Getting into Korra/Avatar for the first time

[Spike Spiegel]

I've started watching The Legend of Korra after picking it up from the library and I really like it. I never watched it in college, but I remember seeing a lot of Tumblr posts about it and the way Nick as a corporate entity kind of cast it aside (apparently it finished its run online instead of on TV?). I already knew some stuff about the characters after seeing probably way too many GIFs of them over the years.

I never watched the original series as it always struck me as kind of simple and childish, but I really like Korra's industrial/steampunk/jazz era setting, and the fact that she's exceptional and heroic without being lazily written as some kind of Mary Sue.

[CyberCubed]

Most people will tell you Avatar is a lot better. Korra has a good Season 1 and a strong Season 3, but Season 2 was a mess and Season 4 was just average.

I never watched either of these shows when they originally aired either, I watched them both for the first time in 2014 so I don't have any nostalgia or anything clouding my view on them. Avatar started in 2005 so I didn't watch it till a decade after it ended. It's a much better series and the characters are all likeable and entertaining.

Each series is only a little over 60 episodes, so you could marathon through both of them rather quickly.

[PApagreg]

Originally Posted by Spike Spiegel

I've started watching The Legend of Korra after picking it up from the library and I really like it. I never watched it in college, but I remember seeing a lot of Tumblr posts about it and the way Nick as a corporate entity kind of cast it aside (apparently it finished its run online instead of on TV?). I already knew some stuff about the characters after seeing probably way too many GIFs of them over the years.

I never watched the original series as it always struck me as kind of simple and childish, but I really like Korra's industrial/steampunk/jazz era setting, and the fact that she's exceptional and heroic without being lazily written as some kind of Mary Sue.

While Avatar doesn't have jazz and very little steampunk I think the writing is much stronger compared to Korra.

[plastroncafe]

I'd agree. The animation isn't quite as slick in the first season of Avatar, but overall I think that show is paced better.

Korra is amazing, especially Books 3 and 4, but Avatar is pretty much solid all the way through.

Well worth the time, IMHO

[DestronMirage22]

Of all the shows Nick’s produced, Avatar has some of the best (if not THE BEST) writing. The storytelling is just great throughout, and all the characters get really fleshed out.
I highly recommend it.
Korra’s good too, but not at the level Avatar’s at.

[CyberCubed]

Also Korra suffered from a way too bloated cast. They kept adding new main characters on top of main characters, and a lot of the original cast like Asami barely do anything in the show outside a few episodes.

Avatar handled its 4 main characters really well, as well as the 2-3 major recurring characters it had.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Not counting which show is better, I think its definetly better to watch Avatar first since it takes place before Korra.

But I imagine watching Korra as its standalone thing won't hurt, especially since it takes place a Long time after the original series.

I can't say for sure though, as I've hardly seen Korra, but am a huge fan of Avatar.

[sdp]

I still haven't watched Korra, I remember being so hyped about it as everything about it looked awesome except for the steam punk setting which in my opinion didn't fit the Avatar universe at all, they had already shown countless of generations of Avatars and just now they decided that they understood steam technology? ugh.

I never checked it out after the disappointment reaction by the fans. I got into Avatar during season 2 and had a blast discussing the show on /co/ for the next few years. I remember the meltdowns with all the shippers being devastated.

[Splinter the boss]

I say watch TLA first, then korra. It's a much better experience.

[Utrommaniac]

Absolutely watch the original series first! It's a lot more consistent in quality, and sets up a lot of necessary information for Korra. Specifically the bits about Bloodbending (something that really should be turned on its face as a medical miracle and not as a technique of torture).

[PApagreg]

Originally Posted by sdp

I still haven't watched Korra, I remember being so hyped about it as everything about it looked awesome except for the steam punk setting which in my opinion didn't fit the Avatar universe at all, they had already shown countless of generations of Avatars and just now they decided that they understood steam technology? ugh.

The Last airbender had tanks, jet skis, a giant drill, factories, and a freaggin Zeppelin. So it does make sense that with a 70 year timeskip the technology is more steampunk.

[Utrommaniac]

Yeah, the jump in tech only makes me wonder what their Space Age would be like. Especially now that spirits are running loose in the physical world.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by sdp

I never checked it out after the disappointment reaction by the fans. I got into Avatar during season 2 and had a blast discussing the show on /co/ for the next few years. I remember the meltdowns with all the shippers being devastated.

I don't get why people have shipper meltdowns over short shows like this. If the writers are going in a certain direction with characters, there's nothing fans can do about it. I mean Avatar came out in 2005, so I imagine the fanbase was very young back then. In fact some people likely grew up with it as one of the first shows they followed. So if that's the case I can see why.

I honestly don't know what people expecting either, since main boy and main girl pairings in kids shows are very common.

[AT-Man]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Yeah, the jump in tech only makes me wonder what their Space Age would be like. Especially now that spirits are running loose in the physical world.

I always wanted to see this. If there's a physical outer space, is there a different outer space for spirits? Can one bend in space?

[Utrommaniac]

Since Toph was able to bend with a meteorite, it might be possible to Earth/metal bend with space rocks and dust.

Air bending would probably be next to impossible.

[plastroncafe]

Avatar is set in the 1850s, where as Korra is set in the 1920s.
The jump in technology mirrors the same thing in our world.

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Since Toph was able to bend with a meteorite, it might be possible to Earth/metal bend with space rocks and dust.

Air bending would probably be next to impossible.

Only if one had no access to gases.
But if there are people there, then there's access to oxygen. Lots of stuff in space are composed of pretty much nothing but gas, which could prove interesting.

I would be really interested to see an Earth Avatar in the silicon age.

[Utrommaniac]

That's a good point.

There would still be astronauts and space stations. I imagine the first humans on the moon would be mostly Earth Benders, to make the task of moving space rocks a lot easier. Which I imagine would be exciting af for them.

Fire Benders would probably be inadvisable in a space station, though, except maybe in limited areas. Air benders and water benders might be the most desirable. Said water benders would probably have a blast working with water in said space station.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Avatar is set in the 1850s, where as Korra is set in the 1920s.
The jump in technology mirrors the same thing in our world.

When did they give those dates officially?

Also that doesn't mirror our world at all, by the 1920s steam power had been available for centuries.

We know the Avatar cycle went through ten thousand years and from what we know technology was around the same all that time, why? Because it was meant to be one of those fantasy settings that never "evolve" and get more tech like most fantasy worlds.

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't get why people have shipper meltdowns over short shows like this.

Avatar and Teen Titans are the first shows that started this whole modern "shipping" community that we have now, sure obsessive shipping existed for a long time before like in Pokemon with AshxMisty but I think the current wave of community in shipping started with those two shows.

[PApagreg]

Originally Posted by sdp

When did they give those dates officially?

Also that doesn't mirror our world at all, by the 1920s steam power had been available for centuries.

We know the Avatar cycle went through ten thousand years and from what we know technology was around the same all that time, why? Because it was meant to be one of those fantasy settings that never "evolve" and get more tech like most fantasy worlds.

PC meant that the level of of technology Korra had was similar to the 1920s also again by the last hair bender the fire nation already developed steam ships, tanks and giant ships so going by those things I doubt Avatar was supposed to be like LOTR where everything stays the same technology wise.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by PApagreg

PC meant that the level of of technology Korra had was similar to the 1920s also again by the last hair bender the fire nation already developed steam ships, tanks and giant ships so going by those things I doubt Avatar was supposed to be like LOTR where everything stays the same technology wise.

Read my post again.

The 1920s isn't steam punk. The original show implies that it stays mostly the same as in other fantasy media based on how long life has been like that. Obviously there's going to be some anachronism.