She-Ra y las princesas del poder

I have just finished watching a very interesting science fantasy series which is also the epitome of "political correctness", as it is probably the greatest animated commercial for LGBTQ+ ever produced, and surprisingly (for those who know me) I really enjoyed it. All the homosexual, bisexual, lesbian, and non-binary characters (plus others I may have missed because I was not really focused on that), did not impede the narrative’s flow or storyline’s strengths, and (not only) in a fantasy world with its own rules, I could not care a less if boys are dating each other, girls are dating each other or even if cats are going out with... In my opinion, as a viewer, the new She-Ra manages to be a show that does not have complicated and lengthy discussions addressing the nature of dating and who likes who (instead of the actual plot) in almost every episode, and the characters’ relationships and chemistry are believable. I think the original 1985 Filmation show went down a very different road because this 2018 Netflix series is a more unconventional and modern take on She-Ra (and this goes some way to explain some of the disgruntled reviews from the fans of the original He-Man and She-Ra shows that I have come across). So, does any of that matter at all? Not really! The show’s narrative is both interesting and complex, each season is always very watchable (because of the high-quality animation, humor, pace, and soundtrack) and the ending itself may have been "over-the-top" or "too rainbow" for some, although I found it satisfying in most respects. I especially found the third and fourth seasons really entertaining on the whole, and I managed to finish the whole Netflix series in less than two weekends. Obviously, we have come a long way in the world of animated TV shows since The Legend of Korra, but well written and well thought out narratives are still being produced, and that makes me a little less skeptical about the future, which will probably take everything even further under the tagline "Be whatever you want to be!"... All in all, 7.1/10. (23.05.2020)

At the start this looked like quite an interesting and peculiar show, though I wondered how much this 2018 Netflix series would have in common with the original 1985 Filmation show (although I have not seen the eighties She-Ra: Princess of Power so it is difficult to say). What I like about this version is the depth of the narrative, in particular all the mystery surrounding the "First Ones". The planet's various essences and the way they maintain harmony are also quite interesting - kind of like the sci-fi anime series Avatar: The Last Airbender. This first season also reminded me of Superman (as the heroine has her own Fortress of Solitude after all), and of course Star Wars (the original trilogy), perhaps because of the way the main female protagonist is conflicted about completing her training and the attachments she has to others. Likewise, the relationship between Adora and Catra is very compelling, turbulent, and complicated, which I enjoyed to a certain extent even if I am still kind of unsure exactly what I think of this couple. I am not really crazy about some of the other characters like the other two from the main trio (Glimmer and Bow) although I think that could change in the next season. The characters I was most invested in were Shadow Weaver, Hordak, and Sea Hawk. I did not particularly like some of the other princesses (Perfuma, Mermista) and do not think they are going to change much, although I think it will be interesting to see how the charming and reckless mad scientist Entrapta develops. Of course, there is a talking unicorn with rainbow wings who considers freeing the other horses, and I had to face-palm the moment he appeared! Well, I am off to watch the next season because this got me quite intrigued. This show is a fine science fantasy that has a lot to offer, it is also very strange at times and I am still not sure if I am completely into it... 6.4/10. (17.05.2020)

I thought the second season was too short and somehow I do not have the feeling it broke any new ground. Neither did I feel it had any interesting or suspenseful atmosphere. Sure, there were a few surprises, although nothing that made me sit glued to the monitor. Even the Shadow Weaver backstory was not even half as good as I thought it would be... This season is just full of hints of something yet to come I guess, so I am moving on and expecting season three to be much better. This second one is like a 5/10. (17.05.2020)

Something tells me that the second and third seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power were actually supposed to be a single thirteen-episode season because otherwise, I cannot explain the differences in pace and suspense. If these seasons had been aired together, the gradual intense build-up, and the very intense denouement, which was what the third season was about, would have made more sense... In other words, what played out in the second season and was left open, went into overdrive, and it had quite an impressive ending with no shortage of tension or emotion. This season was good, it was very good, and I have been into exactly this kind of science fantasy since I played, for example, the Might and Magic RPG series. Personally, I thought it was definitely the best season so far because of the well-executed conclusion to this particular chapter, and I am quite intrigued as to what is going to happen next... 7.5/10. (17.05.2020)

I found the fourth season quite intriguing. It answered a lot of questions I had and demonstrated that the narrative of the show is quite well thought out and everything about it was very enjoyable. I have nothing to complain about, as I have said before, as I quite like science fantasy shows. I even enjoyed all the scheming and divisiveness that this season threw up because I love intrigues! Actually, Double Trouble is (a non-binary person using the pronoun “they” is a strange concept for me personally, although nothing I could not handle...) an interesting character, and I actually enjoyed the way they were playing their devious games with the other characters. There is a lot of emphasis on learning lessons about friendship, which are more complex than My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, and at least two characters learn that having friends is the most important thing. I am curious how this will turn out because I saw how Captain Picard dealt with the Borg, so the question is whether this will be anything like that... A lot of the characters are finally getting somewhere - the way they gradually transform is quite noticeable, and to be honest, I can predict how they will develop further quite easily. I was also pleased to see the narrative has changed, and characters that were not very interesting before now have a more important role, so almost no one is superfluous. 8/10. (23.05.2020)

The fifth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is very emotionally charged, and I think delivers a rather satisfying conclusion, with most of the storylines being wrapped up, and all the relationship issues coming to a head. Everything is incredibly "rainbow" and although I am not particularly crazy about it, I thought most of the denouements felt quite natural and made sense, so I am actually quite satisfied. 7.5/10. (23.05.2020)