In Which Aida Flails Over The Legend of Korra

You should expect this to be a common theme for this year, by the way. I sincerely hope you're not casting aspersions on me for being this excited about an animated television show, but just in case, I'll remind you that animation is a medium, not a genre, that can be used to tell any kind of story, and good stories are not limited to a single medium. Nor does the intended audience automatically make a series less valuable or worthwhile; Korra may be a cartoon that airs on Nickelodeon, but if it's anything like its predecessor, it will have a complex, interesting plot with dynamic characters and inventive worldbuilding that appeals to adults and children alike. And if the trailers that were released this week are any indication, Korra is shaping up to have a maturity, and yes, even darkness that Avatar: The Last Airbender lacked.

If you're still doubting me, I challenge you to find a character arc in any live action show nearly as well-executed as Zuko's on Avatar, and we'll talk.

ANYWAY, MIND-BENDING TRAILERS OF AWESOME AHOY! WARNING FOR POTENTIAL SPOILERS!

So I thought I would just briefly discuss the things that increased my anticipation levels to Foamy Mouth Guy caliber. All of these things appeared in official Nickelodeon trailers, so I don't consider them spoilers, but I understand and respect that you might. Here are the two trailers in question:


(Shaking my head at the beginning of the second one, by the way. Toph, Zuko, and Suki were there, too!)


First, because I am a shipaholic, I just wanted to get this out of the way. Also because it was the first thing I saw this weekend that made me really excited, and I may or may not have squealed the minute I laid eyes on it:

...shut up. I can't help it if fictional love makes me happy. Plus, I have been wanting Korra and Mako to get together since I knew they both existed, and they totally had that bickering couple vibe going in Mako's introductory episode, which made me ship them even more. Now, I don't know the context for this scene, or when it's going to air, but the important thing is that it appears to be happening, and Korra's making the first move. So now I can gleefully look forward to the development of this relationship, and enjoy the adorable expression on Mako's face.

Moving on to more general plot stuff, there's this screenshot:

Do mine eyes deceive me, or does Mako appear to be generating lightning?! For comparison purposes, here is Azula from ATLA shooting some lightning of her own:

This is the sort of thing that makes me especially excited. Zuko couldn't even generate lightning in the first series; he could redirect it, but his temperament got in the way of actual creation. It's supposed to be an incredibly advanced skill for a firebender, and is typically only used in very dramatic moments. So how did Mako learn it, and why is he using it? More importantly, how is Amon (the masked man, who is the leader of an antibending revolution) just sidestepping the bolt? I am dying to know.

Then we have this shot, which is quite possibly the most keysmashable of all:

Is Amon energybending? This was something that supposedly only the Avatar was capable of doing, and now the villain, whose goal is to permanently end bending, is using it? If this is true, it's kind of terrifying, and Amon is about a million times scarier than Ozai ever was. And props to Mike and Bryan for being willing to revisit this and flesh it out a little; energybending was how (ATLA SPOILERS) Aang defeated Ozai in the finale, which I always thought was a bit of a cop-out, because the foreshadowing was so subtle it was basically nonexistent, and it seemed too convenient for Aang not to have to make a tough moral choice (END ATLA SPOILERS). I am so glad they seem to be going back and developing this, because I might actually end up liking it.

There were also repeated shots of Mako and Bolin being hit with electrified sticks and screaming in pain, which doesn't make me excited but does increase my anticipation. They've only been in one episode so far, but seeing them getting hurt already makes me so anxious.

*whimper* Nooo, my poor baby!

Even Naga isn't getting out of this thing unscathed:

I was initially disappointed to hear that The Legend of Korra is only 26 episodes long (it was originally planned as a miniseries and then Nickelodeon ordered a second season), but the great thing about a short series is tighter storytelling and no filler. Considering how intense everything looks, it sounds like the writing team is doing their job right. I honestly believe that Korra is going to be excellent, and I can't wait to see how things turn out!