Legend of Korra, anyone?

[Aravelle]

If you liked Avatar: the Last Airbender and haven't seen this, it's a MUST.

If you have seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's darker, edgier, and overall more mature than Avatar... and not even 5 episodes in.

[Mythos]

I've watched the first two episodes, and I enjoyed them. I agree that it is far more mature than Avatar was. The only think that perplexes me is how quickly technology advanced when Zuko and Aang ruled the world.

[Tamwen]

I've watched the first two episodes, and I enjoyed them. I agree that it is far more mature than Avatar was. The only think that perplexes me is how quickly technology advanced when Zuko and Aang ruled the world.

Actually, it's parallel to our world. Aang's time was the 1850s or so. Korra's time is the 1920s.

I love this show. Seriously, I really do. Bolin... I just wanna boop his nose. Korra's amazing; she's the kind of girl I wouldn't mind my daughter emulating. I mean, for all her flaws, she's strong and sincere and full of vim and spunk and all those other wonderful old-timey words.

Plus, Cloudbabies. Tenzin. Pema. Meelo. Just. Meelo.

[Mindfire]

The tone shift was kinda jarring actually. The Last Airbender had some serious moments, but but it had a good balance of seriousness and fun. I like the new show, and the darker tone works, but it caught me off guard a little coming out of ATLA. I think their idea behind it is that the fans that watched the original show have now "grown up" a bit, so the world should grow up with them, an interesting idea.

[Devor]

I don't know. It does have a lot to offer, especially the character development. But following the world-wide destruction which was threatened on Airbender, the new conflicts feel like a let down so far. Korra starts with phenomenal power, but she's up against people who just don't seem like a real threat compared to her. And it's led to some strange power escalations which don't make a whole lot of sense in context with the original. But we'll see where it goes.

[Mindfire]

I don't know. It does have a lot to offer, especially the character development. But following the world-wide destruction which was threatened on Airbender, the new conflicts feel like a let down so far. Korra starts with phenomenal power, but she's up against people who just don't seem like a real threat compared to her. And it's led to some strange power escalations which don't make a whole lot of sense in context with the original. But we'll see where it goes.

I think the new show is going for a slightly smaller scale because the setting is more modern. The Last Airbender was set during the "sunset" of the "Age of Legends" and save-the-world dilemmas. Korra's world is more modern, with greater political complexities and more organized street-level threats.

[Devor]

I think the new show is going for a slightly smaller scale because the setting is more modern. The Last Airbender was set during the "sunset" of the "Age of Legends" and save-the-world dilemmas. Korra's world is more modern, with greater political complexities and more organized street-level threats.

It's not the scale that bothers me. Or it's only sort of. So far Korra the Avatar feels too overpowered for these conflicts. The world-wide scale used to justify the Avatar's power.

[Mindfire]

It's not the scale that bothers me. Or it's only sort of. So far Korra the Avatar feels too overpowered for these conflicts. The world-wide scale used to justify the Avatar's power.

Overpowered? Hardly. She may be powerful, she may even technically be a bending "master", but she's still a rookie. She hasn't even come CLOSE to matching the power levels Aang rose to within one year. Heck, the members of the gang that were benders performed feats that far outshine anything she's yet done. Zuko learned to redirect lightning. Katara defeated far more experienced benders than herself and mastered bloodbending. Toph pioneered metalbending and was able to take on the Dai Li singlehandedly- ALL OF THEM. Comapred to these, and that's not even mentioning all the stuff Aang did, I'd say Korra either has yet to reach the zenith of her power, or she's just a "weaker" Avatar. I mean, she got tossed around by pro-bending players. Any member of the gang would have wiped the floor with them in the old days.

But as far as the threat goes, I don't think it really matters, because I think that's kind of the point. Korra's powers, amazing as they may be, aren't going to avail her much against the Equalists because they're a new kind of threat. The world has changed. The White Lotus, Katara, and even Tenzin have been training Korra for the old ways, for the war that Aang fought, but Korra is fighting a different war with different rules. Despite all her power and training, she's still unprepared. It's a feeling of vulnerability that we don't usually get from the Avatar.

[Tamwen]

Have you seen the more recent ones? Episodes three and four, specifically? She's not overpowered. She may be an excellent bender, but the idea is that that's simply not enough.

Like in A:TLA, the conflict at hand conflicts with the outlook and personality of the Avatar dealing with it. Previously, Aang was a pacifist with a great respect for life who would rather talk his way through something than beat people up. Korra's just the opposite. She prefers to kick people's teeth in because that's how her brain works, and she's had very little social interaction in her life thus far. With Aang, a confrontational avenue was needed because Ozai was never going to back down. But here, with Korra, a compromise and willingness to listen is required, something that goes against the grain for Korra.

Aang's problem was visible and obvious, while Korra's is more subtle, but just as important. This single city is full of social, cultural and political rifts that can't be beaten out. This is her issue. Tradition vs Change. Is it as explosive as a comet? No, but it's just as important and, for Korra, just as difficult.

Different Avatars, different worlds, different problems. Put Korra in Aang's shoes and Aang in Korra's shoes. A lot of the conflict in the stories isn't necessarily the Avatar's abilities in bending, but rather, the Avatar's mental and emotional ability to preform.

[Devor]

She's not overpowered. She may be an excellent bender, but the idea is that that's simply not enough.

. . . .

Different Avatars, different worlds, different problems. Put Korra in Aang's shoes and Aang in Korra's shoes. A lot of the conflict in the stories isn't necessarily the Avatar's abilities in bending, but rather, the Avatar's mental and emotional ability to preform.

I haven't seen episode 4 yet, so I may have missed something.

I enjoy the personal conflict, and I'm enjoying the show. But the shift has created the problem that, so far, she's dealing with conflicts for which it doesn't matter that she's the avatar. Any bender could be doing what she's doing. There's no connection between Avatar and plot, and so far, even the connection between avatar and the emotional story is still weak because nobody respects her yet in that role.

She might as well be a typical water bender still learning the spiritual side of water bending, and you would get virtually the same effect so far.