Legend of Korra Off of TV: Pros and Cons

          A few weeks ago, Nickelodeon announced that it would stop airing new episodes of their award-winning animated show The Legend of Korra on its channel. Instead, all new episodes of the show's third season (Book 3) will instead be released on Nick's website every Friday.

Nick cited the show's low TV rating as reason for this change, and explained that the show has been much more popular online. This announcement was met with a large amount of outcry by fans of the show, as it seemingly indicates Nick's lack of faith in the show.

But what are the real effects of this change? How will the current season and future of the show be affected? Let's break it down!

Pros:

- The show will still be emphasizing its core audience. From its creation, Korra has been popular with the internet crowd. As Nick stated, the shift to online distribution is to better meet the demands of tech-savvy internet users. With the show releasing and streaming online, the show is available and instantly viewable to the users that love it, without the restrictions put on TV.

- There is a possibility for more adult / gritty storytelling. Speaking of restrictions, shows on TV, especially kids' shows, need to follow certain guidelines when airing on that platform. As Korra has moved forward, the ways it tells its story has shifted toward more adult themes and characters. With the show now online, the creators may be able to avoid certain child-focused censorship / considerations that were present on a TV channel, and tell stories that are little more intense or gritty.

- The show will continue to a 4th season. Both the show runners and Nickelodeon have confirmed that Korra will not be cancelled after Book 3, but will continue to Book 4 as originally intended. That means that fans do not need to be worried about Nick giving up on the show. Nick will continue to support the show to its planned conclusion. What happens with the franchise after that, however, is still up in the air.

Cons:

- Nick.com's streaming service has problems. If Korra is to continue to be available exclusively on Nick's website, there will need to certain changes made in order to maintain the quality offered on television. Let's be fair: when it works, it works great. Korra is available in crisp HD, with limited commercial breaks. However, Nick.com also has the tendency to lag, skip, and jump without reason, even if an episode is fully buffered. Also, scrubbing to a certain part across the episode is incredibly inconsistent, as it frequently jumps to commercial breaks. A viewer is forced to skip parts they may have missed, or re-watch entire segments again. This is not the ideal way to watch a show online, especially compared to sites like Youtube, Netflix, and CrunchyRoll.

- Less resources may be given to Korra. Many fans believe Korra's move to the internet means that Nick is devoting less of its focus to the show's production. If this is true, the amount of monetary support for the show may be decreased. That translates to lower quality animation, lower production value, and less risk taking on the part of the writers. With less money given to them, the show's creators may not be able to show what they want on the screen, and they will be forced to lower their ambition in the episodes to follow. The Korra showrunners are adaptable people, but they may find it difficult to produce the art they want to create.

-Less publicity and less attention for new viewers. Nick may be serving the show's core audience, but a show that is exclusively online may find difficulty reaching out to new fans. Many fans have already pointed out the limited promotion Season 3 has received on Nick's channel, so the amount of advertising devoted to Korra may be decreased even more with the show only viewable online. The show's audience may be essentially limited to those already familiar with it, and there may be very little new fans finding the show. Also, a show exclusive to the internet may find difficulty receiving attention for awards and other recognitions. The Legend of Korra, a show already well-regarded by critics, may not receive the attention and notoriety it deserves.

So there you have it. The Legend of Korra's move to Nick.com has its fair share of positives and negatives. The entirety of Book 3 is currently available on Nick.com right now, and new episodes will continue to premiere every Friday at noon.