How Korra Book 3 Righted the Wrongs

Originally posted on August 23, 2014 at benseidel.blogspot.com. That blog now features my sports articles exclusively, so I thought this would be better suited over here. It was my first attempt at writing of this kind, and so I ask you to bear with any sloppiness. I plan to get much more new content on this blog soon, but this will have to do for now.

WARNING: Heavy spoilers for The Legend of Korra follow. Please do not read this unless you're all caught up through Book 3's season finale or have no intention of ever doing so (but trust me, you definitely do).

Now that The Legend of Korra has concluded its third season, I feel that some reflection is needed in order to truly appreciate how excellent these last 12 episodes were and how they potentially saved the show from eternally living in its predecessor's shadow. It's not that there's any real shame in being eclipsed by the legendary Avatar: The Last Airbender, but the sequel series had fallen into a rough patch with what was arguably a mediocre second season filled with strange decisions and frustrating character inconsistencies. Many fans of this universe, myself admittedly included, were clamoring for a return to the old days of the ever-so-lovable original Team Avatar; this new format of Korra, filled with teenage drama and rushed self-contained stories, was starting to grate on the nerves. People started losing interest in the series, writing off Korra as a wholly unlikable protagonist and claiming that the writing had taken a nosedive during the majority of Book 2. The writing team would have to deliver a fresh start to the characters and their story whenever the next season made its arrival; they would have to bring change.

Then Book 3 was announced for June 27th, and the subtitle to the season couldn't have foreshadowed the new approach to the series more accurately with one word if it tried. Change had arrived, and it would pull Korra back from the brink to deliver the best season of the follow-up series to date, even rivaling the most memorable moments of Aang's epic journey.

Arguably the biggest complaint from Legend of Korra's followers regarding Book 2 was how obnoxiously out of character most of the new Team Avatar had become following what was established in the well-received first season. Bolin had transitioned from a humorously awkward, lovable comic relief character into an arrogant and condescending actor who was more concerned with his new-found stardom than the safety of his friends. Asami, formerly an extremely strong female protagonist with a heavily independent mindset, degraded into a helpless damsel in distress for the purpose of Mako's horribly forced love triangle. Speaking of which, yes, Mako still carried over his fickle romantic interests from the Equalist arc, but this time turned up to 11, abandoning Korra after a frustrating breakup in order to halfheartedly pursue Asami, the latter of whom he would once again throw to the wayside after Korra defeated Unalaq.

But, as far as I'm concerned, no character's growth was more infuriating to witness than that of Korra. She was designed to be the antithesis of Aang in order to bring something fresh to the protagonist's role, and it worked in Season 1, offering both the positives (rebelling against Tenzin helped her to learn airbending technique) and the negatives (challenging Amon one-on-one? Yeah, ok.) of such a headstrong character. However, despite her blunt nature, there was no excuse for the monumentally poor decisions that she made. In almost every scenario during the first half of the season, Korra chooses a path that causes nothing but trouble for her and her comrades. From threatening to kill the President to abandoning Tenzin for her uncle Unalaq (who was not well disguised as the villain at all. More on that later.), Korra had become, to not-so-subtly censor the fans' favorite expression for her, an unbearable female dog. Even her final decision to allow spirits to roam the physical world, after having learned true spiritual guidance from Tenzin and grown into a more understandable character, was questionable.

Enter Book 3.

It was immediately apparent right from the season premiere, aptly title "A Breath of Fresh Air", that the new Team Avatar and their relations to others were going to be returned to their former glory, and to leave it at that would be a dramatic understatement: by the end of Change, Bolin, Asami, Mako and especially Korra grew into a team of compelling characters that would make the original Gaang proud. Bolin was, for the first time in the series, not just treated as a standard comic relief character, but also as a formidable fighter with a compelling love attachment that felt worthy of supporting. Sure, he still had some of the best lines of dialogue that would make even the most cynical viewer chuckle ("And then she dies!"), but his reveal as a lavabender finally gave him a much-needed upgrade as a bender, and his romance with Opal felt, to me at least, genuine and adorable, not forced and full of angst (Eska? Forget that.). Asami returned to form as a formidable combination of cleverness and combat abilities, even having an entire episode dedicated to her ability to think quickly and engineer a vehicle to save everyone's lives (Oh yeah, plus being amazing at Pai Sho). She even got her moments to shine during the relentless finale, which further empowered non-benders in a way that would make Sokka and Suki fans proud. Mako took somewhat of a back seat during this season, which was probably for the best after fans groaned about his role during Air and Spirits, but was a considerably more likable and competent character whenever he did take the spotlight. Having him become a police officer meshed wonderfully with his brooding personality and allowed him to show off his intellectual strengths during the recruitment of Kai and leading up to the stakeout. His emotional side was drastically less intrusive, but was, surprisingly, well-constructed; his dealings with Korra and Asami felt perfectly awkward, genuine, and hilarious, and his encounter with his grandmother showed that he isn't just some angst-ridden teenager. And yes, he actually won a fight this season. Hooray for the triumphant return of lightning bending!

But it was Korra who achieved the most triumphant growth of the season, not only returning to the character she was established to be in Book 1, but actually becoming, for the first time thus far, a protagonist that I feel compelled to root for and one that I felt genuine sympathy towards by seasons end, where she is literally and figuratively broken. She's still much different from the whimsical reluctance of Aang; that's never going to change. After her story arc this season, however, I wouldn't have it any other way. Finally her character seems to make sense and counter Aang's in a way that doesn't make her seem unlikable. Aang's peaceful nature and unwillingness to fight in a world that needs him made him worth rooting for, but Korra is the opposite, and that's now OK. The season showed that she's completely ready to accept her role as the Avatar and change the world, but the world may not be ready to accept her. It might not even need her anymore, as explained by the villains during Korra's hallucinations. This ideal is completely polar to Aang's, but unlike the previous season, it doesn't come off as blunt or hotheaded when displayed in Korra. It evokes sympathy by giving the protagonist a reasonable and understandable fear, and it makes her emotionally vulnerable. Whether or not she's permanently disabled remains to be seen, but one thing cannot be mistaken: Korra is emotionally broken, and it's going to take time to fix. And, for the first time in the series, I genuinely and wholly care. I'm concerned. I want Korra to rebound from the turmoil that she's gone through and is sure to go through in Book 4. I cannot say that about the end of Book 2, or even the ending of Book 1, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Speaking of Book 1, that brings me to another one of this season's triumphs where the other two have failed: the
villains. Now, don't get me wrong, Amon and his Equalists were a force to be reckoned with during Korra's time in Republic City, and the masked man always presented an intriguing and challenging obstacle for Team Avatar to overcome. He was cunning, intimidating, and was voiced by Steve Blum; essentially, he was an incredible concept for a villain, and was executed phenomenally during the majority of the first season. But his character was ultimately damaged by time constraints; the show only had 12 episodes to work with at the time, and so his tragic coming-of-age story and climactic showdown with Korra ultimately felt quite rushed. As for Book 2's Unalaq... well, more like the opposite of Amon. He had a very poor, archetypal concept (the wronged sibling), but the twist with him becoming the Dark Avatar presented an example of turning a mediocre villain into something interesting with thoughtful execution. Unfortunately, Unalaq himself was still as bland as Fire Lord Ozai in the original Avatar (I probably just opened myself up for the hate flood, but so be it) and he felt ultimately unsatisfying to have Korra defeat, especially when his season's finale devolved into deus ex machinas and fighting energy giants that felt very out of place.

Once again, Book 3 delivered to make the series that much stronger.

I love villains more than any character role in literature or film, and to have a thoroughly great one is, in my opinion, what can set an incredible work apart from a mediocre one. After all, Azula was my favorite character from the original series. The sense of pervasive danger that a worthy antagonist can bring to a world and the characters that inhabit it is an essential aspect of building tension, and having the protagonists ultimately conquer or succumb to that threat can make the payoff of joy or grief that much more extreme.

Enter Zaheer and the Red Lotus. Not only are they basically a villainous version of Team Avatar, but they're also considerably adept benders that are perfectly capable of achieving their goals. From the very minute each of them appears on screen, they present an immediate danger to whichever authority figure may be around. It's apparent from watching even a small portion of their bending talent that each of them is unique, creative, and deadly. Yet, despite their violent acts, their goals are quite understandable from their point of view: throwing the world into complete anarchy by dispatching world leaders is, as far as Zaheer is concerned, the only way to restore true balance to the people. This is not an original concept for a villain's motivation, but it doesn't have to be when the execution is so flawless. Unlike in season's past, Book 3 actually convinces you that Zaheer is justified before he even reveals his intentions. President Raiko banishes Korra from Republic City for trying to help the civilians, and the Earth Queen follows suit after Team Avatar rescues her "airbending army." None of these acts from the Avatar can be considered to be against the greater good of the people, nor bad decisions (another aspect of Korra's character that saw drastic improvement), yet these high-ranking politicians punish her for doing something that seems ethically right. Thus, the viewer actually grows to loathe both Raiko and the Earth Queen, especially the latter. So, when Zaheer finally reveals his goals for chaos, it actually makes sense and gives him a sense of ambiguity that the other antagonists have yet to match. It also further increases the tension by presenting the possibility that Korra may agree with Zaheer and join his forces (or, at least, it did for me).

But the achievement that is the Red Lotus doesn't end there, as Zaheer actually manages to accomplish his goals and establish himself as a considerable threat, a process that also darkens the tone of the show in a way that feels organic. For starters, he murders the Earth Queen in cold blood, the turning point in the season that was presented almost flawlessly. From the creative use of airbending for the offensive purpose of suffocation to the incredibly thought-provoking line of dialogue that Zaheer delivered during the process of killing her, this act raised the stakes to a point where Legend of Korra (and even Avatar: The Last Airbender) was previously unwilling to go: onscreen deaths. This heightened the tension considerably later on during what I believe to be the strongest episode of the season, "The Ultimatum", in which Tenzin gets brutally tortured by the Red Lotus while the episode proceeds to end on a cliffhanger, begging the question of whether or not Tenzin actually died. If it wasn't for the previous murder of the Earth Queen at Zaheer's hand, I doubt many people would have believed that Book 3 would actually kill off one of the main characters, but as such, people did due to the precedent that had been set, and it strengthened Zaheer's antagonist role even further by making his murderous streak all the more personal. The same can be said for Zaheer defeating Tonraq during the explosive finale. All the while, the rest of his team is initiating the most beautifully-animated and intense fights that the series has experienced to date. Their theme song, expertly composed by Jeremy Zuckermann, began somewhat tamely, but continued to intensify as the Red Lotus' threat grew larger throughout the season, emphasizing the growing danger and heightening the emotion of the fight scenes to a point that Legend of Korra had yet to reach.

Taking all of this into consideration, Zaheer is unquestionably the champion of Korra's cast of villains to this point. His goals and execution were admirable to the point of convincing the audience, yet his methods and personal attacks on Team Avatar made him someone worth hating at the same time. His team of benders were creative, intimidating, and worked well together to deliver the most well-executed fight scenes that the Avatar universe has yet to see. Zaheer brought the series to a new level of dark and intense that felt like a natural progression. The Red Lotus was so good that I actually didn't want them to be defeated at the end of the season, just so that they could maintain their presence as amazing antagonists in Book 4. They're the best antagonists in either series with the lone of exception of Azula (because really, who is ever going to top her?). Amon had the presence, Unalaq had the execution. Zaheer has both.

Zaheer was incredible. Books 1 and 2 couldn't come close to comparing to the threat of the Red Lotus.

I suppose could mention the top-notch animation by Studio Mir that sees a wonderful return to glory after the disaster that was the first half of Book 2's visuals by Studio Pierrot. I could mention how the soundtrack is better than ever, especially with the Red Lotus theme growing with every episode as their threat level increases (I already did, I believe). I could even insist that the newly-aired finale is the best conclusion to a story arc that Legend of Korra and its characters have yet to receive, and that it's not close. But I needed to address why it's important to witness Book 3 in its entirety before prematurely judging the series and writing it off as a show that will forever walk in Aang's shadow. The characters that have previously been so frustrating to witness have regained their charisma, especially Korra, who now feels like a protagonist that has dealt with hardship, had her ideals morphed in a positive way, and faces identifiable struggles that I wholly want to see her overcome. The side characters, too, feel like people worth supporting now that the melodramatic teenage drama has given way to more believable and supportable traits and relationships. Zaheer presented an unexpectedly phenomenal villain with his concept and execution having been perfectly realized, as he connected with the viewership in very subtle but effective ways and controlled the tone and pace of the show, the former of which got satisfyingly dark.

For the first time since Amon's endgame, I'm excited for the future of this series. If Book 4 is anything like Book 3 is, we're in for a marvelous conclusion to a series that has now managed to achieve what I thought was previously impossible: to step outside the intimidatingly large shadow of Avatar the Last Airbender and become something worth watching on its own.

Change is good.

-Ben Seidel

Steins;Gate Review

Time travel is an overwhelmingly, infamously difficult concept to build a work of fiction around, as many stories centered around the idea can't help but eventually succumb to a vicious cycle of increasingly-obvious plot holes. You rarely see a work of this sort that's not only able to logically explain its world, characters and conclusions, but also able to make the viewing of such a winding, complex narrative clear, concise and, most importantly, enjoyable. It's just so easy to either fall into the trap of creating a time paradox or to fill your story with so much scientific exposition that the characters and pacing suffer because of it. However, every once in a while a story is created that somehow manages to strike a wonderful balance between storytelling and scientific logic, therefore producing an intelligent, mind-bending thriller with lovable, exceptional characters to attach to along the complex journey. Despite some minor flaws that hold it back from true excellence, Steins;Gate, studio White Fox's 2011 anime adaptation, is once such occasion.

Our story takes place in modern day Akihabara, Japan, focusing on the life of Okabe Rintarou, or, as he would prefer, self-proclaimed mad scientist Hououin Kyouma, an insanely eccentric 18-year-old college student with a flair for the dramatic. He spends his days alongside his childhood friends, the adorable, innocent Shiina Mayuri and the ever-sarcastic Itaru Hashida (Daru, as he's called), as he works to brainstorm new gadgets and gizmos in hopes of defeating what he refers to as "the Organization", a group that may or may not exist and that he believes is always conspiring against him in his various scientific exploits. His main interest, however, has always been the concept of time travel and the adventures of the enigmatic time traveler John Titor, a man who claims to have come from the future but only appears on internet chat forums. This leads him and his friends to meet Makise Kurisu, a 17-year-old prodigy scientist from America who, when giving a lecture at his university, persuasively argues against the concepts of time travel, claiming it to be scientifically impossible. The two argue back-and-forth on the topic for days as they become more acquainted with each other, but all debate gets thrown to the wayside when the unthinkable happens: through the use of a microwave and a cell phone, Okabe and his friends inadvertently discover time travel. Together they work to elaborate on their discoveries while simultaneously attempting to help improve their friends' lives by sending text messages back in time, thereby changing the present for what they assume to be the better.

That's as far as I'm willing to go with a general plot synopsis without giving anything away. If the story seems complex, that's because it is, especially once you add in the other significant supporting characters like the mysterious Moeka Kiryu and, my personal favorite, the energetic Suzuha Amane. However, it's never once unintentionally overwhelming, and that is a testament to one of this show's major strengths: the characters.

You'd be hard pressed to find another cast that feels as real and lovable as this one that didn't come from a show with Bebop in its title. Okabe in particular is one of the most fascinating protagonists you'll witness within the anime medium, beginning the show as a hilarious, clumsy goof and slowly transitioning into a more serious, hardened youth to match the narrative's increasingly dark tone and events. Yet through all the hardship he struggles through, he never loses his charisma, effectively keeping his eccentric personality intact while allowing him to mature. His growth is subtle, complete and matches the show's progression perfectly without sacrificing the initial identity of the character that allows you to grow so attached to him from the very first episode. As far as anime protagonists go, it's tough to name one as unique and likable as him.

That's only the tip of the iceberg, though; Steins;Gate wouldn't be the show that it is without the incredible supporting cast that it creates, nearly all of them experiencing a similarly effective growth to Okabe's. While there are varying degrees of success here, almost everyone goes through a quality coming-of-age arc in some sense, most notably Makise Kurisu. Her role as a foil to Okabe's strangeness is needed early on as she's the one who is able to explain the scientific jargon concisely without losing the attention of the viewer. Not only that, but, as she's the most "normal" one among the main cast (and I use that term lightly), a lot of the comedic relief relies on her reactions or responses, and she suits this role perfectly while providing enough wit of her own to add to the humor even further. She could have been a boring, dry character used for nothing but exposition, but instead she shines through as one of the main strengths of the show, almost stealing the spotlight from Okabe when it's all said and done.

Makise and Okabe are the headliners that drive the show for the duration, but that's not to say the others don't serve their roles admirably. Daru is a sarcastic, somewhat-perverted hacker, not exactly an original for the "best friend" archetype, but he's consistently quick and witty and plays a role in the plot that makes him more than just comedic relief by the end. Suzuha is an immediately likable and compelling presence whose secrets are extremely satisfying to unravel, becoming arguably the most useful supporting character by the show's end, not to mention the coolest. Moeka may seem off-putting at first, but she plays a huge role in the plot's progression and her backstory is eerily gripping. And Mayuri is, quite simply, the heart of the show who is quintessential for the plot's progression and the motivation of our protagonists. Plus, if you don't think she's one the most adorable characters ever put to animation, I honestly don't know what to tell you.

"This is a pose of intelligence and ecstasy, possible only for those who spend their lives in research!" I guess I couldn't have said it better myself, Okabe. These two are fantastic.

Unfortunately, not everyone's a winner. Two of the side characters, Ruka Urushibara and Rumiho Akiha (Faris) initially are decent comic relief, providing a temporary break from the dry wit in favor of some more overt moments (one running joke involving Ruka is particularly absurd, and therefore fits perfectly). But when the story starts getting really serious starting in the second half of the show, their inclusion transforms from passable comedy into unforgivable filler that completely halts the story's progression. Unlike the other side characters who get their own arcs and backstories, Ruka and Rumiho's past and present are pretty much irrelevant to the overall story, and while Ruka is likable enough (if a tad pathetic), Rumiho is downright annoying and completely uninteresting. There are two episodes, 17 and 18, that focus solely on Okabe's relationships with these two characters, and it's just so boring to watch. The show was finally getting extremely intense, keeping me on the edge of my seat, but then it abruptly stops for 45 minutes to shed light on characters that don't matter and who I don't care about. Considering how smoothly the show could have escalated towards its impressive finale, I find these two episodes to be entirely unnecessary and personally believe they really damaged the pacing of the show.

While we're on the topic of pacing, that's something that Steins;Gate struggles with throughout its duration, not just in the middle of its second half. The first half of the show works well for growing the characters, explaining the scientific concepts and foreshadowing future events. In fact, after re-watching the series multiple times, I've concluded that this show might just have the best, most subtle foreshadowing that I've ever seen from any story, not just in anime. But as good as the world building and the set up for the second half are, that doesn't change the fact that really nothing much of significant interest occurs within the first 11 episodes outside of the discovery of time travel. Episode 12 hits and changes everything, but that's still asking quite a bit from the viewer, as that's half the show down the drain before the first major plot twist. To clarify, the first half of the show is in no way bad; the characters are goofy fun which sets them up well for more serious progression, the dialogue is consistently hilarious (seriously, this is probably the only anime to ever make me laugh out loud), and the concepts, while very intellectual, remain interesting and easy to keep up with. I just think the show could have gotten to episode 12's bombshell a bit sooner, which, again, calls into question the inclusion of Rumiho and Ruka, as they both take up significant time in the first half of the show as well.

Yeah Rumiho, I'm also confused as to why you're in this show

That being said, the plot's brilliance still more than shines through despite the pacing issues. I mentioned at the beginning that it's rare to find a time travel oriented story with no plot holes to speak of, but I certainly couldn't find any here from start to finish. Furthermore, they don't take liberties with the established logic or throw in any random events to achieve this impressive feat. Like I said before, the foreshadowing in the first half of the show is incredible; it's present enough so that guessing the events is plausible, but subtle enough to ensure that almost nobody will, and that's a very, very difficult thing to do and where many other shows have faltered. The excellent dialogue, as well as the aforementioned characters that speak it, accomplishes another daunting task: explaining the scientific reasoning behind the concepts of time travel without bogging down the plot in exposition. I was never bored or overwhelmed, only more invested in the world and concepts that the characters were exploring. Furthermore, adding another layer of depth to the plot, the theories at play here actually exist in the real world. Seriously, you could go Google anything found in the story and you'd be reading about it for days. Taking those heavy concepts and condensing them down so that the average viewer can simply comprehend them is hard enough, but working it into an excellent narrative seems almost impossible. The fact that Steins;Gate pulled this off so elegantly is a testament to the excellent writing. Oh yeah, and on top of all of that intelligence, the show is absolutely hilarious, which strikes a perfect initial tone between serious and comedic, evolving naturally along with the events and characters.

Seriously, watch this and try to tell me you didn't have a big grin on your face.

In terms of production value, the show really isn't anything special, but it also doesn't really need to be. Despite including strikingly original art for the character designs, everything else is muddled in less exciting, if more realistic grays and browns. This would be much more of a problem if this were an action show or if it needed to display flashy animation, but the story and characters don't lend themselves to that. There are occasional moments where something more happens on screen, such as the flashing of a timer or the electricity emitted from the microwave, which sort of make you wish they had put more effort into the character animations themselves in order to further envelope you in this world. But as it stands, the animation is passable, doing its job and occasionally a bit more.

The same can't really be said for the soundtrack, although you really can't say much about the soundtrack whatsoever seeing as it rarely pops up. The occasional background tune or lament to play during a darker scene works to create ambiance, but there's nothing here that you're going to be putting on your iPod anytime soon. I wish there had been a bit more here, actually. Steins;Gate already has the ability to make you emotional, but those scenes could have been punctuated even more with a truly mesmerizing soundtrack. But alas, despite disappointing a bit, the soundtrack does its job.

A quick mention about the opening song, however: there are many openings that I treasure and that get me excited to watch a show, but "Hacking to the Gate" is easily in the top five of all time. It's almost as if the entire animation and soundtrack budget went towards creating this gorgeous two-minute introduction, and I'm certainly not complaining. The vocals are beautiful, the animation is fluid, and there's very good symbolism within it. And yes, there's even a bit of foreshadowing. Seriously, I usually skip an intro, but I never once did here. In fact, I occasionally rewound to take another listen.

Conclusion

Steins;Gate is a rare show, not only because it's an anime involving time travel, but it's a time travel story that's so masterfully written. The characters, especially Okabe and Makise, are just to die for, and the tone escalates naturally and effectively, transforming from happy and goofy to dark and serious. But it never sacrificed the initial integrity of its characters in order to accomplish this task. The foreshadowing was mind-blowingly well executed, and it never devolved into a show about scientific exposition; it always kept its heart, and that's why the second half was so emotionally effective. It's just a shame that some characters felt superfluous and the pacing just wasn't up to par at points, as well as the lackluster production values. Even with those flaws, though, Steins;Gate is a show that everyone should watch, even non-anime fans. It's easily in my top ten anime ever created, and while it can't quite be considered a masterwork, it's definitely something special.

THE GOOD

+ Excellent characters, especially Okabe and Makise, felt very genuine and real                                             

+ The plot is nearly flawless in its execution; no plot holes and striking a great balance between fun and serious

+ Foreshadowing is some of the best

you'll ever come across

+ DAT OPENING

THE BAD

-- Ruko and Rumiho are worthless, and they halt the second half's progression when things are really getting good

-- The pacing suffers as a result of those two, but also in the first half which takes a while to progress the story

-- Mediocre production values

OVERALL

9.0/10

Amazing