Okay, if you haven’t given it a try yet or weren’t aware, Dreamworks and Netflix’s new reboot show She-Ra and The Princesses of Power is a-maz-ing. The show follows Adora, an orphan raised in the tyrant Hordak’s army, the Horde. Lost in the woods one day, she discovers a mystical sword that transforms her into the Princess of Power, She-Ra (pronounced like “shear a [sheep]). She ultimately leaves the Horde–and her friend Catra–as she realizes the suffering and destruction the Horde causes. She and her new friends Bow and Glimmer, another magical princess, rebuild the Princess Alliance, a group of powerful (literally) young women who resist Hordak.
Forewarning, it is a little (okay, kinda a lot) cheesy. And if you watched the original show about She-Ra, sorry, this one is nothing like it. In an interview with The Verge, the show’s creator, Noelle Stevenson, talks about the choices behind many of the changes and her take on the show’s new direction. I’ve never seen the original show, so I can’t speak to that. But from what I’ve watched so far, I’m loving it, especially the characters! (In the cheesiest possible way, of course.) Here are some of my favorite things about this show!
1). Body diversity
Photo courtesy of Dreamworks Animation/Netflix
Yes, our main girl Adora is white, blonde, and thin. And typically, shows would make the rest of the cast be the same. But not this time! Adora’s friend Glimmer is our first look at a character in the show who is neither white, nor blonde, nor thin. Just look at those thighs. And hips!
2). Racial diversity
Photo courtesy of Dreamworks Animation/Netflix
There are so many characters on this show that aren’t white and it is beautiful. The show incorporates people of the real world into its design, creating an array of different skin colors and complexions. Again, it’s beautiful.
3). Not love but a friendship triangle
Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation/Netflix
As I go through the show, I keep expecting the characters or the show to do something stereotypical, such as making the only guy (so far) and the girl date. But ‘tis not so. Glimmer and Bow may seem like bf/gf at first, especially given his signature heart wear and heart signature (literally), but turns out they’re really just BFFs. And Bow includes Adora into the Best Friend Squad, as he dubs the three them. What I really appreciate is how they handle Bow’s fascination and affection for Adora. At first, I thought they were gonna write him to have a huge crush on her since she’s New and Cool, but instead he just really digs her as she is…and loves learning about new tech.
4). Bow
What solidified my love for his character is when we first see him and Glimmer interact together. Glimmer’s grounded and he tries to help her talk through her anger about her mom’s rebellion strategies. As she’s letting her frustration out, he goes around…and picks up her clothes.
Photo Courtesy of Dreamworks Animation/Netflix
And he folds and puts them away. Without being asked. They aren’t even his. I thought it was the sweetest thing a friend could do for a friend who was stressing out.
5). She-Ra’s costume
If you compare the costume the original She-Ra wore with the reboot one, there’s not much of a style difference. But at the same time, there are huge differences.
Photos courtesy Dreamworks Animation/Netflix; Wikipedia.
For one, look at how Netflix/Dreamworks’ She-Ra wears her bodice. It comes all the way up to her neck. No worries about anything flying out up there! And her skirt. The reboot keeps the skirt look but they’ve added compression-like shorts under it. So much more practical than a mini skirt when you’re battling foes. Also, look at her boots. Look familiar? They’re based on Roman soldier’s greaves, designed to protect the shin and the kneecaps from blows and hits. This She-Ra’s costume just seems so much more wearable and useful than the old outfit. It proves that a design can be protective and look totally rad at the same time. No need for sexualization.
This is all just from the first couple of episodes. I didn’t want to spoil anything, so I haven’t even gotten a chance to talk about the show’s LGBTQ representation. Most of that comes later in the season, as more characters are added in, so I don’t want to spoil it now. But hopefully that gives you another reason why you should check this show out!