What Writers Should Learn From The Legend Of Korra

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The Legend of Korra handles themes and ideas in a highly sophisticated way. In this video, I take a look at the series through the lens of German philosopher, Georg Hegel.
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[@thewynd5488]

Finally, a review not blinded by nostalgia or character preference. I am grateful for your view and ideas.

[@mohamadkabbara1383]

exactly, I am sick of all the ATLA nostalgia out there that won't give korra the chance it deserves

[@earthopedia4602]

same here, i almost didnt watch TLOK just cuz i heard it sucked from a biased nostalgic nerd, but in the end, it was such an amazing show.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

I gave it a chance, and found it indefensible. There are very few pieces of media that actively attempt to undermine the lore and rules of an established series. You can whine all day about people "just being nostalgic," but at the end of the day LOK _actively_ undermines the lore and rules of TLA for the sole reason of "upping the ante" and trying to elevate it's own material. This results in a cheapened experience. With respect to LOK, it _tries_ to tackle themes of great importance, but fails in it's plot structure, characters, and almost everything else that I find important in any piece of media. The writers clearly got hung up on the themes and failed to actually write a solid *_everything else_*

[@earthopedia4602]

u r acting like u know a lot about lore of TLA and how it should be. but in reality i am 100% sure u dont know jackshit about it, do me a favour, stfu.

[@ghostofsparta757]

Then try to correct or debunk him instead of acting like an edgy 12 year old.

[@cyrc9837]

i don’t love or hate lok, but it’s kind of weird how vehemently some people hate it

[@JayAreAitch]

A lot of people really loved Avatar and see LoK as pissing on its legacy.

[@velessia4840]

@@JayAreAitch rightfully.

[@sia6045]

Ras Veles no not rightfully, they’re just a bunch of nostalgia piss babies

[@noahdominicsilvio2472]

@@sia6045 The criticisms on Korra are valid. It tries so hard to tackle topics of grand scope but couldn't seem to do it right. The writing in it is very poor and could use some polishing.

[@drippy4622]

This comment thread is going to be summed up by, if you are a woman or gay , you will think korra is amazing. In reality it's a bit above average show, while aang is a top 5 show.

[@MrEmpoleon2010]

Wow an analyst video on LoK that has a positive outlook of the show? Thank you so much.

[@TheTravelingIntrovert]

I forgot how amazing the soundtrack was. I miss this show

[@kehindehopkins6933]

Have you rewatched it yet on Netflix?

[@CryingZombie666]

You forgot irony number 6: By killing the Earth Queen, Zaheer has created an opportunity for Kuvira to become the next villain, and, who is absolutely his polar opposite. Why? Because as Zaheer desires freedom, Kuvira desires totalitarianism. And, this, is the BIGGEST irony that slapped Zaheer across the face, ever.

[@murdanom]

The ultimate irony of radicalism basically. Radicals provoking, justfying and strengthening each other over history.

[@jeffhappens1]

And i love how Zaheer even admits this mistake when he's in prison.

[@murdanom]

@rtd Everybody is gangsta until Iroh offers some tea & wisdom.

[@tommyscott8511]

I know this is two years later, but that's also EXACTLY what happens whenever someone kills a person in power to restore freedom. There is chaos, a power vacuum and another ruler, oftentimes worse, comes along to stomp around.

[@natesine4138]

This makes no sense. Zaheer expected to win. Kuvira would have never rose to power if Zaheer hadn’t lost.

[@joeyfigueroa4748]

Zaheer is my favorite villain in LoK simply because of his open mind. Even though he is a villain, he was always open minded and always willing to learn, even from his own enemies, he was willing to speak without battling to get his point across AND see his enemies point for disagreeing. He also had no problem in admitting his doubts, his flaws, and his wrongs. I like that.

[@adamsuniverse]

This series is really powerful. Not only do you cover my favorite series, but your analysis helps me see them in a whole new light. I look forward to more!

[@HenkkaArtGames]

And then you accidentally watch E;R's videos about Legend of Korra and realize that the show is a shadow of Avatar: The Last Airbender and you will forever regret the day you pushed play on one of his videos because that is the moment when LoK goes from "fan favorite" to "fan service" with little to no substance, resolutions that are not earned and that Korra is an awful protagonist through and through with zero redeeming qualities.

[@Teel217]

I've watched his videos and practically 94% of his complaints are superficial. He nitpicks everything about the show to the point where he makes the viewer believe It's worthless trash, which it objectively isn't even close to being. (See RWBY as a true example) It's pretty easy to do it with just about anything. You can make anything seem awful if you know how. All you have to do is speak clearly with an assertive tone and go through the motions by dissecting every little detail. Make characters look bad by using blanket statements, use big words, etc. Essentially, you have to act like you're the be-all end-all. I've watched the show plenty of times. It's fine. It's not as good as Avatar, but it's fine in what it's trying to convey. If you didn't like it, that's perfectly alright. But saying Korra is a bad show would be vacuous statement.

[@suadabeslagic2871]

"Korra is an awful protagonist through and through with zero redeeming qualities." That's such a silly exaggeration that it damages the credibility of the rest of your complaints.

[@theliedetector2199]

Pruneballed no, it's pretty trash.

[@mi-micanterbury2275]

Adam's Universe Exactly I never saw it that way before😉

[@lee_kun]

I'm happy to know that I'm not alone who loves Legend Of Kora's plot.

[@Weteperepe]

Me too me too!!

[@rogueguardian]

Me too 😊

[@diskoisntdead1542]

Yeah, I think the show in general is way too hated

[@jijisflowerpot5689]

It's actually a pretty good show but it does stumble but then gets back up

[@nuloom]

I don't think the plot is the big issue, it's more so the way it ruins the great worldbuilding ATLA has set up for it and itself. For instance, as rightfully pointed out by Hello Future Me, in ATLA the spirit world is intangible, it allowed for minimal benefits in terms of power, such as Iroh seeing aang ride Roku's dragon. The main power of the spirit world is in the bender's philosophy, allowing them to become more ingrained in their element. Meanwhile, throughout Korra the spirit realm goes through insufferable power creep - e.g. the final battle between Korra and Unavatu. I love the expansion to airbending through flight, waterbending through spirit bending and permanent chi blocking through bloodbending, more combustion from fire and lava bending from earthbending, but a lot of what was once intangible, rightfully and purposefully mysterious, became obnoxiously black and white - best example of which being rava and vatu. Remember Koh the Face Stealer? Yeah, he did have his own business of stealing faces, but allowed Aang the information he wanted in the name of balance, if he could keep his face straight. Wan Shi Tong? He wanted to share knowledge, but when he saw people started using it to force their philosophies onto others and start wars, he buried it, and was against all who do that. Neither were inherently good nor evil, they were spirits with their own business to attend, gravitating towards balance like humans gravitate to the planet. And then the issues started strolling in when Korra came along, introducing the the most deep, thought provoking morality in spirits - a literal definition of good and bad fighting, because we'd get too tired of thinking who we think is right. Lasers! Don't forget to make them shoot lasers at each other. When they completely walked over the benders learning bending from the ancient origins, they could've at least made Avatar the force of balance, absorbing both Rava and Vatu, not just one. Isn't it thrilling that the avatar could do immoral decisions, ones that would destroy balance long term and hurt the world, consciously or unconsciously, possibly even having an evil avatar at one point? Well, nope, there's a spirit of pure good and peace right in their brain or soul or whatever. Oh, let's not forget about the airbender genocide - a huge event that started a 100 year war, with consequences lasting centuries of last ditch effort to restore the air nomad culture... oh right, except the world just gave us the solution by a mega-rare, once-every-thousand-years astronomical-spiritual event that conveniently restores all airbenders to their place, no sweat required. Where Korra falls apart is not in its villains or the story it tries to tell in terms of ethics or morality, it does a pretty good job at that. Where it falls, is maintaining the legacy of this mysterious, deep world. It flattened that world. It ruined intentional great writing of ATLA for plot convenience, the plots were good, but they came at a cost of the world, changes that you can't ignore. A "don't worry, world gives!" aptitude throughout the series. Amon was a pretty compelling villain, but let's not forget about Korra's airbending training for S1. She never managed to do it because she was lacking spirituality. And how did she learn airbending? Well, she locked herself from her threat, focused, and finally felt a weak, though existant attachment to the spirit world, allowing her to slowly but surely learn air bending to later defeat Amon, who didn't know how to take it away... Just kidding, of course. She didn't even think about it, she was just going to punch the air and bam, world gives! Airbending! How convenient. Same thing happened with her bending being taken away. Oh no, lasting consequences, that can't happen, right? And so to fix that, she embarked the Avatar's journey from the beginning. She had to visit the 3 remaining nations after mastering air, to learn from her own maste- oh, i'm doing that again. Nope, Aang just appeared and gave it all back to her in like 1 episode's time. I feel like TLOK fails at telling a compelling story. The motifs and philosophy behind it has great potential, the villains all have great potential, the series had great potential, but it was forced to have to conclude each season on its own, as the creators didn't know how many seasons they would be allowed to produce when making it, and that coupled with rather bad writing from a worldbuilding and character arc perspective just ruined not just TLOK, but also ATLA. We can ignore the movie, because it tries to tell the same story in an objectively worse way while doing basically every single mistake possible. We can't ignore TLOK, because the world it develops, and arguably ruins, it shares with ATLA. It's not an interpretation, it's a continuation. And hence it's disliked. I don't hate Korra, but I feel like the entire series just has so much plot convenience, it makes watching it less fun. Korra suffers consequences when it's convenient for the writing, she doesn't when it's not, the world solves all the long lasting problems that made the world feel real, the spirit world gets a major buff just so that we can see two spiritual beings grow to mountain sizes and shoot lasers at each other, with no proper explanation from the world. It's cool that it addresses all those political ideologies.. but at what cost?

[@matthewfarley8340]

I am happy to see a review that doesn't bash Korra. This is one of my favorite shows. Even bought the collection on blue ray

[@MaerdYsatnaf]

**makes an entire video about good writing from an academic perspective** Ass hurt randos: tHaT dOeSn’T pRoVe AnYtHiNg.

[@an0rangutan]

It's rather telling when you have to look hard for a review that is praising something. Not to say popularity or public perception = objectively good (because we have shows like The Clone Wars, which so many people love, even though it's a train wreck on Star Wars lore and characters) But usually, there's a reason that something is almost universally disliked, Korra was ever ambitious, but Korra herself isn't a good main character and more often than not, if the protagonist is lacking, the entire product suffers for it.

[@rafaelalmeida2020]

most critics are actually quite flawed. you should really see this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWizaqSKmbuhg7s

[@austinjohnsen4430]

@@rafaelalmeida2020 Ah yes. Nothing like a grown man throwing a tantrum over what other people have said about a Nickelodeon show for almost two hours. lol

[@austinjohnsen4430]

@geo science This is the internet, buddy. People share their opinions all the time without permission.

[@thesmity31]

Well, now I have to go and re-watch all of ATLA and ALOK... again! I hope you are happy! :P

[@JustWrite]

Extremely!

[@hypcy]

You aren't alone... And i thought i might get some work done this week. Guess not XD

[@spongemaster]

Tom Smith I

[@hancelmelanis]

Tom Smith well you're not alone! you know kinda pretend that it's my very first time watching it and doesn't know what the characters are going to say every seconds of the video.

[@ChrisAkaMastermind]

did you really need an excuse for that? ;)

[@JakubWojciechowski933]

I literally get here by typing "Legend of Korra is not that bad" THis series did a lot of wrong, but it's not a bad TV show. It's nice to see it getting some love

[@godot8694]

It's garbage

[@tinamoul]

As a stand alone It's not bad, but as a sequel you can't help but compare it to Last Airbender and compared to that it pretty bad.

[@godot8694]

@@tinamoul It would be bad(but tolerable) even as a standalone. Just look at the main team of characters. There isn't even one good one

[@randomcomment1286]

@@godot8694 The characters would've been fine, if only they had proper character development. I liked the show as a kid, but I have to admit, the LOK main characters were almost copies of the original cast, I would've preferred if they had different personalities and reasonable motives.

[@godot8694]

@@randomcomment1286 Not even copies. They're like bad parodies. Korra is a Mary Sue. She's every "strong independent wahmen" character stereotype from the early 2010s. Nothing special about her. Bolin is just retarded. Mako tries to be brooding and serious like zuko but without the amazing character arc he feels like a flat bland edgelord. And Asami isn't even a character. She's flat out a plot device

[@celadona5084]

Great video! I love both series, but for different reasons. I was a kid when I first watched ATLA, and a young adult when I watched LOK. Both shows are complex and contain powerful ideas and themes, but ATLA was more catered towards a younger audience, whereas Korra towards an older one. Korra is not a perfect protagonist, which is what I like about her. She's brash and reckless and stubborn, but she grows and learns as the series goes on. She makes mistakes, which she and others pay for, but she learns from both her allies and her enemies. I agree that the love triangle was shaky at best, but I believe it highlights Korra's lack of emotional experience. Unlike Aang, she did not travel the world to learn the elements - she never left the SWT, and has lived a relatively sheltered life. She learns, though, like we all do. Thanks for making this video!

[@Sandkasten36]

I don't think LoK is for an older audience. Remember the complex and deep themes ATLA had? Revenge for Katara in the southern raiders. Loss for Aang in The southern air temple and the desert. Redemption for Zuko in well..all the episodes, especially in the storm and Zuko alone? Korra never dived as deep into the characters emotions and backstories as ATLA did. It had more political stuff in it but imo not worth mentioning. Remember the whole Dai Li plot in the second season of ATLA? Everything we learn about the fire nation, especially in the backstory of Roku or the headband. And those were only the big themes of ATLA. Almost every single episode dealt with different sociopolitical themes or told us more about the characters. Don't get me wrong, I like LoKs approach to all the themes. My problems with LoK have more to do with world building and the lack of character development of the supporting cast but that's a different story.

[@nemo9864]

Aang also made mistakes (burning Katara, losing to Azula, destroying the sandbenders vehicles, being tricked by Azula, etc...), he was selfish (running away, kissing Katara when she said she needed time, hiding the letter from Hakoda, refusing to kill Ozai, etc...), occasionally arrogant (Kyoshi Island) and reckless (Unagi, Omashu's delivery system), and he was immature. However, he acknowledged his mistakes. And notice how most of these are from early in the series. Unlike Mrs. Korra "But when you're with her you're thinking about me." Mrs. Korra "Who's side are you on." Mrs. Korra "I'll kill you too." Mrs. Korra "Let's open up the spirit portals."

[@m8ur882]

Lol Korra made literal fart jokes. Real mature

[@thunderbird7936]

My problem is she doesn't really show much character growth except for the PTSD arc.... she is still brash and dives head first without second thoughts with supporting cast of a dumb nut , use and throw love boy and not interested much in first 2 seasons but set up as love interest for LGBTQ community support girl. Characters had so much potential but unlike Atla it never goes much into it so those ideas become more or less worthless because majority of audience just doesn't connect with them. It had a graceful potential which was not used to it's fullest. Btw I know there was interference from Nickelodeon and less time more making stuff going on in writer's cabin with uncertainty of season , so compared to tht still pretty good.

[@noahs5636]

@@Sandkasten36 I think LoK is still intended for an older audience. Not much though as it is a continuation of the original series. The characters are older in LoK and the political topics are a bit more in your face and prevelent throughout the show than Avatar, although I do agree with the examples you gave. Avatar does a good job of tackling politics and more. Korra feels more geared towards tackling specifically politics as well as darker themes like terrorism and PTSD. Also Korra did not hold back on violent deaths. A murder-suicide between two brothers, having the air sucked out of the queen's lungs on screen, Ming Hua getting electrocuted and fucking dying on screen, P'li blowing herself up, Ghazan killing himself and trying to take Bolin and Mako with him, etc. The only real deaths Avatar had was Jet and Sparky Sparky Boom Man. Don't get me wrong, Avatar covers a lot of adult topics incredibly well but it feels like Korra was more specifically geared towards a teen audience. That being said, both series are incredible and can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and the message will still get across.

[@pinheadlarry8688]

Legend of Korra’s the one show/movie that I still to this day never understand why it gets the amount of hate it does. The shows not as good as The Last Airbender, sure, but I don’t think people should have *THAT* high expectations. I highly doubt any sequel could pass that kind of greatness. Not to mention the shows are completely different. The two shows aren’t alike at all and are both amazing in their own ways.

[@princessmelvin5098]

I agree and I love both shows. But I guess to some people “not as good as ATLA” = “trash” which is pretty sad. Just because they didn’t like something doesn’t make it trash.

[@kdsanime4507]

honestly, ppl wanted more of the same but got this. I absolutely loved Korra and think in many ways it's better than ATLA. ATLA was only good cuz Zuko was its best-written character and the rest of the cast was likable and had great chemistry

[@julioaguila6285]

It's a great show, but in different ways than the original.

[@rafaelalmeida2020]

most critics are actually quite flawed. you should really see this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWizaqSKmbuhg7s

[@EkkieEkk]

Wasted potential, bending was worse, lack of humor, bad characters, love triangle, really bad writing of political ideology, the main character is just kinda handed everything, etc

[@kobebelcher4494]

LOK may not be better than ATLA but it was so beautifully written and Korra’s character development will always be one of the best to me. She went through so much and in the end she finally obtained outer and inner peace if only for a small moment. She’s complex,she’s messy,and she’s real,and I feel her struggles and relate to her more than I ever did to Aang. She taught me so much about myself,about how others think,and I will never forget.

[@writerlairchannel2636]

Finally, someone who understands that Legend of Korra were deeper in their themes than Last Airbender could ever could, and different

[@Heyu7her3]

The season 1 writing was trash but I understood the villain.

[@writerlairchannel2636]

@@Heyu7her3 Why are you here then? to debate? you perfectly know that i or anyone else will not convince you otherwise just because you will not accept different opinion and this debate is pointless, i will say good day to you and we will leave this conversation without negative emotions

[@delfinangel96]

I totally agree with you, besides LoK has a more mature and adult tone and that's why I like it more than ATLA

[@josephchirinos6557]

I feel like the entire show, every season , is just questioning Korras existence

[@162benjamin]

That's correct. Toph said it in Season 4, that the world does not need the Avatar anymore.

[@Chejos25]

@@162benjamin Exactly. If I may say so, I would go as far as saying thats one of the main themes. Korra's literally first words in the series were: "I'm the Avatar". Then each season explores what is the Avatar. She loses her bending, she loses the connection to the past avatars, she gets her body and mind broken and is incapable to do her job for years. I have to say that I liked ATLA better, but we can't deny that Korra managed to explore new things and did a pretty good job at it

[@162benjamin]

@@Chejos25 The only way she was able to forge her own was to do something that would make her be remembered as THAT avatar. In her own right, she was able to end the equalist movement, put an end to a rising empire, stopped a plan to create an 'avatar-less' world and essentially created 10,000 years of peace in both the spirit and physical world. The last one technically being the biggest achievement that only her and Wan have. Yet, all of this at the expense of her overall well-being and the avatar cycle. But I would say this is something that makes me root for her more because her struggles and how she coped with it were narrated with much emphasis and existed to be valued as part of her journey. The character develoment she had to go through was drastic, although it was born from such suffering she endured, it was worthwhile in the end. It took a long time before I learned to accept what happened to her past lives but after giving it more thought, I was confident with her as the first avatar of her cycle.

[@Chejos25]

@@162benjamin My man, I completely agree with you. I was heart broken about the broken link to past lives but after digesting it and giving it more thought I agree with you. Even Tenzin said in the end that she had achieved in just a few years more than many Avatars ever did in their entire life

[@MaerdYsatnaf]

Welcome to the world of being a brown girl. 💁🏻‍♀️

[@mophead_xu]

30 seconds in and I had to pause for a bit because that Legend of Korra music gives me feelings.

[@theliedetector2199]

phelankc_ I didn't think any sane person felt anything for this show. But them again I doubt your normal.

[@jessymedeiros]

The Lie Detector Whay do you consider "normal"? Everyone having the same opinion as you?

[@mophead_xu]

Jheissianny Medeiros Nah just ignore them. They don't worth your time. (Unless, ofc, you're currently bored.)

[@BandNerdcp]

dat Erhu gives me mad feels every time

[@gawayne1374]

I loved a great deal of it, but I don't really like the resolution in any of the seasons

[@Alexkarev17]

I love how this is the first positive video i have heard about LOK. It makes me so happy to see someone enjoying the show.

[@mechajay3358]

Their series had some good concepts. But they lacked execution, especially in the beginning.

[@azaz2756]

Jay Infinity Book 1 of LOK is amazing.

[@trainknut]

"in the beginning" No, it was pretty much shit the whole time.

[@azaz2756]

The Arctic Gamer Not really

[@trainknut]

Clearly you are a fan of the series, considering you think the part of the show that even it's defenders admit was garbage was "amazing" Let me ask you this, did you watch Avatar? if so, do you think Legend of Korra is equal or superior to it? If both are yes, why? What specific elements of the show do you think Korra matched Avatar in, yes it had good art style, the animation and detailing were, in general, better than ATLA, but the actual art direction seemed to contradict the ancient asian mythology theme that the original show had, the only part of the show that somewhat resembles the original is the character design, thank god they didn't have some dramatic shift in visual style for the characters, otherwise the show would've been completely unwatchable. I mean, the first season admittedly had a good concept, of the world progressing beyond the need of benders, and non-benders rising up, but it was poorly executed, like Jay said, I mean for one the first dozen or so episodes were so slow, Avatar only took three episodes to leave the south pole and have Team Avatar go on their adventure, but for LOK they all seemed to have the same basic plot of "Korra does fighting, complains about training/fails to learn air bending, insert scenes with bad guys" In fact, that is basically the entire fucking season, except the last few episodes. To be fair, the show isn't actually a bad show in a traditional sense, but neither is Star Wars: Rebels, and if you ask any Clone Wars fan what you think of THAT show, they'll tell you it's pretty much garbage. It has a good animation and is visually pleasing to look at, even if the world building shits on everything built by ATLA. There were some genuinely memorable scenes, Korra's few and far between moments of personal growth were enjoyable, if a little forced. Some of the characters, excluding the main cast, were pretty well written too. But unfortunately, none of that is enough to compensate for the lack of any compelling story, the contradictory art direction, and the horrible main character who was amazingly both simultaneously a Mary Sue and a whiny bitch who couldn't do anything on her own.

[@Doctorgeo7]

Originally legend of Korra was meant to be a mini series with just 1 season. Then the creators were told, or decided (I'm not sure which) to turn legend of Korra into a longer running series. This might explain the issues with the first season.

[@gio_zio]

Great way to help people appreciate an underrated show. This series really tackles some complex themes.

[@amadeusmalonje8263]

Yeah I don't think this series is ever going to get the praise it deserves XD

[@amadeusmalonje8263]

@@thecod2345 eh, Korra does have setbacks but it's really got a compelling story

[@sorensorensen9567]

It is really underrated. I actually liked it a lot more than atla. I think there’s a whole lot of nostalgia involved in the downright idolatry that is directed to the first show and the dismissal of the second one, even though the second show deals with more mature themes and does it extremely well.

[@mariobadia4553]

It's not underrated. It's a bland boring show.

[@mariobadia4553]

@@amadeusmalonje8263 give me ignore how the side characters remain the same. Asami Mako and Bolin do not change in any significant way whatsoever.

[@IzaCervantes]

I was never able to explain exactly why I love Korra so much (besides the fact that it literally help me get out of my depression) but you just give the perfect explanation in less than 8 minutes. Well, looks like I am going to rewatch ATLA and LOK. Thank you!

[@RealRanton]

Amazing video man! So great to see someone putting into words why I love the Legend of Korra so much. I just wish there was more :(

[@thegreatcheesedemon]

I'd love to see people get into the bones of what makes it both a great sequel and a terrible sequel depending on the person. I probably should watch it all again, and then I'd have a better understanding of my stance. I remember liking the overall style, and being very satisfied with books 3 and 4, but looking back bitterly on 1 and 2 (though both, especially 2, had great moments). Turf Wars has that exact type of writing I like to see, but I don't get how they shipped that art style.

[@keyan1219]

@geo science yeah I like the plot of the show and ideas I think my main problem is korra and how aang was a much better character And well even katara and sukko were better (even if sukko is a lot of times especially and the beginning an absolute imbecile but I like how he grows )

[@keyan1219]

@geo science he does have a character arc which I find korras lacking and doesn’t start of as being able to use all the elements and spends a whole season getting to the water tribe to learn water korra already has all the elements He also isn’t really just a generic nice guy yes he’s nice but he gets angry quite a bit Aswell this niceness isn’t a good thing as it leads to his willing to do anything so no it isn’t really niceness but more childlikeness which isn’t always a benefit

[@keyan1219]

@geo science I didn’t bash her for not being aang I criticised her for not having good character I like LOK and the ideas are amazing like how JR said I simply dislike korra as a character Also what do you mean objective ? How can I be objective per se art is subjective

[@keyan1219]

@geo science no i criticised the fact that she didn’t have as greater character ark as him due to the fact she had all the elements first that my reasoning as to why she is a worse character and why I dislike her because I think she is somewhat rushed in that sense

[@christopherlaurie5172]

Even though Legend of Korra touch a lot of enemies with different Ideologies, In the Last Airbender made the Fire Nation believe in ideas like Imperialism, Nationalism and Militarism. In season 2, the head of the Di le, Long Fang lead the Earth kingdom capital Ba Sing Se to the policy of isolationism, like the United states in the 1930's.

[@jonnemesis11]

ATLA didn't even remotely touch on either of those ideas.

[@WrenchNinja]

unknown unknown Yes it did.

[@dr.j7542]

IBET YOU DIDNT EVEN WATCH THE SHOW

[@tatehildyard5332]

I thought it was more about totalitarianism disguising itself as utopia.

[@luminaryprism75]

unknown unknown Did you watch ATLA? The Fire Nation essentially started their imperialistic conquering because of their nationalism and lived in a brainwashed militant society for a century

[@NIIVES]

Yess the part where Zaheer helps Korra overcome/transcend her mental troubles is my favorite part of the series. So beautiful and very true. It's basically a metaphor for meditation in buddhism.

[@kerisuri]

maybe a good metaphor for meditation and Buddhism... terrible for an abusive/ptsd metaphor

[@somethingrandom5503]

The anarchistic moron is the last person you should ever ask to help you achieve spiritual piece and enlightenment. Especially when he's the reason you're so spiritually out of whack. I mean, heck, Tenzin is still alive, and a way better person to help her through the spirit world. Zaheer is the writers feeling so proud of themselves for showing that an inherently destructive ideology is, gasp, not good! If anything, they overglorify Anarchy and just tell us that Kuvira's dictatorship is bad. She has to pull off a character 180 for it to work, since they never show her doing anything other than helping others.

[@asmrtpop2676]

He’s her abuser. Nope.

[@tiffanypersaud3518]

I found it completely unsettling. If someone told me I needed to seek out my attempter-murderer as a mentor, I'd be so revolted I'd probably puke. But I'm glad you found it ... palpable even to be your favourite part. I may have missed the meaning behind those scenes entirely.

[@Itsant33]

No

[@AHealthyDoseofFran]

As an Avatar KZbinr, and a big lover of Korra (as someone with PTSD this show helped me a lot), seeing a positive video even now means a lot and your analysis is well thought out and makes a lot of sense. Korra is a flawed character which makes her human, and in turn is why many either identify with or hate her

[@jiado6893]

I love Legend of Korra because it changed the way I think about death.

[@theliedetector2199]

Jacob Bielski that's stupid, I didn't think anyone trying to learn watched this shitty show.

[@maximeteppe7627]

It is for sure not as brilliantly constructed and as entertaining as TLA. But saying there is nothing to learn from it? The show's thematic ambitions often are its shortcomings: it's more difficult to entertain with the question of equality VS freedom than it is to do so with hate VS the power of friendship, because the matter requires nuance to handle. Korra also has to deal with the themes of transition to the industrial age, has to expand on a perfectly whole universe. Yes it has some shortcomings, but again, its ambitions are highly commandable.

[@Anw4rr10r]

How so?

[@user-yr8ge3fz8o]

You should play persona 3 if you want another animated work that will make you think about death

[@LoIsBook]

The Lie Detector that really broke the tone of intellectual comments in here

[@aozf05]

While I agree that LoK does these things, it doesnt do them very well. It was a very ambitious project with very compelling themes but it didn't explore them or develop them as much as it could have or should have, as a result of its miniseries format. But the format is not entirely to blame. The writers wasted valuable screen time with subplots of little substance and low payoff, things like Bolin's movie star subplot, Mako's detective subplot, and pro bending. Those things have a place in a longer series, but in a 13 episode miniseries, they just waste precious time that could be devoted to developing the characters and their motivations and internal and external conflicts, the way TLA did. Korra rushed through its plot every season because it tried to cram too much side stuff into them.

[@Mica_T]

+Sayem But it took up too much screen time which is a waste. It's a great fan service. But that's the thing, it's fanservice. It alienates anyone who aren't fans. If your not a fan, it's not fun. Modern storytelling is too reliant on you having contextual knowledge and it messes with the integrity of it as a stand alone series. I certainly hated Bolin's movie star and Mako's detective subplot.

[@adeptdamage3669]

Sayem You're fucking wrong they wasted time.

[@Blackguy610]

aozf05 You basically sum up my entire opinion of LOK.

[@mouselord4167]

the latter does not exist.

[@madarauchiha8508]

And also left many questions unanswered more than the las airbender *) Where is Vaatu now *) Who is Suyin's father *) How Sokka died *) Why Zuko didn't meet Iroh in Spirit World *) Where is Azula *) Backstory of Amon and how he developed this talent *) Backstory of Ming Hua, P'li & Ghazan *)Mako & Bolin's Backstory *) Asami's Backstory

[@PSASitch]

Not gonna lie, when I clicked on this video I really thought you were going to talk about the utter failing of Bryke's ability to have Korra work hard and change to achieve her goals like Aang.

[@CatCraine]

Took the words right outta my mouth. Also, love your stuff, keep up the funnies, man.

[@anessone]

She arguably has suffered and learned more in her show than Aang. Every season finale until 4 Korra has lost something incredibly valuable to her identity as a person. Got her powers taken away for a bit which at least felt real and serious to her, then Raava gets taken, then she gets poisoned and gets PTSD. She has grown more as a person due to her mistakes more than Aang. Heck even in season 3 she has learned a lot.

[@PSASitch]

Korra does indeed get the crap beaten out of her. The problem is she never grows and changes from it.

[@micah_mann]

TLOK had so many issues, its hard to put them all in a comment. 1) korra is a horrible person with horrible selfish personality. 2) raava was never mentioned and directly goes against ATLA 3)YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH IT! 4) korra had to work for NOTHING in life. when she got hit, she got hit back instead of thinking why she got hit. I cannot fathom why someone would like korra as a character. 5) asami is a plot device, yet people love her as a character. 6) can you say pandering?

[@TheBassemandrh]

It's so weird listening to this video, because i agree with the Theis/antithesis idea, but i never once felt like LoK managed the Synthesis part of it. And in some cases the antithesis is only stated, but not shown.

[@12neef]

I thought the series was ok when it first aired. But i am enjoying it more the older i get. I felt her working through her mental and emotional blocks particularly enthralling. You made very solid points. It has its weaknesses but has a lot of strengths.

[@MetallicaRules]

What an amazing video, you really captured what made The Legend of Korra such an amazing series. I'm not going to say it's better than The Last Airbender (because it isn't), but it's still a fantastic series and a worthy successor to TLA because of all the reasons you discussed, among other things. The problem is that it gets a lot of hate because it isn't The Last Airbender, or because Korra is so different from Aang. Newsflash: that's the fucking point. Korra, both as a character and as a show, was meant to be different from Aang, otherwise it would just be a rehash of TLA with a different character. The problems Korra faced were much different, and at times, more challenging than what Aang had to go through, and as a result, it allowed her character to stand out when compared to Aang. Her own journey allowed her to become a different Avatar than Aang was, to try and improve the ever changing world that she lives in, and become her own separate character. And her losing her connection to the previous Avatars, while tragic, meant that she couldn't look to them for help like Aang did, allowing her to come up with her own solutions to problems, which only furthered her character growth. I've seen people complain about how LOK is so different from TLA and that's what makes it bad, but the thing is, while LOK is a sequel series, you can't simply judge it based on that fact, you also have to appreciate it as its own show. And when you do that, you'll begin to realize just how great LOK was.

[@princessthyemis]

I completely agree!!! :D

[@mordercainear9573]

Finally someone gets it,everyone compares it with TLA, its like comparing Daredevil to Iron Man, both are great in its own ways

[@theliedetector2199]

MetallicaRules it's garbage.

[@Alanahhhh]

I honestly think its biggest problem was due to the producers and writers getting fucked around by nickelodeon and not even knowing how far they could take it as a series. It could have definitely been even greater if only they'd had the security to make it so.

[@Skylingale]

LMFAO 'Korra stands out more than Aang.' Are you braindead by any chance?

[@BurnSchulz]

I really love korra. But the only thing i cant live with is the fact that she lost connection to all former avatars.. That was too much. The very thing that defines the character - "Avatar" was the connection to all former lives. Now gone forever. All i need is some sort of final arc where she finds all former avatar spirits in the spirit world and reconnect with them to get a closure. I will believe this is what she does in the spirit world. Since i cant stand thinking that aang and all other former avatars simply dont exist in any form anymore.

[@clemb1794]

yeah that really hurt ngl. however, it's the start of a new 10 000 year cycle. korra opened up a world of possibilities for herself and future avatars, she is now another starting point. but who knows, maybe someday a future avatar will regain the connection of the lost past lives

[@svgarangy80]

A theme in the Avatar Cycle is an avatar fixing what the avatar before them broke. Aang defeated the Fire Lord which Roku mistakenly did not do when he had the chance. Korra brought back the Air Nation when Aang could not. Maybe the Avatar after Korra would restore the past lives.

[@Awonya]

the thing that defines the avatar is the person, no special powers. the avatar is someone who wants to restore peace and balance, and does the right thing. even if they make mistakes sometimes.

[@faithjolley6034]

It made sense for her character arc. Korra's sense of identity is based on the fact that she's the avatar, so it makes sense to take those things away from her (her bending of 3 elements, her past lives) so she learns who she is, how to stand on her own, and how she wants to define the avatar. The way Korra learns is very hands-on too, we see it takes probending to help her learn the movements of an airbender rather than meditation or exercises. So because of this characterization, it makes sense that she can't learn these concepts of identity in hypothetical or principle, she has to learn them hands on.

[@Awes0m3n3s5]

King Bumi was right all along: "Instead of seeing what they want you to see, you gotta open your brains to the possibilities!"

[@Foreignerlin91]

Honestly the Third Season was a game changer for the entire series as a whole.

[@Davanthall]

I disagree that Ozai is a "mustache-twirling villain who is evil just for evil's sake". He truly believes that the Fire Nation is superior to every other nation, and therefore deserves to be the dominant one. In his mind, he's doing the world a favor by having it all become Fire Nation. Loved the everything else in this video though.

[@qaiser648]

Davanthall Also, the entire royal family of the FN is so fucked up. None of them were born evil, but the ideas of the generation before them fucked them up. There's abuse and neglect, indoctrination from a young age... ridiculous propoganda as seen when Zuko confronts his father in the Day of Black Sun. They were all raised to be assholes, and the original asshole (Sozin) whp started the war fooled himself and his descendants that he was 'sharing prosperity with the rest of the world.' Basically what I'm trying to say is that like you said, they are not moustache twirling villains for evil's sake, they were raised to be this way and believed they were doing the right thing.

[@jthibb7103]

Davanthall Oh please he banished his own son for sticking up for generals...and plotted to kill his brother he was typically evil. Sozin however believed he was doing the world a service by having the fire nation take over.

[@ShinobiPXO]

+Davanthall No he wasn't. He did what he because he was a power mad despot. In his mind, he's doing himself a favour because it be should "his" world He wanted to destroy the world and then rule the world. Throw robbing a bank, he's every cliché villain ever

[@Drake00000010]

@@ShinobiPXO If you had seen the show then you would know why he was a such cliche villain. The episode they showed a picture of young Ozai. Roku talking about his failure and how it relates to the current time explains why Ozai is the way he is as well. Hes a product of his upbringing.

[@ShinobiPXO]

@@Drake00000010 And Iroh's excuse is.....? Look *maybe* it was his upbringing but the show NEVER goes into details of Ozai past . As far as we know he is just an asshole because he is an asshole. Much like Azula, Ozai has many traits of a sociopath

[@Level99Chickens]

Solid video. I still think you're giving book 2's plot a little too much credit, but a great watch nonetheless.

[@mohamadkabbara1383]

book 2's plot deserves all the credit, it is just messy at some parts but great overall. We got to learn and gain deep information about the spirits what better thing to know about besides spirits.

[@Level99Chickens]

It's just so bleh though. Sure, the Wan arc was fun, but the idea that all spirits are either these peaceful animal dudes or SUPER INFESTED EVIL BLOB MONSTERS just spits in the face of everything the series had ever setup until that point. One of my favorite thing about the spirits in ATLA was always how they felt like actual characters, some of them were dicks, some of them were super chill, but none of them were flat out evil. Wan Shi Tong was so protective because the last guy who lied to him killed the fucking moon, even Koh was just kinda a creepy dude who stole people's faces for his own twisted sense of humor. Giant kidnappy monster man was just an angry spirit whose home was burnt to the ground, I could go on. Book 2 of Korra establishes this weird mythology that all of the spirits were just super chill or at the worst neutral until Wan showed up and freed the ANCIENT EVIL SPIRIT GOD, what? The spirit world used to have this cool mysticism to it, like the swamp and avatar ties and all that, Book 2 just turned it into a bad JRPG. This isn't even mentioning the story issues, like Mako being useless and Korra never learning anything and the villains being the most cliche D&D bosses in the series or that absurdly stupid finale which was quite literally the worst thing Avatar has ever been involved in, far exceeding The Great Divide in that regard.

[@yuagiin]

Koh's motives are actually touched on more in the graphic novel series, he collects things that reminds him of *SPOILER*

[@SomeRandomDude000000]

Mohamad Kabbara lol no book 2 was hot shit

[@Lullullaby]

Arjahn ! But both atla and lok are based on yin and yang so that's why the spirits are bad and good. Plus, you don't get to know all the spirits in LOK, they are just there.

[@Thegeekwiththephysik]

I had to watch this video twice, because dammit I just get lost in that beautiful soundtrack. Also, thank you Sage... um... you're pretty too... bye!

[@LightTrack-]

It's the credits theme for LoK. You can look it up. ;) I downloaded it aswell.

[@stranger59]

This video got me thinking about Amon. One of the biggest complaints people have is that him being a bender undercuts his entire message. But, as with leaders in real life, he was simply latching onto a real problem people felt for his own goals, and manipulating public unrest. People also thought it was odd that Amon would be "rewarded" by Republic City compromising and having a nonbender president, but that's really a compromise with the people he manipulated, the real social problem that Amon ultimately highlighted AND distracted from in his quest to destroy bending. So I think I might appreciate that plotline a lot more in light of the state of the world and watching this video.

[@Prodigial]

Amon sincerely believed in equality, you can find it on the Avatar wiki in black and white, clear as crystal. "Amon had a severe abhorrence toward benders and was a staunch believer in what he viewed as equality, affectionately referring to his followers as "brothers and sisters". Amon sincerely believed in his rhetoric, having striven to be fair and treat everyone equally since he was a child." I have NEVER understood why him being a bender undermined his message. He was using his bending to stop other benders. Calling him hypocritical would be like saying that someone who says "I believe in peace", but then goes to war to stop a dictator, is a hypocrite. I do not like fighting or war. That said, I will fight to protect my rights and protect the people I care about. Does that make me a hypocrite? TLOK acts like, once they prove Amon is a bender, that they've solved the entire season, but the valid complaints brought up by Amon and the revolution remain unaddressed for the entirety of the show. The writers literally write out the entire revolution once Amon leaves. Amon is completely right in his ideology, and the show never addresses this at all. It just says "Amon is evil and must be stopped" and then forgets about everything he stood for.

[@opheliaw2576]

Thank you for this, I love LoK so much. ATLA was my entire childhood and a modern classic that humanity doesn't deserve, but LoK has something to offer that is different and still worthwhile. It's almost like the writers? took their own advice and risked changing up the formula of their previous success in order to discuss a world we know well that is undergoing inevitable and unpredictable change? (much like our own world, where the righteous path is not always clear and the future is so uncertain. LoK gave me second-hand anxiety in many of its conflicts) Also, @ people in the comments who didn't like the characters. That's fine, you can have your reaction towards fictional characters' personalities just like with real world personalities. But it's straight up not correct to say that these characters don't grow. Korra grows from a cocky, impatient, naive kid with fantasies of easy heroism to a young woman who literally offers her life to save the air nomads and then must overcome devastating physical and psychological trauma. She starts off wanting to be the avatar the same way hella people want to be celebrities. The trauma she suffers breaks her so badly that in order to return to being the avatar she must overcome her fear of putting her body at risk in that way again. One small example of how the writers show Korra's growth happens in the episode when Katara is trying to help Korra recover. Korra has an outburst of frustration about how little progress she's made that she unfairly aims at Katara, then she shrinks back and says, "That came out wrong." Katara then softly reminds Korra of the fact that she's not the first avatar to have to overcome great suffering, and asks her how she thinks Aang felt when he learned of the genocide of the air nomads. Korra says, "That must have been so awful." Which is a huge (and beautiful) demonstration of character growth, with Korra responding not by viewing another's pain from the position of her own ego but rather by stepping unselfishly into their shoes and reacting with compassion. Katara responds in that scene, "But he never let it destroy his spirit. He chose to find meaning in his suffering, and eventually found peace." Korra, "And what will I find, if I get through this." Katara, "I don't know. But won't it be interesting to find out." This character growth is then reinforced in the season finale, where the suffering Korra has gone through allows her to feel compassion for Kuvira. By this time she's finally learned the emotional maturity to see humanity in others who are suffering, even her enemy. Someone online somewhere put it best: "The Last Airbender is about a human learning to be the avatar; The Legend of Korra is about the avatar learning to be human." It's a lot easier to cheer for characters who are training step by step to win out in the Good fight than it is to cheer for characters who have to fight the good fight even as they figure out what that fight is. Korra starts out so strong but so naive. She has to learn a lot emotionally, and while she's learning she makes mistakes. In many ways Aang is a stable character internally who must train physically to fight the baddie. Korra is already a good bender, but she has to train, suffer, and learn emotionally to fight the uncertainty of her generation. TLDR don't knock this show, it has innovative storytelling with lovable characters who grow in important ways and it tackles big issues and in terms of story technique it is NOT EVEN BAD y'all just don't have a heart

[@ExploreImagineDefineCreate]

*Applause* Also, I know this may be wrong cuz I am a derpy boi, but I find it to be kind of a parallel to real life how before, in ATLA, it was about a human learning to become the avatar and now, in LOK, its about the avatar learning to become human. Some people (boomers mainly) say that back in the day peopl actually talked to each other and felt a lot more human than today, when everyone is just glued to their phones or closed up to others. Back then it was about overcoming the struggles of life as a human. Nowadays many people get to live life a lot easier now with new technology and the age of information and whatnot (don't get me wrong, we still struggle a lot), and struggle a lot with mental health, motiviation/ambition, and finding others that you can open up with. It's like back in the days you can clearly see when a good person was struggling and you wanted to cheer for them. (ATLA) But mow you get some people that aren't even sure who they themselves really are and overcome some struggles that aren't so easy to understand from an outsider perspective, and then there's the big ideas that shape the world. How are you supposed to grasp the magnitude of that, much less relate to someone who deals with such things. (TLOK) Idk, it's something that has occurred to me a lot whenever I see people talk about how 'modern' characters don't feel human enough. Many its because nowadays with infinite distractions and possibilities and endless information and all these giant ideas shaping our world... it all seems too much to handle. The 'modern' person maybe just feels disconnected from all that, so 'modern' characters tend to come out similarly? Therefore stories that give characters more "down to earth" or really, down to individual, small scale, more managable conflicts tend to feel more real. I find it kind of unfair that we as humans tend to dislike things that feel to big for us, as we struggle to grasp it in its magnitude. But that's just how it goes. That's why writing a good end-of-the-world story is considered to be an "end of your world, and everything you care for" not an actual "oh crap, all the future babies and racists and pigs and technologies and etc etc are never going to exist if I don't save the world!" I'm not saying I think it's bad writing or its bad for people to feeling disconnected from big ideas (myself included), but I just find it unfair. What do yall think?

[@sheikranl3949]

@@ExploreImagineDefineCreate I agree with you. And about grasping ideas, one of my favorite movies, Interstellar, puts it amazingly well: "You never would have come here unless you believed you were going to save them. Evolution has yet to transcend that simple barrier. We can care deeply - selflessly - about those we know, but that empathy rarely extends beyond our line of sight." That is why a good end of the world story is one we can relate to. For TLOK, I think the concept is amazing and has a lot of potential. I just think it wasn't executed that well and that they went completely overboard with some of the ideologies. First season: Amon has an interesting thesis, but nope, we'll just skip that, because he's an evil bloodbender. I'd love it if he was a non-bender who had the ability to take someones bending away and won fights by outsmarting his opponents, instead of overpowering them. It's a shame the second half of the season deals with exposing him instead of questioning his point. Second season: Again, an interesting antagonist, with an interesting idea. Unalaq wanted to protect and preserve the spirits and the spiritual connection, while the rest of the world didn't really care. But nope, skip that, because he's an evil avatar now and the second half of the season deals with the evil avatar instead of his idea. Third season: Another antagonist with a less interesting idea as the others imo, but this time they ended it well, although they only discovered the consequences in a later season. Fourth season: Only now, we start to see the philosophy of Hegel. First, Korra deals with PTSD, then they have the Toph-scene and while she is recovering and turned her back to the world, someone else stood in her place to fix the instability in the Earth Kingdom. She'd be someone to empathise with, if they showed her working hard more, as well as developed her with Bataar and her relationship with Zaofu and it would have been great if we could see Korra travelling through the Earth Empire, seeing all the progress that has been made. Now, she is basically a generic villain.

[@AlicedeTerre]

Thank you. I loved both ATLA and LOK, for similar and different reasons. I understand if people don't care as much LOK since it's a sequel and typically people have less enthusiasm. But I've read so many vitriolic complaints that contains so many words and yet almost nothing that isn't tied their own toxic nostalgia and expectations. If anyone could actually put forth an argument that doesn't boil down to "it's bad because it is" I'll listen. It's basically TLJ reaction school of reaction.

[@briannalowe7613]

AND THATS ON PERIODT

[@Sandkasten36]

1. I don't want to go into great detail - maybe a bit later but - just remember how many great episodes ATLA had. The Storm, The Avatar State, Zuko Alone, The Desert, Appas Lost Days, Tales Of Ba Sing Se, The Guru, The Southern Raiders, The Beach, The Ember Island Players. All these episodes were just created to flesh out the characters and give them depth. They were deep and complex episodes, that dive deep into their personalities. LoK has maybe 2 or 3 of these episodes and even those are not as deep and fleshed out as all the episodes I mentioned above. 2. I think the spirit world is way better in ATLA despite LoK spending a whole season to explore it. Remember Hei Bai? Who he was and why he became mad? The solution to calm him? Remember The Painted Lady. Why she vanished and how they calmed her? It's not solved by throwing all the elements at thousands of jelly monsters. No it's through kindness and actions to help them. Acts of love for nature. The sad thing is - Korra did it actually once, when Iroh taught her to let out the light BUT never uses it again! Why not? 3. I don't like the people that hate on Korras personality 100%. There are big flaws with the ending of season 1 and all of season 2, but yes - she grows into a character that I'd want to have as avatar. The problem with this show are the other three main characters! Mako and Bolin. What is the difference in their characters between season 1 and 4? There is no difference. They're basically the same. Asami? We get a little bit in season 1 and - She has to forgive her father in the last two episodes of all the 4 seasons. Compare this to one sentence of Sokka: "I don't know how my mother looks like anymore. Everytime I try to remember her - I see Kataras face" I think, that one sentence teaches us more than Mako, Bolin and Asami do together in all the 4 seasons.

[@kaytamurray]

Alot of people like Atla more than LoK. Am i the only one who loves them both equally, but in different ways?

[@calebsmiley1173]

No man your not alone lol there are lots of haters out there but I love them both I honestly want a 3rd series with a new avatar

[@davidbutterstein4616]

no, there are lots of idiots like you

[@hopptyhoph1920]

@@davidbutterstein4616 so, Mr genius, explain why someone who likes both series is an idiot then

[@nurhafizhabdhamid8753]

@@davidbutterstein4616 since when does having an opinion is considered being an idiot?

[@wasserruebenvergilbungsvirus]

I am one of the few people who like The Legend of Korra more than The Last Airbender. Don't get me wrong, both are great, but with The Last Airbender, you truly notice that it is a show primarily made for children... Not just because of the extremely childish humor, but also because of its rather simplistic takes on morality. The greatest thing about The Last Airbender is the worldbuilding. If it didn't have this intricately crafted world, it wouldn't be half as popular. While The Last Airbender merely sets up the world and its magic system, The Legend of Korra brings it to its logical conclusions. The Legend of Korra experimented with a lot of new ideas, and while almost all of these ideas arose naturally from the worldbuilding itself, people generally tend to dislike new ideas... Particularly when they clash with nostalgia.

[@marscaleb]

This lesson is more important than I realized. Dang it, I need to start writing again. I just can't figure out what story I need to be making.

[@sameenshaw9670]

Did you figure it out?

[@mariobadia4553]

The writing i garbage because this guy never even mentions the other characters like Mako Bolin or Asami that's because they are writing failures since they remain the same characters from the first season with barely any development.

[@15jewjew]

@@mariobadia4553 He didn't mention them cause it wasn't the topic at hand. Bolin is one of the most developed and fleshed out, lin, Tenzin , and Jinora are also character that are great. Asami just needed more screen time, and Mako does need some work, but the characters as a whole are amazing.

[@mariobadia4553]

@@15jewjew I wouldn't call them amazing when Asami ends up Dating the woman that ends of ruining her relationship with Mako. It's either bad writing or Asami is just a dumbass.

[@mariobadia4553]

@@15jewjew I wouldn't mind if Asami got in a relationship with a girl as long as that girl was not Korra.

[@user-jy8zb2wc8l]

As someone who enjoys analysing for themes (and who was a bit older than the target age when I first watched Avatar), I enjoyed Avatar but I also GREATLY enjoyed the complexity of Korra as you've described. There is not always a clear answer because in life there isn't always one answer, and as you point out, the transformation of ourselves through the search for one - and that was a bit of what it was like watching the show and the dilemmas it tackles. Yes there were flaws to the storytelling, but so were flaws in Avatar and other stories - I felt for me in essence and spirit the main ideas were there.

[@austinjohnsen4430]

There was absolutely a clear answer for some situations in the show. Amon is a crazy fraud? Just expose it to the rest of the world. Similar thing happens in season two when everyone stops fighting each other when they find out who the real bad guy is.

[@Mark.mp3]

Aggghhh korras music really gives me chills dude

[@Angeredbobbin]

I had not been able to put my finger on why I still loved LOK even though I wasn't fond of Korra herself and a lot of the main group. I liked the writing and couldn't quite figure out why, which meant it was hard to defend the series to my fellow ATLA lovers in debate settings. Thanks for putting it into words. *subscribed* I look forward to binge watching your videos.

[@lonebattledroid4474]

Wouldn't that just give them more ammo?

[@Angeredbobbin]

@@lonebattledroid4474 How do you mean, it’s been two years since I commented on this vid.

[@lonebattledroid4474]

@@Angeredbobbin I mean if you say I liked Korra because of it's complex political themes then someone could just say well I hated it because how poorly it executed those themes, or something

[@Angeredbobbin]

@@lonebattledroid4474 Yeah exactly! The opposite is also true. A lot of the details of Korea were done really well, but for every cool thing there was thing that made me want to gag. LoK was revolutionary for touching on themes that most shows in there bracket wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole, but they fell short of the bar they had set with ATLA. LoK was fantastic, but it missed its own point a few times.

[@lonebattledroid4474]

@@Angeredbobbin Yeah and felt Star Wars Clone Wars did a much better job at tackling political themes

[@AlexanderHarris]

I appreciated what Korra was going for with its big ideas, but I felt like the story that held everything together wasn't very compelling to me. It wasn't terrible, but it felt very uneven.

[@JustWrite]

That's a fair criticism.

[@jghifiversveiws8729]

I think korra had a problem with power creep I mean look at amon he had the ability to take away bending and to blood bend without a moon to me korra felt all over the place but I managed to enjoy it and I do go back to watch sometimes I liked the asciatic 20th century look it had and korra's inner struggle was pretty good as well.

[@gabrielleauguste5120]

Sayem me what I loved about korra is that her character was so flawed. She had to learn who she was when her whole life before was spent training to be the avatar. She is brass and abrasive yes but as the seasons went you also saw how vulnerable she was and how she was slowly gaining maturity to be a decent avatar. I loved both Aang for being a kid wiser than his years ( no surprise having been raised by monks) but I also love Korra's flawed character who had to suffer to grow. If Korra ended up eing the same type of avatar as Aang I think they might as well have continued with Aang as the main character. I found the change compelling myself.

[@drakeunderscoremason]

Once again a great video! How do you not have way more subs?!

[@HisameArtwork]

for the same reason vapid channels who don't ad anything new just tell what is happening in the episode or trailer have 1-2 mil subs

[@bonzwah1]

The show just doesn't show korra coming up with an ideological reason to oppose her villains, other than the fact that they are threatening her and the status quo. I can see where you got the narrative that you fell in love with, and honestly, the ideas you put forth here were probably at the writing meetings when they pitched each season. but this narrative was certainly not on screen. The villains were basically just posed as unopposed theses. They were never ideologically opposed, only physically, and that's a huge issue. Because Korra never learns WHY she should fight, she pretty much is only "right" because she is the ultimate power in the world. More importantly, the show absolutely does not show the world changing as a result of having learned from the events of each season. Idk where you are getting this idea that benders are not equal. that unaccountable governments are on their way out. that peace and order have been secured in a way that is more definitive than the end of any other season. Literally the only thing that has changed in the world is the gates, so season 2 has synthesis...but that the season that you admit that the villain's ideology wasn't even compelling due to simply being the embodiment of evil (and can I just say that I HATE that its canon in this show that the spiritual principle of yin yang and balance are simply good vs evil? that representation of duality pisses me off). I completely agree that the IDEAS behind the show ALLOW for an incredible narrative as the world goes through developmental arcs. but it just isn't portrayed on screen, and that is ultimately why so many people dislike this show. You have to realize when you are simply seeing what you want to see. The story that this show COULD have been is amazing and this video essay does a great job at tackling why, though I hate that you focus so much on superficial "poetic justice". after all, the fact that he is defeated ironically does not in any way illustrate why his ideology was flawed...in fact, there is a general trend in this show of giving the villains themselves flaws, rather than having korra examine those ideologies for flaws and learn from that examination to develop her own ideology through synthesis. Nope, instead of a superior ideology prevailing, the ideology with the superior combat representative wins. hoorrah.

[@hutagishi]

nicely said

[@dirtyfox5800]

Perfect for adding additional context to this video. Great and concise!

[@ni_lao]

We are not supposed to read too much into Korra, since it is really the antagonists who are on the center of the stage in this show. The reactive behavior of Korra signify the flaws in the ideas of the antagonists. Without any big idea from Korra, the antagonists were basically defeated by their own ideas.

[@15jewjew]

Most of the time the villians are the ones opposing her. Besides taking away someone's bending isn't just challenging the status quo.

[@Altropos]

I think your 4th irony doesn't hold up in the tenets of anarchy as originally written. No institutional hierarchies doesn't mean that people cannot choose to group together to perform tasks better, more efficient and with better security for all involved. It just means that there is no inherent leader for this group and they should rely on some kind of auto-governing system.

[@sallylee4924]

Korra is a show that was great in its concepts and what it wants to achieve, but given too little air time to pull these things off successfully.

[@demonmachi]

Sally Lee nah, the airtime isn't an excuse imo. If the writer only thought they got 1 season, why overcomplicate things with romance or hell even box-bending? I wouldn't mind Korra not being able to airbend in the end IF we could see her understanding Amon motive, the turmoil because nonbenders do somehow get oppressed in TLOK, the strong bond between team avatar (because in TLAB they actually have a reason to stay together), etc.

[@sallylee4924]

I always felt that the show runners thought that they'd get 24 episodes in a season, like they did with Avatar. I also think the story for season 1 was supposed to be for the entire series (ie. serveral seasons, and maybe with elements of the latter seasons peppered in). The creators only wrote the first season according to wikipedia.

[@demonmachi]

Yeah, that still leaves me confused though, why don't they stop cramming things up the moment they know it's only 13 episodes? If they reaaally want to go with love plotline because teen hormones, they could just make it all hints like TLA and they could just focus on Korra trying to learn airbending (and its philosophy of freedom)+oppression of benders (Amon) I still think the problem is lack of writing team (compare the team for TLA and TLOK episodes)

[@egoalter1276]

I would attribut its failiour to incompetent writing, but we are entitled to our opinions.

[@sallylee4924]

I guess I'm making a distinction between concept and writing. I think the concept is fine but was not delivered effectively by the writing. I would like to believe that the team had reasonably skills to pull off what they wanted to achieve (ie. deliver the concept), but was sabotaged by the network, instead of being inherently incompetent.

[@joesurname6140]

This is what I didn't realise I love about his show. Thank you for showing me this.

[@thiccboss4780]

YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M TIRED ON PROCRASTINATING ON THIS DECISION OF MINE! YOUR WONDER WOMAN AND LORD OF THE RINGS/HOBBIT VIDEOS WERE REALLY GOOD. AND THAT SUICIDE SQUAD VIDEO SHOWED YOUR TRUE COLORS AS A FLAWED, BEAUTIFUL, HUMAN BEING. AND AFTER MY EYES WITNESSED THAT FLASHING RETROSPECTIVE OF.....T- *THINGS* AT 0:23 _FROM GREEK EPICS TO TOLKIEN ADAPTATIONS , HARRY POTTER LITERATURE, NARNIA MOVIES , COMIC BOOK FILM , RICK AND FUCKING MORTY , CLASSIC 80S HITS , MODERN TV SHOW SERIES , ETERNITY SPAMMING INTERPRETATIONS, ANYTHING FROM KIDS CARTOONS TO GREEDY ANIME AND VIOLENT MATURE MOVIES AND PIXAR ANIMATIONS_ I CANNOT GO A SECOND LONGER WITHOUT BEING SUBSCRIBED *_YOU BETTER BLOW MY SOCKS OFF NEXT TIME YOU UPLOAD WITH ME AROUND_* KyleKallGrenBHH ain't got shit on this guy < comparative. *let the titans clash!*

[@madisonxyz9887]

Zé Ninguém 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@LidianeCordeiro]

SAME!

[@KurosakiRuka]

man, you just convinced me to subcribe XD

[@Rikku147]

Zé Ninguém HELL YEAH

[@tatehildyard5332]

Oh you did not just use Kyle Kallgren as a negative! This guy's great too though.

[@fenixrock]

I loved also the way in which the series talked about the emotional Developement. E.G.: Lin and Su reconciliation, Tenzin dealing with his daddy issues and his jealousy towards Jinora (on her spiritual powers), Asami learning to survive by her own and Korra, learning from her acquaintances both allies and enemies as you mentioned and using all that to establish her path :)

[@nesbits22]

I have to disagree with you right from the beginning. Just because a series decides to tackle complex topics doesn't mean that it does it well. The way Korra handled political topics was a train wreck because the writers had no idea what they were doing and actually pushed some very very problematic stuff in the process. Kay and skittles does a good job at explaining it. Basically you either do your research or you don't touch stuff like that. We shouldn't give people brownie points just because they were brave enough to do it. Also a contest of ideas? Yes, if they weren't completely misrepresented? I can't talk about the mental health side of the show because I'm not well versed in it but people seem to agree it was done well. But imagine if it wasn't - people would be angry because misrepresenting mental health can be harmful. The same can be said for politics here but I guess this can go under the radar. Korra basically tried to teach us that all communists are liars because they're after personal gain, anarchists are idiots that like chaos for no good reason and fascists... are apparently good and misunderstood because their heart is in the right place. Oh and the warmongering capitalist problem can be solved by spontaneous compassion and instant absolution. I hope people realize how there is a problem here. This is what happens when people want to talk about 'big ideas' without any degree of competence.

[@blitzer3093]

This is truly why I love TLoK. I recently rewatched all of the Avatar franchise and before I started Korra, I thought that I loved Avatar waaaaaay more, but even after the first season, I realized that I didn't love Avatar more than Korra, I just loved them differently. The whole thing about Avatar is Aang going on an adventure, learning who he is and what he is meant to be. And Korra, while learning who she is and what she's meant to be, but at a shallower extranet than Aang, also figures out how the world was and how it could be. So it's not to say that Avatar is better than Korra or vise versa, but that Avatar deals with individual growth while Korra deals with the growth of society (even though the show still highlighted personal growth really well,especially in the third and fourth seasons).

[@seedless9746]

When Legend of Korra aired in German TV I was only able to watch the first season and missed the other seasons. But thanks to your video I was reminded of the series and luckily it's available online now. So I rewatched the whole thing and I'm very glad that I did. So thanks for the video, it was very enlightening.

[@Momo-zi7sp]

Seedless in english right?

[@mortarpestle.4267]

+WortelKop WortelKop German subtitles, perhaps. Low budget piece, but now THAT low budget.

[@lelrond]

Nope, guys, german dubs. Original voice acting is better though, as it is to be expected.

[@boopbap901]

People forget that Korra is supposed to be different than Aang. Korra was almost born a natural in her way of controlling all elements. (Wind being the one she had trouble with the most) which is why she had grown up to be arrogant, hot headed and full of herself because of the way she grew up with the white lotus. They taught her all her life that she was ONLY the avatar and that's why Korra's worst fear (which was backed by one of the creators in an episode documentary) was losing her bending. But what I'm saying is, Korra did work hard, she lost years of experiences in the outer world to be sheltered and molded into a "perfect" avatar by an organization that was founded by Aang and was supposed to be a way to keep the next avatar safe. That's why she kept failing and failing, because although she was a natural at controlling her abilities she wasn't a natural at everything else. She did learn from every fight she encountered and you can see the changes, especially at the end. She talked to Kuvira even after all she did. And she still got up and found her true self, Korra, not the avatar, after all that Zaheer put her through. The pacing of this show wasn't perfect but to say that Korra didn't grow as a character is wrong. And comparing her story to Aangs is also wrong.

[@FunnyBuns1]

Fantastic analysis of the show!

[@SILK97]

It's hard for me to see how so many ppl dislike this show. The show really lives up to its name. Unlike most Avatars, Korra was designated as a toddler. She grew up as The Avatar. It's all she's ever known. Each villain threatens her identity as the Avatar in a different way. Amon can take her ability to bend, Unalaq and Vatu merge to create a second Avatar, Zaheer comes close to breaking the Avatar cycle, and cripples Korra to the point that she can't serve as a protector. Kuvira outmatches the Avatar physically, and fights to bring the world into a more modern age that has no need of an outdated entity like the Avatar. The show definitely stumbles along the way, but after overcoming each enemy, Korra learns that she has value besides being the Avatar. She is a person, an individual despite being the protector of the world. She learns to accept and appreciate her identity no matter if she serves as Avatar or not. It truly is the Legend of Korra

[@MrStefanops]

LOK is very underrated, it is a very good show

[@carmcam1]

ATLA is overrated, TLOK is underrated. A pointy rock and lion turtle instant power award defeated the main villain in ATLA is a "perfect writing".

[@MrBKainX]

This didn't occur to me when I first watched your video, but I feel like this Hegelian theme of LoK is built upon one of the main themes of the original series. Its most explicitly stated by Aang at the end of S3E6: "Roku was just as much Fire Nation a Sozin was, right? If anything, their story proves anyone's capable of great good and great evil. Everyone, even the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation have to be treated like they are worth giving a chance." This is shown throughout the series with bad/morally grey characters of the "good nations" such as Jet, General Fong, Long Feng, and Hama, as well a morally good/sympathetic people from the "bad nation" such a Jeong Jeong, Iroh, Piandao, Roku and Zuko. I feel like this acceptance that a culture/race (and by extension other groups) and the humanization of their members (even Ozai while written simply is still noted as a human) is necessary before one could think to learn from their enemies. Also do you read the avatar comics?

[@MrHoeBow]

MrBKainX I really like this comment.

[@TheMidnightdemon]

MrBKainX Your quote makes the statement, that everyone has a sense of morality, but it only remotely refers to the Hegelian Idealism. Sorry, but those are entirely different concepts.

[@MrBKainX]

I'm not sure what you mean

[@TheSonicShoe]

Aang's journey in the first show is literally to go out, and master both the physical, spiritual, and mental disciplines of every other nation in his world, including those he considers his enemies, in order to become a better person, and improve the world. how is that not exactly what this video is talking about?

[@jonsnor4313]

Korra was more realistic where aangs story is a tale with a unredeemable bad guy. They work different. Aang biggest not wholly good or bad villain was zuko, and he never had to face zuko going full bad. He never had to literally fight them. I think korra executed that part undoubly better.

[@insanetrain33]

Hey man, I was led to your channel by the Red Letter Media subreddit to your Hobbit videos, and I gotta say your work is superb. Keep it up!

[@osquiromero4261]

"A story is an essay in action". So powerful

[@kellyd3859]

This deserves so many more views

[@MarkyMatey]

While LOK doesn't reach the heights of ATLA, it quite great and it's a good think I stuck with this till the end.

[@extrathicccheesepizza6413]

Mgen G. I love legend of Korra even though I don't agree with the ending

[@theliedetector2199]

Mgen G. Don't it a waste of time.

[@thegreatcheesedemon]

Here's a different take: LoK contains the heights of the franchise, but is not as well-composed or dense as ATLA.

[@uhlan30]

It did reach the heights of ATLA tbh. I'd even say parts of it are better. The preference for ATLA over Korra is just rosy retrospection.

[@thefancrafter7488]

lolno

[@aidanborlet8440]

“It’s allegedly a children’s cartoon” shows someone getting choked to death with airbending.

[@Mumblejumby]

I can sense e;r raging through the background muttering.

[@derekclinton7482]

I can hear him laughing :)

[@esemicolonr]

=)

[@ishnasoma3468]

completely agree with this ugh. It annoys me when people talk trash about this show comparing it to ATLA because it was trying to achieve completely different things from the original show which was much more focused on internal struggle and character work, whereas Korra more used the characters to propel the plot and message of the story.

[@N94able]

I think most people's problem was that it has brilliant Ideas, that are carried out in just a passable way. My personal gripe was that show had no idea where it was going until season 3. You can tell that with the romance subplot which is just all over the place until season 3 where they get there shit together.

[@mariobadia4553]

That's because the show is garbage. The only character that gets development is Korra Mako Asami and Bolin remain the same static Boeing planks of wood that they are when they were first introduced.

[@mariobadia4553]

@@saracen8441 plus the fact Avatar actually gives the side characters development! nobody could ever named me how is the living mannequin, not Zuko, and not Sokka. That's not even mentioning the how the show makes fun of bowling while he's in a abusive relationship with a girl that pretty much forced him into the relationship in the first place. I mean swap two genders and it wouldn't be played off as a joke( plus the fact that Korra laughs at him).

[@Southyy]

I begrudgingly like the show, however Aang giving back Korra her bending without her being spiritual enough to connect with the avatar state and by extension her past lives to do so in the first place is the biggest fucking ass pull and I will never forgive it. And also retconning a lot of things from the ATLA like the origins of bending. That can not be forgiven. Great analysis and incorporation of Hegelian philosophy, but there are problems that can't be overlooked in an objective sense.

[@melonlord1414]

Well, they thought that this would be the only season. If Nickelodeon would have given them 4 seasons from the start, they might have handled things differently. But I am aware, that it is a weak argument for doing something like that.

[@solomonhernandez6409]

It didn't really retcon the bending origin though. Despite introducing the concept of lion turtles giving bending, they still showed Wan learning from the dragon and Tenzin even says the sky bison were the original Airbenders during the next season. So notice in the episodes, they never called it bending. They always called it the "power of the element". And in the same episode, the guy from the fire turtle was amazed by how Wan wields fire and described it as "using fire like it's an extension of his body". And even in the start of AtLA, Katara said that she wasn't a waterbender yet, despite having the power of water. Toph also describe earthbending as part of the badgermoles' senses and their way of interacting with the world. In a way, it's like bending is the art form itself, while the lion turtles just gave the innate power. Think of having a sword, but without actually practicing the art itself, it won't be that useful. And after 10 thousand years, the distinction between bending and the "the power" became moot, like how meanings and symbolisms of legends in real life become mixed up over time.

[@doggotrivago]

Solomon has a point, they didn't retcon any of the lore. Also they made up for that scene on the cliff with Aang with her struggling with depression and PTSD later on. There wasn't really a need to have her character struggle with the same issue twice and I feel like that could've been polished better if the creators knew they had four seasons to begin with.

[@Southyy]

@@doggotrivago Soloman does make a valid point. Agreed on the PTSD front.

[@carmcam1]

ATLA have 3 season to plan unlike TLOK which always were planned per season except 3 and 4. And yet they gave aang the "power of energy bending" without even training how to use it and "got lucky" it worked the first time. Even avatar wan seeked the original benders after the lion turtle gave him the power to control elements for training to bend. Yet you shit on what happened between aang and korra, but it was already aang's ability. Didn't roku helped aang destroying the temple using lava bending, because roku already have the ability to lava bend. The past lives just helped their successor i cannot fathom the dislike with the scene.

[@gmony1552]

I wholeheartedly disagree. While LoK does have the courage to address complex themes like politics and gender, I would argue it does so very poorly. The problem LoK has is that it doesn't really address the flaws in its villains arguments in any meaningful way. At the end of season one for example the villain is brought down not buy refuting his claims and offering up more meaningful solution to his plan but by revealing that he is a bender to his non-bending followers, which somehow refutes everything he said. Seriously, that is all that happened. Even with the 3rd villain, the most philosophically nuanced antagonist of the 4, was reduced to "that crazy dude who wants to kill the avatar" by the end of the third season. Its like the writers wanted to address complex themes in the show, but couldn't figure out how to resolve them so they just said fuck it and ignored said themes entirely by the end of each arc. In a show that tackles complex themes an element of "preachiness" is ultimately necessary if nothing else than to present two or more sides of a typical issue. Even if a show doesn't explicitly proclaim a right and wrong answer, it must at least present arguments and counter arguments to allow the view to formulate an opinion. LoK doesn't do this however. In each and every season a villain is presented with a complex and intriguing philosophy that gives them depth and character, and Korra opposes them because they are wrong. Seriously thats about how complex the arguments on Korra's side are. Neither Korra or any of her friends ever really try to point out the flaws in the villains arguments or offer up alternative solutions. Its just your wrong because you are evil. Its a classic example of a show biting off more than it can chew. Its one of the many reasons why I prefer ATLA over LoK. ATLA was far less ambitious it addressing complex themes, but executed its ideas much, much better.

[@nocktukdaze8256]

Garrett Henze it's less "Bit off more than you can chew" because at least you can swallow it. ATLA did bite off more than it could chew in some areas, but it still managed to swallow it. LoK really chewed more than it could swallow and ended up puking.

[@sergeantkozi]

Exactly right. I’m surprised a channel centered on writing wouldn’t notice these problems. Anyone can throw philosophical buzzwords into their script, but having characters embody their philosophy through action and having them grow and evolve (or not) as they interact with others and explore/ those ideas is a whole other thing. If anything, the theme is that people will always use larger political ideologies to justify their personal/selfish motives, so don’t take people at face value when they claim to be about freedom or equality.

[@nSozin]

You couldn't be more wrong. Every single villain in this show changed the world in at least one big way. We shall start from season 1. You say that because Amon was revealed to be a bender everything he said is somehow refuted. Instead what actually happened is because of his actions a non-bender President was assigned to govern Republic City instead of four bender leaders from all the nations. Season 2 Korra realized from Unalaq that it was best to keep the spirit world and physical world open to one another, this was a HUGE change for this world. Season 3 Zaheer wanted to eliminate all leaders and create chaos because he believed this was the natural order of things. His actions instead created one of the worst dictators the world had ever seen, Kuvira. Because of his and Kuvira's actions, the Earth Kingdom disbanded the Monarchy and replaced it with a Republic.

[@nocktukdaze8256]

Nick Lykins And yet you were so wrong that tou missed the point completely. OP argued that from a writing perspective LOK never deals with these themes. Korra and Co never sit down and talk with the bad guys to explain why their view is wrong or bring up any alternative solutions. You're looking at in universe whereas OP is looking at it like WA is: How it executed the themes and how it's conveyed to the audience. The world being "changed" by these events is irrelevant as OP isn't arguing against that, but how it executes the themes like an essay, which is missing a element to it.

[@CreativeUsernameEh]

Are you asking them to solve the worlds problems?

[@adamkovacs5883]

This video is fantastic! Now I know exactly why I ❤ the legend of Korra! Thank you!

[@RenTran1]

Wow. I already love Legend of Korra, but you made it so much better.

[@sbusisophiri9207]

Beautifully done! This one video convinced me that this is MOST DEF. a channel I want to subscribed to!

[@Danosauruscrecks]

Sbusiso Phiri same

[@tjjordan4207]

I admit, I actually disliked Legend of Korra when I first watched it. And for a while, I refused to watch it again, claiming that it wasn't a great follow-up to its predecessor, a show I love so much. However, I certainly went back and watched all seasons, for preparation for a review I was going to do. But my plans were scrapped when I found myself loving the show more I did before. Part of the reason I didn't like Korra at first was because I wasn't ready to understand its story or deeper lessons. And I also was going in with an upset attitude that I wasn't going to see my favorite characters back in action (this was before I knew about the comics). Not to mention that joke in the Pilot episode about Zuko's mother really pissed me off when I first watched it (again, BEFORE I knew about, or read, the comics). From then on, I criticized the show. Something I regret, because I wasn't being fair. It's one thing to criticize a bad movie or show, but to criticize something without understanding its core or what it is truly about, that's something else. And I was young when I did this, so I was a pretty stupid kid then. But after rewatching it, I began to love it and even consider it a great eye-opener. The previous show already did that as well, but this proved to me that not everything is truly black and white. That nothing truly has the answer to everything at any given time. Life changes and it's important to change with it as well, so we may gain experience. And that is what it ultimately taught me, that experience can help a person understand, as long as if they use it in a way to understand things from all sides. I guess you can say that Legend of Korra is kinda like one of those old fashion movies, where you can't respect it for what it is about, because you don't have the mindset to understand it. I wanted to see an action-packed, good-guy vs bad-guy series, with tons of the clichés I sadly was into. And in some ways, I did get that from this show. But I ended up getting something better that I needed from it.

[@AhsimNreiziev]

Thank you SO MUCH for this! This is exactly what I keep saying to people who hate LoK without going into any details why (or just the most shallow of details, like "the Characters are flat", which is not really saying much) -- although to be fair, the difference between haters and those that have criticism is exactly that they can't provide detailed reasoning for their dislike and don't make any attempt to understand what it is they're watching / reading / etc.

[@nocktukdaze8256]

TJ Jordan Ehhh, I don't know. I have the mindset to understand LOK's themes, but I can't bring myself to like it because it's execution isn't really that good, especially in S3. It was hidden under a lot of eye candy and it was kind of hard to get. Now I get LOK's themes, but I still can't appreciate the show, because a show in it of itself isn't just the themes and the messages. It's also the execution of that message. I've seen stories, hell, I've had better personal experience, of the whole "the world isn't truely black and white", "life changes and it's important to change with it", "nothing truely has the answers at any given time" "experience only helps if you apply it" lessons. Getting bullied a lot, moving away from your only friend, and making a really stupid decision multiple times tends to do that to you. LOK really had nothing to offer me. Because I've already overcome these challenges I can look at Korra as a story and how it executes it's themes and morals, and uh...it wasn't very good. It contradicted itself at one point. A show can have a great theme, but a show isn't just a theme. It's about characters, too, they're the lenses through which we're watching this. If they're not the best, well, what does it matter? This isn't Avatar: Synergy where once I've overcome my struggle of being too reliant on other people I can look back and say, "well, it was written good". And it was written pretty well. Dialogue could use some work, it had a tendency to spell that things out for the reader, but it was pretty well for the most part. In LOK I can't do that because there are so many screw ups in the characters. Let's take Mako, for example. His only growth was really moving on from his relationship with Korra and Asami. Anything else was moot. "He learned to be selfless" Except he already was selfess. He put the needs of others before himself. The only two times he got selfish were with his relationships with Korra and Asami, both of which make perfect sense as Mako made sure he and Bolin survived in the streets. So since the whole "selfish" flaw was never actually there, it makes his growth ring hollow. And that's just Mako for crying out. TL;DR LoK isn't great, but it could've been. Stories aren't just themes. If a story was just a theme you might as well write an essay. Personal experience and other stories gave me the knowledge of what LoK is trying to say, and LOK seemed lackluster since my personal experience alone was better than the execution of LOK's themes.

[@Gamelover254]

This is exactly my story with Legend of Korra! (: now I always watch both shows back to back when I marathon. Aang and Korra are the best!

[@tjjordan4207]

+Nocktuk Daze I can understand your point of view for not liking LoK. I agree that the characters are not really that great and often times had trouble getting invested in them. What worked for me was the themes and lessons that each season went through. I felt like it was building up to something and that it actually did, in my opinion. It may have been enough for me, but I can understand why it wasn't enough for you. Like I said, when I criticize something, I want to try and understand it, so I can know what I didn't like.

[@alexmiddleton9390]

I think Korra is a great lesson in what ideas to include and an even better lesson to show the consequences of telling them without showing them well

[@matthewbrown5464]

This video perfectly sums up why the Legend of Korra is my favorite television show ever. The way the Legend of Korra works thematically is on a level that I've never seen from any other show with the exception of Avatar: the Last Airbender

[@cecilia7932]

I love this show! The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are two of my favourite shows

[@JAYDOG1337A]

I don't think I'll ever get bored of watching ATLA or LOK, they are just incredible shows overall

[@kuryamtl]

Wow there is a lot of Anti-Korra sentiment in the comments. It is like I didn't see the same show as they did. I really loved this show... I loved the characters and the story lines and themes.

[@nancyceuleers5606]

kuryamtl same here!

[@mljedi]

I kind of see Hegel in original series as well, but it a different way. Both previous Avatar, Roku, and Fire Lord, Sozin, are in a similar conflict, Sozin wanting one world, with the Fire Nation, leading the way and Roku want to keep the world separate, and each nation running as they always have. Both men are destroyed because of their unwillingness to see other's positions. The Fire Lord, Ozai, at the start of the story mysterious figure, that is later revived to be someone wants power, for power sake. He has abandoned Sozin's precious goals, for his goal of total power. Aang, the current Avatar, ran away from his position as the Avatar because of his fear of conflict and must face what his fear has wrought. He must learn to come to terms with the power of the Avatar and his desire to avoid doing harm as possible. While Zuko, the future Fire Lord is on a quest to capture the Avatar to regain his lost honor, but on the way, he comes to learn the turn meaning of honor and to become the kind of Fire Lord, that help lead the other nations to Sozin's original dream. With help of the Foundation laid by Iroh's White Lotus.

[@stranger59]

A good point, especially since the 100 Year War lead to Republic City being founded on the old Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom. Despite the atrocities the Fire Nation committed, industry, as well as bending, were pushed to new heights during and after the war. It's not dissimilar to America reaching the moon with help from former Nazi scientists. Adversity and conflict ultimately lead to progress in surprising ways.

[@expojam1473]

I’m so fed up with people thinking Korra is weak, just because of all the defeats she had. But this is ironic because she learns from every single one, and what did Zuko say back in The Last Airbender? “I don’t need luck. I’ve had to struggle and fight, and that’s made me strong”. Korra is strong because despite going through all that she never gave up. And to those who think she’s arrogant and temperamental, what about Zuko and Toph? Weren’t they the same? Why do we not forgive Korra for having these qualities? She even learns to respect and understand people, and people look past that. LoK is a flawed show, but some people’s hate is just unneeded. I’m proud to accept this show, and Korra as my Avatar alongside Aang. Godspeed Avatar Korra 😉 It was a pleasure having you

[@rohanchaudhry8928]

Oh god how i miss this show. My favourite show along with Twin Peaks

[@deorusev8310]

This was, at least to me It's biggest con too. The Legend of Korra tries to be too much. And there is just so much you can try and tackle in one show. It just felt overloaded. 4 different villains, one after another. It was not written well, it felt forced and amaturish, I got the same feeling from it that I get from Fanfictions that have diverted from canon so much they are grasping for straws to make it till the end and not be dissatisfactory, to have that unbeatable villain, that epic battle. Trying to be like the original enough to make people like it because of it and continue reading/watching while trying to continue doing It's own thing. In the context of Korra the first season was all well and good. But from then on it felt like they were like "But we didn't address this topic so let's make a new villain based around it and have the same (more or less) plot points from the first season." The only time this is not the case is when they try and tackle PTSD. And that, for me, was the best part of the show as a whole. Before that I didn't like Korra, I didn't care for her. Most often than not I was rooting for the villain just for shits and giggles and to see how they would write it. That arc changed everything. But it, alone, can not carry a series. The show is of big ideas, but it lacks the nuance needed to express those ideas properly.

[@loiclejeune2877]

i think a problem was to that it had 12-14 episodes season

[@hansdykstra3869]

"It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements and the other nations will help you become whole." -Uncle Iroh

[@Rorschach1030]

Finally an excellent Korra video describing how great The Legend of Korra is. Just because its different than The Last Airbender doesnt mean its worse. Now, the question is, which is better The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra?

[@cael_aj]

Finally someone who loves Korra as well as ATLA! I mean, yes, ATLA is my favorite show of all time and nothing could beat it, but I think Korra was an amazing continuation of that universe.

[@dice6494]

Other than the great analysis of TLoK, you actually made me realize why I always hated writing essays for school, despite the fact that I've been passionate about writing from an early age. I always thought it was just because I was forced to write on a subject I didn't care about, but it was really because I was forced to write in a manner that fundamentally differs from the way I perceive the world. Glad I found your channel, those few videos have been way more informative & helpful than all the "here's how to be a great writer" blogs you find online.

[@parky2492]

Wow I love this video, I loved the legend of Korra but I'm able to appreciate it a lot more now. Great video I hope to see more from you!

[@guysimchony309]

Great video, and it really gets down to the heart of what made that show so great. I've never thought so much watching a cartoon than I did watching Korra, and that really speaks to the complex, layered storytelling in play

[@maiskorn123]

Dude, you should probably check out Neon Genesis Evangelion ;]

[@SpiffyATL]

Wow. I found this surprisingly deeply meaningful, not just by providing a new appreciation for the show that I basically missed, but also on a personal level, and for the times that we are living in.

[@funyarinpa9464]

I wouldn't say Korra is really that sophisticated when it comes to its political themes. I mean, we're talking about the same show that states that monarchy is bad, then criticizes rebellions because they're violent and ultimately ends with "let's wait for the monarch to willingly give us democracy" as its answer to the problem the show itself brought up in the first place. It's not even the only example of the show refusing to explore its own themes: once the second season enters the Vaatu plot, it manages to not answer any of the political questions that came with the previous civil war. Oh, and it never acknowledges the fact that Varrick is a literal war criminal that escaped prison. I guess we'll forget about that and see him as a sympathetic extravagant character. I mean, Korra has a lot of good things to talk about, but its political themes are definitely not it. Edit: Oh, and another example that I'll add because it's VERY telling. The show doesn't even talk about PTSD. Even if it did, showing PTSD as the character seeing visions of a dark version of themselves isn't really sophisticated, but it's even worse here because it PRETENDS like it's talking about PTSD only to later say "oh, it wasn't really PTSD, Korra is just still poisoned since the last season!". It convinces the watcher that it's saying something somewhat deep, but then nope, it just takes it all back. It does the same with the political themes, but the PTSD thing is so blatantly shameless that it's the best example to start really seeing how the show treats its themes.

[@Ricardo7250]

Your comment shows the main flaw of this video. It's like the person who made this video had a fetish for "big ideas" and didn't care if any of them were really fleshed out. "Fascism + politics + PTSD + Communism + annarchy + rebbelions? Yoooo, must be soo great and epic no matter what"

[@dieterdengler]

Just discovering your series. This is excellent and Korra is one of my all-time favorites. I've only seen a handful of TLA episodes and appreciate it's "better" but Zahir and the White Lotus Clan in S3. Wow. Keep up the great work.

[@callmeswivelhips8229]

The Hegelian Dialectic has had such a huge impact on how I view the world and how I view myself. It has completely changed the way I build my interpersonal relationships. I can never take it back, and I'm happy for that.

[@shellersle128]

Ok I have to say this: The whole “this show had great THEMES and IDEAS” is a pretty weird way of looking at a story. I don’t agree that stories are like essays at all. Essays tend to have an argumentative or analytical structure where I think stories illustrate the human condition with motivation, bias and emotion. Sure you can extract personal meaning from stories but really the whole assumption that there has to be some kind of overall message or thesis seems like a mistake. Maybe that’s why LoK feels more like a 5th grade philosophy debate than a story.

[@ParkerBai92]

I would argue that Korra's journey and growth is far more compelling than Aang's since Aang is characteristically still very similar at the end of ATLA as he was in the beginning; young, naive, pure, and non-confrontational. Korra starts off as brash, cocky, head-strong, and very confrontational and ends as a more balanced, self-actualized, and humble person due to constantly being torn down by her adversaries, and occasionally even her own allies, along her journey.

[@CassiusLashes]

You have to take in mind the supporting cast too. Almost every supporting character (with the exception of Toph) got a lot of development. Far more than the cast in LOK. TLA was focused more on strength in unity, while LOK was focused more on strength in the individual.

[@carmcam1]

The thing about aang was, he was static, which i don't get why some ATLA fans are giving korra crap for character development. You compare aang episode 1 and finale and you will still recognize episode 1 aang. Episode 1 korra and finale episode korra is an entirely different person. Aang got lucky with a pointy rock and beginner's luck energy bending to defeat ozai, while korra have to pull all the stops and rely on a team to defeat kuvira and her unbendable platinum mech robot. The energy bending done by korra looks like already an ability since avatar wan, i keep repeating a scene where it seems that wan blocked the purple beam coming from vaatu. Look closely during the fight, i hope anyone notice that.

[@PaulPower4]

Without taking anything away from Korra, I feel like this is a bit harsh on Aang - he grows a lot over the course of the show, it's just that much of that growth is directed towards giving him the emotional awareness, stubbornness and self-control to stay true to himself (and, by extension, his people) in spite of everything - to become, as it were, unbendable. He's very aware now of his duties and responsibilities as the Avatar, but the only way he can be the Avatar is... well, by being himself. So yes, he's very recognisable in the character we see at the start of the show, but his journey has given him a lesson in what parts of that character really matter. To quote the Red Queen from Alice Through the Looking Glass, "It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

[@beardlessdragon]

I forgot how absolutely gorgeous the music for Korra is

[@gianni206]

Air = Freedom. The Last Air Bender focused on a boy trying to free the world. Water = Change. The legend of Korra focused on a girl trying to lead the world in opening up to change. Brilliant.

[@Gamelover254]

Oh my god! How did I not realize this!? Thank you sir XD

[@tannerjohnson2176]

I think u gotta give Korra a little more credit when it comes to growth. Look at her from the first episode to the last. Everything about her is completely different and matured

[@thedoctor2871]

So to put it simply "It's important to draw wisdom from many different places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, and the other nations will help you become whole. -Iroh

[@Emylisis]

Gosh this makes me love the series even more than I already did

[@gtgrandom]

I definitely enjoyed the big ideas the show tackled, and I enjoyed the character development within each season -- over the series, not so much. Overall the show was a bit of a jumbled mess, lacked direction, and all of its romantic subplots and interpersonal relationships suffered for it. (It's actually super interesting to see how chaotic the writing process was behind the curtain. They had no idea what they were doing, and it translated to the show). I rarely see positive takes on the show, so this was interesting to see.

[@jamesfrench6840]

The missing ingredient in Korra and to a further extent Voltron was the head writer of ATLA. Aaron Ehas really knew how to plan out where the characters and plot was going. That's what I feel is lacking in Korra, long term plans.

[@pitipiti_]

@@jamesfrench6840 well korra was first planned to be a mini series of book 1, them nick change their plan and requested a full season. Them just latter on, requested book 2. After that, only in the middle of the production of book 2 they approved book 3 and 4. You ask me about long tern plans. Compare that to atla, whose writers already knew about all the books arcs even before they showed anything to nick

[@aphrinth5433]

I don't know why but this video makes me emotional every single time I watch it.

[@rick2402]

I like probably only 50% of LoK but you've made me more appreciative of it. Thanks!