The Legend of Korra

So first things first: I have no idea how to describe the world of the Avatar. But let's try: The four elements mean far more than a normal person might think. For some, it forms the core of their being and enables them to manipulate a particular element they're attuned to. As such the world is divided into governments focused on an element. However there is one person in every generation, someone linked to the spirit world and empowered to make use of all four elements - earth, fire, air, water. This person, the Avatar, is tasked with bringing balance to the world, the elements and the realm of the spirit beyond that which normal mortals can see. It is not for them to rule or dictate, but to guide and preserve. And so as an authority of their own, they travel the world to do what they can, however they can.

There have been two different series based in this universe. The first was Avatar: The Last Airbender of which a movie was made. The second was The Legend of Korra set a generation after the first and revolving around a different avatar.

 As I'm looking at the end of the second series, there will be a few small spoilers. Be forewarned.

Now that the second series is over and I've finished it, I guess it's an appropriate time to write about it.

When the Legend of Korra first came out, I have to admit that I was unsure. As much as I enjoyed Avatar: The Last Airbender, I had to go through a massive slog over insanely kiddie episodes to get to the end... and I'm still something of a Zukatara shipper. Aang and Katara were far too siblingesque for me to ever root of them. Anyhoo, kiddie-ish.

So it was with that uncertainty that I viewed Korra's story, I only got into it and watched the entire series after it finished and the Korasami bomb got dropped. It made me want to give the show another shot. Which I did and I managed to finish the series in a month. And... I'm really impressed. With the exception of one or two episodes, every one of them seemed to have a specific goal, a specific point it wanted to make in the series as a whole. The characters grew perhaps without the viewer realising it until the very end. If anything, the Legend of Korra was what the Last Airbender was not: a story I could watch without ever feeling that I was watching a kid's show. And I really and truly appreciated that.

Korra's story brings in some characters of the first show. You get to see the old team and some of the reoccurring characters that are thought of fondly. What I liked about this is that you also see that they too were only people. Though their deeds were legendary, they were and are by no means perfect. They have made mistakes which filtered through - as no generation does not effect the next in some way.

The creators also managed to bring in some of the show's own memorable characters and artfully stuck them into scenes where they're not necessarily needed but added something to the show, They were almost always in the background but easily noticed. They almost never say anything, but they're people going on with their lives. I loved these little flashes that show you that Republic City is a living entity that has a wholeness to it. It's not only the main cast that grows and changes, but the people in the city as well.

But in the end, the story is about Korra. They managed to create a character whom I wanted to throttle and whom I admired. Korra starts off with the naivety of someone who, due to seclusion, had to paint a world in her imagination rather than grow up experiencing it for herself. You get to watch her become shaped (and on occasion jaded) by the reality of what the world is truly like and through that see her become more than herself.

Do The Thing, Zhu Li! by Hecarti

There's a quote that I heard in my youth that embodies Korra quite well: When you forget yourself, you do something everyone remembers. For good and bad, that's Korra.

In the four seasons, I got to go on a journey with her and I was moved by both her successes and failures. And the story does end in a place where you feel a wholeness. Not only in Korra as a character but also in the series. It didn't leave me hanging.

To quote Varrick, they 'do the thing'.