She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a television show first released in November 2018. There are currently 4 seasons, with the fifth and final season slated to be released in May. She-ra is a fantasy TV show marketed toward middle-grade kids. It follows Adora, an orphan who was raised by the evil Horde army. When she finds a sword in the woods that transforms her into She-ra, the Princess of Power, she enters the resistance to fight the Horde, banding together with the Princess Alliance, a group of other princesses with superpowers. It is an uplifting show that highlights the power of friendship and resistance.
Although this is technically a kids’ TV show, I will confess that I have watched the entire series and enjoyed it very much. It has age-appropriate themes without being only palatable for younger kids, which to me speaks to the quality of the show. One of the reasons that I found it such a great show was its excellent ability to have a very diverse range of characters without flaunting its representation skills with a self-congratulatory air.
Body positivity - 4.5/5
In She-Ra, no two characters have the exact same body shape or size. It feels refreshing to see so much variation in body size as the norm. No comments are made about anyone’s body or the differences in body types. No certain people with a certain body are more fierce or strong than others. The only place that I would like to see a bit of improvement is differences in body type for the male characters. However, I recognize that it is a bit harder for the show to show the full range since there are a lot fewer male characters. For a fantasy show, it does a better job portraying body diversity than most realistic-fiction shows.
Disability Representation 1/5
This is the one area where the show struggles overall for me. There is no disability representation, except for some hints at possible mental health struggles for some characters. This could really stand to be improved.
Non-Stereotypical Gender Representation-4.5/5
This is one of the strongest categories for She-ra, if not the strongest. A vast majority of the main characters are female and are portrayed in a variety of ways, ranging from very feminine, to more butch. This itself is relatively impressive compared to current TV representation, but it goes even further. The feminine characters are still very strong and brave in the “fight” scenes, and the butch characters still have emotions and soft spots. Similarly, the portrayal of the male characters does a pretty good job of showing how boys are just as valid in their emotions. Most striking is one of the main characters, Bow, who is a skilled archer, but also loves to invent and gushes over his friends. The show could have gone a bit farther in terms of non-stereotypical male representation, however, there are constraints with only a few male characters.
Racial Diversity 4/5
She-Ra does a fairly good job of showing racial diversity. There is a wide range of skin tones in the main characters. However, because it is a fantasy show, there are also characters that have green skin or blue skin or other non-human skin tones. This makes it a bit more complicated to rate, but there is generally a good amount of diversity.
LGBTQ+ Representation 4.5/5
This is a very strong category for She-ra. There are no explicitly straight characters in the show, and only one heterosexual couple. There are two explicitly gay couples, one being the dads of one of the main characters. Additionally, there is a non-binary character that takes a fairly large role in Season 4. The correct pronouns are used for them throughout the entire show, even by the villain. In addition to the explicit representation, many viewers have picked up on some additional hinting at characters being LGBTQ+. There appears to be some ex-girlfriend-like tension between She-ra and her main nemesis that she grew up with, Catra. Additionally, some note that Bow could be transgender based on what he wears in a scene where the characters go to a spa. This show has resonated with a lot of older LGBTQ+ people who watch the show both for its entertainment value and its representation of their community.
Overall rating: 3.7/5
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