Project Voicebend is an Abridged Series of The Legend of Korra, showing the adventures of Avatar Korra in Republic City as she tries to find a bathroom, fails at airbending, learns what sex is, and opposes Amon's plans to break the fourth wall.
You can watch the series here on YouTube
, though due to copyright claims getting episodes taken down it's easier to watch the entire series on Vimeo here or on the creators' Tumblr, where they also post updates.
Project Voicebend provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents:
- Like in the canon, Yakone is this to his sons, telling Tarrlok that he'll never be cool and Amon that he hates him.
- Also like in the canon, Unalaq is this to his children, telling them he hates them for killing Korra.
- Accidental Misnaming:
- Mako never gets Asami's name right. He refers to her as Pastrami, Toonami, and Illuminati, among other things. Subverted in Season 1's final episode when Mako finally manages to call Asami by the right name.
- Tenzin never gets Pema's name right either. In Episode 10, Asami and Pema bond over this.
- Actor Allusion:
- Mako's Pretty Fly for a White Guy persona seems to be based around the fact his voice actor in the actual cartoon, David Faustino released a rap record once.
- When Asami angrily asks Mako if he knows what her name is, he sheepishly guesses Seychelle Gabriel, the name of her voice actress on the original show.
- Admiring the Abomination: Even while she's being painfully bloodbent, Korra can't help but remark how cool it is that Tarrlok can do it without a full moon and expresses an interest in learning it herself.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Bolin likes Korra, Korra likes Mako, Mako likes Asami, and Asami likes Korra.
- And I Must Scream: Losing pro-bending players are trapped inside Tahno's hair.
- The Baby Trap: Pema bitterly notes that the best way to trap a man is to have his babies. Unlike most examples, this is a case where the woman feels like she's the one who got trapped.
- Big Bad:
- Amon for season 1. However, despite trying to take the spotlight in the story, he isn't as intimidating as he is in the series proper. Korra reacts with annoyance rather than fear when he confronts her in episode four.
- Unalaq for season 2. Unlike the main series he's portrayed as Obviously Evil to everyone but Korra, who insists on believing Unalaq is just her cool uncle.
- Big "NO!": Mako lets one out (in slow motion) once Korra kisses him on the lips, knowing the
Ship-to-Ship Combat that will ensue. - Big, Stupid Doodoo-Head:
- Korra and Tarrlok trade insults like this in Episode 8.
- Korra breaks up with Mako because he called her a wimp.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Asami's attempt to get Korra to come to her home, mixed with some repetition:Asami: We've got a pool, and a bed, and a hot tub, and a bed, and handcuffs, and a bed... and a bed.
- Bring My Brown Pants: Tarrlok visible pisses himself when confronted by an angry Korra.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite being an alcoholic weirdo, Lin is as good a detective and fighter as in the series, especially noticeable in Episode 9 where she's dealing with the Krew.
- Burning with Anger: Asami explodes in flames when she finds out that Korra kissed Mako.
- Character Exaggeration:
- In the original show, Korra is a bending prodigy who enjoys fighting and doesn't have much real world knowledge due to limited social interaction. Here, she's a bending prodigy who's sexually turned on by fighting and knows nothing about anything else due to the White Lotus' terrible education.
- Canon Bolin is generally a wacky comic relief sidekick. PVB Bolin has all of his wacky comic relief qualities dialed up about 100 notches, including saying nearly everything in a loud, screechy voice and missing the point of nearly everything that is said to him.
- Meelo is a weird case. While his voice is certainly dialed up to more or less the same level as PVB Bolin (except in this case literally unintelligible), his dialogue is subtitled in incredibly eloquent, sophisticated language.
- Asami is a downplayed case. In the show, she gradually develops feelings for Korra, shows a selfless devotion to her, but otherwise stays quiet about it until the very end. PVB Asami lusts for Korra from the very beginning, has a creepy Yandere obsession over her, and really doesn't hide it at all.
- Canon Tarrlok is a slightly effeminate Corrupt Politician. Here, his prissiness is not only taken up to eleven, but his motivation is changed to reflect it.
- Varrick has somehow become even more eccentric and manic, his scenes moving along at an even faster pace than in the show.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Pema informs Katara that she has a baby inside her, the old woman thinks she ate one.
- Cool Car: The Satomobile that Team Avatar uses has built-in rockets that allow it to fly.
- Crossdressing Voices: Not to the extent of a lot of abridged series, but some characters, like Katara and Shiro Shinobi, are voiced by people of the opposite sex simply for Rule of Funny.
- Dirty Old Woman: Katara, who gets aroused by violence, and Lin, who grotesquely hits on Tenzin and listens to him and Pema having sex.
- Downer Ending: The series abruptly ends on Season 2's "A New Spiritual Age", with Unalaq having opened the portal and Jinora being trapped in the spirit world.
- Drunk on Milk: Subverted. Unlike in the original show, the noodles that Bolin gets drunk on are laced with cactus juice, elephant tranquilizers, shrooms, and tears.
- Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: Owing to the "Bad Joke Amon" meme, Amon has a tendency to crack lame puns that impress no one.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Amon's Lieutenant to a ridiculous degree.
- Exiled to the Couch: The Lieutenant gets this treatment from Amon after Korra escapes from him in episode 9.
- Expy: Jinora is now one of Hermione, sporting a British accent and referring to the "Wingardium Leviosa" spell when Korra practices her airbending movements. Korra even refers to her as "little airbending Hermione". Since the creators grew to regret making the reference over time, this was lampshaded in episode 8, when Mako asks Jinora why she's the only member of the airfamily with a British accent.Jinora: Well, I believe there was a joke involved, or a... reference or... something. Y-you know what? The joke is stupid, let's just go to the boys' room.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Everyone gasps when it is revealed that Tarrlok is a jerk.
- Foreshadowing: Parodied/Lampshaded in Episode 2.Mako: Oh shit, you the Avatar, huh?
Korra: [sarcastically] Great detective work!
[a caption reading "Foreshadowing" briefly appears on the screen] - Flying Car: The "Korramobile" turns out to be able to fly by means of flame turbos to get from Air Temple Island to Republic City.
- Gave Up Too Soon:
- Unsatisfied with the level of violence displayed in the Pro-Bending championship game, Katara leaves to go get wasted. Then the Equalists launch their attack on the stadium.
- Korra regrets quitting Tarrlok's task force because now she can't learn to bloodbend without a full moon.
- Generation Xerox: Lin apparently learned her bizarre slang from Toph.
- Girls Have Cooties: Mako tries to use this reasoning to keep Bolin from dating Korra. It doesn't work.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: When Asami suggestively decides to show Korra what girls do together, both Mako and Bolin get very excited. When they go to the race track instead, Mako is sorely disappointed.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: After Tarrlok locks her up in a tiny box and leaves her, Korra starts having hallucinations of Tenzin's floating head telling her to meditate and scenes from her past life.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: Victims of Amon become terrified by their new awareness of the narrative, and wonder what happens to them when the episode ends and why none of them have last names.
- Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: Most of Shiro Shinobi's commentary consists of complaints about how much he hates having to watch Pro-Bending games all the time.
- Hilarious Outtakes: Not long after an actual episode is released, another video dedicated to the failed attempts at group recordings will also be released.
- Humans Are Cthulhu: The writers of the show are referred to by Amon as "a creature known only as Bryke", a powerful being which controls the actions of everyone.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: Why Korra takes issue with Tarrlok scaring civilians.
- Ice-Cream Koan: Iroh's advice is rather vague.
- Kissing Under the Influence: Asami kisses Mako while high on paint fumes, believing he's Korra.
- Laughing Mad: Korra after her "escape" from the White Lotus compound.
- Love Triangle:
- The Korra-Mako-Asami triangle is shifted to Mako being interested in Korra with vague feelings for Asami, while Asami is only attracted to Korra and pretending to date Mako to get closer to her. Korra, who's oblivious to Asami's obvious advances, doesn't like Mako personally, but has the hots for him regardless.
- Amon and Lieutenant apparently sleep together, but Hiroshi is looking forward to ruling the city with Amon, who refers to him as "shnookums".
- Machine Monotone: Saikhan.
- Manchild: Aang was a terribly immature adult, going so far as to mistake Yakone's escape attempt as a game of tag. And Aang took away his bending while tagging him without even intending to.
- Meta Guy: Amon, who refers to Bryke by name and is aware of their control over the story and is determined to break the fourth wall. His power here is "mind-bending", where he makes his victims aware of their roles in the plot, or lack thereof.
- Minor Insult Meltdown: Tarrlok calling Korra dumb leaves her in tears because she realizes how Book Dumb she really is.Korra (while sobbing): "I don't even know what 2+2 is!"
- Mood Whiplash: Episode 21/22 ends with Korra and Tenzin panicking over Jinora not waking up, but it ends up with an ad for Spongebob and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
- Neon Sign Hideout: The entrance to the Equalists' underground tunnels is out in the open and covered in signs professing how it isn't an entrance to the Equalists' secret hideout.
- Nobody Poops: There are no bathrooms in Republic City. Only the Satos are rich enough to afford one, and Korra mentions not having peed in ten days.
- No Indoor Voice: Several characters, like Lin and Meelo, sound like they're shouting (or screaming) most of the time.
- No More for Me: Chief Beifong decides to cut down her booze consumption after realizing she was hitting on Mako.
- Noodle Incident: Pema and Tenzin have tried to get Lin stuck with their kids at least once.
- "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer: Most of the dialogue is original, but at a few points certain ridiculous lines from the series are used with the phrase "Actual Canon Dialogue" on the screen.
- No, You:
- Quoth Tarrlok: "My club is not dumb. [dramatic pause] You're dumb." It's still enough to send Korra away in tears.
- It's also Korra's response to Tenzin telling her she can't airbend.
- Obviously Evil: Unalaq, whose introduction includes him laughing evilly and lightning bolts in the background. He later states his intent to kill everyone present during his speech to the Southern Water Tribe.
- Only Sane Man:
- Despite all of her own issues, Korra is still probably the most grounded person in Republic City. This is evident when everyone confronts Hiroshi on his Equalist ties.
Korra: I heard you asking Amon what he was wearing and then telling him you'd...wear an Equalist uniform for him.
Hiroshi: Oh, well, see, I was role-playing and having phone-whoopie with my...dead wife.
[beat]
Lin: I can dig that.
Tenzin: Sounds legit.
Mako: Yeah, you don't know what you're talkin' about, Korra!
Korra: What?!- Sokka also filled this role in the flashbacks, being one of the few characters to behave rationally and having a normal voice.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Tenzin immediately realizes something is upsetting Korra when she's unmoved by Tarrlok giving her the opportunity to beat people up with no consequences.
- Primal Scene: Kind of. Korra doesn't see Tenzin and Pema have sex on their Whoopie Night, but she hears them, and is notably horrified. When she finds out that they were having sex, she's driven to tears.
- Promotion to Parent: Rather than act like his big brother, Mako acts as though he's Bolin's mother, even referring to him as "my child," "my son," or "my baby." As of episode 17/18, Bolin actually calls Mako "mom".
- "Psycho" Strings: Played as Asami watches Mako comfort Korra.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Tarrlok refers to his task force as his "Cool Kids' Club", and arrests a crowd of nonbenders because he believes they will throw an Equalist rave without inviting him. He also has a "clubhouse", and his entire motivation seems to be convincing people he's cool.
- Right Through the Wall: When Tenzin and Pema have sex, everyone in Republic City knows it.
- Running Gag:
- Tenzin forgetting Pema's name, ditto for Mako and Asami.
- There's one guy who keeps criticizing Amon's plans and getting electrocuted for it.
- Satellite Character: Pema's status as this is parodied.Pema: Dear, you know how much potential I have to be more than a pregnant chick in this show, right? Is Bryke giving me a bigger role yet?
Tenzin: Wait, who are you?
Pema: Okay. Guess I better go shoot some more babies out of my vagina! - Sex Is Violence: Korra is blatantly turned on by violence and becomes a pro-bender for this reason. Katara has a similar response to the sport.Korra (After fighting some Equalists): "I'M SO HAAAAAPPPPYYYY!"
- Shirtless Scene: Tonraq is (according to him) so hot he melted part of the Northern Water Tribe's city when he fought some spirits shirtless. Although the shirtlessness was also an important part of saving everyone, apparently.
- Something We Forgot:
- Mako and Korra completely forget all about Bolin at the end of the episode 3. Lampshaded the next episode when Bolin expresses disbelief they would do something like that.
- The team later leaves Asami behind when they head towards the southern spirit portal.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Amon and Tarrlok survive their boat exploding and go on a vacation.
- Squick: In-universe, everyone is creeped out by Katara stating when she gets "moist", so much so that the word becomes banned.
- Straw Fan: The Equalist Protester spouts barely intelligible complaints about the ending of Book 2. As Korra states, "Literally no one cares".
- Stupid Sexy Flanders: Saikhan's imitation of Lin's manner of speech has this effect on Tenzin.Tenzin: But seriously, stop acting like my ex-girlfriend. You're confusing my genitals!
Saikhan: You stop, dippity-dip.
Tenzin: I don't like you. - Suddenly Shouting: Many characters, particularly Tenzin. Asami also lapses into a deep, loud voice listed in the credits as "Asami's scary voice".
- Suspiciously Specific Denial:
- Asami's attempt not to give away her father's location ends up having the opposite effect.Asami: You'll never find my dad in his factory behind the house! [Beat] Shit.
- The Equalist's tunnel is covered with signs saying that it's a normal tunnel, secret tunnels are a myth, Equalists don't hang out there and Korra's not inside.
- Asami's attempt not to give away her father's location ends up having the opposite effect.
- The Talk: No one's ever had it with Korra. Amon is more direct with her than anyone else, freaking her out by explaining she had heard Pema and Tenzin having sex. Tenzin almost explains things to her, but chickens out and messes her up even more.
- Talkative Loon: Presumably due to being constantly drunk, Lin spouts a lot of nonsense.Korra: But your mom and Avatar Aang were friends.
Lin: So? That's got diddly squat doo-wop doo-wop legalize pot Blitzkrieg Bop to do with you right now!
Korra: Uh...
Lin: GET A WIGGLE ON IT MR. NOBODY HOME! - That Makes Me Feel Angry: Tonraq is very up front with how much he dislikes Unalaq.
- Totally Radical: Everyone sans Amon refers to sex as "making whoopie".
- The Unintelligible: Meelo, though subtitles are provided.
- Unusual Euphemism: Mako uses "kitty-cat" to refer to vaginas.
- Vocal Dissonance:
- Bolin has a very high-pitched voice, all but screaming out his lines.
- Both Tarrlok and Amon had their adult voices as children.
- Weaksauce Weakness: The Equalists are only vulnerable to "ten and seven-year-olds".
- Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Happens very frequently, particularly whenever Ikki screams or Asami shows her psychotic tendencies.
