First Footage From 'She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power' Reveals The Girl (And Shoulder Pads) Behind The Hero

By Tori Preston | Streaming | September 10, 2018 |

By Tori Preston | Streaming | September 10, 2018 |

The first teaser trailer for the upcoming Netflix cartoon She-Ra and the Princesses of Power just dropped via Teen Vogue, and it offers a tantalizing taste of the anticipated ’80s classic ‘toon revival:

The series, which debuts November 16th, has drawn some criticism for the character redesign (less boobs, more bike shorts) — though it has also elicited a lot of excitement for the same overhaul, in addition to the focus on and diversity of the titular Princesses of Power. As someone who grew up watching She-Ra (I even had her Crystal Castle playset!), I’ve been excited for this character to make a return for a new generation. But watching this trailer, I realized I only remember her as She-Ra — not as Adora. After witnessing the character’s first transformation, I think I’m most excited to see the new series reveal more of the girl behind the hero.

Creator Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes) talked to Teen Vogue about the decision to make the character younger, but also give her more depth:

“I also think, just as somebody who is this young woman who’s been sort of catapulted into a position of great power and a great destiny, that there was something that I really wanted to get into with her internal life,” she says. “Like, who she was trying to be. How she saw herself, and sort of the fear and anxiety that comes along with that. Of trying to be the best person you possibly can. So that’s very central to her character.”

Sure, that internal struggle sounds fascinating. Selfishly though, I’d like to commend Stevenson and the creative team for the bold decision to honor the distinctly ’80s aesthetic of giant shoulder pads, because that shit falls squarely within my interests:

I think it’s safe to say that I’ll soon have another kids cartoon to add to my list of obsessions…