The ReWatchable newbies have watched the first two episodes of The Legend of Korra. And they have some opinions.
ReWatchable is a podcast dedicated to rewatching all your favorite shows, whether they were cancelled too soon or went off the air at just the right time. Our current pick is The Legend of Korra, and our panel of hosts is split between five superfans and three newbies.
Our three newbies, Brittany, Ariana, and Karen, had never seen the show before, though they did watch Avatar: The Last Airbender when we discussed it on a previous round of ReWatchable. They fell in love with the Gaang, but will they fall in love with the Krew, too?
Check out our first impressions of The Legend of Korra after having only watched the first two episodes. We discuss how it compares to Avatar: The Last Airbender and what we think will happen over the course of the show.
Brittany
First impressions:
I was ready for a highly emotional response to the opening credits of Legend of Korra. Shockingly, the Tenzin reminding me everyone was dead did not have the emotional punch I expected. But the spunky little bender gave me chills. It was a nice welcome back to the world. My emotions got the better of me when Katara was called gran-gran.
I like Korra for now, though some of her character traits are more fitting for a younger Avatar. Tenzin is the best. He is the most settled in his life and he produced three and half air benders already. Way to keep the line alive, Tenzin! My only two gripes with the series thus far are the animation and the music. I expect the animation to grow on me, but the music doesn’t fit with the world for me just yet.
How it compares to ‘Avatar’:
Two episodes in and already it is clear that Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra are two different beasts. While both Korra and Aang have a massive amount of responsibility on their shoulders, Aang’s story was much more compelling right out of the gate. Korra is just as ambitious in her desire to learn bending, but unlike Aang, she doesn’t have a giant space rock or Fire Lord to face. Hopefully, she becomes a bit less spoiled sounding and more awesome as we move forward.
Predictions:
Zuko and Katara have a flashback episode where we learn of their secret love affair that began 10 years after Aang’s death. Zuko will pass control to his son, a child born by Mai, and go to Katara with the betrothal necklace he carved over 60 years ago.
I can’t wait until we meet the mythical Bumi 2.0. Mako and Bolin are going to be great additions to my “cartoon characters I form too complex emotional relationships with” scrapbook. Mako and Korra are going to have a fraternal, yet sexually charged friendship.
Cabbage Man’s sons run a “Cabbage Man and Sons” stand in Republic City.
Ariana
First impressions:
Korra is kind of annoying, but whatever, so is Aang. It’s bizarre to have everyone look so much older and developed like adults, but still acting just as (if not even more) immature as the old Gaang. I really like everyone’s kids we’ve met so far, so I hope that continues, because I think I’m more interested in them than Korra and her friends, even if the guys are super cute.
How it compares to ‘Avatar’:
The themes are much darker and more adult, just like the animation is more adult and I am going to mention once again how weird it is to have everyone’s muscles so clearly defined. It is like Dragonball Z up in here. It’s kind of hard to compare it to Avatar because I’m not super invested in it yet, but after four episodes, I wasn’t super invested in Avatar either. I obviously need an Azula stand-in to root for.
Predictions:
That super hot chick is totally evil, obviously. She’s too beautiful to not be evil. Actually, while we’re throwing things at the wall, I’m going to go ahead and say she’s that man without a face. Can you tell how desperately I need an Azula? OMG and then she can manipulate Mako the way Azula manipulates Zuko. YES. This is a great idea. Okay, that’s going to happen, I’ve decided. But then somehow, the writers will have learned their lesson, and that beautiful evil girl will be reformed. But Zuko — my bad, I mean MAKO — won’t be able to forgive her because he’s moody like a starved Bachelorette contestant, so in the second season she’ll start dating his adorkable brother and they will become a teen power couple sort of like Sokka and Suki. Speaking of Sokka, is it not too much to hope that we will meet his kids, who will be fabulous? Actually, I am calling it right now and saying Toph’s badass daughter is totally Sokka’s kid because WHY NOT, I can have hopes and dreams. And actually in those hopes and dreams we find out that Toph and Sokka had a fabulous adventure-filled life that involved lots of surfing. And also Zuko and Katara get married in their old age after years of hiding their shame-filled love.
Karen
First impressions:
I’m in love with The Legend of Korra. I think Korra’s personality is a great change from Aang’s, and it’s nice to see a female Avatar, too. Aging her up also makes it easier to connect with her and relate to her struggles. This show is already reminding me why I fell in love with Avatar: The Last Airbender in the first place, and a lot of that has to do with the nearly flawless balance of humor and heart. I was worried it would take me a while to fall in love with some of the new characters, but I’m finding that isn’t an issue at all. Tenzin is already a highlight, and I can’t wait to delve deeper into a few of the other ones as we move throughout the series.
How it compares to ‘Avatar’:
I was surprised by how much had changed since we saw Aang on his adventures and how, at the same time, this still feels like the same kind of show. I’m enjoying the more modernized world. All of the reminders of Aang and what he did for society helps to unite the two shows and yet still makes them feel like separate entities. In particular, I’m going to miss Zuko and Sokka, but I’m hoping the characterization is just as strong with this show as it was in ATLA. If that’s the case, then I highly doubt I’ll have any trouble loving any of them.
Predictions:
It’s clear that Korra struggles with control and her spirituality. I assume she’ll be knocked down pretty far before she can stand up again, but once she does, she’ll be a much better person for it. I have a feeling Katara won’t be lasting much longer, given her age and how nearly all of her contemporaries are dead. Perhaps her death will spur something within Korra. Because this show is more mature than ATLA, I imagine the stakes will be much higher. Perhaps we’ll be dealing with death more head on, and the consequences of Korra’s actions will have a great, more lasting impact. The show will also need to find a balance between showing us how amazing the Benders are, while at the same time not villainizing non-Benders. In ATLA we saw that Bending can be taken away from someone, so does that mean Korra will have to lose her powers in order to gain a greater appreciation for them? If so, how will she ever gain them back?
