While Avatar: The Last Airbender remains a timeless masterpiece of television, its spin-off and its kind-sequel, The Legend of Korracould not quite match the success of its predecessor. The series was criticized for its plot and choice of themes, which divided the fan base.
Janet Varney, who voiced Korra, reflected on fan reactions at the time, acknowledging the mixed reactions and controversy surrounding certain creative decisions, particularly Korra’s sexuality.
Korra’s voice actress reveals how people’s reaction to her character’s homosexuality influenced her
It is now common knowledge that Korra, the successor of Aang in The Legend of Korra, was portrayed as bisexual, a decision that sparked controversy among some fans. The show’s co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino have openly admitted and confirmed this relationship on their Tumblr blogs, which was seen as a violation of conventions in children’s shows.
Janet Varney, who voiced Korra, spoke about the impact of this bold decision in an interview with Inverse at the Calgary Expo 2022, describing what it was like to challenge norms and push storytelling boundaries. She said:
I was at a convention – I don’t want to say where because I feel bad – but I was definitely at a convention in a certain place where there just weren’t that many people who wanted to talk about the show – and the people who did seemed to come almost furtively. It was a very Christian community. And finally, someone literally took me aside and said, “I’m so sorry, it’s because your character is gay.”
She added:
At first I was just filled with this hot, tingling wave of anger and frustration and that feeling you get when you’re trying to please everybody and you’re like, “How can I change their minds? I think I can reach them all at once.” And then I just took a deep breath and thought, “This is a really good experience for me because I live in the Los Angeles bubble and before that I lived in the San Francisco bubble.”
So it was really good for me to get at least a little insight into what some young people still experience on a regular basis: feeling excluded or uncomfortable or viewed with suspicion. It’s still out there.
Although she is relieved not to be confronted with this on a daily basis, she sincerely hopes for a change in attitude towards greater acceptance of all people.
Why The Legend of Korra Couldn’t you become legendary?
Most people misunderstood the series and focused their dislike on Korra and Asami’s relationship, which was actually one of its strongest aspects and a driving force behind their appeal. Although the series faltered, Korra and Asami’s relationship was not to blame.
The original Avatar faced a delicate balance as a children’s show full of loss, danger and drama, but eventually found the right balance in later seasons. Korra, however, evolved beyond the level of a mere children’s show and tackled weightier issues tailored to an older audience. The teen protagonists and complex conflicts required a change in narrative style and humor that sometimes missed the mark of its predecessor.
One stumbling block was character development, with some key characters being overshadowed. While Asami and Tarrlok were given extensive coverage, others like Bolin, Mako, Tenzin, and Beifong remained underdeveloped. The narrative also struggled to fit two distinct storylines into a single season of half-hour episodes.
While Avatar’s discipline in storytelling was praised, Korra occasionally faltered in balancing its two storylines, namely pro-bending and the Equalist movement. Essentially, while Korra boldly ventured into darker waters, it occasionally lost sight of the finely tuned balance that made its predecessor a timeless classic.
“The Legend of Korra” is streaming on Paramount Plus.
