The Legend of Korra: Book 1 and 2

 The Legend of Korra: Book 1 and 2: A Well Known problem, & an Underrated Gem (Full spoilers)

    With the Netflix live action out I decided I wanted to cruise through Legend of Korra a show that divided the fan base fairly deeply. All cards on the table I am someone who liked LoK. 

    Rewatching season 1, or Book 1One Air... nothing has changed. Others have talked about how its a poor entry and introduction that despite having really good characters doesn't seem to know what to do with them. And that's all true in my opinion. Amon is a fun villain... but that's kind of it. And I could go on listing all the characters and saying "Cool.... but that's kind of it."
   

    Book Two: Spirits however; the older I get the more I appreciate it. At it's heart it's a story of a young girl growing into a young woman. At the start of the season Korra is still immature only having freshly mastered air bending and still being sub par in her spiritual life. Like any 18 year old she's tired of being "A kid" and just wants people to support her so the constant road blocks and "You'll grow into things" fits really really well. Our villain, Unalaq is... a perfect sociopath and positions himself perfectly to manipulate Korra. 

    Anyone who works with kids can pick up the signs. Unalaq isolates Korra from her teachers (Almost effortlessly) and other adults, gains her confidence, flatters her, and trys to form a "Special relationship.". Unalaq of course is using Korra for something much more rated PG then what we'd expect to be happening in real life; but additional props for the show not so subtely making a point that this made him a monster in other ways. 

    A lot of people.... who were notably teens watching the original and adults watching Korra... criticized this aspect of the show. "How could she not see it!"... she's a kid and Unalaq plays her perfectly. I've also found people really miss the point of his character. They, unironically, buy his manipulations just like Korra at first. Unalaq is a sociopath, if not a psychopath, he's used religion as a means to acquire power and uses the Avatar to unlock the path to becoming the Dark Avatar. He is start to finish a great villain and Korra in her struggles against him has to grow into an adult. Something symbolized well in the end when she parts with Mako amicably (putting their.... frankly not good Will/won't they love plot to bed. I like Mako, I like Korra; I think the her having a crush on him plot was fine... but that was all it was good for.

Losing the connection to the past avatars was a BIG risk. For me, it paid off, Korra having to go it alone in seasons 3 and 4 was great; but it is an aspect that I know a lot of people dont like.