Legend of Korra (Spoilers)

The pairing of Korra and Asami was a bold move for a children's show. Less bold when you consider that the creators only made their relationship explicit in a blog after the series finale, rather than on the show itself. (Yes, there were hints, but I wouldn't call "hints" explicit, no matter how obvious they are to older viewers.)

But it's kind of refreshing that, story-wise, all of this unfolded off camera, between the scenes, and without dramatic declarations. (It's probably for the best, because the romances explicitly portrayed on this show were awkward and clunky.)

I'm sure some were unhappy with pairing Korra and Asami--either it was too little, too much, or shouldn't have happened at all. And for some, it was just right. Here's the important part: It wasn't nothing. It wasn't playing it safe.

Playing it safe would have been pairing Korra off with Mako, a.k.a. the bland dude (think Riley from Buffy). Also playing it safe: Korra isn't paired off with anybody (some might consider the absence of romance a bold move, and a statement about Korra being able to stand on her own as a character without defining herself as being in a relationship, but removing romantic elements from a children's show doesn't seem very groundbreaking to me). Some might argue that not making the relationship explicit on the show was also a way to play it safe. Well, I happen to disagree in this instance. You can't please everybody.

When you see stories playing it safe, it makes you think the creators are treating their fiction as something fragile. It hints that the story is lacking something in its foundation, perhaps in character, plot, setting, or the core idea (i.e., the four basic elements). Everyone has an idea of how a pleasing story is shaped. Hollywood has had that formula for years (exploding buildings, kiss the girl, car chases, blah blah blah). But a story that only pleases is a forgettable one. It takes more than that for a story to stay with you.

The people behind Korra are master storytellers. The stakes are real, the characters (including villains) are complex, and they face real trials in a colorful, imaginative world.

I mean, I could do with less references to peeing and farting, but it's a Nickelodeon show for crying out loud.