Legend of Korra: Saying goodbye

It's hard to say goodbye. Especially to something you love. And what I'm saying goodbye to today is The Legend of Korra. I know the finale came out Friday, but I needed a few days to think and to let it all sink in.

I've read a good amount of reviews and articles about the finale. Some are good. Some are bad. Most liked the finale. A small few didn't. Most talk about the last few moments in a lot of detail. Most talk about the series as a whole. And as much as I thought I will miss it, I will also feel grateful to have been able to watch a show like this.

This show has had a lot go on outside of the show. From starting as a miniseries turning into four books. Taking a long time between book 1 and book 2. Having episodes of book 3 leaked leading to a pushed up release of that book. Moving to online only and having budget cuts. And through it all, there was the fans. Korra proved that when a series is great, people will watch it anywhere.

And what a great series it was. As a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra had a lot to live up to. And I think it did. Say what you will about the first two books, the last two were amazing. And they also tied in the important parts of the first two into the plot of book 3 and 4. They made a show that built upon a world that Avatar and made it richer. Made it more mature. Yes, the first series was mature at times, but it was still a show about a eleven-year-old trying to save the world. Korra might seem be that much older at times, but she is. And the characters around her are as well. It just made for a more mature show. Don't take that a shot at Avatar. I love the first series and it holds a special place in my heart. And if I had to chose between the two, and as much as I love Korra, I'd still chose Avatar.

With that said, Korra was a show about it's characters above all else. Yes, the storytelling was great.  The action better than a lot of live-action movies and television shows. It had top notch directing and score. But it was the characters that had you coming back for more.

It was Korra maturing and recovering from near death. It was Bolin going from being the comedy relief to a man trying to make up for a mistake he made because he wanted to do something good. It was Jinora coming into,her own as a airbender, And as much as it was the show was about Korra, it was also about the Beifong family. Some of the best episodes were about them. The story of Lin and Suyin drifting apart and than finding each other again. And who could forget how they handled Toph. It was great to see her back. To see her interact with Korra and to see her relationship with her daughters. It was fun and a blast to see. And there plus many more great side characters: Mako, Asami, Tenzin and his kids. I could go on and on.

To the finale, I loved it. It mixed a few great character moments in with a whole lot of action. It left a few things open, but all story lines were tied up. I loved it. It was a pretty good way to end the series. I wish it didn't end, but it did. And because I know you will ask, I was okay with the last few moments I wished they had more time and maybe made it more obvious. But I think they did as much as Nick would allow them to. And if you asked the creators, I doubt they would tell what they meant by it.
Overall, the series was a not only a great follow up but also a wonderful series all in it's own. It's a sad day. And I wish more series were like this one. It's been a fun ride.