Legend of Korra: Power Bender 💙

Earth… Fire… Air… Water… “Only the Avatar could master all four elements and bring balance to the world”... But the Avatar that we’re gonna discuss isn't Avatar Aang (sorry) but his successor, Avatar Korra (cause hear me out, including her voice actress Janet Varney) she is a lot more relatable than Avatar Aang himself. So allow me (Ethan Stranger) to break everything down for ya…(Janet Varney wouldn't have done this herself, but she never returned any of my calls, how could you, Janet?).

I (Ethan Stranger) will never forget watching the teaser for this new/continuing series within the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender (which holds a special place in my heart during my childhood, but that’s another story). Originally I thought Avatar Korra was the daughter of Avatar  Aang & Katara (especially since both Korra & Katara kind look alike (Picture, Right) am I right, Janet (but sadly that wasn't the case, though Katara does appear as an old lady/Korra’s mentor within the Series).

When the series debuted around 2012, I was unable to watch it on Nickelodeon (due to my busy High School Schedule), though I would only catch few glimpses of it on TV whenever I had the chance & eventually it’ll switch over to Nick’s Website, concluding in 2014. It wasn’t until after my High School years I was able to finally catch up with the series & the way they did things was a bit different than what I originally watched on Avatar: The Last Airbender, for starters the setting took place in a 1920s-style Japanese City (something taken out of a Studio Ghibli film), plus each 4 seasons set up a new villain that challenged Avatar Korra to deal with & they all represent something, examples include:

Amon (equality through Persecution), Unalaq/Vaatu (Reconnecting through Destruction), Red Lotus (Freedom through Chaos) & General Kuvira (Peace through Submission)

(For the record, I actually liked Amon (I compared him to the Dr. Doom of the Avatar Universe) & was hoping for him to stick around longer, maybe even battle General Kuvira (whom I compared to as the Magneto of the Avatar Universe). Korra’s villains (in particular) symbolize real-life aspects of contemporary American culture and the world's political situations.

And finally, the moment that we (including Janet) have been waiting for, me (Ethan Stranger) breaking down on what makes Avatar Korra retable (besides being beautiful). For starters Korra (at a young age) knew that she was the Avatar & even into her teenage years (Season 1-3), she treated the whole gig like a joke, but having battle foes that proved to be too much for even the mighty Avatar Korra herself couldn't defeat so easily, really took a toll on her, but throughout the 4 seasons, Korra learns (slowly) on what it means to be the Avatar, as well as mature throughout the course of the series by Season 4 (while still maintaining a sense of humor). Korra's journey (in general) is relatable to real-life (especially me, Ethan Stranger), when I was young (like Korra);  I was wild, reckless & didn’t take things too seriously (can you blame me, I was too young to understand how the world really works), even in my teenage years, I was still considered a class-clown, but the 1st time that reality really struck me was during my time in Nepal (due to my Dad’s job), spending 2 years in a poor country can stress you out (even when you have Aspergers/ADHD), even when I return, I was struggling to find my place in an ever-changing world, but Korra’s journey ended up causing her to suffer PTSD & other mental health issues (which is something I don't suffer when traveling, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused me to suffer higher levels of anxiety, as it has with a lot of people out there).   

Getting older is a challenge for (nearly) just anybody (not just something with Aspergers/ADHD), but in Korra's case, she’s the Avatar, meaning that the fate of the 4 nations hangs on her shoulders (literally), while in our case, it’s mainly about dealing that in reality, life ain’t about sunshine, lollipops & rainbows, it’s about learning how to make a living in this crazy game called… life. But it’s difficult for people like me, for we require limits, where others don’t need such things. Sometimes I feel that life is way easier for neurotypical people, that they hardly ever struggle - I know this isn't the case, I know that life is hard for everyone, but sometimes it feels like I’m at a disadvantage when compared to others - I’m working on it though! In Korra's case, she thought she didn’t need limits because she was (of course) the Avatar, but having gone through so much stress, pain & fear, even the Avatar herself must learn that she can’t always do things alone nor feel like that being the Avatar is like a job duty, she soon learns that “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” (can I say that Janet? Marvel won’t mind, would they?).

Lastly, one other thing I find relatable about Avatar Korra is mainly her love life, when she 1st arrives in Republic City, she falls in Mako (Picture, Left) while his brother Bolin (Picture, Right) had feelings for her, but ended in heartbreak (though Bolin’s tale should be saved for another time unless Janet Varney herself wants to tell the story). To make it short in my own words, because (as I mention in previous blog posts like “High School Crushes: Preparing for Love & When Friends Grow Apart”), let’s just say when you feel like you have a crush on a girl (while they’re dating or have an eye soon on somebody else), it can end in heartbreak, but it’s sometimes for the best, as you know eventually (as you get older & wise), the right person will come to you or you’ll come to them & that’s what happened to Bolin (but again another story). It also happened to Korra who eventually fell in love with Asami (who also dated Mako around the same time Korra was dating him), the duo went from being friends into forming an actual relationship, thus forming one of the earliest LGBTQ+’s relationships in a kids cartoon show at the time). Asami’s side of the story can be saved for another time (unless her voice actress, Seychelle Gabriel, would wanna tell Asami’s side of the story of her life & relationship with Korra, what do you say, Janet, you think Seychelle can do it)?

Speaking about relationships, check out this drawing that my cousin did of Korra’s faithful pet Polar Bear Dog (Naga) reenacting the whole “Bella Notte Segment from Disney’s Lady & The Tramp” with my Japanese Spitz (Chewie) (Picture, Center, Drawn by my Cousin). For I can’t say on how Janet & Seychelle real-life reactions will be like upon seeing this drawing (or if they will even see it in the first place), but I’m gonna allow their Characters (Korra & Asami) to express their own reactions upon seeing this unlikely puppy love romance (can’t be as Weird as Donkey & Dragon from Shrek). Some Bella Notte remake this is, huh ladies? (Cue the Music):

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtywtkQfGTo&ab_channel=GeorgeGivot-Topic)

“How this will end, Janet’s probably wondering...simple, just watch this (Spoiler Alert):

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDD9sjVKLA&ab_channel=GustavoPereira)

That is...unless you (Janet Varney) can hook Naga up with Clifford the Big Red Dog), but then my dear Chewie, who just got suited up again (Picture, Center Below), will be heartbroken & wish he was as tall as Naga’s, just to give you a “tail-slap to the face” (believe me, my dog would wanna tail-slap me in the face for various occasions).

Oh, almost forgot, I just want to mention that Korra is not just a well-rounded character, she actually represents many ideals, not just for the Asperger community, but for nearly everyone as well. She shows great strength and resilience, for she went through Hell & Back in order to open her eyes to the harsh reality of being the Avatar, as for people like me, some of us have to go through hard experiences growing up, and sometimes we don't even understand them until we get much older (I feel this is like going through Hell: all of that confusion, frustration, sadness, loneliness, everything just bundled up together). But, like Korra, we always find a way to get back up & keep moving forward - growing and never stopping for anything, Whatever it takes to succeed in the game of life - as long as no one gets hurt. 

So until I can get convince Janet Varney to stop Avatar Korra from giving such a creepy look to my dear Chewie, Ethan Stranger Signs Off 

(I hope Janet Varney, you’ve enjoyed this post for I have been working a little Korra Fan-Fiction, but that’s another story). 

P.S. This was my 2nd  Nicktoons-Related post (Following I’m A Goofy Goober: The SpongeBob (Birthday) Post).