{"id":24409,"date":"2014-02-12T06:30:13","date_gmt":"2014-02-11T17:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/?p=24409"},"modified":"2014-02-11T19:14:52","modified_gmt":"2014-02-11T06:14:52","slug":"big-worlds-on-small-screens-rebecca-fisher-discusses-the-legend-of-korra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2014\/02\/12\/big-worlds-on-small-screens-rebecca-fisher-discusses-the-legend-of-korra\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “The Legend Of Korra”"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Rebecca Fisher<\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

My very first contribution to Helen\u2019s blog was to wax lyrically about how much I loved Avatar: The Last Airbender<\/strong>, one of my favourite shows of all time. Too often people dismiss animation as being incapable of mature storytelling, but Avatar<\/strong> is up there with the very best the fantasy genre has to offer in regards to its plotting, characters, and world building.<\/p>\n

So I was as delighted as anyone at confirmation that a sequel series was in the works, even more so when I heard it would be starring a new female Avatar. The Legend of Korra<\/strong> had some huge footsteps to follow in, but if anyone could pull it off it would be this creative team, right?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Korra watches over Republic City<\/em><\/p>\n

Well \u2013 almost. For the most part I enjoyed what the series had to offer, though the characters were not quite as loveable, the plot not as elegant, the world building not as interesting as that in Avatar<\/strong>. Perhaps due to the condensed amount of episodes (going from twenty per season to only twelve) or the fact that every episode was written by series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko (sometimes it\u2019s better to have a more varied creative team \u2013 after all, we all know what happened to Star Wars<\/strong> once George Lucas got complete control), but Korra stumbled a little in the telling of the story. It\u2019s difficult to say whether I would have noticed these flaws had it not come after the intense success of Avatar<\/strong>, yet despite living in the shadow of its predecessor, there are still plenty of noteworthy things about what Korra<\/strong> has to offer.<\/p>\n

Premise:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For those completely unfamiliar with the premise of the show, here’s the gist: set in an Asian-inspired fantasy world where certain people possess the ability to manipulate (or “bend”) water, air, fire or water, our protagonist Korra stands out as the only individual able to master all four<\/em> elements. This ability identifies her as the Avatar, the reincarnated being whose task it is to maintain balance in the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>All the previous incarnations of the Avatar<\/em><\/p>\n

In her previous life she was Aang, the star of the original series, who saved the world from the threat of the Fire Nation and restored peace between the world’s populations: the Fire Nation, the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the Air Nomads. Set seventy years after those events, Korra now struggles to reconcile her fighting prowess with her need to tap into her spiritual side, an endeavour that becomes all the more pertinent when she hears of political upheaval in Republic City.<\/p>\n

Story:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Currently with two seasons complete and\u00a0 at least two more to go, Korra<\/strong> deals with storylines that are more involved with political intrigue and internal struggles than the original Avatar<\/strong>. Whereas the thrust of Aang\u2019s narrative was based in learning mastery of the four bending techniques so that he might defeat an outside force, Korra\u2019s goals are more complex. In the first season (called Book 1: Air<\/strong>) she becomes embroiled in a conflict between benders and non-benders, with the latter feeling intimidated and oppressed by the former. Throughout the original series it was a source of much debate among fans as to whether there was any tension between those people who could wield the awesome power of the elements and those who…well, couldn\u2019t. It seemed unlikely that there had never been any case of benders abusing their power, or of non-benders feeling threatened by them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Amon: the mysterious antagonist of the first season<\/em><\/p>\n

So it made sense that the writers would want to explore this issue in a new series \u2013 though sadly, the resolution of the conflict doesn\u2019t quite do it justice. Having introduced a formidable opponent called Amon, who appears to have the power to strip a person of their bending abilities, the show glosses over some of the more striking themes of privilege and oppression for the sake of a rather quick and easy solution to the social justice issues that have been raised.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, things are much improved in Book II: Spirits<\/strong>, in which Korra must investigate a series of spirit attacks on fishing vessels, and by doing so tap more deeply into her spiritual self. The season includes a two-part episode which delves back into the origins of the Avatar, utilizing a shift in art-style that captures the journey into the past and provides insight into the whys and wherefores of the very first Avatar. It contains beautiful animation, vivid characterization and allusions to everything from the Greek myth of Prometheus to the films of Hayao Miyazaki.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Wan: the very first Avatar<\/em><\/p>\n

Having attained this knowledge, Korra emerges a much wiser and more grounded character, capable of traversing the spirit world in the attempt to subdue the ancient spirit of chaos and darkness, Vatuu.<\/p>\n

Though it still has a couple of problems, the second season is a vast improvement on the first. Korra is treated to some genuine character development, there are plenty of fun nods to the original series, and it ends on a note that promises more exciting storylines for the future. Several fan complaints seem to have been addressed and dealt with (the end of the interminable love triangle, some genuine consequences that arise from Korra\u2019s actions) and it seems a good sign that the upcoming Book Three is to be called Change<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Characters:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Korra is Aang\u2019s opposite in almost every respect: impetuous where he was reserved, hot-tempered where he was sanguine, and of course \u2013 a teenage girl where he was a prepubescent boy. More mature and yet (due to her sheltered upbringing) less socially adroit at the same time, Korra is eager to embrace her role as the Avatar and serve the world. But her inexperience doesn\u2019t serve her well, and it\u2019s a hard road she must take in growing out of her somewhat bratty over-enthusiasm in order to best do her job.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Four of our many<\/strong> characters: Bolin, Mako, Tenzin and Korra<\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps another of the show\u2019s weaknesses was its attempt at juggling far too many supporting characters in Korra\u2019s story, all of them vying for screen-time. Her key mentor is Tenzin, Aang\u2019s son and one of the few air-benders left in the world, along with his wife and three children (with a fourth on the way). Then there are brothers Mako and Bolin, a fire and earth-bender respectively, that Korra befriends after being introduced to the sport of Pro-Bending. Along with this, there are Asami Sato, the beautiful daughter of a car manufacturer, Lin Bei Fong, the chief of police, and (in the show\u2019s second season) Korra\u2019s uncle and twin cousins \u2013 not to mention a range of other allies and villains, relatives and pets.<\/p>\n

With so little time in which to tell the story, some of these characters fall through the cracks, or are relegated to comedic subplots. No one was particularly fond of the love triangle that emerged between Korra and brothers Mako and Bolin, and oftentimes Korra\u2019s development can be a little slipshod, with the narrative rewarding her for foolish or impetuous decisions.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If nothing else, The Legend of Korra<\/strong> is a stunning piece of television, with animation that\u2019s worthy of the big screen. By the time Korra enters the spirit world in season two, the imaginations of the writers and animators seem to know no bounds. Best described as Asian mythology meets Alice in Wonderland<\/strong>, Korra’s adventures are truly a sight to behold – and yet are best left unspoiled for those yet to watch for themselves (though you\u2019ll never look at meerkats the same way again).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Korra in the spirit world. <\/em><\/p>\n

Despite its flaws, and there are a few, The Legend of Korra<\/strong> deserves to be admired for its ambition. Taking place in locations all over its created world, from the Shanghai-inspired Republic City to the icy reaches of the South Pole, and dealing with threats that range from discontented mobs to ancient evil spirits, each episode has some new idea or burst of creativity to share.<\/p>\n

In my opinion it\u2019s better to reach high and not quite get there than to aim for mediocrity, and as there\u2019s still a lot of Korra\u2019s story left to be told, it can only get better from this point on.<\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next Time: Orphan Black
\n<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

Sarah Manning is at the train station when she witnesses a horrific event: a young woman steps out in front of an oncoming train. But the really bizarre thing? She looked exactly like Sarah. Curiosity (and opportunism) gets the better of her, and before anyone else notices, she makes off with the woman\u2019s handbag. The less you know about Orphan Black<\/strong> the better the experience, so I\u2019ll leave off telling you any more until next time…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Rebecca Fisher<\/p><\/div>\n

About The Reviewer:<\/h3>\n

Rebecca Fisher is a graduate of the University of Canterbury with a Masters degree in English Literature, mainly, she claims, because she was able to get away with writing her thesis on C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman. She is a reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com<\/a>, a large website that specializes in fantasy and science-fiction novels, as well as posting reviews to Amazon.com<\/a> and her LiveJournal<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n

To read Rebecca\u2019s detailed introduction of both herself and the series, as well as preceding reviews, click on:<\/p>\n

Big Worlds On Small Screens<\/a><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Rebecca Fisher Introduction: My very first contribution to Helen\u2019s blog was to wax lyrically about how much I loved Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of my favourite shows of all time. Too often people dismiss animation as being incapable of mature storytelling, but Avatar is up there with the very best the fantasy genre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-big-worlds-on-small-screens-with-rebecca-fisher"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24409"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24436,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24409\/revisions\/24436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}