An installment of the Avatar series, Legend of Korra dropped on Netflix today. The titular character, Korra, is thrust into a journey into Republic City to learn air bending from the son of the previous avatar, Aang. Korra is then tasked with continuing the avatar legacy.
Without giving away too much of the plot, each entertaining season of LoK is layered with relevant real world issues such as class struggles involving people who have powers, called benders, and people who don’t have powers. The show’s creators, Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko, examine the consequences of living in a society in which few are privileged, a society filled with hatred, and what happens when the scales of good and evil are tipped.
LoK not only tackles class struggles. It’s also a show that subverts the racial norm of TV shows. Korra exists as a darker-skinned main character who is strong, confident, and multifaceted. In later seasons, a character named Kai appears. Kai, pictured above, is a darker skinned child who occasionally steals. While this in and of itself does not subvert stereotypes about darker skinned people being inherently prone to crime, the lighter skinned characters of the series are frequently proven wrong in their assumptions of who Kai is as he grows up to become a prominent leader and integral part of the team.
Fans of the show note the shocking ending of the series. Early on, Korra finds herself in a love triangle with two of the characters that ends in a way that turns the love triangle trope on its head. Though critics have pointed out glaring imperfections with the series, Legend of Korra is a great show for the family. It’s jam packed with 4 seasons of action, drama, humor, and special guest voice actors who lend their talent to the show. Fans of the original Avatar can also catch the series on Netflix.
The Juncture Magazine 