People, including me, have closely compared this show to its predecessor for too long. When I first watched this in 2012-2014, I was only 13 years old. I missed the quirkiness of the characters, the memorable songs, the growth we see in each major character, and the undeniable world building prowess.
Having rewatched it just now at the age 22, I finally see how good of a show The Legend of Korra is. When you first start it, you keep thinking back to the old characters and world, wondering what happened to the old gang and reminiscing over the previous show. Give LoK a chance to stand on its own two feet and grow into itself. Korra is very different from Aang--older, more hot-tempered, impulsive and, admittedly, less funny. I struggled to watch her the first two seasons, even though I was still attached to bending and the Avatar Universe. Bolin maybe tries too hard to be funny, but his heart of gold shines through and even plays an important part in the story. It also be that his sense of humor is supposed to appeal to a younger audience. I think one problem LoK has is that it has too many characters, too few time. It's not really the creators' fault. I just wish we could see more of some characters, and I think ATLA did a better job of centering the show around a core group and featuring new characters/bringing back old characters in each episode.
However, season 3 and season 4 are definitely the best ones for me. It's not only that the villains are better, with complex motives and cooler bending styles. Korra faces a different type of battle with each one (without spoiling too much), and I was moved by the mature subjects this show touched upon: PTSD, feelings of incompetence, loss, change. Korra grows in more ways than one by the end of show; you will truly experience heart pain and swell right alongside the characters. LoK still has dynamic and well-animated fighting scenes, and I ended up finding this new futuristic side of the Avatar Universe absolutely fascinating. Just think about the Industrial Revolution in the US and how much innovation was happening at the time!
This show and its predecessor will always be very, very dear to my heart. Do not sleep on The Legend of Korra! And some SERIOUS kudos to Michael and Bryan for churning out amazing content even while Nickelodeon had half a mind to cancel this show at every season and wouldn't give them more episodic freedom.
Having rewatched it just now at the age 22, I finally see how good of a show The Legend of Korra is. When you first start it, you keep thinking back to the old characters and world, wondering what happened to the old gang and reminiscing over the previous show. Give LoK a chance to stand on its own two feet and grow into itself. Korra is very different from Aang--older, more hot-tempered, impulsive and, admittedly, less funny. I struggled to watch her the first two seasons, even though I was still attached to bending and the Avatar Universe. Bolin maybe tries too hard to be funny, but his heart of gold shines through and even plays an important part in the story. It also be that his sense of humor is supposed to appeal to a younger audience. I think one problem LoK has is that it has too many characters, too few time. It's not really the creators' fault. I just wish we could see more of some characters, and I think ATLA did a better job of centering the show around a core group and featuring new characters/bringing back old characters in each episode.
However, season 3 and season 4 are definitely the best ones for me. It's not only that the villains are better, with complex motives and cooler bending styles. Korra faces a different type of battle with each one (without spoiling too much), and I was moved by the mature subjects this show touched upon: PTSD, feelings of incompetence, loss, change. Korra grows in more ways than one by the end of show; you will truly experience heart pain and swell right alongside the characters. LoK still has dynamic and well-animated fighting scenes, and I ended up finding this new futuristic side of the Avatar Universe absolutely fascinating. Just think about the Industrial Revolution in the US and how much innovation was happening at the time!
This show and its predecessor will always be very, very dear to my heart. Do not sleep on The Legend of Korra! And some SERIOUS kudos to Michael and Bryan for churning out amazing content even while Nickelodeon had half a mind to cancel this show at every season and wouldn't give them more episodic freedom.