture, it looks really warm and thick, but in reality, it's actually quite thin material. The wool inside is very thin, and it doesn't really help much with keeping your feet warm. However, I do have to say, they do look nice with a pair of jeans or with tights, but at a price of £20+, it's probably better to go with high street brands.

Bearpaw uggs

I bought my second pair of ugg boots when I went to America to teach in a Summer Camp (hmmmm might write a blog post about this later on!). I saw these in the Bronx for just $20-something and I was like, no! I can't leave this! These actually helped me survive summer in America, as storms were a frequent unexpected phenomenon. It also kept my feet very warm on the flight home. Just feeling these, they are much more heavier that the Rodius boots, and the wool was very warm. I relied on these boots pretty much throughout my last year at university, and wore them pretty much everyday. This is purely because they were so easy to put on and you can face the cold British weather with them on. They've lasted me about 2 years, however, you can definitely notice the wear and tear. I can't wear these out anymore as the stones have punctured some of the heel, so stones actually end up inside the shoe and rattle when I walk. Also, these stones have made some holes into the heel itself, so my feet get very wet if it's raining outside. Finally, the inside soles of the boot itself have started to disintegrate, and is quite uncomfortable to walk in. Despite this, I did wear them all the time, and they are definitely worth the price of up to about £60 I would say.

The Urban Ugg Co

I received these pair of ugg boots from a friend in Australia, and these cost around £80. At first, it may look surprisingly like Ugg Australia, but it's actually a different brand: The Urban Ugg Co. They are also made from real sheepskin, like Bearpaw. However, these are just amazing so far (I received them in January 2014), they are so comfortable and make really comfy driving shoes. You can see from the picture how thick the inside wool lining is, and believe me, they feel so warm as well. It's definitely worth that £80 price tag, in my opinion. These uggs are ankle uggs, so a little different from the above two. I doubted if I could pull them off on a casual daily basis, but despite my very short frame (152cm only!), they make my legs look long and slim. They are also very comfortable, and I can literally walk for hours on end in them.

Verdict? I would definitely say splashing a bit more cash on reputable ugg boot brands is definitely worth it. As you can see, the price you pay is the quality you receive. And despite what people may say, and this is especially true for the shorties out there, they do make a nice addition to a casual outfit.

Ratings:

Rodius: 3/10
Bearpaws: 6/10
Urban Ugg Co: 10/10

BeautyBlender - It Really Is Magic!

I've been using the BeautyBlender for about 5 months now, and I absolutely love it! Before getting the BeautyBlender, I either used a brush or my fingers. With the brush, it was always a bit too rough for my skin and irritated it, and with fingers, I was sometimes left with streaks, plus contouring was quite hard to achieve. So, I finally decided to get the BeautyBlender, and am so glad I did.

BeautyBlender Case

This sponge is so soft and the shape is really easy for applying makeup to your whole face, including those tight corners that you can sometimes miss. It is recommended you wet the sponge first (which literally doubles it's size), squeeze the excess water out, and towel dry it. You can then apply your foundation or concealer. I like to use my fingers to first dab a few dots of foundation on my face first. They recommend you to bounce the beautyblender softly on your face to blend the foundation, but I actually found that this can sometimes leave foundation looking like powder on your face in certain spaces. Instead, I like to use it as a brush, using the tip to blend the makeup outwards on my face. I found this motion actually creates a much more flawless effect for my face compared to bouncing it. Afterwards, I use concealer, and I use the wider round base to blend this in using a bouncing motion.

The beautyblender, wider at the bottom, thinner at the tip

It's really easy to maintain this product as well. I like to use baby shampoo to clean it right after I use it, towel dry it, and leave it in the original casing to air dry it when I go to work. At just £14 for one, it's definitely worth it and you achieve really beautiful flawless makeup as well. Contouring is so easy with the beautyblender as well, because the sponge is just perfect for blending the two colours together. Why spend a fortune on a brush kit, when you can have one to do pretty much everything?

Rating: 10/10

Tiny

Outfit of the Day - 08/09/2014

My smart casual work outfit for today:

Floral Top - ASOS

Pencil Skirt - ASOS

Cardigan - Tammy

Heels - Dorothy Perkins

I absolutely LOVE ASOS for all things work related, purely because they have some great essential items at great prices, which last a really long time as well! I'm very petite, exactly 5' 0", so I usually fit into a size 4 and trust me it is hard enough trying to find size 6. ASOS offers a great petite range, especially for size 4, which makes shopping so much easier for me. This skirt fits perfectly, although just a bit long, but I can make do with that. The floral top, however, was way too big, and if I didn't tie up the straps a little, everything would have been exposed, so if this is still in stock on ASOS, I'd suggest you buy a smaller size (I'm sure the lack of a bust also played a big part in my failure to wear this top).

My heels are from Dorothy Perkins, and I bought them for £35, which for me is quite pricey for high street branded shoes. However, these are so damn comfy, and despite their height, you can walk perfectly for pretty much the whole working day. Any more though, your feet will feel its wrath!

Enjoy & Follow me on Pinterest to see more: Click Here! :)

Tiny

Outfit of the Day - 05/09/2014

Outfit for the Day

It was mildly cold today in London, with temperatures of around 16 degrees. I woke up a bit late today, so I half grabbed the clothes I wanted to wear today.

Outfit (recommended for fall and mildly cold weathers):

Hollister Checkered Shirt & Sweater
Grey Jeans from Dorothy Perkins
Nike Trainers

This is perfect for commuters, because it's not too warm and not too cold, and most importantly it's comfy. I absolutely adore Hollister, and this sweater is so soft inside. I actually bough both Hollister items in the USA when I went there 2 years ago. These Nike's are also my little lifesavers, easy to put on and kind to my feet. They also last a long time, I've had these ones for just under 4 years now!

Perfect for: mildly cold weather, fall, casual and commuters.

Tiny

The Jerwood Space Cafe

The Jerwood Space Cafe is situated on Union Street, 4 minutes walk away from Borough and 15 minutes from my workplace in Elephant and Castle. From the outside, you would expect an art exhibition centre, which is what Jerwood Space is essentially. However, you wouldn't expect a little cafe sitting inside, with 3 different types of eating areas: inside admiring the wall art, in the glass conservatory, and outdoors on the patio.

I would recommend you check out the Prism display, which is hidden away in a dark room behind a black curtain. Inside are several prisms aligned together, creating beautiful colours on the walls around you. I also enjoyed covering the lights beaming into the prisms, which changes the sequences of colours that you can see.

Food wise, I had a Sweet Chilli Noodles with Salmon, which took about 10-15 minutes to arrive. For me, this dish was a bit too westernised, with a bit too much sugar and too little chilli. I believe, however, people not accustomed to Asian food, however, would enjoy this dish. The salmon was cooked to perfect, it was so scrumptious, and the veg was neither overcooked or undercooked. The only problem I had was with the sauce, as I mentioned earlier.

I think this unique little cafe is perfect for lunches by yourself, with friends, or even with clients. It's a very nice atmosphere, and all the hot foods are cooked on the spot, just for you.

Discover Their Menu Here!

Rating: 7/10

Tiny

Doctor Who - Season 8, Episode 1 Review (SPOILERS)

I debated on whether to watch this season from the moment Matt Smith regenerated into Peter Capaldi. I really enjoyed the Matt Smith, Amy & Rory trio, and since then (for me anyways) waiting for the new episode of Doctor Who hasn't been as exciting as back then. Not to say Jenna Coleman (Clara) is a bad actress, in fact I think she's doing a damn good job, but because the trio was just much better in my opinion. Of course, like the majority, I was also a bit wary about Peter Capaldi playing the Doctor.

So, on to the episode! With the beginning of the episode kicking off with a huge T-Rex, it's hard to keep you eyes away from the TV. Immediately, you are wondering why this T-Rex has ended up in the streets of Victorian London. In this episode, we are also reintroduced to Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax, and I was actually more interested in their screen time than Clara and the Doctors. Unfortunately, for me, this episode was pretty boring. Not even the half machine, half human antagonists could keep me interested for long. It seems like Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are still getting used to their parts, and to be honest, the chemistry was a bit off as well. We are also introduced to a less likeable Doctor, who abandons his companions and is frustrating to be around. I think they were trying to explore a darker side to the Doctor by revealing that he has his bad sides as well, but to have a darker character compared to a dislikeable character is two totally different things. This Doctor is not likeable, and viewers can't relate to him, and at the end of the day if a character is not liked, it's hard to get ratings up.

The only bit I enjoyed was the ending, where we are introduced to Missy, who I'm guessing is our newest antagonist. It seems that when a character dies, they all end up in what Missy likes to call 'heaven'. Whether this really is the case, we still have to keep our eyes peeled to the weekly showings to find out. Someone mentioned on Buzzfeed also noticed the similarities between this 'heaven' and the episode where Amy is abandoned and grows old (Buzzfeed Article, Breaking Down This Episode), hmmmmm... I also loved the fact that Matt Smith was featured in this episode, despite his short appearance, it was greatly appreciated. His phone call to Clara also seemed like a message to the fans, telling them to be patient with Peter Capaldi's Doctor and to give him a chance before judging.

All-in-all, I was a bit disappointed with this episode. However, since it is the first one, I will try my luck with the next few and see. If anything, I will watch all of the episode just to see who this Missy person is, as in my opinion, her character and story arc is the most interesting.

Rating: 5/10

Tiny