I will let you in on one of my little secrets. I am a huge geek. In my younger years, I was ashamed of this quality. In high school, I was so caught up in trying to be “cool” so I did not allow anyone to know of my passion for science fiction, fantasy or other geeky things. Luckily, I have grown out of my shame and now, I proudly proclaim my eccentric interests to people. My current geek passion is the new season of “Avatar: The Legend of Korra.”
The Korra series is the continuation of the awe inspiring “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The original show centered on the character Aang as he and his friends work to restore peace to the world. In the show’s universe, there are special people who can control the elements of air, earth, fire and water, and only the Avatar can master all four elements. The Avatar is given the responsibility of keeping the peace and balance between each element-user as well as the balance between the human world and the spiritual world. The new series, “Avatar: The Legend of Korra” is centered on the life of Korra, the reincarnation of the Avatar after Aang’s death.
“Korra” is set 70 years after the events of the first series in a 1920’s era metropolis called Republic City. The first season was originally planned to be only a mini-series, but because of high ratings, Nickelodeon extended the mini-series into a full show. The show harkens back to the original quite often, however it is not dependent on the older show. In many ways it is a completely new game. “Korra” is much more serious and touches on the issues of terrorism and social classes. In the first series, Aang must restore balance to the world by defeating an all evil source that has started a war. The line between good and evil was very clear; however in the new series, it can be rather blurred. The first season of “Korra” revolves around the Equalists movement, which seeks to break the social injustice forced upon “non-benders.” While the ideals of the movement are noble, the actions were not. The series is very smart, and while geared toward children and young teens, it is still intellectually entertaining for people our age.
I remember watching the original series when I was younger and falling in love with the fantasy, heroism and humor of it all. When I heard that there would be a sequel to the series, I was ecstatic. At college, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by any number of things, so I really enjoy when I can retreat back into a cartoon that has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. It gives me a sort of inner peace. “Avatar: The Legend of Korra” is a show you can really get invested in. I hope it will be your next obsession and then you can join me in my “geek fest.”
