The Legend of Korra season 2 explained

Season Number:2
Book Two: Spirits
Bgcolour:
  1. 664F30
Num Episodes:14
Network:Nickelodeon
Prev Season:Book One: Air
Next Season:Book Three: Change

Book Two: Spirits is the second season of the American animated television series The Legend of Korra created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. It consists of fourteen episodes ("chapters"). It focuses more on spiritual concepts and themes than the preceding season, Book One: Air. Ordered in early 2011, Book Two: Spirits began airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on September 13, 2013.[1]

Premise

In a world in which some people can telekinetically control one of the four classical elements, the Avatar is the only individual who can "bend" all four elements and is responsible for maintaining balance in the world. This season focuses on Avatar Korra coming to terms with her role as the liaison between humans and the mystical "Spirit World".

Book Two takes place six months after Book One; its narrative is divided between Republic City (the primary setting of the first season) and other locations such as the Spirit World and the South Pole home of the Southern Water Tribe. Korra's uncle Unalaq, the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, seizes control of the Southern Water Tribe as part of a scheme to free Vaatu, an ancient dark spirit. The story follows Korra's friends' efforts to win support for the southern tribe in Republic City, and Korra's quest to foil Unalaq's plans while learning about spirits. A two-part episode entitled "Beginnings" delves into the history of the Avatar lineage. It tells the story of Wan, the young man who became the first Avatar as a result of his attempts to maintain balance between the material and spirit worlds, and to atone for empowering the dark spirit Vaatu. New characters introduced in this season include Unalaq and his children Desna and Eska; Kya and Bumi, the siblings of Korra's mentor Tenzin; Varrick, an eccentric and wealthy inventor and businessman from the Southern Water Tribe.

Production

Development

In early 2011, during the production of Book One: Air – initially conceived as a standalone 12-episode miniseries – Nickelodeon decided to order fourteen additional episodes[2] to round out a standard 26-episode season.[3] As of June 2012, Book Twos writing had been completed and the episodes were in the process of being storyboarded and animated.[4] Joshua Hamilton and Tim Hedrick, writers for , contributed to the scripts of Book Two, and the season's episodes were directed by Colin Heck and Ian Graham.

Cast

Voice actors added to the cast for Book Two: Spirits include:

Animation

After Studio Mir, which worked on the series' first season, initially declined to work on Book Two: Spirits, it was set to be completely animated by Japanese animation studio Pierrot.[7] However, Mir's animation director Yoo Jae-myung said that because of problems with this arrangement, the series's producers asked Studio Mir to help step in and animate Book 2 as well, an offer they accepted to preserve their studio's reputation. He said that Studio Mir initially chose to focus on animating the less challenging The Boondocks rather than the second season of The Legend of Korra because of the exhaustion brought about by their work on the first season.[8] Pierrot eventually animated episodes 1 through 6 and episode 9, while Studio Mir was responsible for episodes 7, 8, and 10 through 14.[9]

Release

Broadcast

Book Two began broadcast on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on September 13, 2013, after a 1-year hiatus. Airing on Fridays, it initially premiered at 7:00 PM EST but then shifted in mid-October to an 8:00 PM timeslot. Episodes 11 and 12 were shown on November 15, 2013. The Book Two Finale, episodes 13 and 14, were to be broadcast on November 22, 2013, but became available online on November 16, 2013. It was followed by Book Three: Changes, which consisted of thirteen episodes.

Marketing

Completed footage from Book Two was first made public in a June 2013 promotional video, in which Korra fights spirit creatures in an Arctic setting.[10] The premiere episode was shown in full at The Legend of Korra panel at San Diego Comic-Con on 19 July 2013,[11] together with the release of a trailer video for Book Two.

Episodes

Reception

Book Two, overall, received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes calculating a 67% approval rating for the season from 9 reviews and an average rating of 8.35/10.[12]

The premiere episode screened in advance at Comic-Con was positively reviewed by Max Nicholson of IGN, who appreciated the setup of the overarching conflict and the humorous writing. He also stated that "the animation in Book Two has taken yet another step up in quality, with noticeable advances in the action sequences and color treatment".[13] At TV.com, Noel Kirkpatrick commented favorably on how the episode handled the necessary quantity of exposition, and on its introduction of the theme of conflict between spiritualism and secularism.[14] Writing for Vulture, Matt Patches highlighted the loose, handheld-style cinematography – challenging for an animated series – and the "weird, wonderful", wildly imagined spirits fought by Korra; "a Kaiju parade with beasts that mirror velociraptors".[15] The A.V. Club's Emily Guendelsberger stated that they kept up the first season's plot's "breakneck pace" and appeared intent on signaling a break with the convention of avoiding death in children's entertainment, by showing a spirit dragging a sailor to his likely death in the sea. She appreciated the nuanced portrayal of Korra's and Mako's relationship and Korra's character flaws, but remarked that Unalaq was being set up as the season's antagonist a bit too obviously.[16]

Parts 1 and 2 of the medial episode, "Beginnings", were positively received by critics as well. Max Nicholson of IGN rated the episode 9.6/10 and praised "Beginnings" for its "stunning" animation, "top-notch" voice acting, character origins of Avatar Wan, the friendship and heartfelt relationship between Wan and Raava, "great" new insights in the Avatar universe, and as a "masterstroke in storytelling and worldbuilding." At the end of his review, he opined that "Book 2 has never looked so good.".[17] "The Sting", which premiered before "Beginnings", was equally praised by Nicholson for the improvement of the characterizations of Mako and Asami and their chemistry between each other, in addition to establishing Varrick as a "greedy mastermind" rather than as an eccentric businessman and entertainer as he had been before.[18] For "The Guide", Nicholson praised the character growths of Tenzin and the fleshed-out characterization of Jinora.[19] He lauded the episode "A New Spiritual Age" for a "great character narrative" for Korra and the establishment of Unalaq as a more of a corrupt, twisted, and menacing villain. He was also surprised to see the return of Iroh of ; this time, to help Korra with her journey in the spirit world.[20] Parts 1 and 2 of "Civil Wars" were equally acclaimed by Nicholson for the friendship between Bolin and Varrick, the sibling dynamic of Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi, a "strong, complex conflict" for Korra, the respective relationship of Tenzin, Kya, and Bumi, and Korra, Tonraq, and Senna as the heart of the story, and the twist behind Tonraq's banishment from the Northern Water Tribe and his imprisonment.[21] [22] According to him, "Night of a Thousand Stars" brought out the best of Bolin and the worst of Varrick, as well as setting up the conflict for the last three episodes of Book 2.[23] For "Harmonic Convergence", Nicholson praised its spectacular action sequences, fleshing out more on Unalaq's intriguing evil purpose, the heroism of Bumi, and the animation.[24]

Notes and References

  1. News: Salam. Maya. 'The Legend of Korra' Book 2 Premiere Date Revealed!. 15 August 2013. Yahoo! TV. 15 August 2013. December 28, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141228193206/https://tv.yahoo.com/blogs/tv-news/-the-legend-of-korra--book-2-premiere-date-revealed---exclusive-video--173004030.html. live.
  2. News: Farley. Christopher John. 'The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra': The Creators Speak. 17 July 2012. The Wall Street Journal. 8 March 2011. October 12, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012220246/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/03/08/the-last-airbender-legend-of-korra-the-creators-speak/?KEY. live.
  3. Web site: Bryan. Konietzko. I'm Sure This Meme Is Dead By Now But It Still. July 12, 2012. 12 July 2012. July 16, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120716052845/http://bryankonietzko.tumblr.com/post/27078349740/im-sure-this-meme-is-dead-by-now-but-it-still. live.
  4. News: Farley. Christopher John. 'The Legend of Korra' Creators Preview the Season Finale. 20 June 2012. Wall Street Journal, Speakeasy blog. 19 June 2012. June 21, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120621163644/http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/06/19/the-legend-of-korra-creators-preview-the-finale/. live.
  5. News: Snierson. Dan. 'Legend of Korra': Aubrey Plaza, James Remar, Lisa Edelstein join cast for Book 2. 11 July 2013. EW.com. 10 July 2013. July 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130714010748/http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/10/legend-of-korra-book-2-aubrey-plaza-james-remar-lisa-edelstein/. live.
  6. Web site: IMDB Legend of Korra. IMDb. 28 October 2013. March 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170307083202/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1695360/epcast. live.
  7. News: Legend Of Korra Book 3 Animated By Studio Mir Only: Will Production Time Quicken Without Pierrot Co?. 9 August 2013. KpopStarz. 9 August 2013. August 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220831003746/https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/37263/20130809/legend-of-korra-book-animation.htm. live.
  8. News: The INNERview #61 - Yoo Jae-myung (유재명), Animation director. 15 June 2013. ArirangTV. 2 May 2013. October 22, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131022074346/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKhAHeLKsSY. live. At 46:10.
  9. News: Legend Of Korra Season 2 Studio Mir, Pierrot Episode Breakdown Confirmed: Bryan Konietzko To Give Lecture As Rhode Island School Of Design. 27 September 2013. KpopStarz. 27 September 2013. December 16, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211216140632/https://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/43009/20130927/legend-of-korra-season-2.htm. live.
  10. News: 'The Legend of Korra': First official footage revealed from season 2!. 10 June 2013. Hypable. 10 June 2013. 16 June 2013. https://archive.today/20130616040716/http://www.hypable.com/2013/06/10/the-legend-of-korra-season-2-first-official-footage-book-2-spirits/. live.
  11. News: Clow. Mitchel. 'The Legend of Korra' season 2, episode 1 to premiere at San Diego Comic-Con. 18 July 2013. Hypable. 17 July 2013. 18 July 2013. https://archive.today/20130718054223/http://www.hypable.com/2013/07/17/the-legend-of-korra-season-2-premiere-san-diego-comic-con/. live.
  12. Web site: The Legend of Korra: Season 2. Rotten Tomatoes. May 17, 2021. February 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225095257/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the-legend-of-korra/s02. live.
  13. News: Nicholson. Max. THE LEGEND OF KORRA: "REBEL SPIRIT" REVIEW: THE LEGEND CONTINUES... 23 July 2013. IGN. 22 July 2013. June 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230629130141/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/07/22/the-legend-of-korra-rebel-spirit-review. live.
  14. News: Kirkpatrick. Noel. The Legend of Korra Book 2 Premiere Review: Smells Like Angry Spirit. 14 September 2013. TV.com. 14 September 2013. September 14, 2013. https://archive.today/20130914124159/http://www.tv.com/shows/avatar-the-legend-of-korra/community/post/the-legend-of-korra-book-2-premiere-review-smells-like-angry-spirit-137894654072/. dead.
  15. News: Patches. Matt. The Legend of Korra Season Two Premiere Recap: Rebel Spirits/The Southern Lights. 14 September 2013. Vulture. 14 September 2013. September 15, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130915205534/http://www.vulture.com/2013/09/legend-of-korra-season-two-premiere-recap.html. live.
  16. News: Guendelsberger. Emily. "Rebel Spirit"/"The Southern Lights". 14 September 2013. The A.V. Club. 13 September 2013. September 15, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130915213915/http://www.avclub.com/articles/rebel-spiritthe-southern-lights,102857/. live.
  17. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "Beginnings Parts 1 and 2" Review. October 18, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. October 19, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131019165545/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/19/the-legend-of-korra-beginnings-parts-1-and-2-review. live.
  18. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "The Sting" Review. October 18, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. October 15, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131015051947/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/12/the-legend-of-korra-the-sting-review. live.
  19. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "The Guide" Review. November 1, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. November 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131104055945/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/02/the-legend-of-korra-the-guide-review. live.
  20. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "A New Spiritual Age" Review. November 8, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. November 10, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131110120801/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/09/the-legend-of-korra-a-new-spiritual-age-review. live.
  21. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "Civil Wars: Part 1" Review. September 20, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. September 23, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130923231907/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/21/the-legend-of-korra-civil-wars-part-i-review?. live.
  22. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "Civil Wars: Part 2" Review. September 27, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. September 28, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130928025426/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/28/the-legend-of-korra-civil-wars-part-2-review. live.
  23. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "Night of a Thousand Stars" Review. November 15, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. November 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131118120222/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/16/the-legend-of-korra-night-of-a-thousand-stars-review. live.
  24. News: Nicholson. Max. The Legend of Korra: "Harmonic Convergence" Review. November 15, 2013. IGN. November 20, 2013. November 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131118122240/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/16/the-legend-of-korra-harmonic-convergence-review. live.

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