Avatar: The Legend of Korra
>> Sunday, July 15, 2012
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| EARTH |
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| FIRE |
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| AIR |
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| WATER |
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| LOOK IT'S AVATAR KORRA. Dum dee dum. |
I watched the first season. It was awesome.
I absolutely loved the way the series was developed. Here are my reasons:
Story Line
The producers stated early in its conception that it would be a 'darker' plot. I fully agree. Not that I found any scene particularly terrifying, but I think it portrays quite accurately what life would be like in that age, in that society with the history it had.
It differs from the earlier avatar series where the main protagonists were aged 13-17. Here the main protagonist was 17, and the rest of the characters were either her age, or much older. Obviously the portrayal of characters will be different - no first love business (ok, maybe that was first love for the protagonists), and concerns of protagonists though similar with the first series, were viewed through the lenses of an young adult in a busy metropolis.
Compared with the backdrop of the 100 year war in the earlier series, the backdrop for Avatar: The Legend of Korra is set in peacetime. Peacetime has a lot different and possibly even more difficult dynamics than a backdrop of war. In war, your main concerns are stealth and survival. In peacetime, there are politics, wealth, bureaucracy, societal standing, power figures, all within a setting of a system that no brute force can necessarily change (albeit willingly), and one arguably more messy than the easier (though more brutal) dynamics of war. People have grown placid and are selfishly striving for their own goals and 'rights', forgetting the brutality of the war that has passed and the current peacetime their predecessors paid a heavy price for. All of which the main character has to navigate her way through.
And personally I like all characters fairly equally. Which is quite an achievement, as before watching the Avatar series I would always grow to dislike the main protagonist/s.
Martial Arts/Technology
The producers did this brilliantly. If one had a city where all people of all races, skills and talents were able to live harmoniously then ideas, ways of living and knowledge would be more freely available. People would find different and better ways of doing things. People would (generally) work together for the betterment and progression of society in all the main realms.
You'd also find certain ideas which held great power or great symbolism marginalized and/or monetized. This was what happened exactly in Avatar. Bending skills have improved as knowledge is disseminated, but it has also become a sport, or even a profession (as we see Mako generating lightning as electricity for work in a power plant). Additionally because society has become more structured, more bureaucratic and more ordered, you can't just firebend/waterbend/earthbend/airbend anywhere, anyhow you know. You might destroy someone's house/business/cabbages. You'd disrupt the general peace in the neighbourhood. And the police would come after you 'cause you'd be liable for criminal damages. Then you'd have to face trial in a court.
Martial arts has developed too. In the previous series the characters water/fire/air/earth bended whatever and whenever they liked. Fighting styles were very distinct. Fights were often quite spectacular, and took place over vast swathes of land. But fighting in an urban environment requires different skills - more directed and flexible attacks, and more attention to the landscape you were in. Shared knowledge would make some attacks/actions obsolete, as well as blending certain techniques to create a more relevant (for lack of a better work) attack in an urban environment.
Music
The background music for the previous series was more 'Asian' - you'd hear the erhu or shamisen being played in the background. The music for this series was progressive and cosmopolitan but not contemporary. It held somewhat to the Asian theme which runs across the imagined universe. There were violins and cellos, which were excellently expressive of the tone the producers wanted to convey.
Misc
I also love the continued usage of chinese characters to convey symbolism. So brill. It gives the story so much more depth, while paying homage to the cultures which the producers have based the storylines on.
Rating
I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10. As far as I can see almost every aspect was covered beautifully. The only complaint I would have is that this chapter of this series seemed a bit rushed - which probably wasn't the producer's fault as it was a pilot series to gauge interest. As a result there wasn't much inherent depth to this chapter - most this came from the series drawing on the substance and history of the earlier series, Avatar: The Last Airbender. That said I AM SO GLAD THEY'RE DOING A SECOND CHAPTER. WOOHOO.
In the saying the above, I do miss the light-heartedness of the first series Avatar: The Last Airbender. It feels older and more serious. It would appeal to a slight older age group (13+). But in saying that it would have been near impossible to create something that has the same feel-good vibe that was achieved in the first series due to differing contexts and the like.
I am highly impressed by the producers abilities to create a dynamic storyline, where themes are still the same (friendship, identity, personal struggle and love), but the storyline and context are in no way static. While waiting for the series to come out I had wondered what it would look like, and I am genuinely impressed. Kudos to the producers and all who have worked on the series!
So to end it off here's another pic that only I probably enjoy:
And a final one of the crew in Avatar: The Last Airbender:
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| If you watched the series, you'd realise that Avatar Aang didn't just hit puberty, he beat the crap out of it. Bwahhahah. |
