The legendary legend of Korra

Me Against the World: The Legend of Korra promises to give the titular hero her biggest adventure yet. And yes, that was a Tupac reference.

A lot has been said about the cartoons of the ’90s. People would post messages online about how shows like Hey, Arnold and Rugrats made them cooler than kids today and the shows they watch. How cartoons became status symbols to boast about is a story for another time. We don’t care what those “cool” kids think. They didn’t have The Legend of Korra.  

Our first experience with the Avatar franchise was the much-hated (and rightfully so) film by M. Night Shyamalan. We won’t go through why that movie was the worst first impression of worst first impressions. We think fans have suffered enough. Since that movie, we stayed away from the franchise, but with The Legend of Korra, a successor show that promised steampunk goodness and political conspiracies, who isn’t tempted to give it another chance?

Set several decades after the original series, the show revolves around Korra, the new Avatar, and successor of Aang, the series’ first hero. Korra begins her journey as she moves to Republic City to learn the ways and responsibilities of being the new Avatar. Once there, she meets new friends and encounters deadly enemies. From joining the professional sport for benders, and fighting off criminals, Korra has her fair share of action as she prepares to be the hero she was born to be. It’s an ambitious show but remains grounded enough to be a perfect jumping-on point for those who know nothing about Aang or avatars.

The Legend of Korra’s animation is some of the finest we’ve seen in over two decades. The fact that it’s on television, with a kids channel budget, only makes their accomplishments that much greater. The characters come alive with near-perfect facial expressions and fluid body movements. No two characters look alike and you can tell that a lot of thought went into every aspect of each character’s design. The aesthetic is still in the realm of western anime, but that shouldn’t alienate non-anime fans. The set designs are beautifully rendered and place the show a cut above the rest. The colors are rich, vivid, and elevate the quality of the show greatly. Our eyes were never the same again.

The story has matched the animation’s success. Right out of the gate, they’ve created the show’s unique brand of sports that serves the story rather than just being eye candy; the political intrigue holds more layers than most live action dramas but is simple enough for children of all ages to understand. The Legend of Korra is also probably one of the few times that the problem of class warfare has translated well into animation. And to think this is a show intended for prepubescent boys.

With every episode, the action scenes have grown by leaps, with the fight choreographs perfectly executed. The fantastic action aside, it would mean nothing if the show didn’t have heart. What makes Korra such a terrific new show is how it has managed to create characters that are fully realized and likable. You cheer for them when they do something incredible like (spoiler alert!) tearing apart a metal war zeppelin and feel for them when (double spoiler alert!) they get their powers taken away by the show’s Big Bad.

Bend it Like Korra: The new Avatar can bend earth, fire, water, and air—and most of all, our hearts.

The Legend of Korra is a show that is greater than the sum of its parts. From the outstanding animation to the tightly structured storyline, it manages to create a cohesive show that entertains both the excitable young and the jaded old. It has captured the imagination of fans both old and new. There are two episodes left in the season, and it looks to be bigger than ever. The highest recommendation we could give Korra is that after seeing the initial episodes, we regret that we didn’t watch Avatar: The Last Airbender sooner.