5. ‘Doctor Who’
Because timey wimey, companiony wobbly
The concept of traveling with companions is something familiar to both The Legend of Korra and Doctor Who. While Doctor Who focuses on time travel, The Legend of Korra emulates it with references to past events and flashbacks.
Also, the revival of both series is a similarity many would draw between the show. While both “old Who” and Avatar: The Last Airbender didn’t change concepts from one series to the next, it can be said that both took what worked in the first series and improved upon them.
One last comparison between Who and The Legend of Korra are the special abilities of the protagonists. The reverence everyone in their respective universes has for both The Doctor and the Avatar mirrors the experiences of both characters.
6. ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’
Because girls kick butt
If you’re a fan of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, chances are that you’re into watching strong women kick butt and take names. Buffy has a large cast of women, both superpowered and not, who refuse to be damsels in distress. Buffy was created to flip the trope of the blonde girl who is horrifically butchered in every slasher film on its head, yet she was never afraid to be feminine either; she killed one of the most dangerous vampires of all time in a Spring Fling dress, after all.
Similarly, The Legend of Korra boasts a butt-kicking female lead who must navigate the world both as a superpowered savior and a teenage girl. Like Buffy, Korra is the chosen one of her world, and she must master her powers to be a force for peace and balance in the world, but life becomes infinitely more complicated when boys are involved.
And, as a fun side note, Both Buffy and Korra also get along with a little help from their friends; Buffy saved the world with the help of the Scoobies while Korra is supported by the self-proclaimed Team Avatar – two quirky teams that lift the heroine up to greater heights than she could reach alone.
7. The Work of Studio Ghibli
Because spirits and elements make the world go ‘round
From Spirited Away to Ponyo, elemental references and spirits are mainly what ties the Studio Ghibli films to The Legend of Korra series.
In Spirited Away, when Chihiro is feeling frightened and alone in the spirit world, she is able to rely on her small hamster and bird creature-friends to keep her company. This is similar to the way Aang used to venture with Momo in scary places filled with angry sprits and hostile creatures. Pabu also takes this role for not only Bolin, but also all of Team Avatar.
What makes Ponyo so magical is its references to the balances of nature and humans. Although she doesn’t quite know it, young Ponyo is vital in keeping the essential harmony between man and the wild tame. This relates directly to young Korra’s “I’m the Avatar, and you gotta deal with it!” stance.
A list comparing the Studio Ghibili films and The Legend of Korra would not be complete without a mention of My Neighbor Totoro. Young children befriending strange elemental spirits? Check. Sibling best friends? Check. Heartwarming, deep, emotional storylines that can be enjoyed by all ages? Check, check, CHECK!
8. ‘Divergent’
Because we don’t all fit into a single box
While The Legend of Korra isn’t a dystopian story like Divergent, the two share a rather interesting structural similarity in their division of their populations.
The higher ups in the world of Divergent seek to put people into one of five factions, thus defining them by a single aspect of their personality to the point of caricature. But those who identify as Divergent have aptitude for more than one faction; Tris, for example, has aptitude for three factions, and much of her story relates to coming to terms with not fitting into a single box and the consequences of that.
This is an interesting parallel to the world of The Legend of Korra, in which the Avatar is gifted with the ability to bend all four elements, each represented by one of the four nations. The Avatar, as someone with aptitude for all four elements, acts as an autonomous entity to promote peace. You might say, then, that in her own way, Avatar Korra is Divergent. So if you enjoy the story of segregated humans finding common ground as in Divergent, you would appreciate The Legend of Korra.
Written by: Mitchel Clow, Michal Schick, and Caitlin Kelly
The Legend of Korra season 2 premies this Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 pm on Nickelodeon.
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