A New Sequel

Remember back in the day when you watched that show called Avatar -- not the last blue people, but the last airbender? I just found out that a new sequel started up a few weeks ago by the name of The Legend of Korra. The episodes so far show of a young girl avatar (maybe 16 or 17) going to a new enormous city made by the last avatar called Republic City. In Republic City, crime is rampant and the descendents of Aang are very few. The major plot lines reside with the main characters being Korra, Mako and Amon. In this advanced industrialized world, the people have created a new sport called pro-bending that is between two bending teams of three benders each, one water, one fire and one earth.

Clearly the way arms bend.

The main two plots so far are of the, as my friend calls is "the love quad-ra-angle" or love square between Korra, Mako, Bolin (Mako's younger brother) and Asami (Some random rich girl that is dating Maku) and the war between the Equalists who want to end bending and the benders who want to have some sort of peace to adhere.

Another few big characters are Tenzin (Airbending master and Korra's mentor) and Chief of Police Lin Beifong. Among these two important characters is Tenzin's political enemy, Tarrlok.

The main martial arts techniques of the first series are essentially the same, but a little lack luster if you ask me. Their is no stylistically impressive master of martial arts in the first show as characterized by the lack of large scale offensive or creative defensive techniques while the fighting in the sequel is very fast past and panoramic, which in my opinion is a bad thing. The moves that are most impressive (maybe purposely) are those executed by the non-bending equalists who are mostly dodging attacks.

 

 

Avatar: the Last Airbender - Zuko vs. Azula

The Legend of Korra - Korra in Training

The romance side of the story is way to fast paced and the relationship between Korra and Tenzin seems to be built up very weakly. Even though I agree that the romance between Korra, Maku, Bolin and Asami is important it is really degenerating the build up and complexity that The Last Airbender showed. Truthfully, I am optimistic as much as I am pessimistic about the series. The comedic relief that Tenzin's children, Bolin and Pabu create really give off the sense of childish fun of the Last Airbender.

 Unfortunately the analogous reoccurring characters that present themselves make me doubt the creativity of the show's writers. Bolin is like Sokka, Pabu and Momo are basically the same creature and Naga and Appa are similar. What makes it seem weak otherwise is how opposite they tried to make some characters. The protagonist is a female and a stubborn, fiery one at that. The romance starts off in the second episode where as in the Last Airbender, it started later (maybe earlier if very subtlety). The composer is the same for the series and minor voice parts in Korra are major ones in Airbender.

Hopefully, the new sequel can live up to the standard that the Last Airbender will make it live up to, because as of now, I'm unsure whether it will be good or not.

-The Observer