The Princess of Power still Packs a Punch
Hunkered down inside your house for the foreseeable future and looking for a new series to binge-watch? Look no further! The Netflix reboot of the iconic 80s animated series, She-Ra, is exactly what you need in your life right now. Now, if you were obsessed with the statuesque She-Ra (and her buff brother, He-Man) in the 80s, you are probably and understandably skeptical about the ability of a reboot to live up to the original phenomenon. I too was rather dubious about this new She-Ra but I became a devout believer after just a few episodes. Not only does it evoke nostalgia for the characters of the original series, it is also incredibly funny and clever and explores the relationships between the characters in a much more complex way.
The Netflix series premiered in November 2018 and the final season is set to be released in May this year. The show follows our heroine, a teenage Adora, as she discovers her powers as She-Ra and leads a group of princesses (as referenced in the full title: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) and the Rebellion against the evil Horde and their leader, Hordak. She also has a complicated relationship with her once childhood friend, Catra, who has some deep-seated issues that she has buried very, very deep down, causing her to act out in the most maniacal of ways that make Hordak seem like a sensitive soul at times. Also, her voice is less shrill than the original Catra's.
In this version, She-Ra has abandoned her impractical high-heeled boots in favour of more comfortable and practical flat boots. However, she has kept her voluminous blonde hair (which seems even more full-bodied when she transforms into She-Ra) and warrior princess attire, except there's no super short miniskirt but something more akin to a skort (which I am not sold on). She still has a "trusty steed" named Swiftwind, although he has a lot more personality in the reboot. She-Ra's best friends are Glimmer (with a more rotund figure and horrendous hair - kinda like Jocelyn's do on Schitts Creek) and Bow, who is no longer a ginger with an enviable sixpack, bulging biceps or porn star mustache. He also has two dads.
Indeed the new series has received critical acclaim for its more accurate representation of different body types, gender identities, sexual preferences (there is a gender non-binary shapeshifter called Double Trouble who uses the pronoun "they"), LGBT relationships as well as multidimensional connections between characters. It was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming in 2019 as well as a Daytime Emmy Award.
Other notable characters include: Mermista (my favourite princess with a talent for throwing shade - if "ugh, I can't even" were a person), Frosta (at first she comes across as an annoying kid but turns out to be pretty cool princess - pun intended), Perfuma (somewhat of a hippie princess who can control and grow plants and flowers), Entrapta (who is a little cray cray but a brilliant scientist), Seahawk (a hilariously camp master sailor with a hipster mustache), Madame Razz (who looks like she's had a long and hard life that has left her with a handful of teeth and a failing memory) and Huntara (the unofficial leader of the Crimson Waste and a new addition to the Rebellion - and voiced by none other than Geena Davis!).
Do yourself a favour and add the Netflix reboot to your list of shows to watch this quarantine season. For the Honor of Grayskull!
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