I wasn't the biggest fan of the original Avatar. It was pretty good, but I never really devoted time to it. I was kind of growing out of cartoons targeted at children, even though I have went right back to watching them when I got older and pulled my head out of my ass. I did watch most if not all of the episodes of the original and would have enjoyed it a lot more if it was released today. I'm going into the show with a little less bias than most fans of the original, because I never got around to rewatching the original to truly enjoy it. The Legend of Korra is fantastic though.
The Legend of Korra is a really good children's action show. The series takes place 70 years after the original, with Katara as the only surviving member of the original crew. Before their deaths, Suko and Aang have turned the fire nations into Republic City, a place for benders to live. Korra is the new incarnation of the Avatar, and is somewhat similar to Aang, but also totally different. The show is now set to the back drop of Hong Kong and Manhattan in the 1930s'. The series picks up with Korra already knowing three of the four elements, and only needs to learn how to bend air. The streets of Republic City are also on the verge of collapse with hostility between the non-benders and the benders.
The soundtrack is a mix of oriental instruments, and jazz. The jazz plays over most action scenes, and is highly reminiscent of Cowboy Bebop. The music fits the setting, and is energetic enough to elevate the scenes of action to make them intense.
The animation is also done very well, and is top-notch for a television series. The action scenes in particular flow very well and look very fluid. The action doesn't look choppy and is very fast paced. The scenes flow like a live action martial arts film. The slower scenes also look decent, and are done with enough care that they don't ruin the mood of the scene. The scenery is also very grand, and high quality. The scenery also never clashes with the characters and it all blends very well. The character designs also look good, and fit with the series. They maintain the anime style, and mix the old Hindu and Budhist designs with a 1930s' noir gangster design. The two mends together to give a fell of the show and never seem out of place.
The action scenes are very creative and exciting. The battles use a good mix of bending, and martial arts. They are also quite fast, and don't feel sluggish. The use of bending has always been a blessing for comeing up with clever action sequences, and are use to a decent effect in The Legend of Korra. Having a new setting has also lead to some exciting chase scenes involving cars, and a polar-bear-dog, which have potential to be very creative.
The new characters seem to be likable, but most of them have had very little screen time to devlop yet. Mako the fire bender, voiced by Bud from Married With Children, is just the quite badass, and will most likely get with Korra near the end. His brother Bolin, the earth bender, is popular with the ladies, and is friendly with Korra from the start. Both of them play on a probending team, and bend for sport. Tenzin is Aang and Katara's son, and is a calm and collected air bender. He does seem to have a bit of temper when people make a mock of his bending practises. The titular Korra has had the most time develop over the two episodes. She is brash, quick tempered and impatient. She wants to know how do something, and she wants know how the instant. She has no intention on learning about the spirit, and just wants to learn how to fight. She's similar to Aang in the way that she is childish, but also radically different in the details. Other characters appear but do so little, it's impossible to alk about them.
Overall I enjoyed The Legend of Korra great deal, and will most likely be rewatching the original series while I watch Korra. The animation, action and music are all superb, and the rest has potential to be one of the truly great action series. The Legend of Korra lives up to the hype.
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