If you’re a dude, chances are that you haven’t watched 2018’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. After all, why would you want to check out a series that was clearly designed for young girls?
However, this show is more than worth checking out for anyone who loves animation because it’s the best cartoon since Adventure Time, and it revives one of the most iconic franchises of the 1980s. Furthermore, it has rewarding character arcs, breathtaking battles, and epic world-building, all in a modern animated classic that’s nearly perfect from beginning to end.
The premise of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is that the distant planet of Etherian is slowly being conquered by the forces of Hordak, a bio-mechanical bad guy who won’t stop until he remakes the entire world in his vampiric visage. The rebel forces opposing him keep losing ground until they get a secret weapon: Adora, a former soldier of Hordak who uses her magical sword to transform into She-Ra, the mightiest warrior the world has ever seen. But unless she can win her best friend turned worst enemy over to the side of angels, the world will be plunged into eternal darkness.
Best Friend Squad, Assemble
The real secret of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power isn’t a sword; it’s the cast: Aimee Carrero (best known for The Menu) does a fantastic job in what amounts to a dual role, imbuing Adora with vulnerability and doubt while giving She-Ra just the right amount of confidence and bravado. AJ Michalka (best known for Super 8) has an equally powerful performance as Catra, someone who is ready and willing to burn the world down to hurt Adora. Fortunately, our hero is supported by her two best friends: Bow (voiced by Black-ish star Marcus Scribner) and Glimmer (voiced by The Boys star Karen Fukuhara).
This trio of do-gooders (or The Best Friend Squad, as Bow names them) forms the emotional core of the show, and their antics are sure to appeal to any young fans who respect the power of friendship. As a very middle-aged man, though, I was surprised at how cute I found their relationship, and the sight of youngsters finding time to have fun and uplift each other amid a brutal war was quite emotionally affecting. There is, perhaps, a message in there for older viewers like myself: no matter how much stuff you’re dealing with, you’ll still feel better if you make time to reach out to your friends.
Finally: A TV Revival That Works
While revivals of beloved ‘80s characters are always hit or miss, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power improves upon the original show in every way. The show currently has a rating of 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the show for its gorgeous animation and sharp writing that brought this cast of colorful characters to such vibrant life. They also praised that this is the rare show that offers what younger viewers are looking for (like ample humor and cool fights) and what adult fans want to see (rewarding character arcs and emotional themes).
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was so infectiously awesome that it was nominated for a number of prestigious awards, including a Hugo nomination (for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form) for its stunning series finale. The show also received Annie Award nominations for Best Music—TV/Media, Best TV/Media—Children, and Best Writing—TV/Media. It was also nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special and actually took home the Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Promotional Announcement—Network or Program.
Why Guys Will Love She-Ra (No, Really!)
With all that being said, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is still a show that was designed with a young, female audience in mind. Why, then, am I pitching it as a TV series that dudes will secretly like? First of all, it’s a revival of She-Ra, which was originally a spinoff of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a show which (if you’re an older nerd like me) might just have consumed your childhood.
I personally loved the original She-Ra and still revisit it from time to time, but this new show is infinitely better: it gives these classic characters a much-needed makeover while giving them the deep characterization and interconnected lore of a modern epic. Notably, the show is also far better than Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation, the Kevin Smith He-Man show that featured slick animation but that didn’t really change much about these familiar characters. I liked Revelation, but it didn’t really take many creative risks; by contrast, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power takes one big creative swing after another, and almost all of them connect.
A Modern Animated Classic
This newer show is also reminiscent of other cartoons that dudes tend to love…for example, if you enjoyed watching Finn blunder from one crazy situation to the next in Adventure Time, you’ll enjoy Adora running headlong into one Horde trap after another. If you loved watching Aang discover his true potential in Avatar: The Last Airbender, you’ll love seeing Adora realize the full extent of She-Ra’s powers. Finally, if you appreciated the found family vibes of Star Wars Rebels, you’ll appreciate how She-Ra emphasizes the importance of finding your tribe and doing anything you can to protect them.
Will you agree that She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a girl power masterpiece that guys will secretly love, or will you decide that you’d smash the back button than watch from start to finish? The only way to find out is to hold your magic remote aloft and stream this show on Netflix (shouting “I have the power” is, of course, completely optional). Once you fall in love with this show, you can thank me for the recommendation by helping me fulfill my new life’s goal: snagging an invite to the Princess Prom!
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