johnmichinock

(2013-05-22 07:41:26)

Better than most current movies

This Legend of Korra is one of the shows that is superior than mostmost current movies. It pulls you in and straps you on a roller coasterride. This show has great characters and an amazing story. Korra is areally likable main protagonist. You really feel her struggles, innerdemons and pressure put on her that she must overcome. She is veryidentifiable and can connect to the audience members extremely well.The supporting characters all are great and interesting, and you cometo care about them very much that you want them to come out on top.Each character has their own battles they go through that is filledwith depth and heart, making you want to see what is the resolution.Amon is a truly amazing villain. He's very intimidating and grabs yourattention when he comes on screen, even if it's just his voice over theradio. You understand why he is doing his bad deeds, he's not just avillain who's doing bad things to seem bad, you begin to see where he'scoming from, and how he's right to some extent. The pacing isoutstanding, the show takes its time to build it's story andcharacters, rather than just show some badass fight scenes (which theyare by the way). The story isn't just a sequel to Avatar: The LastAirbender with a new character, it takes a different approach andstyle, but with the same incredible talent behind it. The Legend ofKorra is a fantastic show, though not as incredible as Avatar: The LastAirbender, it's still up there in quality in something that many moviesnow can't accomplish. The Legend of Korra is one of the best TV showsI've ever seen in my life, earning a 10/10.

jerrybrsc2

(2013-05-21 22:47:28)

I hope it gets better...

Like many people out there, I am a massive fan of the original series,"Avatar: The Last Airbender"; and was awaiting the release of thisseries with baited breath. After all, how can you top the original? Howcan you take the established lore and the incredible universe in which"Avatar" was set and make it better? Well, I'll tell you...not likethis. The series centers on the Avatar that comes after Avatar Aang;(who was the main protagonist in "The Last Airbender") a 14 year-oldgirl named Korra and her coming to terms with her duties and as theAvatar. It takes place in Republic City, founded at the end of the 100Year War by Avatar Aang and Firelord Zuko where Benders and Non-bendersmay live together in peace and tranquility; however, since Aang's deaththe city has fallen into disarray despite the best efforts by Aang'sson Tenzin and the Chief of Police.This series takes the established lore from the original universe andflips it on its head in a good way. Here's what I mean; in the "AvatarUniverse", you can only Blood-Bend during a full moon...or can you?Only the Avatar can Bend Energy...or maybe not? These all serve toensure that the audience tunes in the next week, which is fine, but itseems that the creators were more concerned with showing off theaesthetics and new technology, rather than exploring these new andexciting characters. When the audience is more interested in the originof Pro- Bending than the main protagonist, then, well, something's goneamiss. Let me bread down the characters for you: Korra, is about as far fromAang as you can get. While Aang was usually characterized as a calm,peaceful, and good natured person; Korra is crass, abrasive, and toughas nails. You can tell by the way that she acts that she'll obviouslygrow and change over time, but after re-watching several times now, Ihave to say; Korra doesn't have much of a character arc. Pleaseunderstand that I do realize there are only 12 episodes thus far, andthat this series is just one excerpt from this particular Avatar'slifetime worth of adventures, but the fact that there are no realchanges to her character's traits or actions/reactions in certainsituations by the end doesn't speak very well of the writing. Let meclarify; this show isn't like James Cameron's Avatar in the sense thatyou can accurately predict what the ending will be and how it willhappen within the first 15 minutes, and I give the writers due creditfor it, but when you boil it down to its elements (no pun intended),the show just isn't balanced like its predecessor. All this being said,I do actually think that a character like Korra a great choice as thenext Avatar. Because Aang was so reserved and mentally focused, a morespontaneous and openly passionate character is the only real choice forthe new Avatar; otherwise you run the risk of repeating yourself from acreative standpoint.Mako (named in memory of the actor Mako, who voiced Uncle Iroh in theoriginal series) and his brother Bolin are homeless teenagers turnedprofessional athletes in the city's favorite sport, Pro-Bending, whichis essentially the Avatar Version of MMA. Initially, Mako is the moreserious/closed-off character, very reminiscent to Prince Zuko in theoriginal series, while Bolin is the goofy character that hearkens backto Sokka. Both do work perfectly in conjunction with Korra, and Makoeven plays off as a love interest for Korra. This is where my biggestproblems with the show arise: WAY too much teen romance and drama andtoo much time is spent on the subject of Pro-Bending. I really don'tmind romance in cartoons when it's done right, but when one wholeepisode out of the 12 can be phantom-edited out because it has nothingto do with the rest of the series what so ever, that's not good. Thereare literally half a dozen other things going on in Republic City, allof which deal with Korra directly or indirectly, that could have beencovered rather than a forced love triangle with Mako and Bolin. We getit. Can we please show something besides this blasted sports arena?Lastly, Tenzin is the only Airbending Master in the world and hischildren are the only other Airbenders. Tenzin has a stern, no nonsensepersonality and is very comfortable in his skin. This is disruptedhowever when Korra arrives and essentially reminds him that he has justas much to learn from her as she does from him. Predictable buteffective. One thing that is great to see is the respect that the series creatorshave for their source material. The creators are such fans of Chineseand Japanise Manga and Anime that they manage to infuse every squareinch of the TV screen with beautiful architecture and designs thathearken back to the designs of Hayao Miyazaki, and Hajime Yatate. Onething to be aware of is the jump in technology from the original seriesto this one. In the original, the architecture and landscaping of eachlocation was reminiscent of the ancient Chinese Dynasties: the times ofEmperors, the Great Wall, and Attila the Hun. In this series, it's morelike 1920's Shanghai. That's actually not a gripe, and it worksperfectly for the story, but at first it's just hard to wrap your headaround it when you go from carts pulled by animals to cameras (yes, Isaid cameras), cars and glass store fronts with clay tile roofs. That'sall I'm saying. Overall, the series is a good continuation to the Avatar Story, but nota great one. I hope that in the upcoming seasons of The Legend of Korrathere's a greater focus on characters and story rather than just thescenery.8/10 Stars

krazyaxe

(2013-05-20 10:49:34)

Korra is just amazing! A perfect start as a sequel to The Last Airbender!

Just watched 2 episodes of Korra.... and I must say it's more than whati expected. Didn't expect the same fun from Korra as last air bender...But Korra turned out to be a lot fun... Though the sequel is set 70years after the original series, though there's no Aang and the TeamAvatar... New Avatar is as much fun, you'll just fall in love with thischaracter.. Last Airbender is been a favorite animation of mine, sincei started watching it, back in 2008... I even have this thing, ofwatching it at least once a year... So i'm just glad that Korra startedout to be a perfect sequel for the original series... Animation isbetter than The Last Airbender and action is brilliantly done... Musicjust gave goosebumps... So if you are a Last Airbender fan then let'sjust say that you'll have a big smile on your face while watchingKorra... If you are not a fan then still you would have that smile...Korra rocks!!!!

GreenStormseeker

(2013-05-19 19:00:10)

The line of the Avatar continues!

As I read, that there would be another Avatar series with a new Avatar,I couldn't believe it. I wasn't quite sure, if I liked the idea ofevery character I loved being dead or so old, that it would be strangewatching the series.Back then I couldn't have known, how wrong I was. Korra is just plainawesome. She is so stubborn and full of sympatheticallycharacteristics, that i liked her right from the beginning. I foundmyself laughing through the whole first episode.But when the brothers Bolin and Mako first appeared, I knew, thisseries would be as enjoyable as Aang and his Gaang. With funnydialogues, Korras and Bolins goofiness and Makos Mai-like comments theLegend of Korra got me hooked. Genius.The one bad thing about this series is the fact, that only one episodeof 20 minutes is shown in one week. -> People, who easily get caught upwith movies and series, can get quite impatient in this one week ofwaiting (refering to me :D )

dedlit

(2013-05-17 15:49:22)

excellent show

I'm a big LastAirbender fan and couldn't believe that there is finallya sequel!!! And such a good one as well.pros: + charming characters + very energetic fights + a fast pace(every minute is compelling and not like in lots of other shows wereyou can make yourself a cup of coffee and don't miss anything) + thelandscapes as well as the cities are full of details + A LOT MOREcons: - not for children under 10 years (I would dearly recommend it,mostly because they probably can not follow the pace of the story -unlike the last airbender who had a lot of calm moments this one is (inmy eyes) more adult)Resume: Great show, but not for young children!

arosamond

(2013-05-17 09:18:23)

Huge disappointment

I absolutely loved the original series; however, I found this newseries to be seriously lacking in substance, and thus extremelydisappointing. The show is obviously aimed at teenage audiences, andthus has a lot of unnecessarily angsty romance that wasn't present (orat least more subtle) in the original series. Although the 'bad guys'in the series seem to have a valid cause, they are depicted as almostwholly evil. We don't get to know any of them personally, except themain villain, who is only shown in a sympathetic light once we learnthat he's a bender. Most of the "bad guys" are faceless, generic goons,and show zero character development. In contrast, in the originalseries, we are shown the human side of the fire-nation; some members ofthe fire-nation are good, and even join the protagonists' side.Although the show's premise is interesting and has potential, the maincharacters are fairly two-dimensional and (in my opinion) not verylikable -- especially Mako, who is basically a moody jerk,(unsuccessfully) played off as tormented and mysterious. All in all,definitely a downgrade from the original series. The writers took awayany sort of deep meaning that was present in the first series for ashort fandom-pleaser. The show also seems very rushed, as the creatorsonly planned to make one series. I don't understand why it has such ahigh rating.

Michael Johnston

(2013-05-15 08:44:57)

Our New Avatar

We have found our new Avatar!!! 70 years after Aang died came a new newAvatar named Korra. Korra is no average teenager, she's the nextAvatar. But, there is one more skill she needs learn. That skill isairbending. Korra already knows Earth, Fire, and Water. All she needs to train isher Airbending. Her trainer is Aang's son, Tenzin. Tenzin gets veryserious while training Korra. But, airbending isn't the only thing thatis on Korra's mind. There is a villain in Republic City, Amon. No one knows who Amon really is. No one knows who's behind that mask.But the only thing that Korra, Tenzin, Bolin, and Mako know about Amon,is that he wants to take away bending.... For good...Can they stop Amon in time to save the future of bending? Tune in tofind out!!!In my opinion, I feel that this show is the only show on Nickelodeonthat actually has a story to it.

minan_vd_haterd

(2013-05-14 13:49:38)

legend of Korra is a good effort but certainly not better than legend of Aang

Just like the review that precedes this one, i do like legend of Korra,the graphics are well made, the effects look much better than legend ofAang, the fighting scenes ( which are many of them) look very good, butlegend of Korra lacks besides humor another very important thing:characters like Prince Zuko and Uncle Iroh...you have Korra and her friends ( good) and Amon ( bad), and that's it,the characters are a bit shallow. in legend of Aang, you have Aang and his friends ( good), the fire lordand Azula ( bad). Zuko and Iroh were both bad and good, and were verycomplicated as characters. Zuko saved Aang from admiral Zhao and in thenext episode he could chase Aang till the end of the world. Zuko setsAang's bison free but a few episodes later he betrayed Aang. becauseZuko didn't know what he wanted he was unpredictable. Iroh was somekind of philosopher, all the things he said, it has a link withmindfulness, i never forget the episode ( tales from ba sing se) whereIroh showed emotions towards the death of his son. Iroh could see Aangwhen he was in the spirit world, he tried to save the moon spirit, he'sthe only one who totally understands his complicated family. what separates legend of Aang between all the comics on nickelodeon andDisney, and why it's one of the best, is the story, the humor, thecharacters. legend of Korra, sadly, is just not that good enough,

Vezon123

(2013-05-14 10:41:12)

Another legend

I went into The Legend of Korra with tempered expectations. I was ahuge fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender and wasn't convinced thatanything could top it. I was completely wrong, Korra blew away all myexpectations and has taken the place of TLA as my favorite televisionseries of all time. The writing is intelligent, clever and keeps theaudience on their toes (sites such as Reddit were a-flurry withtheories between every single episode). It is the perfect balance ofaction, drama, intrigue and humor that keeps an audience captivated &coming back week after week. You watch these characters evolve, hitextreme highs and devastating lows, all the while you're falling morein love with each and every one of them. The show does have a fewshortcomings, though. It is clear that the writing staff, thoughbrilliant, only had 14 episodes to work with and did their best to cramas much as they possibly could into one season, which makes things feela bit rushed at times; but the writing is still fantastic. Forbrevity's sake, I'll wrap things up here. If you enjoyed TLA, this showcomes as an incredibly easy recommendation. If you have never seen theoriginal series, I believe you will still enjoy this show for itsstellar characters, well written stories and rich universe. Though Isuggest watching TLA, don't feel obliged - you'll still adore Korra.

SkefOnline

(2013-05-13 17:53:50)

Good new elements (although some are too much)

The Legend of Korra starts pretty high paced and the new avatar isfound fast, in contradiction to the previous series (where they takemore time with the intro). This means that the adventure also startfast. Also, note that you should have seen the "Avatar, the LastAirbender" before you watch this one.They have put some new concepts (for this series), like: after 70 yearsthere is new some new technology, more love story, and a lot in thecity (where Aang travels a lot over the entire world). I like this, butI have the feeling that there is a little too much, like too much newtechnology and too much love. I would have found it better that sometechnology is still being developed or missing (which other technologycould be made clumsy in use). But there are also some new coolelements, such as the way of telling what has happened "previously onavatar", and a new sports game. The humor is still good (I had a very good laugh somewhere in episode10), and it's nice to see some of the previous (aged) characters back.I rate this 8/10 because of I really like the concept of newertechnology in a fantasy world. But not higher because some elements area little too much (to my opinion). Anyway, I couldn't stop watching andsaw this entire season straight.

Anonymous Sir

(2013-05-05 16:59:45)

A worthy and epic sequel to its predecessor...

The Legend of Korra starts out at a pretty high note, delving rightinto the action and wasting absolutely no time with pointless orendless dialogue. No, instead, the series takes on its protagonist,Korra, presenting her as a headstrong individual, who is fearless inthe face of danger, easily subduing multiple firebenders and eveneventually taking on criminal mobsters. This fantastic animated seriesis the sequel to the original Avatar: The Last Airbender series and isset 70 years from its predecessor. Although those who have watched theoriginal series may better understand the character of Aang inflashbacks seen throughout the show, those who haven't watched it canstill understand and be impressed by the show's plot, so this is in noway just an extension to A:TLA. The series is set in a world whereordinary individuals are able to bend the four elements of the Earth,using this as both an ideal and a form of self-defense. The show alsocombines Chinese culture, 1920's America, as well as somewhat of asteampunk feel, a truly great blend, making the show seem more real andhistorical.What I really love about this series is that it wastes no time. TheLegend of Korra challenges new ideas and presents new conflicts in theAvatarverse. The main conflict is the egalitarian organization known asthe "Equalists", who, with the help of their leader (as well as theprimary antagonist), Amon, plan to rid the world of bending, startingwith the show's setting, Republic City, an industrialized community ofbenders from all three nations.Korra, with the help of her airbending teacher, Tenzin (Aang's son),and her friends in Republic City (namely Mako, Bolin, and Asami), takeon Amon's anti-bending revolution. The plot also presents a handful ofother characters through a midst of conflict.The show's plot is also quite complex, which is certainly expected fromthe creators of both the original series and LoK, Mike and Bryan. Aswith the original, they have managed to pull off a stunning cast. *Spoilers* (I will be presenting a little more about the plot's events,particularly regarding the finale. Proceed with caution.)As I mentioned, the series is very fast, this is mainly due to some ofNickelodeon's poor production choices. During the beginning of theshow's production, Nick decided to leave the series at a total of oneseason consisting of 12 episodes (a miniseries), but as popularity andratings increased, they gradually increased the show's running. Perhapsthis is not entirely Nick's fault, just as a result of experimentation,but this has caused the first-season to feel a bit rushed (as I alsomentioned).The season finale wasn't as fantastic as the final battle between Aangand Ozai, but after all, this is just the first season. Basically,Korra and Mako infiltrate an Equalist rally, where Korra objects andreveals Amon's true identity. A conflict ensues onstage and Amonpursues Korra and Mako through the corridors. He bloodbends them,removes Korra's bending, but Korra is able to finally unlock herairbending as a last resort, flinging Amon out a window, where he fallsinto the water below. He panics and waterbends himself out of thewater, where he is finally revealed as a fraud to his followers.The plot was great throughout. I loved the action sequences, evenAmon's fall was pretty epic. I'll admit the finale did initially leaveme somewhat disappointed, as there were many unexplained questions,such as how Amon was able to use bloodbending as bending-removal, etc.After awhile, however, the finale began to unravel itself in my mind.Amon's back-story at first seemed rather forced, but as it turns out,it was actually implemented pretty well. The final moment between Amon(Noatak) and Tarrlok on the speedboat and the homicide-suicide duringthis was actually a pretty depressing moment, many parts in the finalecaused me to feel lightheaded.Book Two will probably evaluate more on these unanswered topics, asBook One was left without enough time to spare. What I really hope tosee in the following episodes is the effect of Amon on society and theconflicts that arise afterwards. After all, what I really love aboutAvatar is that it wastes no time in the story department, so showing avillain's impact on the world is a much better take than just revivingsaid villain's character altogether or stretching his reign for toolong. (I believe rehashing deceased characters is often lazy andtedious in terms of writing.)*Spoiler Over*The show is a bit darker than its predecessor and therefore, can alsobe enjoyed by adults, despite being geared towards tweens and teens.Highly recommended for fans of Avatar, as well as those who lovemartial arts action and engaging plots.

travistime22342

(2013-05-05 12:28:01)

Wow

Let me just say, I was a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender (mostlyEarth and Fire) but Korra tops it without a doubt. The writers andcreators have really grown and learned their art, and it shines throughin this series. It's darker than it's predecessor, and the story ismuch more intriguing. The main antagonist is Amon, a patient, cunning, and ruthless(supposed) non-bender that is leading a rebellion against the capitalRepublic City. His plot starts out as no more than an intriguing idea,but in the scenes where it shows him committing his deeds, they seemhorrible, unspeakable and more than devilish. It pulls at the watchermore than many death scenes that have been produced. Part of that is because of the empathy the viewer will quickly grow forthe extremely well- written characters. Each character is starklydifferent, and each one has a past that comes into play in the story,some much more than others. The main sell point for me on the series is the magnitude of theevents. I've watched many T.V. shows and read many stories that had totry those great "OH SH-T" moments, but LoK has me actually shouting itso loud I wake my family, even when I can predict what has happened. A great series that I recommend to everyone.

Saravana Kumar D

(2013-05-05 00:58:05)

More than entertainment

I am a freaky fan of Avatar:The Last Air Bender series not only forentertainment but also for its philosophical touch on morality. Ithought like, the characters of "Sokka", "Zuko" are resembling me wheni crack dry jokes and striving to lead and also when i confuse myselfabout my destiny.But when i started watching "The Legend of Korra" initially i felt likei miss something in it. Later on i started to notice traces of worldpolitics and a bit of sociological concepts twinkling in the serial.One obvious observation is ********************************see theserial to know what*******************************************, i had aglimpse of World War scenes.So, in my view "Avatar:The Last Air Bender" is more about understandingthe conflicts within self. And "The Legend of Korra" is aboutunderstanding the conflicts of the society.In the next season of "The Legend of Korra", i am expecting all thedimensions (Humor, Adventure and Ethics) from the creators.

bennyturok

(2013-05-04 03:24:53)

It is just OK

The Legend of Korra lacks a lot of what The legend of Aang had. Thejokes are pretty dry, they come too often and at bad times, the art haslost it's touch in comparison to the last season, the tempo of the plotis off, as in their is not enough time for pauses, though I believe tohave thought that Aang's story had too many long pauses Korra has wayto little, meaning it moves a bit way too fast or unnecessarily.Worst of all is the Plot, It lacks a message, it lacks a solid storyand it is as predictable as any average Hollywood action film. It lackshardships and emotion, something the last airbender had plenty of. Ialso want to say that the whole thing is quite anti-climatic.It is somewhat entertaining but that is perhaps just because of thelast season's legacy. If the writers stop trying to milk avatar dry andactually start to think of a good story for the next season the avatarseries might be salvaged.By the way, what is it with the "old short film like news" at thebeginning of every episode? I find it quite annoying and anti-climatic.It sort of pulls me off the show. If this show didn't have it's legacyto back it up I would probably have dropped it in the first episode.In contrast with another reviewer, I do understand that 70 years isquite enough time to see advances such as those portrayed in the show,just look at the world since WWII. And it seems obvious to me that "thelast airbender" took a lot from the history of WWII.

marvinc

(2013-05-03 23:47:46)

Frustrating but watchable...

I didn't watch this series when it first aired as I wasn't really intoNickelodeon. Fast forward and I'm now a huge fan of the old series andcontinue to watch it whenever it's on. I just learned of this newseries so I've been eager to watch and catch up on things. Thankfully amarathon aired today so I took the time to catch the episodes whichtook me to the end of the first book. Talk about frustrating! Havingwatched a few episodes I was already frustrated by what I saw. For oneI hadn't watch back to back episodes so I was catching in betweenshows. Obviously everything has changed and for good reason. You can'tstay with the same plot as before so I get that. How do you get to acompletely new set of characters without some sort of transition? Thebeautiful thing about the old series was that the writers took the timeto reflect on "history" which ultimately put things into perspective.Maybe they've become complacent as this series seems to skip thru a lotso you feel "rushed" into dealing with everything. The openingsequence: I just don't get it. What's the point! The avatar - Korra:Misplaced aggression. Falling in love with someone already datingsomeone seemed a little unethical per her position. The characters:Undeveloped, no sense of humor, and not "likable". Character history:Left me confused. Avatar characters: all seem weak, especially Tenzin.At this point they can master the avatar state so why do they keepgetting captured by other benders. Makes their bending skills lookweak. At this point I digress as I did enjoy the series. If the goal isto make the show more aggressive then you may as well move it toCartoon Network as Nickelodeon is a kid-friendly family orientednetwork and if the ending is a preview of what's to come then thestoryline has to get "darker".

HighJunkReviews

(2013-05-03 17:51:02)

Action-packed

The Legend of Korra is the sequel to the highly successful andcritically acclaimed series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.Although the original creators of the series are returning once againas writers, this one seems too much different with the original. Andthat being said is not exactly a bad thing.This takes place 70 years after the events of TLA but seemed to havedrastically changed technologically. With that, people also havedepended on technology because they feel oppressed by the "benders".This is where Korra sets in. She must bring balance to Republic Cityonce again as the Avatar.The first episodes were kind of dragging with a lot of cheesy romanticteenage crap but it gets better from there. With high octane action,comedy, and a dark and brooding plot, this series is sure to keepviewers wanting more.

Nick Ryan

(2013-05-02 20:43:10)

different

i only watched two episodes and i loved it. I don't like that thetechnology and characters are so different. The question is WERES THEPEOPLE THAT ARE STILL ALIVE?!?!?!? Im dying to know this answer. Thisseries is dark and kind of weird. Its to modern for this type ofseries. If you liked Avatar The Last Airbender then you will like thisone too. But be warned its a lot different. Every year ill watch theavatar series and you need to know that series before you watch thisone because you wont under stand much of the story or characters. I dolike the series a lot but cant get used to it. Just remember you willbe shocked.

Preetam K D

(2013-05-02 18:17:21)

Pathetic So Far

I had great hope and expectations from this show. As this was acontinuation of AVATAR legend. But I was greeted with some regularHollywood type teenage romance drama. This has nothing to do with theAvatar and his philosophical and spiritual stuff that made the originalseries a great show. In first series Avatar Aang had to face with realand great problems that helped him evolve into Avatar he had destinedto become. This series is shame compared to the original. And choosinga female Avatar with emotions and drama of modern day girl reallysucks. And why the heck there is a love triangle? So far there appearsto be no real problem and the aim of the Avatar is also uncertain. Whaton earth the Avatar is going to do to be called as a real Avatar or theproducers just want to continue this pathetic teenage drama? Only areal life Avatar can save this series to become a disaster.

Anonymous Sir

(2013-05-01 23:21:30)

Some flaws plot-wise, but overall a worthy and epic sequel to its predecessor...

The Legend of Korra is an outstanding production from the minds thatcreated the acclaimed animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender.Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have surprisingly managed to pulloff an appealing sequel to its predecessor, with superb animation,gorgeous artwork, and engaging martial arts. I love this series mainlydue to its unique blend of Chinese culture, steampunk, and the Jazz Age(which they surprisingly manage to execute perfectly).Book One: Air introduces the latest incarnation in the Avatar lineage,a female waterbender named Korra, who voluntarily travels to thebending capital of the world - the industrial Republic City - where shewill learn to master her final element, Air, with Tenzin - the previousAvatar's son and a master airbender. Upon her arrival, Korra isconfronted with new challenges, including mobsters who use theirbending to extort the weaker citizens and a rising anti-bendingrevolution in the form of the Equalists and their sinister, maskedleader - Amon.Basically, Amon is this charismatic, mysterious (*cough*badass*cough*)revolutionist who promises an ideal future through his unique abilityto remove an individual's bending, demonstrated to a mass crowd of hisfollowers during a rally in "The Revelation". I find his character tobe significantly more dynamic than that of A:TLA's Ozai because hepresents a believable and more realistic goal (equality) and is muchless of a one-dimensional, "power hungry" archetype. Because of this, Ifind him to be considerably more intimidating and a unique challengefor Korra (who often uses bending through brute force).The rest of the characters are unique and refreshing. Mako starts outto be a pretty likable guy and his younger brother - Bolin - a nice,funny, kindred spirit whose child-like personality reminds us of someof our own (at least, maybe, inside). Though Asami starts out to be asomewhat rough addition (I was almost sure she would turn out to be anEqualist spy), her character becomes more interesting and likable, asshe has some of the most character development (so far) out of thegroup.Now with that said, the series *did* suffer from a lack of developmentin the other characters and the story could have been handled a lotbetter. Mako also started to become a bit less likable, as he startedto show traits that seemed rude and inconsistent. Considering this showwas originally intended to be a miniseries and would have ended afterthe first 12 episodes, the writers should have handled this developmentmuch better, otherwise the series would've ended with a slew ofunanswered questions. Given the time constraints in production by faultof Nickelodeon for having not ordered the next book in time, thewriters had to butcher the ending a bit and had to create some way forAmon to lose come the finale. This felt like a cop-out, particularlywhen Aang suddenly restored Korra's bending in only a few moments ofdramatic reflecting. This seemed rushed and there was no true lesson orvalue learned from these shortcomings. The emotional emphasis of Lin'sbending in "Turning the Tides" is wiped clean when her bending isrestored only two episodes later.There's a blatant social, political, and spiritual conflict that wasoften overlooked in Book One and, while the animation was stunning andhad a plot complex enough to be a totally different show altogether,the series' ultimate downfall comes from a lack of exposition. WhileAmon's tragic backstory numbed me for a time, it pieced together andultimately felt satisfying. However, there was no real foreshadowing ofthe events to come in previous episodes and I felt they were going morefor "shock value". I loved Amon (or rather Noatak) and the final scenebetween him and his brother, Tarrlok, being reunited and fleeingRepublic City was perhaps one of the most impacting scenes in thisfirst season. For that, I have to hand it to the writers.This is a rather extraneous critique, but these are aspects I feltneeded improvement (and I'm sure others will agree). I'm not implyingthat I could do any better, especially considering the series is above-par most other American animated series.That aside, the track is excellent and is a great combination oftraditional Chinese and Jazz, with melodies ranging from dark andsinister to more happy and zany - even emotional. This is perfectlysynced with the visuals and animation.While being noticeably darker and more political than its predecessor,I would say the creators were aiming at the previous demographic of thefirst Avatar series (who are now likely well into their teens and youngadulthood), but the series also has enough aspects that are intendedfor a newer, and younger, demographic as well. It is interesting to seewhere the series will be taken in the seasons to come and the flaws ofBook One will certainly not hold me back from continuing it, as theshow was still great overall.

Lars Laukens

(2013-05-01 11:58:18)

A worthy successor of The Last Airbender

The Legend Of Korra is a very worthy successor of the first series.It's a totally different environment, and the circumstances are alsoentirely different, but you can see that the makers of the series haveput a lot of work and effort in the second series. The only downside Ican think of is that, because the series will only concludes twoseasons, is that, in my opinion, everything's a bit rushed. It's likethey want to fit a lot of content into the 2 season time-frame. On theother hand, the series is brilliantly detailed, just like itspredecessor, and has it's typical quirky humour. And the tension thatthey're building up throughout the show is an excellent way of keepingpeople tethered to their screens and to the series!