Netflix-DreamWorks new SHE-RA series -- whattya think?

Just finished watching this and I am very pleased!

At first when we saw the She-Ra design I was also a little disappointed. Mainly because I grew watching and collecting toys from the old Filmation cartoons. But then when more art started hitting the internet I realise my first "bad" impression was only due to the fact that I had the look of the characters stuck in my brain in some way.

After a while I started loving the designs because they all have a nod to the past but still are way more rich, developed and diverse then the "all Barbie" feel of the 80's show. Now they really look like a diverse group of teenagers: skinny, chubby, athletic, tall, short, different ethnicities...we have them all.

Another major plus is that they all have such rich personalities. She-Ra, Catra, Shadow Weaver and Glimmer got superb development; they are now flashed out, they have flaws, doubts, feelings for each other. On the comic side the show got a super boost as well. Bow, Entrapta, Sea Hawk, Mermista, Scorpia and Razz were a lot of fun.

Some people are complaining about Bow but I feel that not only he's actually funny but he's also the heart and moral compass of the team, a capable fighter and very strong willed.

It is really a super important show for kids in general, can't wait to watch it again with my niece. She's super excited for it. It has some amazing role models for girls and boys, proving heroes are for everybody, boys and girls alike.

The world building is exciting for fans of the old shows but also exciting and mysterious enough for new audiences to love it.

The tone is also very diverse. Some episodes are pure fun, others are heartwarming, others heartbreaking. My favorites are:
Sea Gate : Mermista was always my favourite and I think she looks gorgeous and I love her personality. She and Sea Hawk were golden for me.
System Failure: a great episode for Bow and a very creepy feel. Entrapta became very complex and an interesting character in the new show. I love her arch.
Princess Prom: So much fun as a concept. Flawless. Great interactions and action.
Promise: The relationship of Catra and She-Ra is just amazing writing. This episode is pivotal for their shared arch.


The only thing I didn't like about the show is that Frosta's hair is not light blue and Castaspella's hair and costume colours overall are not at all like her 80's counterpart. Superficial complaints but it's just that I'm a nut for colours schemes and the Filmation cartoon was really good at creating good ones.

I have saw 7 out of 13 episodes so far and i am also very pleased with the material. It is definitely much more better thath the He-Man reboot of 2002.
I think that i will post a detailed analysis when i finish all 13 episodes.

I'd say after finishing season 1, Netflix is 2/2 for cartoon reboots surpassing their originators.

Voltron is miles above all other versions of the team and She-Ra makes me really hope this team tackles HE-MAN! They clearly love the MOTU because they are taking all the best parts of the canon and making them better.

I was iffy on the Voltron designs with the anime stuff but it worked amazingly. That show has some of the best backgrounds in a modern cartoon I've ever seen.

Same with She-Ra. I was iffy on the designs but it is like watching a moving painting. Excellent design choices and palette.

Finally finished it and overall I loved it a lot. As someone who has always been a huge fan of the Masters of the Universe I think this series did an amazing job in updating and even improving on a lot of the older stuff. The cast was diverse in both personality and appearance. It cemented Scorpia, a character from the old show that I can't say really caught my attention, to one of my favorite characters in the overall lore of the franchise. Really excited to see the continuation of the show and looking forward to see what comes next.

[QUOTE=Personamanx;4024617]You can really tell when people just want to make a good cartoon, and not have it just be an elongated toy commercial. You should really check Hilda out when you finish She-Ra. I wouldn't say they're all that similar, but the core demographic feels to be about the same. It's adapted from a series of comics by a former Adventure Time story artist.

It would take a rather jarring change in direction, design, and tone for me not to stick around. Hopefully they're able to control the creative direction to tell the stories they want. Netflix is pretty good about it, there's a lot in PoP that probably wouldn't fly on the Disney Channel. CN or NICK? Maybe.



The original MOTU animation designs are fine enough, but yes they're not exactly animation friendly. Certainly not on the budget that Filmation had. It's fair enough to enjoy the Filmation shows, but it takes more than a couple of caveats to call them "Good." Calling them "Great" is borderline laughable. I can't speak for the early '90s series, but I can say that every other iteration of MOTU was better. Not that there have been many without counting the comics, or that people care. The 2002 MOTU was amazing, but as someone in the target audience at the time... kids didn't give a crap about it.

The designs for the new PoP are significantly more animation friendly, the crew can do a whole lot more for less money. In the world of animation funding that gets you farther.

I did hear whispers a few years ago that there were plans for a 3D animated MOTU, that was to be released in 2019. Supposedly that only recently fell apart with a lot of assets already being complete. They may have figured that the new PoP route would be better.[/QUOTE]

Hilda has been on my to watch list for awhile so maybe I'll notch that one off now with She-Ra wrapped up.

[QUOTE=Personamanx;4025516]
The 2002 series was great. As someone who was in the target audience at the time, MOTU looked like the stupidest thing on the planet at the time. But having given it a shot later, after having watched so much of the original cartoon in college... I really wish it had been given the chance to continue.[/QUOTE]
It would've been interesting to see how they would have handled the She-Ra elements since she, and Hordak, were planned to be major elements in the subsequent season before the show was canceled.

I hope season 2 for this doesn't take to long to come out. Season 2 of Voltron came 7 months after the first one aired. So I hope we max 6 months between seasons. And I can't wait to see more toys for this.

I just finished it. I mean I like the work they put into adding layers to Katra, Shadowweaver, Glimmer, Bow, Mermista. Those I felt like were positive changes, layers of depth. Seahawk is fabulous loved him.

What I didn't necessarily like is the techy Lighthope rather than magical. I don't necessarily like this line of She-ras throughout history thing. I felt like Hordak was diminished in characterization to give more to Shadow weaver and Catra. Season 2 should focus more on him his machinations and show more of a leadership overall plan and big bad role imo. Frosta I didn't care for this version

I also didn't necessarily like how this version of She-ra like loses confidence or whatever and phases out back to Adora. It was weird to me didn't like it. She has a weakness and a "dumbness" like brutishness I didn't like. Even Catra commented on the good for punching stuff. It made some of her fight scenes weak to me cause she was just smashing around Hulk like rather than being more warriorlike.

[QUOTE=Gaastra;4024632]He-man's mom is from earth in the filmation show so it could be her.

[video=youtube;gmfzKotk2hE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_1609211681&feature=iv&src_vid=gmfzKotk2hE&v=gmfzKotk2hE#t=1m13s[/video][/QUOTE]

Also the MOTU Bible made it clear Beast Man, Evil Lyn & Triclops were from Earth too. They crashed landed near Snake Mountain and became evil. Their link to Earth and He-Man's mom was never made clear on the show.

As for Filmation-they had a budget and technology that limited what they could do.

It's why you saw some of the same stuff and moves happen in every episode. And same body molds for artist to work with.

It was also a commercial for toys-so you had restrictions that this show does not.

Bow with 2 Dads would not happen in the 80s on a kid's show.

As for Voltron-the original was adapted from another country and edited like Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, Gatachman, Robotech & Star Blazers. So there was not much they could do in terms of stories.

[QUOTE]Netflix is pretty good about it, there's a lot in PoP that probably wouldn't fly on the Disney Channel. CN or NICK? Maybe.[/QUOTE]

They probably would with the LGBT content as Nick's Loud House has Clyde with 2 dads and a confirmed gay sister. Regular Show, Steven Universe, Clarence & Gumball have elements too. Although this is the same Warner Brothers that had the sexuality of Gears from Static Shock hidden. He was gay in Static's 90s comic.

Now the question would be Disney on the animation side. Black Panther has a LGBT couple in his world and then we got Young Avengers. And what about America Chavez? She was in Marvel Rising cartoon.

Honestly this thing about filmation recycling animation is some bunk. Every animation company recycles animation even Disney. look at those old Disney movies and you will def see animation recycled.

I've liked what I've seen of the toys for the new PoP. Admittedly the Super Seven action figures go against the design philosophy of the original MOTU, and to a lesser extent the original PoP line. By which I mean, the S7 PoP figures are all standing poses, with points of articulation similar to that of a Kenner figure. But they also look a lot better, and there aren't any major discrepancies between: design, show, and toy. I respect that cohesion rather than adhering to the pre-posed gimmick figures of the older Mattel lines.

I kind of wish I had spaced out the series a bit. There are definitely some episodes in there that feel like they could be enhanced with a little added anticipation. Then again it is rare for me to binge even a shorter season like this in only a day or two. The wait for season two will be a crucible.

[QUOTE=skyvolt2000;4028442]They probably would with the LGBT content as Nick's Loud House has Clyde with 2 dads and a confirmed gay sister. Regular Show, Steven Universe, Clarence & Gumball have elements too. Although this is the same Warner Brothers that had the sexuality of Gears from Static Shock hidden. He was gay in Static's 90s comic.

Now the question would be Disney on the animation side. Black Panther has a LGBT couple in his world and then we got Young Avengers. And what about America Chavez? She was in Marvel Rising cartoon.[/QUOTE]

Modern networks are definitely getting better about LGBTQ representation, Nick as well as CN are actually both doing fairly well. But I'm sure getting standards, and practices to go along with things is more difficult than with a service like Netflix. It's why so many creators have been flocking towards the platform.

I'm interested to see where Disney goes with Chavez. It would be a good opportunity to get out of their comfort zone. Other Disney shows have tried it, and were shut down but Marvel might be able to get something through.

[QUOTE=CliffHanger2;4028555]Honestly this thing about filmation recycling animation is some bunk. Every animation company recycles animation even Disney. look at those old Disney movies and you will def see animation recycled.[/QUOTE]

Yes, recycling animation is an honoured tradition to save time, and money. If you have a suitable piece of older animation that can be re-purposed in a new context without too much grief things can work out marvelously for everyone. As long as it isn't noticeable. When Disney re-uses an old piece of Milt Kahl ballroom animation in "Beauty and the Beast" nobody notices. You use the same sword swing multiple times for dozens of syndicated episodes people are going to figure it out.

Truthfully Filmation's output was more or less on par with other producers of television animation with their reliance on stock footage. But the sheer amount of content they produced from the '60s to the '80s has made them more remembered than those other studios. Thus they are remembered for those bad habits more so than Krantz Films, and other contemporaries.

Still doesn't make what they produced good by any stretch of the imagination, but they get ragged on because people actually remember them.

[QUOTE=Personamanx;4028781]

Still doesn't make what they produced good by any stretch of the imagination, but they get ragged on because people actually remember them.[/QUOTE]

I noticed the recycled animation in Disney. And the sentence above is definitely an exaggeration ppl remember filmation because it was good. And if nothing they produced was good nobody/ netflix included would see fit to do remakes. Bad stuff doesn't get remade. And the remakes never live up to the original except for maybe Voltron. The 2002 MOTU was pretty good too.

As far as Filmation animation goes, I'm certainly a fan of the old He-Man and She-Ra stuff as well, but I think that it overall as far as animation goes has not aged well. The fact of the matter is that Lou Scheimer was notoriously cheap and on top of it the studio wasn't allowed to outsource work to other countries. But the still shots in the different shows always looked great, which was probably why we got a lot of panning shots with no animation like say the Snake Mountain bit every other episode on He-Man lol.

They were even so cheap that evidently one of their first "employees" was a mannequin dressed as a secretary! I've also read that some of the now big names who worked with them like J. Michael Straczynski hated to work with them due to their policies.

I think a positive you can say about the Filmation stuff is that it was at least impressive what they managed to do with the shoe-string budget and the other things that were tacked on, but there was a reason why Prince Adam looked like a clothed He-Man, compared to the 2002 show for example were they had very different body types from one another.

Watched the first episode. Didn't hate it, but wasn't interested enough to stick with it. That said, I'm a 45 year old bloke, so it's not like I'm anywhere near to the show's target audience.

Yes, I can still sit through and enjoy episodes of the original series. But that's as much born out of nostalgia than anything else.

[QUOTE=CliffHanger2;4028904]I noticed the recycled animation in Disney. And the sentence above is definitely an exaggeration ppl remember filmation because it was good. And if nothing they produced was good nobody/ netflix included would see fit to do remakes. Bad stuff doesn't get remade. And the remakes never live up to the original except for maybe Voltron. The 2002 MOTU was pretty good too.[/QUOTE]

If Filmation was remembered for being good, it would be for BraveStarr as well as their Flash Gordon adaptations more so than anything else. Most other productions require numerous charitable caveats to be called good. It doesn't mean they can't be enjoyable or even memorable, I like the original MOTU as well as PoP for what they are. I'm not trying to take anything away from you here.

Mediocre to bad stuff gets remade all the time. As long as it has a pre-existing familiarity, and a production company has the rights to do so the original's quality doesn't really matter. Like most of anything they are largely forgettable with a few successes, and notable failures peppered in. You're citing Voltron, and look at its history. The original series was a cobbled together mess, but had cool looking robots that made it memorable. The late '90s CGI series* was shinier, but unremarkable aside from letting a new bunch of kids know that Voltron toys were a thing. 2011's Voltron Force wasn't bad, I actually wish this one found a larger audience to be honest. But Legendary Defender is just great TV, they took what was memorable about the original series and in an inspired use of nostalgia actually tried to make a good show.

*I actually loved the Third Dimension as a kid. Watched every episode, and received all of the lions for Christmas one year. But boy was it not a good show. At least with the original you can have a few drinks, and make a night of it with some friends on Netflix. The Third Dimension is just an empty void.

[QUOTE=CliffHanger2;4028555]Honestly this thing about filmation recycling animation is some bunk. Every animation company recycles animation even Disney. look at those old Disney movies and you will def see animation recycled.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but recycled every 5 minutes though? Have you seen episodes of He-Man and She-Ra? Have you seen how many times characters walk and run the exact same way? Or the time they walk towards the screen, stop, and put their hands on their hips the exact same way regardless of character? How everyone raises their head to laugh the exact same way? It's harder to point out new animation in a He-Man/She-Ra episode than there is to point out recycled ones.

Anyways, the new show is pretty awesome. I like the characters and how different they are from each other. I also like that the members of the Horde aren't black and white evil, some of them are actually friendly towards each other, which is realistic. I don't care who you work for, most people get along with their co-workers. The old Horde literally had everyone hate and backstab each other 24/7. I like how Adora is having trouble discovering who she was while at the same time adjusting to who she has now become.

I find it more realistic having She-Ra bumble around a bit and learn to adjust to her powers and what she can and can't do. He-Man gets a pass because his show started with him being He-Man already for some unknown amount of time, but we saw She-Ra's origin and she was already an expert of her powers upon first transformation. She could heal injuries but there was no real moment of 'wait? I can do that?'. It's funny how as a kid I never thought of such things like 'whoa, she just turned into She-Ra for the very first time, how does she know she can do all these things?' I mean, He-Man was just incredibly strong, She-Ra was given extra super powers.

I do like the almost Super Saiyan effect with her glowing gold and her hair flowing upwards.

The weird thing for me is how Adora doesn't really try to hide her She-Ra identity and just transforms in front of everybody all the time. But I think we're tired of the whole 'Adora has to hide' thing by now. I wonder if the new show will have her sword transform into other objects or not? ...though I kinda consider that super power overkill.