I came across Noelle Stevenson through ‘Critical Role’ and started watching ‘She-Ra’ out of curiosity and a desire to seem something light hearted and short. I was pleasantly surprised to find a heart-warming, well rounded story about warrior princesses.

Aside from the obvious points this show gets from depicting such a diverse range of characters, what I like about it is the issues it tackles between friends. Cartoons aimed at children can just be silly slapstick comedy however they also have the potential to introduce children to conversations about respect, communication, and responsibility. The show tackles these themes well, reflecting problems that I face even now as a 26 year old.

The show does have some pitfalls here and there, with some of the world lore not adding up. The fantasy geek in me is confused by this and hopes that there will be better explanations in the future. For example, Light Hope states that the elemental princesses must unite to bring peace to the planet. However she does not explain what role the other princesses play. Why did ‘First Ones’ only expect the elemental princesses to be part of this? Why is She-Ra not elemental but still the prophesied leader. Of course some of these questions will be answered in the next few seasons, or so I expect, but I think the writing could have addressed these issues and thus clarified that it’s not a lapse in world-building but rather a plot point.

Aside from this, the show is fun, short, sweet and well animated. I really love how colorful it is, which feels like a shift from the very minimally designed shows generally dominate the scene.

This range of diversity, thematic variance and creative freshness makes a good case for giving creators from different backgrounds, may it be race, sex or sexuality, a chance at telling their stories.