(imdb.com)
(gizmodo.com)
Hello, my lovely friends. So I decided against my better judgment to watch the new series on Netflix. Well, I've watched a few episodes and I have to admit, it was pretty good. However, I have my complaints. I'm from the old school and younger people watching the show might disagree, well bite me. You can never replace the original. WARNING; Spoiler alerts!! Let's start with the characters.
(he-man.wikia.com)
(Polygon.com)
Adora/She-Ra like in the original series was kidnapped and brainwashed by the Horde. In the original series, there was a complete background story, Adora was actually a daughter of King Randor and Queen Marlena, therefore making her a princess. She also has a twin brother, Adam/He-man who helped her break Shadow Weaver's brainwashing spell. In the new series, however, it was not so clear-cut. There were bits and pieces in the show, where Adora tries to remember her past but it was rather blurry. Maybe in the second season, we'll see more of her background. Plus you have to remember, in the old days, time is money and Filmation was always on a budget, and they have to rapidly-produce stories for 22-minute shows. Adora in the new series is a rather complex character, who struggles with her role as She-Ra. After all, she has big shoes to fill and she also has to earn the trust of the rebels including Glimmer and Bow. Adora in the original series quickly accepted her new destiny while her counterpart in the new series has her doubts and make mistakes which is actually relatable.
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(youtube.com)
Speaking of Glimmer and Bow, in both series, Glimmer comes from Castle Brightmoon and the royal daughter of Queen Angella and King Micah, who disappeared. Bow is an archer and part of the rebellion. In both series, Glimmer is a teenager is trying to find her place in the world, especially as the head of the Great Rebellion. In the original series, Glimmer has taken a serious role as a leader before Adora's arrival. With her mother absent in the beginning, Glimmer with Bow's support, maintain a small but troublesome rebellion where the Horde is concerned. Once her mother has been found, thanks to She-ra and He-man's rescue, Glimmer has taken a back seat but with her mother's guidance, Glimmer still plays an important role in the rebellion and in the kingdom. Can't say the same in the new series. Glimmer has struggled to maintain the Princesses' Alliance after their defeat from the Horde and she is rather impetuous and headstrong much to her mother's chagrin. Queen Angella and Glimmer are often at loggerheads with each other that sometimes I wished that the queen would just chill a bit and give her daughter more support. Also, why are there so many sparkles in her hair? I can understand that she's Glimmer but do you have to make it that obvious? I even noticed that her hair is shaped into a crescent.I'm confused about Bow. Is he black, Latino or racially ambiguous? I have no clue. Well, he's definitely besties with Adora and Glimmer that's for sure. What's surprising is his crush on Captain Sea Hawk while in the original he has a crush on She-Ra. And speaking of Sea Hawk, this new character is really quite annoying, with that hipster mustache which reminds me of those hipsters invading Brooklyn. Sea Hawk in the original series is much more manly, sorry. Shadow Weaver in both series was a motherly figure (I used that term loosely) to Adora but in the new series, she was a mother figure to both Adora and Catra, although she favors Adora. In the new series, Shadow Weaver is obsessed with getting Adora back to the Horde after she defected. I think Shadow Weaver is more of an afterthought, I don't think that she contributed much in the series but again it's still early in the season.
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(princessessofpower.wikia.com)
Adora and Catra are enemies in both series but the outcome was different. In the original series, Adora and Catra were bumping heads so to speak. Also, Hordak's favoritism to Adora has made Catra insanely jealous. In the new series, however, Adora and Catra were BFFs although you can sense Catra's resentment particularly in Shadow Weaver's preferential treatment to Adora. Nonetheless, Adora and Catra were often training together and even slept in the same bed, that's how close they were. When Adora defected, it broke Catra's heart and she felt alone for the first time. Well, at least she got promoted to Force Captain by Hordak, much to Shadow Weaver's dismay. Hordak didn't play a major role in the show I noticed but maybe it's an anticipation of what's to come.
Overall it was an alright series, but much too PC for my taste. The background was stunning but the artistry overall was crappy. The theme song was rather corny and Adora's transformation to She-ra reminds me too much of Sailor Moon. So much so that I skipped that part. Not everything is for everyone. Some people (millennials) might not like the original series while the older generation, mostly Gen X hated the new series, influenced by nostalgia. Everyone has different tastes I guess. I wouldn't watch shows like Bob's Burgers or Rick and Morty, I really don't find them funny (don't judge me). Hell, some male fans even complained that She-ra looked boyish instead of sexy. Keep in mind, this is a children's show and I'm sure some of these men never even bothered to watch the original series, to begin with. Nonetheless, it's a so-so series, even if some of the characters are questionable or annoying. So my fellow Gen Xers check it out. If you like it, fine and if you don't, that's fine too. Me, I'm on the fence but for some reason I like punishment and I'm going to watch the rest of the series to make any more judgments.
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