 Elements clash as I feud two of my favorite animated TV shows of all time. It's Avatar, The Last Airbender vs The Legend of Korra. There's not a chance in all of Bossing's say I'm gonna get all these characters locked in, so I'm just gonna go over some of my favorites, some of the highlights from both of these properties. Top of the list obviously goes to the cabbage merchant. He's a simple man, a man of principle, determination, and a passion for that beautiful iceberg cabbage. Throwing iceberg in front of anything automatically makes it sound fancier. In all seriousness, The Last Airbender and Korra have well-rounded, multi-dimensional characters that change and grow, much like a fine cabbage. Airbender is primarily the journey of our hero Aang and his antagonist Zuko. The wind and firebender go through many emotional and physical transformations as they struggle to find their true place. Zuko's uncle Iroh is a personal favorite of mine. He's wise beyond his years, yet still doesn't know exactly how to reach his nephew. This relationship is rife with conflict and plenty of tears shed. And it's compelling enough to carry most of each season, yet it's just one of many stories to be had. Unlike Zuko, Aang knows exactly what he needs to do. Master the four elements to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. Aang's problem is that he's a frightened child. Thankfully, he quickly develops deep friendships with like-minded strangers. Katara, the incredibly gifted waterbender, is a compassionate and loyal friend who will eventually grow to care for Aang the way he cares for her. Then there's Katara's brother Saka, who provides some well-needed comic relief. While proving you don't need elemental powers to make your mark on this world. But my favorite of team Avatar is Earthmaster Toph. Not only does she absolutely own every single threat the Fire Nation hurls at her, she does it with such effortless confidence. That, and she made metalbending a thing. Metalbending. It's so hot right now. Metalbending. I can't forget about Aang's trusty Bison Appa, who would later get his own incredibly depressing side adventure. If you don't shed a single tear or 35 during Avatar's three-season run, then you are a lifeless monster. And speaking of lifeless monsters, I want to give a shout out to Zuko's sister, who's just the worst. Azula is the poster child for how not to go through life. She forms a little suicide squad that features a pre-April Luggate Aubrey Plaza, a deadly Cirque du Soleil assassin whom I just happened to be in love with. Alas, it's not meant to be. I'm nothing more than a mere country bumpkin, blue-collar salt-of-the-earth lad out here in the sticks. And she is a cartoon. Korra's different from Aang in many ways. She's from the Water Tribe and has an easier time mastering the elements, isn't afraid to confront a problem with violence. She typically prefers to. And she's a very fast learner. While her strengths, she's got some very big weaknesses. Aang had an amazing connection to the spiritual world, while Korra is often disconnected. I found it really interesting that as the last airbender carried from season to season, Aang became more powerful. Korra goes the complete opposite. Right out of the gates, she is a powerhouse. As the show progresses, however, Korra's physically and mentally broken. Much like Aang, Korra has a team avatar of her own to pick up the slack. The Superbender brothers Mako and Bolin provide some stellar earth and firepower alongside Asami, a rich brunette bombshell. Since Korra takes place many years after the Aang run, we do have some carryover characters and nice cameos. Katara and Taaf show up here and there with others returning in flashbacks. Aang left a great family behind, so there are plenty of windbenders and flying bison to appreciate. The primary focus is on Aang's son Tenzin, voiced by J.K. Simmons and his family. And I found the legend of Korra to be just as interesting as the last airbender. The problem lies in the villains. Korra introduced an incredible antagonist around the middle of the show's run named Zaheer. He and his followers were a blast to watch. Unfortunately, they're wrapped up before the fourth season's underway, leaving a hole in the fourth and final season. Granted, this felt like an intentional omission, which arguably works in the show's favor. And I'll dive more into that in a little bit. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years passed and Katara and her brother discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. I love when the introduction to each episode of the show is the basic plot. Shout out to Samurai Jack for doing the same thing. A hero's journey is the lazy way of summarizing shows like these, especially when there are so much more. Each season focuses on a different element Aang needs to master. It's fair to say he had wind on lock, so seasons one through three focuses on water, earth, and fire. Korra carries the tradition with air. From there, it veers into the emotional and spiritual side of things. Outside of mastering the elements, communicating with former avatars in the spirit realm, harnessing the unlimited power of the Avatar state, bringing balance to the land, and basically becoming completely awesome individuals, Aang and Korra still manage to find time to mix in some love and heartbreak. And Aang's journey ratchets up more and more each season. That was me ratcheting. By the time the final few episodes hit, there are so many characters and stories to be invested in, you almost lose track. Thankfully the show doesn't, for the most part, outside of whatever happened to Zuko's mom and that stupid jet character. This finale gives the audience exactly what they wanted in the most spectacular way possible. An epic hours spanning showdown, complete with the four most crucial storytelling elements. Love, loss, recovery, and tough. She's a story element now because she can do anything she wants, damn it. Except C. She cannot see. I mentioned earlier that Korra powers down from season to season. This was a pretty ballsy move for the writers. They really put Korra through the ringer along her journey. She shatters her connection to the spiritual world. She is poisoned to the point of no return, weakening her abilities in combat. Then there's the fact that she never truly finds love or peace until arguably the final episode. And the season 3 finale is one of the most powerful endings to a show I've ever seen, full stop. Just thinking about Korra's beautifully broken animated face as a tear streams down is both shocking and heartbreaking. And the fact that there are so many angles to take her emotional state at is a real testament to the writing staff. Another larger than life villain would have been too familiar and honestly beneath this talented team for the final season. Instead, a throwaway conflict was put into place with a focus really put on Korra just surviving internally. It perhaps didn't have those same high octane stakes you wanted from Avatar, but in hindsight, I think it's exactly what the show needed. The East Asian art style of Avatar explodes with vibrant colors. Everything from the beautifully drawn out tribal villages to the playful hybrid animals helped bring the viewer closer to the world of Avatar. It's a new generation Middle Earth. Complete with mystical creatures, awe inspiring landmarks, a surprisingly deep lore and remarkable music composed by Jeremy Zuckerman. The series would go on to win dozens of awards, with the most prestigious of them all being handed out in 2008. And of course, referring to the coveted Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award. Yeah, it's a big deal. In 2012, creators Michael DiMartino and Brian Konitzko returned for Korra, bringing along a lot of familiar voice talent, composers, and a new South Korean animation studio for the ride. And there's absolutely zero percent chance I got that name pronunciation right. I apologize. Not cultured, okay? I appreciate the work. I respect these guys. Not enough to take five seconds to look up a pronunciation, but enough to watch many seasons of these beautifully drawn shows. Since it takes place 70 years after the fall of the Fire Lord, a lot has changed. Visually, it's arguably better than ever before, although some may be turned off by the steampunk-esque look it took on. Republic City benefits from having a multicultural society, so you can see different themes here and there from the different tribes. Revisiting past locations from the Avatar franchise is by far my favorite part. Partially because it reminds me of the glory days of Aang and his crew, but also to see how Father Time has sculpted the New World Order. Korra would go on to win plenty of awards as well, mainly focused around Season 3, which is not just one of the strongest seasons of Korra, but of the entirety of Avatar itself. That said, Book 2 Earth is untouchable. Make no mistake, this feud wasn't set up to give an easy win to the obvious Avatar. I wanted to make this video to show my utmost appreciation and respect for two of my favorite TV shows. Following 12-year-old Aang as he learns what it means to be a leader and conquer his fears was a journey everyone should watch. Korra should then be instantly viewed after you catch your breath from Book 3 Fire. The more adult themes and intensified action should get its hooks in you early. Even if Season 2 falters a little bit, the best is yet to come. Thanks for watching this episode and remember, this is more than just reviews, this is TV feuds. Thanks for watching the feud. If you want to keep up with the show, make sure to subscribe to Adam Does Movies for all the latest movie feuds, Adam Rance, and the stupid cringe show that I produce. You can also check out my playlist. I've done a ton of these episodes, so there's plenty of hours left to watch. Take care. Stand here for a little while while you decide your future.