The Legend of Korra (TLOK), spinoff to the beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), aired in 2012 and ran for 4 seasons.
When I was a kid, I adored everything about Avatar: The Last Airbender; the characters, the stories, the awesome bending of elements, and the beautiful world they all lived in. Upon hearing that a spinoff of my favorite show was in the works, I got ecstatic. However, as my ten-year-old self watched the spinoff when it aired, I couldn’t help but feel disconnected from its mature tone and gave up on it midway through the first season. From then on out, I spoke terribly of the show. I called it boring, lame and just a horrible attempt to measure up to its predecessor.
A lot of people talked negatively about TLOK without having seen it, myself included. Perhaps it had something to do with the embarrassingly disappointing ATLA live action movie, or the fact that, in a misogynistic world where a woman can only be soft, small and polite, the new Avatar was a muscular, tall and loud woman.
It wasn’t until August of this year, when the series was uploaded to Netflix, that I realized how mistaken I was. I never could have anticipated how much I would grow to love this series and appreciate how wonderful and masterful it truly is.
The show, just like the main character Korra, had a lot to live up to. ATLA was a huge success, and rightfully so, that came to be known for its amazing plots, world-building and character arcs, as well as its beautiful writing, animation, and original music. However, it was people’s devotion toward this modern classic that tainted The Legend of Korra before it could even try to become its own masterpiece.
The Legend of Korra, like its predecessor, doesn’t shy away from important and tough topics; specifically mental health and emotional growth, the effects of PTSD, the fight for equality, discrimination against the marginalized, the rise of a dictatorship, and the horrors of tyranny. Of course, these themes aren’t portrayed as explicitly as others within the story, but they are undeniably there.
This show was very necessary when it first aired because it shows how there’s more than one side of the story. Now, with its resurgence, thanks to Netflix and the fight for equality led by BLM, women’s rights groups and LGBTQ+ rights activists, TLOK is a perfect model for why fighting injustice is indisputable. Korra gives us hope, and reminds us that, although fighting is hard, peace truly is possible.
One of the main reasons I disliked TLOK at first was because it was so different from ATLA. The writers took risks and created something entirely new using the original show as the source material. I, as well as some people I know, failed to realize that the original cast’s journey is over; yes, they appear as characters in this new show and yes, they play parts in the plot, but the show is not about them. The show is about a new and older Avatar, living in a new technological era, dealing with new tough challenges. Big decisions had to be made in order to keep the stakes high, and to create a rich and compelling story, even if they taint the original cast’s history and the entire Avatar universe. And clearly not everyone will like it. Heck! Even I was upset when I first saw it! But I realized that without change, there can’t be greatness. These decisions helped create Korra’s amazing arc and brought so much depth to her character.
The main character, Korra, begins the show as a hotheaded, impulsive and somewhat arrogant Avatar that wants more than anything to be the best fighter out there. This is perhaps another reason why she was disdained; it is important to note, however, that Korra is not Aang. She is not better or worse than him or any other Avatar before her. However, Korra’s journey in true self-discovery takes her to become the wisest, most compassionate and persistent Avatar to succeed at bringing peace and balance between their world and the Spirit World.
Korra’s enemies, an extremist fighting for equality between benders and non-benders, a mad man wanting to harness the spirit of pure evil into the world, a group of equalists that want to get rid of world leaders, and finally, a dictator refusing to resign from her title, all taught her lessons about herself. A really wonderful quality about TLOK, a quality barely seen in most shows, is that every action has consequences within the plot.
One action leads to the next until everything from seasons one to three pile up, and causes Korra to break down in season four. That’s what I believe makes the show so captivating; it’s so real. Korra isn’t affected by something, forgets about it, and then moves onto the next thing; all her monsters haunt her and add on to the struggles of her present. Korra becomes so incredibly strong and learns to cope with trauma by healing her deep, emotional wounds. It is so inspiring to watch her grow into the best woman she can be.
Aside from being immersive, The Legend of Korra is also really freaking cool. There’s awesome fight scenes featuring epic bending, rich stories filled with comedic relief, amazing characters, stunning music and animation, and not to mention the incredible world building! This show did not shy away from exploring the already wonderful world of ATLA, and mixed all these elements into a perfectly moist chocolate cake for your eyes and ears.
It all boils down to the art direction; the way the scenes are choreographed and tinged make a pleasing aesthetic and bring so much excitement to the story (I mean, the story of how the very first Avatar became the Avatar… legendary). Goosebumps guaranteed! By the end, you’ll want to live in Republic City, know how to metal bend, wear the classic Nation colors, and fight off the worst bad guys alongside the New Team Avatar.
If I’ve convinced you and you’re willing to give TLOK a shot, I urge you to watch it with an open mind.
This is not ATLA; it is a bit more mature, slow paced, and it has imperfect characters, but it is so much fun. I urge you to push through the slower episodes, I promise you it is worth it. Aside from all the ways it is incredible, it also has amazing representation. Although it is only hinted at in the last episode, the comics following the show confirm Korra’s bisexuality. We love to see a gorgeous, big muscled, brownskin, bisexual woman as a strong, empowering lead!
