The Legend of Korra

Korra from the Legend of Korra

© Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko

By Corey Breen
Pencil & Marker

Korra from the Legend of Korra

© Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko

By Corey Breen
Pencil

One of my new favorite shows is definitely The Legend of Korra on Nickelodeon.  The show is a continuation of the legend and mythology of the Last Airbender franchise.  It takes place in the future and tells the story of the next Avatar, a teenage girl.  I love this show so much, I can't WAIT til the next episode every week.  It also helps that one of my favorite artists, Josh Middleton is working with the show!

Not only is the animation SPECTACULAR, it has amazing fight choreography that makes the martial arts in the show so accurate and realistic even in a cartoony way.  Then when you are amazed by the fighting aspects alone, they throw in the elemental bending (fighting with air, wind, fire and earth), it makes it so over the top and lightning fast, you have to rewind it to watch it all over again the see it all.  The camera angles and camera movement on these fights (and just the show in general), add even more to the greatness of this show!  Quiet simply, I am floored by the action scenes.

But this show is not just about the action.  What makes it so much greater then most every other cartoon ever is the characters, plot, story, and character development.  Each character is so well written, the dialogue is just fantastic.  Especially on Korra herself.  It makes you realize how rare it really is to see a well fleshed out, real, emotional, strong, vulnerable female character.  Korra is confident and cocky, yet when she realizes she is in over her head, gets scared and nervous.  There is one scene in the show where she breaks down and tells her master (after a defeat), that she doesn't know what she's doing.  This scene is just so powerful because we are so used to seeing her so secure and strong, that when we see her break down, we feel it so powerfully.  So well written.

I also love the fact that she is not a reluctant hero.  She actually starts off so sure of who she is and what she can and can't do, that it's so refreshing.  We are so used to seeing characters who are complaining and aren't ready for or don't want to be in the role of the hero, but Korra starts out a REALLY good fighter and hero.  Where she goes from there is just all that more interesting now.  Origin stories are great sometimes, but I like when they just get on with the main story, and this show just does!  SHe is the next Avatar, period!

Dont even get me started on her two friends, love interests, and teammates on the show.  So well thought out, such good banter, and such good emotions and interaction with Korra.  Then there's the villain!  Not only does he look so COOL (his design is FANTASTIC!), but he just eludes evil right off the bat, and his mask and the element of mystery he brings to the show is just playing out beautifully.

Well, I think you get the point.  If you haven't started watching this show yet, what the hell you waiting for?! Catch up on TV or online, and then watch the rest along with me!  Check back here often, because I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a LOT of drawings based on this show in the future.  I already have another one of Korra and her Polar Dog, Naga coming up later this week!

Enjoy the show & my version of Korra,

CjB