More tidbits of information on the plot revealed by the showrunner:
Spoiler
Apparently it's set 1000 years in the future - compared to the previous MOTU and POP series - with a new world grown over the remnants of ancient civilisations. The sword apparently comes from those ancient civilisations. Discovering the planet's past, Grayskull and the sword's origins is the red thread through the series, like a mystery.
Sounds good to me!
Quote from screenrant:
Spoiler
In addition to providing its target young audience with an important moral lesson about honesty, this trailer tackles two oddities from the original She-Ra backstory. First, it addresses how quickly and easily Princess Adora is able to win the trust of The Great Rebellion without any sign of contrition beyond an apology for everything she did as part of The Evil Horde. It also addresses just how Adora could have no idea that the group that raised her, which openly called itself The Evil Horde, might be a bit on the dodgy side. In the new series, The Horde is called The Evil Horde by everyone else and Adora is revealed to have had a sheltered upbringing far away from the commoners that The Evil Horde oppressed.
It sounds well thought out and I like how it will have an ongoing plot. Thats what I said about modern cartoons, you need more story nowadays. Not just the wish to sell toys.
Eek :(. I couldn't keep myself from watching the entire season's early spoiler discussion that's currently on youtube... Oh my, no. Just no. The source is unconfirmed, but the spoilers fit right in with the tone of the show based on everything that has been officially revealed so far. It's a parody of the original - that's the best way to put it, I guess. Just look at the clip of Adora trying to activate the sword's magic :huh: .... That is the comedic tone we can expect throughout the series.
Some of the unconfirmed spoilers:
Spoiler
- Light Hope is a computer projection (e.g. Jem's Synergy). Adora/She-Ra can't always follow the story exposition that Light Hope is providing, but LH doesn't pay attention to that and just continues to ramble on.
- The princesses are going to have a prom. I can't tell you more, because my brain stopped working upon learning this. How do you factor a prom into a show like She-Ra?
- Madam Razz is back - kind of... She is just a weird lady - no magic, nothing. And she has a geisha type fan that has the image of Lookie on it. She's portrayed as being kind of crazy, saying that she has two companions: her broom (a basic broom, not a live one), and Lookie - but Lookie loves to hide (because he's on a fan, get it..? 'Cause when you close the fan, he's gone...) Pffff
- Hordak is nothing more than a presence. Does nothing but sit around and say menacing things. Never a confrontation between Hordak and She-Ra.
- A lot of queerbaiting. Lots of mentioning the gay/bi orientation of characters, but nothing is actually fleshed out. Think LeFou in the live action Beauty and the Beast.
- The so-called legend of She-Ra goes back to a woman named Mara, who was booted from her role as warrior princess because she couldn't keep her personal life from interfering with her power princess responsibilities. So the powers behind the sword want Adora to part with her friends as well, to avoid a repeat of the past.
Again, none of this has been confirmed to be true. If it is, it will be an underwhelming experience for me. This is not quite what I was expecting, and I had a very open mind...
Three more days, and we'll know.
EDIT: DW approved reviews following the early screening are beginning to pop up, and I'm watching the first one right now. Will post my thoughts later on :)
EDIT 2: I'm two minutes into the second review, and I can already say that it all comes across as rather biased. Both of the reviewers start off by saying that they didn't really watch the original, to then go on and say how much better the new design of the characters is. Whereas the old show used the same body type over and over again for every female Rebellion member, this one has different body and skin types. Yes, I will give them that.
One of them did confess that - unlike with Voltron (which I've never watched, but the reviewer is an avid fan) - she can't binge watch the new She-Ra. Freely paraphrased "The new She-Ra is something fun to enjoy from ep to ep, spread out over time." People also seem to really like the voice acting; a lot of emotion is portrayed through the voice. I personally already got that from the clips, the voice actors are doing a fantastic job - my issue is that the emotion in the voice doesn't gel well with the wooden animation of the character though.
The first reviewer I watched said that She-Ra is much more conflicted in this new version about fighting her previous family - the Horde, compared to the old one. I can get this as well, but then I do wonder why she would have that impression if she didn't watch the original...
People loved the backgrounds. No surprise there. The BGs are great, but if anything, these awesome backgrounds put an emphasis on the limited animation of the foreground elements. And no one seems to point that out.
All in all, the reviewers are positive, encouraging the audience to watch the show...
I have watched the first three episodes so far. Non-spoiler / first impression review is that I think they've done a fabulous job. Is it different than the original? Yes. But it's also fun and well put together in its own way Here are my thoughts. Warning: spoilers!
Spoiler
-- The horse they find in the preview clip gets turned into Swiftwind by the sword and does not transform back and forth.
-- There is a Cowl plush pillow in one of the Brightmoon guest rooms.
-- Madame Razz does make an appearance in episode 3 and the predictions from an earlier post are accurate.
-- So far, my favorite character is Bow.
-- Glimmer's powers are better explained than in the original.
-- The connection between Catra and Adora is youthful and intersting.
Spoiler
It sounds like Catra didn't have so much of a connection with Adora beforehand, and I think this gives more room for character tensison than simply just enemies.
Watching Adora learn about life outside the Fright Zone will be interesting to see as the series goes on. It was cute watching her enjoy herself. I find Glimmer a bit bothersome but I'm never a huge fan of stubborn characters, regardless of how much I like/don't like her I think she and Bow (is it not Beau?) have an adorable dynamic.
The first reactions and spoilers scared me a little, but the anger towards this new version is a little over the top IMO (*cough cough, Clownfish TV, cough*). I do get why some die-hard fans are so hard on this show, because it is drastically different in style and tone. But now that I've seen quite some reviews on it - and the actual show, I also get that a lot of people were apparently hoping for a near identical remake, or at least had a negative attitude towards it going in. The uber positive reviews may be biased, but the real negative ones are as well, I think.
My thoughts, and keep in mind, there are SPOILERS.
I'm just going to get the less good elements out of the way, because there really aren't that many.
- The animation. It is bulky and lacks fluidity. The angles are off at times. It all comes across as amateurish at times.
- The build-up. A lot of story elements are being hinted at ever so slightly, without enough foreshadowing to let you know that it does get deeper further down the line. The first half of the season didn't really entice me to stick around and learn more. I'm glad I did, but I had to force myself to continue the binge watch at one point. Because it does get good in the second half.
Some of the things I liked:
- Shadow Weaver! That chick is just a ticking time bomb, yet again being treated condescendingly by Hordak - and in front of Catra, no less. Let her have her revenge please :D
- The princesses: I enjoyed all of them; redesign and personality. Mermista, a mermaid with a dry sense of humor: love it. Bow is very upbeat - some might see him as annoying, but I enjoyed him as the best friend. Seahawk is not to be taken very seriously; he is a comic relief.
- Adora: Well written, struggling with her new found identity and her loyalty to Catra. Subject of jokes that sometimes fall flat, others times they work.
- Catra: easily the most intriguing character. Spoiler
Spoiler for Ep. 11 "Promise": I did not expect her to turn on Adora so drastically the way she did. The situation that solidifies the rift between Adora and Catra initially comes across as something that would bring them closer and potentially have Catra question her legiance to the Horde as well. Surprising moment there. Loved it.
Spoiler
I was surprised by her joining the Horde! She's also very funny in the ep in which it happens - constantly casually breaking out of her cuffs to join in on Catra's and Scorpia's conversations, then freely putting them back on when Catra points it out. She's a nutty, delightful character!
There is so much more to say, but I'll leave it at this.
I think it's fair to say that anyone who goes in with an open mind, won't be (too much?) disappointed. And anyone who had an issue with everything that has been revealed through promotional information, probably won't be swayed by the full show.
As with any reboot, enjoying it comes down to how much are you willing to let go of your expectations and immerse yourself in the new universe.
Finally finished it.
It's so good! I think I found my new favorite animated series of the moment (sorry Tangled Adventures, still love ya).
It's a great re-imagening! Everyone is brimming with personality and humor is there.
Lots of ramblings under the spoiler cut:
Spoiler
I loved how many callbacks it had to the original. But they were'nt in your face.
Like Seahawk punching the console in one scene looked exactly like that "guy punches" stock animation. I let out a shriek. Other PoP fans, can you confirm? It's when he frees Bow from his cell. That weird fluid punch and hand on the hip movement :lol:
If you compare these chars to the 80s ones... it's almost impossible because some characters did not even have a personality in the original. They just had abilities. Only a few got to have more traits, like Huntara. I NEED her to appear.
I also laughed when they acknowledged that She-Ra was "not like the She-Ras from the past". Nips any kind of "she is not 100% like the original, waahh!!!" argument in the bud.
She gets reincarnated. You could say... she gets rebooted once in a while :cool:
They even made the gemstones from the toyline important! "What does Netossa even do?" " NET TOSS. I toss nets?!?!?!" :lol:
Swiftie being aware that they keep the horses in captivity and wanting to change it... now they need to introduce unicorn island with the human hating unicorn king XD I loved that ep.
It's a lovingly done series. I can't wait to get more seasons!
I had a little tear in my eye when that young Catra and Adora flashback happened. And what about that dance? Catra looking dapper in that tuc and Scorpia in an evening gown! Oh yeah.
Catra, Scorpia and Entrapta really are all so endearing. In the original they were just evil brutes. Well, Catra was also jealous and petty, which is still there. And they gave her a heartbreaking reason to be. Love her.
Post Merge: November 20, 2018, 03:40:03 AM
(...) what warms my heart the most is that She-Ra is here for a new generation to love and enjoy!
A M E N brother. Omg I have developped such a hatred for people,especially grown adults, who nitpicked this show to death starting from the very first screencap. There is constructive criticism and being wary of new things... and then there is gatekeeping and the wish to see certain things stay dead instead of getting a fresh new look for a new gen of children.
I hope She-Ra becomes its own thing and can finally step out of He-Man's shadow.