In the calm that usually characterizes the summer period with regard to important releases of TV series on demand, we have discovered a small pearl, She-Ra and the warrior princesses, an animated TV series consisting of five seasons: here is our review
There have been no major releases on the Netflix platform this summer, with the exception of Black Mirror 6 and the highly anticipated Once Piece live action series scheduled for August 31st. This has led many to scroll through the catalog looking for something from a few years ago, as in our case a really interesting animated series: She-Ra and the warrior princesses. Born from the same screenwriter of Nimona, an animated film of which we have already widely spoken very well, this series appears among the recommended titles probably enjoying the good success that this film is having.
Its creator is ND Stevenson, screenwriter, cartoonist who created the graphic novel Nimona, from which the film was then adapted in 2023 and who, even earlier, in 2018, gave life to this TV series broadcast on Netflix. The series was born a reboot of the animated series She-Ra, the princess of power aired in 1985. A series that we recommend because it also allows us to get to know ND Stevenson better who has truly commendable narrative skills and this is even more noticeable in this series.
Plot and Trailer | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power review
Going in order, it is good to start from the plot of the series and tell you what it is about: we are on Etheria, a planet divided in two: on one side there is the Horde, an evil army that dreams of conquering the whole territory, on the other side there is the kingdom that tries to stop it, appealing to the princesses of the different territories to support themselves in the rebellion. From the very first scene, they bring us into this scenario Adora and Catra, orphans and fighters of the Horde, adopted from an early age by the Shadow Weaver who manages the army of young fighters. They fight without really knowing what’s outside their world, until Adora gets lost in the forest and finds a magical sword that transforms her into the legendary Princess She-Ra. Here, she meets Glimmer, princess of the kingdom and daughter of the Queen, along with her friend and fighter Bow and this meeting will change the tide of her life as well as begin to initiate the real plot of the series. Adora realizes the unjustified suffering that the Horde throws at the kingdom and decides to take the side of the rebellion and thus leave the Horde. Catra, her best friend, refuses to go over to the other side and experiences Adora’s departure as an abandonment. Catra’s wrath and pain will be what leads her to fight no holds barred against her against the kingdom of Etheria.
Adora and Catra | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power review
The fulcrum of the narrative are Adora and Catra, who unleash all the events without crossing much over the seasons: for it is the removal of Adore that sets off the real war, first by the Shadow Weaver who wants her back, then by Catra who wants to take revenge for being abandoned and punish the whole kingdom of Etheria who took her friend away from her. However, their encounters take place on the battlefield and are very significant, they fight, save their lives, reject each other, try to communicate, to explain how they feel, but they don’t understand each other. Adora represents a world all painted in pink and bright colors, full of kind people and talking winged horses, Catra remains in the toxic world of the Horde becoming its driver under the command of the leader, Hordak. This conflictual relationship between Catra and Adora is a fundamental part of the entire series and offers many moments of great narrative richness: Catra’s pain is profound, it derives from a lack of love and affection in her life that she always seeks, but is unable to express it. Thus it becomes a desire for revenge, a clash, although there is a big heart and a great sensitivity inside her.
Many notable personalities | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power review
But obviously there are not only Catra and Adora, indeed, the series is fascinating precisely for its range of characters. The characters are many, both in the world of Etheria, with Glimmer, Bow and the other princesses of the rebellion, and in the world of the Horde. And you can tell that they are all great: developed with great care, each one is able to bring new ingredients to the narrative just like in a comic book or graphic novel and here in fact you can clearly see the touch of the creator ND Stevenson. All the characters that come in intertwine very well with the plot, they are all very interesting and they all have something to tell. This aspect is also a strong point, because the characters move together with the plot, making everything very full and at the same time never banal.
What happens in the narrative | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power review
What actually happens in the narration of She-Ra and the warrior princesses is what makes the series also suitable for an adult audience: the themes that this series brings speak of important themes, such as abandonment, self-acceptance, of the different and no less important is the theme of sexuality. In this series it is treated, although in the first seasons it is in the subtext, therefore interpretable only by intuition. In the last season, however, sexuality is liberated in a very explicit way, with the characters declaring their love for each other, Adora and Catra among themselves. That there is something more than friendship between them is evident, but is not made explicit, while in the last final season the creator takes artistic liberties that were already at the basis of the narrative. To this very interesting aspect from the point of view of content, the narration is enriched with screenplay games that take their cue from the great TV series. We have a planet that shuts down and moves in space and time like the island of Lost, we have references to Person of Interest regarding artificial intelligence and its relationship with human beings. We can also see gender insertions in individual episodes: thriller, comedy, musical, which in five seasons are really gimmicks of great artistic quality and useful to vary the main narrative style.
In conclusion
With all these praises, we can only recommend this series to a wide audience: it can be very appreciated by teenagers and it is really interesting for adults. A series that mixes good entertainment with colorful graphics, technically well-designed settings and characters and many important themes covered in each episode.
An animated series aimed at an adult audience
Plus points
- – Interesting characters
- – Solid script that flows a lot
- – Important topics in a form that everyone can enjoy
Points against
- – slow in some passages of the plot
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