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Ask most Legend of Korra fans and they’ll usually agree the show’s weakest season is Book Two: Spirits. Book One: Air was an exciting introduction to a familiar but different world, while Books Three and Four (Change & Balance) tested the main characters like never before. Compared to these seasons, the messy Book Two comes up short.
Lots of factors contribute to this sophomore slump. From pacing issues to production hiccups to character assassinations, several glaring problems stand out above the rest.
10 The Switch From Studio Mir To Pierrot Disrupted The Animation Quality
The Legend Of Korra‘s animation is one of its greatest strengths. It retained the anime-influenced style of its predecessor, with improved technology and technique leading to even greater action and beauty. The bulk of the series was animated by South Korean animation studio Mir. The Legend Of Korra was Mir’s debut project, and what a debut it was. However, the first half of Book Two was animated by Japanese studio Pierrot, famous for their work on anime such as Naruto and Bleach. Pierrot’s work, especially the characters’ facial expressions, simply didn’t match up to Mir’s.
9 Unalaq Was A Weak Villain
Another of Legend Of Korra‘s usual strengths turned to a weakness in Book Two, and that was the season’s primary villain. Amon and Zaheer were compelling, ideologically provocative villains, while Kuvira was a perfect foil for Korra and her struggles in Book Four. Unalaq, on the other hand, makes Fire Lord Ozai look three-dimensional. His introductory episodes, where he plays the kindly uncle and takes Korra under his wing, aren’t too bad, but things quickly devolve from there. Even his initial goal of returning spirituality to the Southern Water Tribe gives way to a more generic fantasy villain plot.
8 The Aftermath Of The Equalists’ Defeat Was Glossed Over
The Legend Of Korra Book One’s villains were the Equalists, terrorists who wanted to create a world without bending. Their goals culminated in a takeover of Republic City during Book One’s final stretch. Book Two picks up six months after Book One, and no traces of the Equalists are left.
Their defeat is glossed over in the opening narration of the season premiere, “Rebel Spirit,” which reveals that the Equalist pushed Republic City to democratically elect a president, the non-Bender Raiko. While Raiko becomes an important supporting character, the Equalists themselves never reappear. Showrunner Bryan Konietzko has said there were plans to feature the Equalists in Book Two, now a shell of their former selves after Amon’s demise, but time constraints axed these plans. This can’t help but feel like a wasted opportunity.
7 The Korra/Asami/Mako Love Triangle Dragged
Romance has never been one of Avatar‘s strongest suits, and never has that been clearer than in the Korra/Asami/Mako love triangle during The Legend Of Korra‘s first two seasons. In Book One, Mako more or less dumped Asami to be with Korra, even though the two had little chemistry beyond proximity in age and location. By Book Two, Korra and Mako’s relationship isn’t going great. When they have to break up before Korra heads to the Fire Nation, Asami kisses Mako. When Korra returns, freshly recovered from amnesia, she claims to not remember the break-up and Mako’s indecisiveness from Book One returns. The love triangle is thankfully killed for good in the season finale.
6 Asami Was Shoved To The Background
Despite the love triangle once again taking up precious screen time, Asami herself fades into the background as Book Two goes on. In the season’s first half, she does get a subplot focused around her assuming command of her family’s company after father was imprisoned for collaborating with the Equalists.
However, after Episode 6, “The Sting,” this subplot totally fades away and Asami spends the rest of the season as a background character. Tellingly, she doesn’t even participate in the final battle against the Dark Spirits alongside the rest of Team Avatar.
5 Bolin And Eska’s Toxic Relationship Is Played For Comedy
The Legend of Korra obviously doesn’t discuss this upfront, but Eska seems to have a domineering streak and doesn’t bother getting Bolin’s consent before she makes him submit. Bolin quickly tires of the relationship but is terrified of Eska and unwilling to break up with her directly. Bolin’s friends and the show itself present this situation as his problem, with the solution being to “man up.”
There are some funny moments between the two: Eska’s pet name for Bolin (“my feeble turtle duck), Eska using ice-bending to pry Bolin away from Korra, and an enraged Eska chasing after Bolin for leaving her at the altar. Still, playing an abusive relationship for laughs doesn’t send a great message, especially to The Legend of Korra’s intended teen audience.
4 The Plot Switches Focus Halfway Through
The driving force of Book Two’s first half is the conflict between the two Water Tribes. Unalaq invades the South Pole with his Northern troops and imprisons Korra’s father Tonraq. Korra frees her father, sparking a civil war. When Team Avatar returns to Republic City, Korra’s goal is to rally military support to liberate her home.
Then the season’s midpoint, the “Beginnings” two-parter, introduces the notion that a planetary alignment called “Harmonic Convergence” is approaching. Unalaq’s goal is to use the alignment to free Vaatu, the Spirit of Chaos and the counterpart to Raava, the Avatar spirit. For the rest of the season, Harmonic Convergence becomes the driving narrative and the Water Tribe civil war becomes a subplot. A shift like this coming so late in the season is abrupt, to put it mildly.
3 It Feels Like Two Seasons In One
As demonstrated by the drastic shift partway through, Legend of Korra Book Two suffers from an overabundance of ideas. The season’s lack of focus clearly stems from the creators having lots of ideas but not knowing which ones to concentrate on. The Water Tribe Civil War and Harmonic Convergence could’ve taken up entire individual seasons themselves, rather than being awkwardly tied together. As with many of The Legend Of Korra‘s problems, the fault lies with Nickelodeon. The series hadn’t been picked up for seasons Three & Four by the time Book Two was complete. Unsure if they would get another season, the creators threw in everything but the kitchen sink to Book Two.
2 Vaatu Has A Generic Goal
The Legend Of Korra‘s villains are so great because of how political they are. Amon sees a world where benders dominate those without power and seeks to remake that world into a more equal one. Zaheer believes institutions and authority of any sort are oppressive and wants to tear them down. Kuvira saw the Earth Kingdom fall into disarray and intends to lead her country out of darkness into a new era with the iron fists of authoritarianism and technological innovation. Vaatu, on the other hand, just wants to bring about “10,000 years of darkness.”
1 Korra Won Too Easily
The climax of Book Two is fun, if rather goofy. Vaatu and Unalaq merge into a single, giant being, while Korra spirit-bends a giant version of herself to fight them in the harbor of Republic City. When UnaVaatu seems to be winning, Jinora appears out of nowhere, awakens Raava within Vaatu, and Korra pulls the spirit of light from UnaVaatu. With the villain weakened, Korra spirit-bends UnaVaatu into nothingness. Vaatu should be The Legend of Korra‘s most powerful villain, but he ends up feeling like the least powerful.
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