Friends, we’ve made it. Or at least, we’ve made it as close as the network would allow.
Last night was the series finale of the Legend of Korra, which was posted at midnight at Nick.com. And while I was sad to see what is seemingly the end of the Avatar franchise, I could not have been more thrilled with the way it ended.
Korra, my beloved hotheaded avatar, found herself and her compassion. Kuvira was defeated but not killed, and had a very satisfying ending to her arc.
Oh. And KorrAsami became canon.
That’s right. Last night, instead of having Korra get back together with Mako, Mike, Bryan, and the Korra team decided that they would give us what they’ve been hinting at for the past two seasons.
I will say in advance that we didn’t get an onscreen kiss. However, I did discuss the final scene with an animator friend of mine, which features such moments as:
This consoling hug that I really thought was going to be a kiss but was totally satisfied with anyway:
This final close-up of them HOLDING HANDS before walking into the spirit world:
And THIS, which is the final shot of Korra and Asami in the ENTIRE SERIES:
My friend, who works for Baboon Animation, told me that “They clearly pushed it as far as a board of nervous CEOs would let them and then some.” He explained to me that where he works, “[they] get notes from broadcasters if characters look in each other’s direction too long.”
In a world of animation where the only Bubbleline confirmation we’ve ever gotten was off-air, this is a huge step for the franchise as well as for queer relationships.
I am planning to do a post for our lovely site about why 2015 will be the Year of the Bisexual, and I think this is the perfect transition to lead us into the valley of bisexual greatness.
And yes, Korra and Asami are both canonically bisexual. They displayed romantic and sexual interest in Mako, for some ungodly reason, and that indicates to me that they are interested in both men and women. I’m giving this one to us, guys. Bi-fives all around!
Now, I have heard a couple of complaints from friends saying that dissenters are asking why we have to turn female friendships into same-sex relationships. And aside from pointing out that we as a community are literally starving for desperation, I'd also like to point out that anyone who says that this is a platonic relationship being perverted is just flat-out wrong.
This is monumental. This is a very knowing acknoledgement of the relationship between Korra and Asami. It's not queer-baiting, and it's not a 'will they, won't they?' kind of ending. Avatar: the Last Airbender ending with Katara kissing Aang. This is a very clear allusion to that, as well as the fact that Mike and Bryan like to end their series with the avatar's romantic relationship.
I'd also like to note that the final shot of Korra and Asami looks exactly like this shot of Varrick and Zhu Li FINALLY getting married:
I guess what I'm trying to say is "Thank You," to the Legend of Korra team. For listening to the critiques of seasons 1 and 2 and really turning the entire show around. For deciding to give us a queer relationship at the end of the series, which was already an excellent series to begin with. I cried like a baby last night after the series ended.
Thank you, Avatar crew, for 9 wonderful years.
