Today’s daily helping was recommended to me by a friend, and I will freely admit that I wasn’t convinced right away. In fact, I’m pretty sure my immediate reaction was to frown, followed closely by an incredulous, “Isn’t that a kid’s show?” But my friend insisted, and since this friend has fantastic taste, I decided to give this show a try. It only took one episode to convince me that my friend was absolutely, 100% right. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is AMAZING! Maybe its target audience is children, but I don’t care. I simply adore this show.
In case you’re wondering, no, I’m not talking about the cartoon series from the 80s. The version I’m talking about is the reboot that premiered on Netflix in 2018. I’ve never seen the 80s series, so I can’t comment on any similarities or differences between the two. All I know for certain is that so far, He-Man is nowhere to be seen. This reboot is all about Adora and her transformation from Horde Captain to the legendary She-Ra, who leads the Rebellion on planet Etheria. I know that nothing about that sentence will make sense if you haven’t seen the show, so do yourself a favour and just watch it. Trust me. It’s glorious.
In fact, there are so many things to love about this show, I don’t even know where to start. It’s hilariously funny, with the jokes becoming more and more meta as the seasons go on. The characters are all wonderfully complex, complete with believable motivations and relatable flaws. There’s a wonderful variety of skin tones on display. The female characters are designed in a wide range of body sizes, because f*#king finally. The majority of the cast are female characters, and not one of their character arcs revolves around finding a man. In fact, the primary relationships are all friendships, and the show takes the time to explore just how wonderful, complicated, and messy those can be. And finally, She-Ra manages to seamlessly incorporate LGBTQ representation in meaningful and yet completely natural ways.
I actually don’t know how it would be possible for me to love this show even more than I already do. Yes, it may be a kid’s show, but that just makes it all even better. There are so many incredible messages to be found in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. I can only hope that everyone gets a chance to experience them, kids and adults alike.
One last note. I love all the characters, but a special shout out to Scorpia. She is just too precious for words.
Suggestions for artists I should check out? Please contact me with your ideas. I hope you enjoyed your daily helping of art!
