Spoiler Alert! Korra kicks ass.
Ever since Avatar: The Last Airbender ended almost four years ago, fans have been patiently waiting for another adventure to unfold in Nickelodeon's beloved bending universe. In 2010, we were led to believe that the show might find a new home on the big screen. But as we soon discovered, M. Night Shyamalan's interpretation of the material never truly rose to the occasion (and that's putting it nicely). But after series creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko announced that a new animated spinoff was in the works, things finally started looking up.
Enter The Legend of Korra, the latest installment in the Avatar canon. Set 70 years after the events of The Last Airbender, the story follows Korra, the next Avatar after Aang. But unlike her predecessor, Korra has already mastered the elements of water, earth and fire by the start of the show. All that remains is airbending, which she'll have to learn from Aang's son Tenzin in Republic City, the capital of the four nations.
Right out of the gate, the pilot gives you a few bullet points on what's been going on since the end of the Hundred Year War. The first few scenes command your attention -- Avatar has never shied away from using its own terminology -- but as with The Last Airbender, the pilot does a good job of showing rather than telling. And if you're already a fan of the franchise, all the better. The casual references to old characters like Toph and Sokka are definitely a nice touch. Indeed, the first few minutes feel like a warm welcome home.
However, don't let that discourage any newcomers from tuning in. This episode is a great jumping-off point, and in some respects it's kind of a blank slate. With such a giant leap forward in the continuity, there are bound to be a few big changes to go along with it. The tone of the show has definitely shifted to favor a slightly older set. The characters are more complex, the social climate is darker and Republic City looks more like a seedy underbelly than a utopian metropolis. Where The Last Airbender felt like Feudal Japan, The Legend of Korra feels like an amalgam of that and 1920s steampunk.
Stylistically speaking, the animation is simply gorgeous. You can see how the artwork has improved, even just since 2008. The fluidity of movement and the character designs have both come so far in the last several years. I actually had to watch this episode twice because I was initially so taken with the imagery that I forgot to pay attention to some of the story. If nothing else, this pilot is a true work of art, even with the volume turned down.
So far, the characters are just as emotionally engaging as they are visually interesting. Janet Varney does a great job voicing Korra, as does J.K. Simmons as Tenzin. Zack Tyler's Aang was fine in the original show, but it's nice having some more experienced talent tossed into the mix. I'm also glad they brought back Dee Bradley Baker for Korra's polar bear dog Naga. (Oh, and don't worry -- there might be a flying bison in there too.) For a Nickelodeon production, this is some premium voice work.
All in all, the setup for the series is damn near flawless, matching up with Avatar: The Last Airbender in all the right ways. It has that perfect mix of physical comedy and heartfelt drama. And while it's still unclear what exactly the series is about, we'll no doubt be getting the skinny on Amon, the show's big baddie, very soon. (He was only briefly introduced as the leader of an anti-bending revolution in the final moments of the episode.) But until then, I can safely say that The Legend of Korra promises to be an excellent addition to the Avatar mythos, pleasing both fans and newcomers alike.
So the first two episodes premiered last night at http://www.korranation.com/. What did you guys think? I love the new crew already
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