News He-Man anime series from Kevin Smith coming to Netflix

[Skipper]

But, yep, like @Christopher said, the real reason is they wanted just to use the old well-tested "Secret Identity" trope that worked so well from Zorro to Superman tv shows. If you think about it, it's handy because when you run out of ideas, you can safely pad the episode runtime with some shenanigan on how our brave hero manages to hide his secret from the only intelligent woman in the show, who has to be put back in her place.

 

[Mach5]

@Christopher had a good theory.

Not a very satisfying one, from a storytelling perspective.

 

[Pauln6]

Not a very satisfying one, from a storytelling perspective.

Plus Randor repeatedly expressed disappointment that Adam wasn't out there manning up and fighting the good fight. I think his reasons for going postal in Revelations were that he was denied the opportunity to be proud of his son.

 

[Skipper]

Not a very satisfying one, from a storytelling perspective.

There is rarely a satisfying justification for hiding your secret identity from close friends and family, especially when half of your time is spent on finding new ways to maintain the deception.

Why did Superman go to such lengths to hide his secret identity from Lois Lane? Zorro from his father? Daredevil from Foggy? Because it entertained the readers.

But it is a trope so ingrained in popular culture that it has only recently been questioned. For example, in the MCU universe there are practically no heroes with the classic secret identity (with perhaps the sole exception of Daredevil). Even Spider-Man lost his one.

 

[Mach5]

Plus Randor repeatedly expressed disappointment that Adam wasn't out there manning up and fighting the good fight. I think his reasons for going postal in Revelations were that he was denied the opportunity to be proud of his son.

He also must have felt an onslaught of guilt. Unbearable guilt. His kid had been taking crap from him for years and taking it stoically. Adam's burden was terrible, come to think about it.

 

[Skipper]

Adam's burden was terrible, come to think about it.

Sure. But he was the one who decided not to tell the truth to his parents.

 

[Mach5]

Sure. But he was the one who decided not to tell the truth to his parents.

I hope "Revelation part.2" addressees that as well.

 

[Myko]

I believe the secrecy is a decree from the Sorceress, and not really something he can do as he want with.

 

[Josh Kelton]

I believe the secrecy is a decree from the Sorceress, and not really something he can do as he want with.

In the episode "Prince Adam No More". Adam talks to the Sorceress about wanting to give up his secret identity. She doesn't seem to outright forbid it, only that he should do what he feels is right.

 

[Skipper]

I believe the secrecy is a decree from the Sorceress, and not really something he can do as he want with.

I really don't remember anything similar. And if this was the case, why Duncan and Orko were exempt?

 

[Guy Gardener]

You all got it Wrong.

It's not about protecting Adams' Family.

It's about the power Sword.

Take the Sword, get the power.

Adam is hiding the sword, not hiding his secret identity.

Consider, if you knew that a neighbour kept 4 million dollars in a pillow, and their security was shit.

Hardly locked the door, and was always out of the house at work and play.

Maybe you won't take it, but a lot of low lifes' will try.

If Skeletor can activate the sword's power, then anyone can.

 

[Skipper]

In the episode "Prince Adam No More". Adam talks to the Sorceress about wanting to give up his secret identity. She doesn't seem to outright forbid it, only that he should do what he feels is right.

I found an online review with an interesting observation

Which brings us to the elephant in the room – why on Eternia does Adam have to keep his identity secret? The Sorceress attempts to explain in this episode, claiming that if his identity was known, Skeletor wouldn’t hesitate to try to destroy Adam and the ones he loves. It’s a valiant attempt, but let’s be honest, Skeletor doesn’t hesitate to try to do that anyway. But still, it’s nice that the writers for once acknowledged that the whole secret identity thing doesn’t really make sense.

It's a little like when Silver Age Superman used to say that he couldn't reveal his secret to his friends to keep them safe, when the aforenamed friends where routinely threatened by Man Of Steel's enemies because, well, they were his friends.

 

[Josh Kelton]

I found an online review with an interesting observation

Which brings us to the elephant in the room – why on Eternia does Adam have to keep his identity secret?

As we've seen in MOTU Revelation, he is very vulnerable as Adam.

Skeletor wouldn’t hesitate to try to destroy Adam and the ones he loves.

That's probably episode #06. Off to the palace to murder Randor and Marlena.

 

[Skipper]

As we've seen in MOTU Revelation, he is very vulnerable as Adam.

I don't think the problem is that he has a secret identity, rather that he is keeping it hidden from his parents and friends. What does it means, he doesn't trust them?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Didn't the Sorceress tell him not to tell anyone?

Adam is a good boy.

 

[Skipper]

Didn't the Sorceress tell him not to tell anyone?

Adam is a good boy.

She did? It seems it was an Adam's idea.

 

[Reverend]

OK, so from an in-universe perspective... Why DID Adam keep Teela in the dark all that time?

I'm not sure if they've ever depicted the Adam/He-Man origin story and set-up, at least not in this incarnation of the IP (maybe in the early 2000's show?) so I don't think it's ever established in-universe the importance of treating He-Man as a secret identity in a world with no press, spotty communication and in a constant state of war anyway so it's not like it avoiding anyone being a target.

If it were up to me though, I'd say that the reason had nothing to do with anyone's safety or anything like that, it's because Adam doesn't *want* the people he cares about the most (his best friend and his parents) to see him differently. He-Man isn't who he really is, and I think he's afraid that if he "came out" so to speak, that the alter-ego is all they'll see him as and Adam might disappear, figuratively speaking (or not, Eternia is a weird place...) Duncan likely agreed to keep the secret for similar reasons; to allow Adam to have something resembling a normal life (as close to normal as a massively privileged and wealthy prince of a techno-magical feudal kingdom can get, anyway.)

 

[Skipper]

If it were up to me though, I'd say that the reason had nothing to do with anyone's safety or anything like that, it's because Adam doesn't *want* the people he cares about the most (his best friend and his parents) to see him differently. He-Man isn't who he really is, and I think he's afraid that if he "came out" so to speak, that the alter-ego is all they'll see him as and Adam might disappear, figuratively speaking (or not, Eternia is a weird place...) Duncan likely agreed to keep the secret for similar reasons; to allow Adam to have something resembling a normal life (as close to normal as a massively privileged and wealthy prince of a techno-magical feudal kingdom can get, anyway.)

The problem is that in the "Prince Adam No More" episode he clearly explains that he is tired of pretending to be a coward and weak. It is frustrating for him that his father sees him as inept. He is after all a prince who will one day reign over Eternia. For him, the "normal life" would be to show that he is courageous and responsible.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Kevin Smith to angry He Man fans: "Grow the fuck up."

( dear auto correct: it's never "duck".)

https://gizmodo.com/kevin-smith-wan...P9_DVcUXf0wkmWAfjlyv1fDqDbKm1fi9fUgWpVUqm2Wz4

 

[Reverend]

The problem is that in the "Prince Adam No More" episode he clearly explains that he is tired of pretending to be a coward and weak. It is frustrating for him that his father sees him as inept. He is after all a prince who will one day reign over Eternia. For him, the "normal life" would be to show that he is courageous and responsible.

I didn't say it was a rational thing. People are entitled to be inconsistent and ambivalent in their feeling and decisions.
Also there's quite a gap between being seen as "courageous and responsible" and "literally a living demi-god".

Kevin Smith to angry He Man fans: "Grow the fuck up."

( dear auto correct: it's never "duck".)

https://gizmodo.com/kevin-smith-wan...P9_DVcUXf0wkmWAfjlyv1fDqDbKm1fi9fUgWpVUqm2Wz4

Honestly, I wish he'd just stop engaging with the bad faith actors, but he just can't seem to resist...