Growing up, I was an avid watcher of cartoons, a word perhaps too often and unfortunately correlated to brainless childhood animation and crude adult comedy. All though the percentage of time I spend watching animated shows has greatly weened in relation to my aggregate TV watching, I still like to revisit some of my "old favorites". Toward the end of my senior year, I re-watched a show called "Avatar: The Last Airbender", which ran from 2005 to 2008.The show was one of the few that withstood the test of my aging. It was undeniably a great show, and perhaps, at times, more than that. I hybrid of action, drama, and comedy, "The Last Airbender" seemed to have more heart than any other "children's cartoon" of the time. That is the reason why I was so excited to hear that a sequel series, "The Legend of Korra" was to be released in 2012.
"The Legend of Korra" seemed to transcend any and all expectations but, before we delve into that, a little background information. The series takes place one hundred years after its predecessor, in a fictional world where people are spiritual connected to one of four elements, and can manipulate or "bend" it. Only the Avatar, the protagonist of the show, Korra, can bend all four elements: water, fire, earth and air. It is Korra's duty to maintain peace and balance in the world. The main action takes place in Republic City, the hub of this fictional world, a world that clearly favors benders and, in some ways, mirrors our own.
Although the "Legend of Korra" is, at least on the surface, an action show, the backbone of the plot lies in the disparity between benders and non-benders. The very lowest common denominator that separates the two groups is the fact that some non-benders are oppressed by a bending mafia. Beyond that however, lie social, economic and political implications that separate them. Due to their "predisposition", benders certainly get a leg up in the aforementioned categories. Talented fire-benders, who can harness the power of lightning, power the city with electricity. Pro- bending competitions provide a lucrative and entertaining sport for the folks of Republic City. Earth-benders, who can bend metal, make up the city's police force. No non-benders are included in the political system, as the city is ruled by a council of benders. Essentially, social mobility only exists in Republic City for benders. While all of these issues are occurring, a group called the Equalists, led by a masked man named Amon, calls for outright egalitarianism, a principle that favors equal opportunity.
Although egalitarianism is not an inherently bad principle, and the show addresses that the current state of affairs in Republic City is wrong, Amon is most certainly the villain in the show. He essentially becomes a terrorist, bombing the city and eventually taking it over. Gifted with the power to remove people's bending ability, Amon wants to "rid the world of benders", a sentiment eerily mass genocidal. Blinded by his zeal, he becomes a hypocrite in his own cry for equality. The show presents a very clear message: violence is the wrong answer.
This message, befitting the likes of Gandhi and MLK, is beautifully woven into the plot, even in the face of disproportionate economic, political and social advantages. Now, I'd like to reiterate that this show is largely marketed toward children. Very few adult shows are able to craft a message of peace and equality so beautifully and so poignantly. Whether you subscribe to any sort of movement or not, "The Legend of Korra" masterfully preaches to always strive toward equality and balance but warns against the dangers of extremism.
The show is slated for a second book, or season, coming out September 13th. The first season was so perfectly crafted that I'm afraid that it's second season cannot reach the same heights of storytelling. However, with undeniably brilliant writers, I will most definitely, and suggest you do too, watch when it comes out.
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