She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

[Reverend]

Side note: I may have missed something obvious, but have they said exactly why the show is called "Princesses of Power" (plural)?

Maybe have a member of her own supporting cast, like Bow or Glimmer, be the one who shows her the suffering the Horde causes and inspires her to break free.

Aside from the "Honour of Grayskull" thing. Unless "Grayskull" pertains to something (or someone) on Etheria, rather than Eternia. Or we could have "For the Honour of the Crystal Castle" instead.

If it were me, I'd make The Sorceress the one that sets Adora on the path. That keeps the Greyskull connection without really having to explain it or make any mention of Adam. Indeed, I'd bet good money that's her voice in the teaser.

Maybe Greyskull exists in Etheria and Eternia simultaneously, like a bridge between the two worlds. Maybe they're not even in different dimensions at all but twin planets. Or perhaps they were once both one world that was split into two separate worlds in some techno-magikal cataclysm, sometime in the distant past. The lore always did have something of a post apocalyptic vibe about it. Hell, they could just make Etheria & Eternia two continents on opposite sides of the same planet.

The point is there's a lot of different ways you can handle the material and just copying the original beat for beat is just pointless.

 

[dahj]

a random crossover from a separate universe

As far as I can remember, Etheria is in the same universe as Eternia, just a different planet, and while they mostly used portals to travel between them I vaguely recall that they might have also traveled by spaceship.

Side note: I may have missed something obvious, but have they said exactly why the show is called "Princesses of Power" (plural)?

Well, Glimmer is also a princess, and from that article I linked on the previous page:
"And Noelle adds that there's a slew of other princesses with distinct powers and personalities that Adora meets on her way to take down the Horde."

 

[Christopher]

Side note: I may have missed something obvious, but have they said exactly why the show is called "Princesses of Power" (plural)?

No doubt because having a team of heroines makes for a more successful toy line, in the vein of DC Super Hero Girls or the new Marvel Rising. But I find it interesting how the title She-Ra and the Princesses of Power resonates wtih the title He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

If it were me, I'd make The Sorceress the one that sets Adora on the path. That keeps the Greyskull connection without really having to explain it or make any mention of Adam. Indeed, I'd bet good money that's her voice in the teaser.

That's my guess. Ironically, that voice sounds more like Melendy Britt (the original She-Ra) than the new Adora/She-Ra's voice does.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I never watched the original but I just saw the teaser for this and it looks really good.

 

[Stephen!]

I vaguely recall that they might have also traveled by spaceship.

Yes, In the episode, "Horde Prime takes a Holiday", Horde Prime temporarily entrusts his flagship to Hordak. Skeletor then attempts to steal it and fly it back to Eternia, so that he can conquer the planet.

 

[Christopher]

Okay, same universe, but narratively still a separate realm that isn't essential to She-Ra's storytelling most of the time, so it's easy enough to do without.

I guess I was thinking of how Eternia is in a separate universe from Earth, and how Queen Marlena was an Earth astronaut who fell through a black hole to reach Eternia (much like the title character of Blackstar, Filmation's prototype for He-Man).

 

[Reverend]

But I find it interesting how the title She-Ra and the Princesses of Power resonates wtih the title He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Fair point.
But also: in what sense was Ram Man, Fisto or Orko a "master of the universe"? I mean they seem a little under qualified, no?

That's my guess. Ironically, that voice sounds more like Melendy Britt (the original She-Ra) than the new Adora/She-Ra's voice does.

Probably not ironic at all since I wouldn't be at all surprised if that's her. Last I checked she's still a working voice actor. I mean who better to cast in the role?

 

[Christopher]

^No, the full cast is already known and it contains no veterans of the original series. I would guess the voice is Morla Gorrondona as Light Hope, which was sort of the She-Ra counterpart to the Sorceress (though the original was male and voiced by Lou Scheimer).

 

[Christopher]

New trailer:

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Okay, that looks very promising. And clearly they're ditching the whole "secret identity" thing that never worked for me in the original.

 

[JD]

Looks good. I'm assuming this is very different from the original?

 

[Christopher]

Looks good. I'm assuming this is very different from the original?

Yes, quite a bit. Netflix has the first seasons of the original He-Man and She-Ra, if you wanted to compare.

Let's see, a few basic differences -- Adora is younger. He-Man isn't involved in her origin. She gains size as She-Ra, rather than just a change of clothes and hair length and a deeper voice. Her dual identity is known to more than just a couple of comic-relief sidekicks. She isn't designed to satisfy the male gaze, in either identity. And it looks like it's more of an ensemble show, as the subtitle implies.

 

[dahj]

^^
Well that's just character design mostly, and excepting the omission of He-Man, the core story seems pretty much the same so I wouldn't say it's very different than the original.

 

[Christopher]

^^
Well that's just character design mostly, and excepting the omission of He-Man, the core story seems pretty much the same so I wouldn't say it's very different than the original.

There's a big difference between the facts and figures of a backstory and how you tell the story. It's clear even from the trailer alone that the new version is considerably different in tone and approach. It looks like it's going for more complex and nuanced characterization, more snarky humor, and of course the core cast are reimagined as teens rather than adults. Since it's a Netflix show, and a modern show, it's bound to have a more serialized approach.

Plus, of course, it's a Noelle Stevenson show. I've only read her webcomic Nimona, not her other work like Lumberjanes, but just from that, it's clear that she's a cartoonist with a strong and distinct voice and sensibility of her own, which among other things is strongly feminist and LGBTQ-positive, and also has a quirky and sarcastic humor to it. If they hired her to make the show, that means they want her voice and her style, not just a cookie-cutter reconstruction of an old show. So of course it's going to be different.

 

[dahj]

So of course it's going to be different.

Again, there's different, and then there's very different. Based on the short trailer it just doesn't fit into the latter category for me. YMMV.

It's kinda like the Discovery/TOS thing (or TNG if you wanna closer-in-release-dates comparison), yeah it's different creative people, and different approaches in line with modern TV practices, but I still wouldn't say they're very different. Fundamentally it's still Star Trek.

 

[Christopher]

It's kinda like the Discovery/TOS thing (or TNG if you wanna closer-in-release-dates comparison), yeah it's different creative people, and different approaches in line with modern TV practices, but I still wouldn't say they're very different. Fundamentally it's still Star Trek.

It's not like that at all. That's a terrible analogy. Discovery, for all its stylistic differences, is intended to be in the same continuity as prior Trek series, an in-universe continuation of what came before. This is not. It's a remake, not a sequel. It's a reinvention in a separate reality. The comparison you want is not Star Trek, but something more like Battlestar Galactica or Voltron (or the 2002 He-Man reboot, for that matter). Saying it's different is not a bad thing, not something to fight against. A remake is supposed to be different. It would be a waste of effort to do a new version of a story if it weren't different.

Besides, what does it matter? This is a children's show. The target audience never saw the original She-Ra, or if they did catch its reruns on Netflix, it probably didn't appeal to them much because it was made for an earlier generation of kids and done in an older storytelling style. So whether it's the same as the old show is irrelevant. To its intended audience, it will be its own thing, their first exposure to the characters and the world. All that matters is how well it works for them.

 

[dahj]

Besides, what does it matter?

I dunno. A question was asked, you offered an opinion, I offered a contrary one.
You're the one that keeps arguing how wrong I am here.

 

[kirk55555]

That She-Ra trailer was pretty interesting. It actually gave me a bit of an Avatar: TLA vibe, certainly more so then the Netflix show that is trying to ride that feeling (The Dragon Prince, FYI, which is pretty terrible). I might have to check it out. I have no connection to the old He-Man/She-Ra stuff, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but it does look like it could be worth a watch.

 

[JD]

Plus, of course, it's a Noelle Stevenson show. I've only read her webcomic Nimona, not her other work like Lumberjanes, but just from that, it's clear that she's a cartoonist with a strong and distinct voice and sensibility of her own, which among other things is strongly feminist and LGBTQ-positive, and also has a quirky and sarcastic humor to it. If they hired her to make the show, that means they want her voice and her style, not just a cookie-cutter reconstruction of an old show. So of course it's going to be different.

I highly recommend Lumberjanes, it's great. You should definitely check it out if you get a chance.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Live action? This will either be really, absolutely awesome and amazing beyond belief... or horrendously godawful.

Kor

But will there be costume changes? Adora and She-Ra looked pretty hot as a cartoon. Will they tone those costumes down?

 

[Christopher]

But will there be costume changes? Adora and She-Ra looked pretty hot as a cartoon. Will they tone those costumes down?

I guess you didn't read the whole thread or watch the trailers.