Netflix’s She-Ra remake finds animation community once again defending change

Yesterday, Netflix released the first official images for its She-Ra reboot with DreamWorks TV, titled She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. The set of screenshots brought mixed reactions and debates on Twitter about whether the lead’s new design deviated too much from She-Ra’s 1985 counterpart or whether it was the perfect modern update to the series.

The promo images showcase a variety of characters from the new series, including Adora/She-Ra, Glimmer, Bow and Catra, in addition to Bright Moon, the capital of Etheria and the homebase of the rebellion. The series is executive produced by Noelle Stevenson (Lumberjanes), and Netflix’s describes the show as following “a magic sword [that] transforms an orphan girl into warrior She-Ra who unites a rebellion to fight against evil.”

Netflix

While certain elements, such as She-Ra’s blonde hair and red cape, are present in both designs, there’s still a significant difference between the two. In the original 1985 She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon, She-Ra’s design featured thinner arms and thighs, a small amount of exposed cleavage, and a strapless dress that didn’t extend past her upper thighs. In contrast, the new She-Ra has visibly muscular arms, a broad chest, and a costume featuring shorts and a shirt that closes up to her neck.

NBCUniversal

While many fans were excited to get a closer look at the cast of characters after seeing the series’ first promotional poster in May, She-Ra’s image drew the most attention following the initial release, including a healthy amount of gushing about her new design.

Some complained that She-Ra’s new design was too boyish, citing the changes as evidence had completely disregarded She-Ra’s initial design. Others protested that She-Ra was no longer “attractive,” and many lamented that She-Ra had fallen into the “Cal Arts-style” trap — an insult that we previously referred to as a “cookie cutter-style of thin frame animation” particularly prevalent in modern cartoons.

However, much of the criticism has been overshadowed by fans calling out negative tweets. Twitter users were quick to call out misogyny in the criticism — aside from reinforcing that the She-Ra is an adolescent or teenage girl, one cartoonist pointed out that those complaining seemed to be doing so just for the sake of doing so, while others protested against the sense of entitlement that male fans have displayed over the series.

Although fans haven’t formally organized like they did for #FanArtForRose campaign, held in support of Star Wars: The Last Jedi actress Kelly Marie Tran, they’re still gathering together to celebrate the new She-Ra. From artists to cosplayers to casual fans, there’s no shortage of anticipation for the reboot and willingness to defend the changes in design. Many have already drawn the new character designs in their own, similar styles, like in the tweets below.

Others looked further ahead to when the show premieres, expressing relief at the fact that cosplaying She-Ra characters would be both fun and comfortable.

And others simply took the criticism in stride and turned it into positive energy instead.

What is most important, however, is that this support do make an impact on creators. Last night, showrunner Noelle Stevenson tweeted, “So overwhelmed by the outpouring of love today for She-Ra! Than you so much for the fanart and kind words. I hope you love the show when it comes out!”

While DreamWorks and Netflix won’t announce anything related to She-Ra this week at San Diego Comic-Con, there’s plenty of time to buff up on She-Ra lore and get excited for the new series before November. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power will stream exclusively on Netflix.