An Overly Excited Opinion of... Avatar: The Legend of Korra Book 1

Credit & Copyright - Nickelodeon

In worlds of magic there is often a chosen one. One person who stands above the others with supernatural abilities. In the universe of the Avatar our magic is bending, the ability to control the elements; earth, air, fire and water and the Avatar is the only person with the power to control all four elements and bring balance to the world. 70 years after Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozi, a new Avatar, Korra, begins her journey as the Avatar set against the incredible backdrop of of Republic City. Today's Overly Excited Opinion is of Avatar: The Legend of Korra Book 1, the second series set in the world of the Avatar. Aimed at an older audience than the original series, can Korra capture the magic of Avatar: The Last Airbender whilst telling its own unique story?



Within each generation, there is only one Avatar and the latest is fierce, strong willed 17 year old Korra from the Southern Water Tribe. We join Korra when she has mastered every form of bending with the exception of air. When Korra’s air master Tenzin, son of the last avatar, is unable to travel to the south pole to train her, Korra leaves her secluded life behind for the vibrant Republic City. However, the city gives Korra more to worry about than just her training. The city is fractured; the non-bending populous are tired of being made to feel like second class citizens and the Equalist movement, led by their charismatic masked leader Amon, are seeking to make the city and then the entire world truly equal. As the avatar, Korra is meant to bring balance but is that possible when not all are born equal? From the outset, The Legend of Korra brings together elements of political intrigue and struggle, along with action adventure and a coming of age plot line to make something pretty special. Although, Korra is made for Nickelodeon, it is not just a simple kids show. You could certainly show it to a younger audience, but the story is layered to give an older audience a much richer experience. This comes through from the first episode when Korra confronts the gangs of Republic City in vigilante style, but is shown that fighting fire with fire is not the way forward. Granted, sometimes the show has aspirations at depth which are sacrificed for quick resolution and to prevent the tone from becoming too dark, but the fact that Korra reaches for these things is worth praise.

The characterisation in The Legend of Korra in terms of writing and acting is definitely a standout feature of the show. Korra is definitely the lynchpin of the story, and is exquisitely drawn. She is gifted with great power and ability, but she has flaws too which make her real and rounded. Her stubbornness and quick temper can get her into trouble and she is by no means a perfect avatar, which is all captured through Janet Varney's perfect performance. However, for me the supporting cast steal the show a little bit. Pro-bending brothers Mako and Bolin in the hands of lesser writers could have been shells of characters, but despite their clear archetypes as the funny one and the stoic handsome one, they spark with personality; which is probably do to the great voice work done by David Faustino and PJ Byren. Tenzin is a highly nuanced character who is developed gradually as the show goes on and JK Symmonds is exceptional in the role; so much so that you can barely believe he ever uttered the works “Cave Johnson here.” Then there is the pure awesomeness of Lin Beifong, the chief of Republic City’s police as voiced by Mindy Sterling. Brusque, no-nonsense and purely wonderful. Of course, I can't forget Asami, voiced by Seychelle Gabriel, the rich girl daughter of an industrial magnate with more to her who meets the eye. You just can’t help but invest in the characters and their stories.

The production values on the show are extremely good. Music is used extremely well and the soundtrack is a beautiful fusion of East Asian influences and 1920s jazz which fits republic city perfectly. The animation is beautiful, and from the Book 2 trailers I've seen, it only gets better. The characters are excellently drawn and all unique from their appearance to their movement. The scenery is detailed, the motion nuanced and the action is well directed. It feels like the production team have learnt from The Last Airbender and have seriously stepped up their game.

The story of The Legend of Korra is beautifully woven and is extremely tightly pulled together with very little filler, making the show incredibly addictive. The overarching plot is thought provoking and engaging, prompting many fan theories when the show was originally aired. But, unfortunately there is a but. and that is that the the ending throws things off kilter somewhat. Now, to give some context, the ending to The Last Airbender was (for me) a let down which actually devalued some of the plot. Korra's ending is not like that. It is… well… ok. Its pretty good, up until the very last which leaves you going, “Why? Why!? Why did you do that, you could have.. UGH!”. Its an ending of wasted opportunities. But, its not a deal breaker. 

The Legend of Korra is a great example of how it is possible to appeal to all age groups at once. There is depth for the enjoyment of the older audience, which is delivered without alienating the younger viewer. The cast and the majority of the plot are excellent which means I will be back for Book 2, but to be honest, there are a couple of characters I would watch the show for even if the plot wasn't very good. 

After considering plot, characterisation, voice acting and production I give Avatar: The Legend of Korra Book 1 a rating of 8.1 out of 10. If you're not already sold on the idea that animated TV shows can be excellent for all ages, I would recommend you stream Korra. However, I would give a recommendation to buy it if you already know that animation is a medium which can tell stories live action TV just can't handle which can be as deep, dark and meaningful as any prime time drama.