[lordbest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brownfinger

That's fantastic news.
Getting a little bit further into the show after work, and it's increasingly better. Add Sea Hawk's name to the list of figures that I want.

I finished binge-ing the series last night, and I agree, it kept getting better. I haven't been this enthusiastic about She-Ra/MotU since I was a child.
I want figures of everyone at this point, everyone looks amazing, I really don't understand the hate for the redesigns. They look so much more interesting than the original themed Barbie figures.

I really, really encourage any MotU fan to put aside any reservations they have about this and at least watch the first few episodes with an open mind. If not you're only hurting yourself and when all the fuss dies down you will probably regret it.

[webz]

I’ll probably be burned at the stake for this, but I think these series is PERFECT for Netflix... especially with the future exodus of Disney properties.

It’s built for kids. It has subtle nods to the original cartoon, but it’s completely it’s own thing. It’s not a remake, it’s a totally new thing. Much like Transformers: Animated or Spectacular Spider-man.

Is it perfect? As a 40 year old male, I’m not smitten, but as a father, I think it’s perfect for kids. Especially today, when most kids shows are hyperactive. This one paces itself and builds a story. It’s almost got a 90’s anime feel to it.

I would scream like a little girl if this grew into an MOTU series spinoff.

As for a toy line... no, I’m not sold on the line enough for toys. The character designs are so simple that toys would look cheap.

[Dr Kain]

Something should be able to be enjoyed by kids AND adults regardless of who it is primarily aimed at. If it's not, then it is insulting the intelligence of a child.

[lordbest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by webz

As for a toy line... no, I’m not sold on the line enough for toys. The character designs are so simple that toys would look cheap.

I don't agree on this point at all. The designs are no more simple than the originals were, and they are far more individual. In the original Glimmer, Angella and Castaspella were basically distinguishable only by colour and hairstyle.

[Dr Kain]

Nah, the designs of the new show pale in comparison to the old one. These new ones look like they were drawn by an 8 year old.

[DirkMaximus]

stop I can't roll my eyes hard enough to keep up with the hot takes

[Bo Ttef]

I think She-Ra toys would fit right in with the slew of girls action figures pegwarming the toy aisle now- As far as the show, mark me down in the "not very impressed" side of the She-Ra debate. It just feels very generic and sloppily animated. Not that I was a fan of the original- It was a "girl's" cartoon like Jem and Rainbow Bright, I had no interest in it. But I also despised Filmation animation and their entire take on MOTU anyways- so there wasn't much to draw me to She-Ra. BUT- the 2000X Masters reboot was beautifully drawn and had compelling stories- SheRa at least deserved something that looked as good- it's sad how far TV animation has fallen in such a short time. (that's an old man opinion, i know- I'm sure kids look at animation from my day the same way I looked at those weirdly animated old school black and white toons like MikeyMouse and Popeye- lol. Anyways- I'm sure kids today will love She-Ra, and then promptly forget they ever saw it as it just blends right in with (almost)everything else animated today

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bo Ttef

I think She-Ra toys would fit right in with the slew of girls action figures pegwarming the toy aisle now- As far as the show, mark me down in the "not very impressed" side of the She-Ra debate. It just feels very generic and sloppily animated. Not that I was a fan of the original- It was a "girl's" cartoon like Jem and Rainbow Bright, I had no interest in it. But I also despised Filmation animation and their entire take on MOTU anyways- so there wasn't much to draw me to She-Ra. BUT- the 2000X Masters reboot was beautifully drawn and had compelling stories- SheRa at least deserved something that looked as good- it's sad how far TV animation has fallen in such a short time. (that's an old man opinion, i know- I'm sure kids look at animation from my day the same way I looked at those weirdly animated old school black and white toons like MikeyMouse and Popeye- lol. Anyways- I'm sure kids today will love She-Ra, and then promptly forget they ever saw it as it just blends right in with (almost)everything else animated today

The problem with animation today is that it's too streamlined and minimalistic, which to an extent is understandable since you gotta crank these shows out quick, but it still makes cartoons blend together after awhile since there's no WOW factor to the animation.

[hasbroherofan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirkMaximus

stop I can't roll my eyes hard enough to keep up with the hot takes

You can set your watch to how just about any thread dealing with these sorts of properties is gonna go.

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

Something should be able to be enjoyed by kids AND adults regardless of who it is primarily aimed at. If it's not, then it is insulting the intelligence of a child.

I disagree. He-man and She-ra talk to kids at the level of a 6 to 8 year old. It’s only slightly more complex than Sesame Street. I find that perfectly ok. When my son was 6, he loved the he-man reruns on Qubo. I can’t stand them now, but as a 6 year old in the mid 80s, I loved he-man.

I’m ok with it, because demographics matter. He has He-Man and Teen Titans Go, I have Deadpool movies and the DC Animated universe.

[webz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordbest

I don't agree on this point at all. The designs are no more simple than the originals were, and they are far more individual. In the original Glimmer, Angella and Castaspella were basically distinguishable only by colour and hairstyle.

If they make the toys like the DC Highschool princesses then perhaps. But if they make the toys as 3D copies of the animation, then I think it’ll be too bland and cheap looking. She-Ra is REALLY simplified. I don’t think an action toy line will have lasting appeal. Dress up kits might. Dress up dolls seem to have over saturated the market.

[Brownfinger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hasbroherofan

You can set your watch to how just about any thread dealing with these sorts of properties is gonna go.

It's pretty pathetic.
"This cartoon that is made for little girls does not cater to my specific interests as a lonely adult male!"

And some dudes I've talked to and seen have been cool with it, they get that it's not for them. For people drooling over the original, it still exists for your own brand of uhhhh enjoyment.

[Madame Warlock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kylactus

If it fails, it will be because there is no advertising. WHY is this the first time I’m hearing about this? Where does it air? Are the designs at least farmilliar, or did they go all ninja turtley with it and make some bizarre teen titans doodle sketch bullshit clone? If it’s any good I’m in. Hell if enough people like it it might roll into the whole MOTU universe, even a new toy line.

They changed up the designs pretty heavily but IMO for the best and you can still tell who most of the characters are meant to be, they tend to have the same colour schemes at least and some costume elements. I wouldn't call the style " teen titans doodle sketch" style but it is based on a lot on a lot of indie comic stuff like Noelle Stevenson's own Nimona.

I like the visual diversity of the show personally, it reminds me of the design philosophy of TF2 and Overwatch where every character has their own distinct thing going on. Too often 80s cartoon characters just looked like recolours with a few accessories swapped. Obviously that makes this harder to make toys for, but they'd probably be more desirable if it takes off.

my only complaint with the art style is that it's sometimes a bit *too* flat(though the original cartoon had even less shading keep in mind) and they were maybe a bit too afraid to give some characters chest definitions at all. But it has it's own style going on and it works for it.

[Madame Warlock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kollekxon

My kids have watched most of the "old" He-Man and She-Ra shows. They liked them. We all tried this new version of She-Ra. I've watched 3 episodes and stopped. I hated it.
My oldest thinks it sucks and my youngest thinks its great.

I just cant get behind the changes made to these character's. I don't care about how they are drawn -this style is OK, but what bugs me most is the changes to the character's overall appearance and their demeanor. I see it as another crappy attempt to capitalize on an 80's property.


Edit: just wanted to add that even in episode 1, that Adora as a character doesn't make sense.
She does Fantastic in the training room to the point that she's overpowered. Her team are failures, why bother having them - what gives? Glimmer can teleport with Bow earlier, but isn't able to get herself and the others away from the insect creature. Just so they can accidentally find the entrance? Then for me there is the issue with these Princesses - Plural mind you - are these evil people. What so there's no dictionary. Also whats with the Sword.... I better stop.

Like I watched the original She-Ra movie and I think anyone seriously saying that the new show "ruins" the characters is being disingenuous because they barely were characters in the first place. I respect She-Ra for what it was at the time and it kind of helped push the whole magical girl warrior type thing to a western audience even before Sailor Moon was a thing, but very little in the original show is all that consistent or makes sense. Me and my friend were trying to keep track of the two swords and got very confused. The voice acting was super dodgy & grating and could only have appealed to very small children, whereas modern She-Ra clearly appeals to a wide range of ages.

And I'm someone who disliked how the Transformers were changed for the movie franchise. But in cases like this, it feels more like a positive change.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Arbor

The problem with animation today is that it's too streamlined and minimalistic, which to an extent is understandable since you gotta crank these shows out quick, but it still makes cartoons blend together after awhile since there's no WOW factor to the animation.

like tbh if you look at a lot of shows in the 80s the animation was pretty terrible. She-Ra definitely has overlap with the likes of Steven Universe et. all especially in the background art but IMO it has it's own distinct style going on that draws more from indie comic art than anything.

Also IMO I can see toys for this doing better than DC Superhero girls if it takes off. The problem with the DC Super Hero Girl stuff is that it feels like yet another attempt to cash in on Monster High/Ever After type stuff and while girls are definitely more into super hero stuff a lot of girls characters were already becoming increasingly much more heroic. I think the main issue is that the supporting media just isn't there yet. The Monster High stuff was actually pretty unique and fun for it's time whereas there's a strong element of "Why don't I just watch old teen titans/young justice episodes" to it. That said I think it probably did better than people suspect - it's just that it's been out a couple of years now and has gotten stale. They really needed to release a lot more supporting media than they did.


I like the Assessment that She-Ra feels like it's own "thing". I don't see the problem with more cartoonish looking toys, there's ways to capture that style well. I remember people felt the same with TF Animated but some of those toys were actually quite fun. I feel like it's a more solid concept with a lot of longevity compared to DCSHG. They can keep going on with it and eventually work in more MOTU stuff to draw in a boys audience as well, though I suspect the end goal is to see less gendered stuff in general and get boys girls and otherwise inclined watching both.

[lordbest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brownfinger

It's pretty pathetic.
"This cartoon that is made for little girls does not cater to my specific interests as a lonely adult male!"

And some dudes I've talked to and seen have been cool with it, they get that it's not for them. For people drooling over the original, it still exists for your own brand of uhhhh enjoyment.

Yep. I was prepared to give it a go, thinking I might dislike it because it's not made for me. Like Teen Titans Go, which I do not like at all. But it's actually really good, in my opinion. Some adult fans might not like it at all, and that's fine.
But ultimately this reboot is for young girls and adult women fans of the original, not perpetually outraged adult male fans.


Well said Madame Warlock.


Edit: Also, the new series is smart. Amongst other things it has one of the most accurate and nuanced depictions of abusive relationships and self sabotage due to mental illness and abuse I've ever seen on television, let alone kids tv.

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madame Warlock

Like I watched the original She-Ra movie and I think anyone seriously saying that the new show "ruins" the characters is being disingenuous because they barely were characters in the first place. I respect She-Ra for what it was at the time and it kind of helped push the whole magical girl warrior type thing to a western audience even before Sailor Moon was a thing, but very little in the original show is all that consistent or makes sense. Me and my friend were trying to keep track of the two swords and got very confused. The voice acting was super dodgy & grating and could only have appealed to very small children, whereas modern She-Ra clearly appeals to a wide range of ages.

And I'm someone who disliked how the Transformers were changed for the movie franchise. But in cases like this, it feels more like a positive change.



like tbh if you look at a lot of shows in the 80s the animation was pretty terrible. She-Ra definitely has overlap with the likes of Steven Universe et. all especially in the background art but IMO it has it's own distinct style going on that draws more from indie comic art than anything.

Also IMO I can see toys for this doing better than DC Superhero girls if it takes off. The problem with the DC Super Hero Girl stuff is that it feels like yet another attempt to cash in on Monster High/Ever After type stuff and while girls are definitely more into super hero stuff a lot of girls characters were already becoming increasingly much more heroic. I think the main issue is that the supporting media just isn't there yet. The Monster High stuff was actually pretty unique and fun for it's time whereas there's a strong element of "Why don't I just watch old teen titans/young justice episodes" to it. That said I think it probably did better than people suspect - it's just that it's been out a couple of years now and has gotten stale. They really needed to release a lot more supporting media than they did.


I like the Assessment that She-Ra feels like it's own "thing". I don't see the problem with more cartoonish looking toys, there's ways to capture that style well. I remember people felt the same with TF Animated but some of those toys were actually quite fun. I feel like it's a more solid concept with a lot of longevity compared to DCSHG. They can keep going on with it and eventually work in more MOTU stuff to draw in a boys audience as well, though I suspect the end goal is to see less gendered stuff in general and get boys girls and otherwise inclined watching both.

I definitely think newer animation looks better and more fluid in action, but I think the classic art styles were better (they just cheaped out on having the designs animated haha)

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by webz

I disagree. He-man and She-ra talk to kids at the level of a 6 to 8 year old. It’s only slightly more complex than Sesame Street. I find that perfectly ok. When my son was 6, he loved the he-man reruns on Qubo. I can’t stand them now, but as a 6 year old in the mid 80s, I loved he-man.

That was at a time when cartoons were nothing but glorified toy commercials and insulted us. Once the 90s came in, shows started being more mature and told well thought out stories, which continued until a few year's ago.

Now it seems like these companies think children are dumb again when they are even more intelligent these days thanks to the internet making them grow up so much faster.

Anyone can watch Batman The Animated Series and enjoy it. The same goes for Gargoyles, Beast Wars, Animaniacs, Samurai Jack, Justice League, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Young Justice, the 2011 Thundercats, Teen Titans, X-Men, eand for more modern stuff, Voltron Legendary Defender. There is no reason it should be any different today.

[Madame Warlock]

Teen Titans has aged very well though some of the OTT anime stuff gets a bit cringey sometimes, they could easily release the HD versions again on TV and it would still feel fairly fresh.

She-Ra is reminding a lot of people of Teen Titans. I can definitely see the overlap in some of the character dynamics, the whole best friend squad feel and much of the humour.

I enjoyed Voltron quite a bit but got bored of it after a while. She-Ra definitely has shades of Voltron but it has more charisma if that makes any sense.

[GizmoTron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

So are there any pictures of Hordak, Leech, Mantenna, and Grizzlor yet? All I can find are Cattra, Scorpina, and a not even close to terrifying looking Shadow Weaver.

You won't find any pictures yet of Leech and Mantenna since they didn't appear in the first season.

Hordak and Grizzlor look a lot like their old selves (same with Imp)

https://goo.gl/images/FsUywr



(Can't find a Grizzlor screen cap)

After watching all of season 1 (the show is actually really really good), and I think all of the new designs work. I actually like that both Shadow Weaver and Razz are not just Orko knock-offs, now, and have unique designs.

[Madame Warlock]

I don't understand how anyone could think that the new Shadow Weaver is somehow less scary than the pink burka from the original

[kylactus]

Just finished season one, for a show targeted at young girls it was great. I would have been more excited for a he man reboot, and I hope they do a tie in series with this. The animation style was Ok, for what it is. People who are knocking the original MOTU style must not be familiar with animation, the art was actually really good back then. There is a documentary on Netflix about MOTU( I highly recommend it for any fans of the franchise), and a lot of skill, talent, and thought we’re put into the original. That said, I really have no complaints about the new she ra. The designs are simple, but when your targeting kids that’s what you want, the story was well written with some good themes. As far as toy potential.... and I’m Going to try to not offend anyone her, the “ girl” action figure push of the last few years seems to not be selling well at retail. I’ve literaly lost count of traditional “boy” properties that have been targeted at girls and failed... but I didn’t get as much of a girl focused vibe from this series as the original. It is a primarily female cast, but I thought they did a good job not pushing any overtly gender stereotypical agenda. Where as the original he man was pure boy targeted tistosterone, and the original she ra was Barbie with a sword, this iteration did a great job of just telling a story everyone can enjoy. My son and my daughter (4, and 6 ) bothe loved it and I enjoyed watching it with them.

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madame Warlock

I don't understand how anyone could think that the new Shadow Weaver is somehow less scary than the pink burka from the original

The original was scary because she looked like the Ghost of Xmas Future. This new one looks like Lady Gaga with a robe.

BTW, how did this season get by without prominent villains like Leech and Mantenna? That's stupid. They might as well just make a He-Man show without Skeletor and Beast Man.

[lordbest]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madame Warlock

I don't understand how anyone could think that the new Shadow Weaver is somehow less scary than the pink burka from the original

Yup. Original Shadow Weaver looked like a Jawa with breasts, anyone who thinks that is scary is letting nostalgia blind them, or they are just desperate to find fault with the new version. She wasn't scary when I was five and she sure as hell isn't scary now. New Shadow Weaver is genuinely creepy in appearance, and her psychological abuse of Adora and Catra makes her genuinely horrible, she's not just cartoon villain evil.

[kollekxon]

Thanks for the laugh. That mental image of a Jawa is gonna stick with me for awhile. Either way this new She-Ra isn't all that great. Its inconsistent.
Yes, the 1980's version wasn't perfect but slamming it at every opportunity? It's hard to ignore this new version's short comings. Yes you and others can love and continue to justify how wonderful and inspired this new She-Ra is, but like i wrote - it ain't all that great either.

[lordbest]

I loved the 80s version, still do. But I don't let nostalgia blind me into thinking it is some masterpiece when it wasn't.