I think that this summarizes why I feel like questions such as “did Catra deserve to be redeemed“ fall flat for me. It’s because they fundamentally miss the point of the story. The story goes out of its way to reject the idea of love as a transactional thing, something that can be owed, earned, or deserved. Instead, it depicts love as something that can, and should, be given freely, without limit or reason. The question isn’t whether or not somebody deserves love and forgiveness even after doing truly terrible things, the question is whether the people who they hurt want to forgive them.
Yeah there's no such thing as "deserving" redemption. Redemption in itself is about earning it... imagine watching this series and not understanding basic character arcs lol
@@emilyp.3679 I think it's about choosing. Boundaries are self esteem manifested, and I loved how Adora asserted hers with Catra. That's not to say things didn't go wrong, but that's to be expected. No one owes forgiveness to those who have wronged them. But that isn't the frame here. Adora chose to forgive Catra. It was comforting to see.
@@Misstressofdons Adora could have forgiven her but decieded to move on from their relationship because even though Catra is better person now she still had no problem hurting Adora. Who says this isn't going to happen again when they have problems in their relationship. Maybe people shouldn't forgive their abusers over and over again just sayin
Honestly, I don’t think Shadow Weaver is homophobic. Don’t get me wrong; I know that Shadow Weaver is a power-hungry abuser (and I think she knows this too, at the end, but that’s a discussion for another time), but no one in this universe gives any indication that there is any sort of homophobic/transphobic bias. Shadow Weaver is actually one of the first characters to refer to Double Trouble as “they.” Admittedly, this is mainly just because until them DT was mostly referred to in the first person, but still. I think it’s great that we get to see a show that centers on the power of love in a world where non-heterosexual relationships aren’t remotely discouraged.
@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_ I doubt shes homophobic, but i definitely think the is unapproving. I think when shadow weaver was drilling into catra and adora that "catra can only do wrong, adora is golden child" she drilled it into herself. I think she believes adora is too good for catra, and that catra dosnt deserve love from adora. So, either way, shes a massive bitch
@@5x5Takes yet you manage to be so even while maintaining the tone of the video. Well done! Also, I don’t know if you noticed (you probably did but you didn’t mention it so I will just in case), but the second She-Ra has Adora’a hair-poof that does get made fun of, but represents her true self. It helps visually symbolize that THIS is the true She-Ra, unrestrained by the First Ones’ vision of perfection.
i'm gonna be totally honest. when i started watching She-Ra, I expected it to be all childish happiness and love. Instead what I got was something deep, that went straight to the heart. As someone who had parents very similar to Shadow Weaver, I had to stop after watching season 1 because it hurt too much. but someone close to me told me about the fact that this show also helped them deal with their abuse and self-reflect on it. i'm so glad i stuck through with it to the end because it WAS worth it.
I had a similar experience. My best friend told me to watch it pitching it to me as “Lesbian superheroes.” I wasn't sure at first, but I was hooked within the first five minutes. I don’t have any experience with abuse, but it still hurt to watch shadow weaver treat Catra and Adora the way she did. And of course, the ending was fantastic and worth it. I hope they find a way to continue the story.
I had similar experiences as well and I didn’t notice how much I related their experience until after I finished the show but I did notice when watching the She-Ra I felt constant anger at Shadow Weaver and I never stopped being suspicious of her. I wanted Shadow Weaver to suffer and I always thought she got off to easy. This helped me reflect on the past and I am now trying to work on acceptance, though I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive my parents, I still thank this show for helping me confront my past.
The fact that Adora was wearing her hair down, a nice crown and a light airy white dress in her vision of the future shows that Mara really managed to reach out to her. It shows she managed to detach herself from "I am a weapon and it is my destiny to sacrifice myself to save everyone". Her only problem was that Glimmer and Catra were running around like babies and that they were going to be late to Scorpia's first ball... This is heart warming
I've also seen it pointed out that Catra is wearing boots in the future vision. Throughout the show, she always has her cat feet exposed, ready to spring away from danger in an instant. Wearing boots that impede sudden flight suggests that, in the future with Adora, Catra feels safe at last.
another detail: even though they're running late, they're laughing. they know that if they were late, the worst thing that would happen would be minor disappointment. no abuse, no danger, no punishment. just as absolute worst case "aw guys, where were you? thought you wouldn't show up! glad you're here, though." and it's no big deal, won't be held over their heads. it's just being late to a party. its not a test.
“A forest isn’t beautiful because we command it to grow. A song doesn’t make us feel something because we know how it ends. Genuine connection isn’t a grasp for control, but a desire to share, and it’s those things we share that, I think, make life sweetest.” ..”and maybe that’s magic” That.. is beautiful beyond any words
Intertwined with the motif of “left” is the motif of “stay” and I think that’s where it turns from pain to love and as it slowly fades from “you left” to “why can’t you stay” is where it changes from looking strictly at the past to accepting the past while still remembering that they get a future
jjhggdcqz yes! it’s done in a different way and she is pointedly about integrating tech and magic. and with her, tech doesn’t suppress her Self, it’s the most authentic expression Of it! the metaphor is dynamic, but here i focused on how it’s used with prime and the land, specifically
@@5x5Takes I like this reading especially when you remember Entrapta's coded neurodivergent, meaning the way she expresses herself is different but it doesn't mean she is incapable of love
Phaden Swan DeMil agreed. her relationship to tech is not about destruction, or stripping humanity, it’s an expression Of it. creativity, personality, curiosity. emily wasn’t a tool, she was a Friend, and pointedly so. a beautiful inversion.
I think she combines tech and magic, something bow points out in season one. She does this with tech, but also with connecting to hordak and turning his controlled artificial face into something authentic. She’s like a connection between the two ideas
There are two instances, both important: C. getting teased by Bow about her sneeze (largely for fun, but also important from the perspective of bringing her closer to the BFS) and her bonding with Melog, which was key to exposing C.'s emotional vulnerability.
I found it really important when and why Perfuma opened up to Catra. Catra literally says "Scorpia is lucky to have a friend like you." I always found this a tad twisted on Catra's part like thr "Perfuma and Scorpia" friendship was random and came together through luck rather than for their characters, important discussions, and support they give each other. Secondly the second the empathic and sensitive Catra shines through Perfuma wants only to coax it out and nurture it. Perfuma was always antagonizing to Catra because she heard about the hurt Catra caused yet filpped when she saw the possible Catra and the Catra, Catra wanted to be. I always wanted to see Perfuma rip into SW. However, I doubt anyone has ever heard of the damage SW has done to Catra, Adora, Glimmer and even (At least S5 rebels) Micah: Adora would carry the burden, Catra would be too self reversed to open up about it, Castaspella really only has a connection to Glimmer and I doubt Casta or Angella told Glimmer cause she was a child, and Glimmer just got teleported to an alien spaceship when she experienced the fall out. I mean I would guess Bow and Glimmer have parts and inclinations about it from Adora. I still somewhat doubt bow and Glimmer know a lot about the SW abuse and they 100% don't have the full picture.
You just made me just understand how much realistically the world is. In the eyes of catra , she felt abandoned and was mentally and emotionally abused by shadow weaver. And after adora left her, she felt so overwhelmed that she just lost everything even her best friend
So want to say this...this show literally in the most PUREST sense of the word saved my neice life. She is a BEAUTIFUL woman now (just turned 20) and has known she was a lesbian for a long time. She has a friend who she loved deeply but her mother (my sister) who is a super evangelical christian and said all lesbians/gays ect ect are going to hell. So she has been fighting with this part of herself for a long time. To the point it would almost drive her to suicide a few times. She would push the one she loved away so much who was openly a lesbian but never once tried to force the issue. Her mom (my sister once again) would use guilt and the fact she was her mom to control her over and over...when she started watching this show. As she said it was like watching herself in Catra.....and made her re-evaluate herself and who she was and what she was becoming. This show has given her the drive to seek the help she needs.....she has pretty much told her mother and let her choose what to do with their relationship and moved on (Mother disowned her and blames me since i told her about anime). My neice is so much happier now....dating her friend who is taking it slow. In therapy to and learning to love life and herself. I wish honestly wish I could show the creator of this show that is has literally save a persons LIFE.......in no uncertain terms it saved her life. Starting her on the road to happyness and healing.
^^this. What Lakshita Yellanki said. Your story was really heartwarming to hear. Thank you for sharing. I’m openly bisexual, as is my mother, so I knew before I came out that I would be accepted, but that didn’t make it all that much less stressful or make it something that was easier to accept about myself. To know that others out there are going through struggles similar to mine - even worse, in fact - and came out not just alright, but in your words, beautiful… That is truly amazing. Thank you. Tell your niece that I’m rooting for her, even if I am just some random guy on the Internet.
This is an amazing anecdotal evidence of the power storytelling can have...? People who dismiss anything fictional/fantasy-based as juvenile, or don't believe broad representation is important, really miss how much popular media can touch people and help them confront issues and broaden their ideas, and heal. Of course the inverse is unfortunately true too? Media which perpetuates harmful messaging can be equally impactful, to damage or diminish people... As creators, we have a big responsibility, even when we're just creating stuff we thing might be fun to see!
They were only used as resources- and thats why Queen Angela’s sacrifice blew my mind and broke me heart. For once- it wasn’t on the KIDS on us... to fix everything... for once we were people worthy of living the lives we WANT. I never got that.. And growing up with an Narcissist father... I never had that chance... Seeing it on screen broke me in wonderful ways
When Angela saves adora it broke my heart. Angela was always trying to protect them, shield them from the danger. She knew that it wasent fair. They’re children. The only person in the show that truly tried to let them be children, even if they didn’t want that. She wanted adora to live a full life, she wanted her daughter to have her friend. Angela at first may have thought if adora as just shera. But she saw that adora was also a child, someone taken and hurt by people she trusted. Her “death” shows that adora now has to try and accept herself. Because everyone else already has.,.
I love She Ra because is humanizes everyone. Even the people we don’t like, Hordak in season 3 for example, are shown as humans with feeling, fears, hopes, and loves. I feel like in a lot of shows, the villains are shown as just pure evil and wanting nothing but power, but this show really shows that everyone, no matter what they do, is human. We all want something, we all do what we do for a reason, and this show does an amazing job of portraying that.
@@rmsgrey Well even in the video she said Horde prime has some insecurities when he call Etherians "too emotional" almost showing he was afraid of feelings and seems like he tried so hard to get away from them. And also it was a character that we didn't had the chance to really know, we would think the same if Hordak's character advance wouldn't been shown on season 3. So I guess Horde prime it's an unfinished character judging only by what they showed us on the Serie. Kind of a shame cause he got the potential to a deep character. The only we had about him was the fact he was a selfish, obsessive perfectionist, and his insecurities were his lack on controlling magic or having control at all (When Meagol tell them about what happened to his planet), it reminded me a little of Thanos hahaha but still, we can't blame the story, it was a great one.
@@rmsgrey The thing is, Horde Prime has lost his humanity long ago when he refused to die. Who knows what he was in the beginning? Maybe all he wanted was just to bring peace. His version of peace, maybe, but peace and order, which are not bad things in themselves. But he couldn't let go. He couldn't pass on his tasks. He prolonged his life far beyond what was intended, he replaced his humanity with an artificial body and over the millenia, he eroded until he was but a machine himself, carrying on the code programmed into it, unable to adapt or grow. When he is finally vanquished, he is put at rest. The code is purged and the body (in this case that of Hordak) could finally live again.
@@siamath9954 It has been said that there is no peace this side of the grave. Horde Prime's stated goal may have been peace and order (or "light") but his observed methods were to destroy whatever he couldn't control, and use mind-control chips on anything else that might threaten his uniform world - turning them into drones for his collective. To be fair, we never actually see what life is like on core Horde worlds; only on the flagship, or in Horde-occupied lands (or the Fright Zone if you count Hordak's domain), and the only non-Hordak citizens we encounter are fugitives/refugees whose experience of the Horde (even if they report it accurately) may not be typical. Maybe there are whole worlds of cheerful citizens out there, living in blissful ignorance of the horrors their glorious and eternal leader perpetrates in order to defend them from the dangers of the great dark...
In my headcanon the difference and simularities between Wrong Hordak and just Hordak are really well written. They were both rejected by Horde Prime for something they could not control. The big difference between them is that Wrong Hordak had support when he came out of Horde Primes cult. He had people who cared for him. Hordak didnt. He was alone, with no one who truly cared for him until Entrapta. In my mind, she was the first to see him as a person instead of just an extension, a failure, or a menacing boss to be feared.
Either people who cry that a show allows gay characters and then claim they're "pushing an agenda"... Or it's the old school people that love the shitty old She-ra. Granted it was shitty because it was underfunded, but still, shitty nonetheless. From what I gathered, it's one or the other.
"We aren't monsters for wanting to be cared for." Repeating this line four time shattered the ice around my cold, dead heart, melted it, and made it defy gravity just so it could flood out from my face. In all seriousness, as someone who is still struggling with depression, anxiety, self-loathing, and suicidal thoughts, this made me bawl my eyes out. Thank you so much for this line, and you can trust I will hold it close to me. I hear that so rarely, and hearing it from you with your perfect delivery and hearing it come from one of my new favorite shows; it's too much. Thanks again for this diamond in the rough, and once covid ends and I can return to my therapist, I will be sharing this entire show, and especially this theme with him. I personally relate to Adora, in that for a while now, and to this day, most of my self worth has been based on what I can give to others, and hearing that I deserve love, not because I earned it, but because I'm a person too, is so amazing to me. There are many time where I've told myself that I deserved mocking and bullying from peers because "I didn't do enough for them" or "I let them down", and feeling like I'm worth something just because I'm human is so amazing to me. Thank you again for this video, and for all that you do. I'm gonna keep doing my best to love myself.
You aren't alone. I know COVID-19 make for a long, lonely year, where all the struggles feel harder, the shadows seem darker, and the demons look bigger, but you aren't alone.
I want you to know that you aren’t alone. You’re loved and wanted. Take care of yourself and be strong. You are valid and very strong. If you want to talk about it, you can.
You are *not* alone. You have value. Everyone does. You do not have to “do enough for” others to have worth or to be a *treasure* worth valuing. I know that it’s not as simple as just reading or knowing it. All of us have struggles ahead. We have struggles now. But. All of us *can* overcome our struggles. I hope you know that I’m rooting for you, even if I am just some random guy on the Internet.
She-Ra is such a beautiful show, it’s so inclusive, diverse in not only the characters but the main messages of the show. Catra’s evolution and the empathy in this show is amazing. Also, Adoras “destiny” is to be with Catra ❤️
@@unhackerthelaziestbastardo6083 Yeah, but it takes time to plant seeds of anxiety. Fourth season was sooo dark, when you take into consideration that it's for kids and how light was first season. (Mer-mysteries. This is only time, when something is played for shock value but it is done perfectly)
“Home is best defined by how it makes us feel, safe and comfortable yourself…Home is, through love, life made better than the sum of its parts.” This is perfect and that’s all I have to say
This must be one of the best analyses about Catra and Adora's relationship, the way their environment shaped them as they grew into teenagers and adults and the importance of love to the narrative, more specifically all the characters'' love of all types being able to shine through in spite of the internal and external obstacles in their way. Good job!
This made me cry.. I think the most important part of She ra is that scene between Mara and Adora, where she tells Adora "you are more that what you can give to people." and that is so important. This explains exactly why. I love She ra so much ;;-;;
I agree. That was actually a great cliche-dodge, with so many protagonists sacrificing themselves in the end, and now we're given a plausible argument against that. Just another example of great writing that this show continually expressed.
This idea that the actual conflict is real connection vs. outside manipulation is really spot on when it comes to Catra and Adora’s relationship and the show in general. Noelle Stevenson has said she based Catra and Adora’s dynamic on the love story between her and her wife. I suggest watching their Black Lives Matter live stream to hear the whole story but basically Noelle wasn’t supposed to fall for Molly because Molly had a boyfriend and they all were in the same friend group. So this whole genuine connection vs. outside manipulation is really spot on
This made me cry so much. as someone who is a victim of abuse, and a similar kind of abuse at that, She-ra and your amazingly eloquent analysis of its themes means so much. thank u
Me too. I knew that the abuse that I endured, which is scarily similar to what was talked about in this video, has affected me and shaped me in countless ways but it's still surprising to me just how much. Realized new things and cried like 8 seperate times in this 18 min video. I honestly wish I could download it. I feel so seen and validated, thank you for this masterpiece♥️
"and YET"!!!! the way ur just out here with all these thoughts... the big brain energy truly Jumped out. if there's a place for fiction, it's for hope - ur so right, thats what its About. Maybe That's Magic.... this video is so good i truly cannot express it. the show is so clearly about love through its literal narrative and its production and the way that this video is a reflection of that.... Unmatched
Also, just a PSA, the abuse depicted in the relationship between Shadow Weaver and Adora and Catra is formally known as Narcissistic abuse. Narcissism comes in many forms, and it isn't just about someone loving themself a lot. As this video has shown, its actually quite the opposite. I would encourage you all to learn more about it, here are some links to videos that talk about it: th-cam.com/video/NvUxtewXkEc/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/XUtWkTyu7eo/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/sI7WkpSFI7I/w-d-xo.html
I remember snickering at the sheer 80's cheese of old She-Ra in between flipping channels as a kid. The writers of the new one really knocked it out of the park. I can't believe how much I immediately loved it. This vid is an excellent analysis of exactly why the writers of the show did something unique and truly special here.
"The universe may be indifferent, but we don't have to be." That quote resonated with me so much. Because that's the crux of it, for me at least. That's why I've fallen in love with humanity. Because we are all flawed and imperfect and selfish and cruel. Because the universe is infinite and neutral. We get in life, what we create in no small part because nothing else will create that same spark. We find Hurt and Love but they are both special Because they are not uncaring. The universe is black and Grey and white but humanity is a rainbow. Temporary but no less incredible. It is our capability to do anything, good or bad Because we are human we are capable of the worst crimes imaginable and at the same time complete selflessness, sometimes in the same person because There is Nothing Simple or Explainable about us. For all our love of labels, we exist indefinable for all that some of our experience is universal.
@@notyetdeleted6319 I've been stabbed plenty of times, and what I build is still standing, because I will not let one person's pain overshadow everything good that I've come to love about the world. And this form of nihilism is both unhealthy and a poor coping mechanism overall that maybe you should talk to a professional about. You sound like Catra after Adora left and she was trying to keep from getting hurt again. And we all know how that turned out.
@@notyetdeleted6319 I was abused by my parents, I was betrayed by friends, and I have hurt people who did not deserve it. My scars do not make me stronger, but they neither define me if I don't let them. In the end the dark claims us all but for the brief instant we're here we can either be kind, or be hurtful. Nihilism brings nothing but pain. Joy, love, and shared friendship are better.
As someone who feels deep regret for past actions, She-ra have me so much hope. Maybe I don't "deserve forgiveness" because my actions were just too bad, but I have to hope that even if what I did was awful, I can become a better person, and I can still have a life afterwards. I see myself in Catra, from starting as a.. mildly fun, but immature person in a bad situation, to growing colder and colder and feeling like I've lost everything, until finally, I broke. I did something I can never take back and paid the price. For a while I rationalized, tried to proceed as normal, but I finally realized. I did something awful, and I needed to make amends. The people I hurt are right to not forgive me, but maybe, if I try, there's still a life for me.
Why am I crying omg !? The way you talked about this subject is just beautiful. I am by nature a rather pessimistic person and always saw the world and life as something we couldn't control or a thing that kinda happened and a thing we have to deal with, but after hearing you, I realized that the world itself is a gift we have to cherish. That may sound obvious to most people but not for me so thank you ( plus you watched She ra so thank you for that as well) I'm sorry if I made some mistake, I'm not english.
Catra was supposed to be a Vader-like character in the show, a villain with irredeemable qualities only to be forgiven if sacrificed in the end to save the hero and defeat the main evil... unfortunately the show runners focused on the rushed friendshipping than consistent storytelling.
@@johannesseyfried7933 I disagree. IMO a character can be redeemed to a certain extent without being forgiven. Catra paid for her mistakes, and her reasons for many of her actions (including the one mentioned in your comment) are also the roots to her redemption. Just as the characters begin considering that there is a point of no return, Catra begins to act selflessly, and proves this notion wrong. A far better Vader analogue would be shadow weaver. Shadow Weaver never stops acting selfishly, never tries to fix her actions. She sacrifices herself, sure, but I would argue she has the worse character arc. Dying does not absolve her - or Vader - from their sins. Catra still did wrong, but she begins consistently and for an extended period of time working toward betterment. Shadow weaver decides at one point to sacrifice herself in a singular moment, and although it cost her more it means less overall.
@Amelia ListerI think this is a big incorrect criticism of the force that has been created due to the point of view character in revenge of the sith being Anakin. Because the point of view of the story os that of him we hear his biases and views the most we hear his point of view as the most obvious and this creates a bias that his point of view is correct. One problem that exists is anakin is a very impatient person and he is a person who while more Gifted than nearly any jedi craves attention power and status as well. Worse he is a person who most needed a time of peace and meditation to temper his impatience and wants. The way he saw it his idea was I am a great warrior I’m the most decorated jedi I’m winning so many battles I am greater in combat than some members of the council. My power level is higher than some masters why do you not promote me. But on the jedi order being on the council or being a master is not a rank based on skill alone it’s about the understanding of the nature of the force it’s about attaining a certain degree of attunement with the force. A jedi master is not necessarialky someone who is the most powerful it’s a person who has attained a form of enlightenment with the force. But anakin saw it as more a military rank and and palpating knew this. He knew he could foster a doubt that the council was holding him back denying him what should be his. This to me is the key problem with the jedi aren’t permitted to love thing. The problem with love is love can be a selfish thing. Let’s say you are in love with someone let’s say they don’t love you as much. Too much love may not let you let them go. They might want to end the relationship but you love them you aren’t going to let them go. That is why that kind of attachment is frowned upon it’s a kind of attachment where even the best person can allow selfish wants to Get in the way of the wants and needs of the other person. The reason the jedi forbod love is because of the evil things a jedi might do if they think they might loose the one they love. The biggest problem was because love is a no no and anakin was ambitious he knew if he told obi wan even if the reaction was understanding obi would have told him something he couldn’t handle. One that if the will of the force is for padme to die then don’t try and stop it through your actions as a jedi. At best he would encourage anakin to try and comfort her be with her she’s a major player in the senate shes a senator and former queen she can get the best medical attention. But don’t try and oppose the evil of the force. Perhaps the vision is even a vision of what will happen if you try and prevent it from happening perhaps in trusting the force her fate is not what you fear. But item two that anakin certainly would t be able to handle. This need to hold onto something that the force may be returning into it it is concearning it is an attachment that can lead to acts of heroism but also has risks of acts of evil as well because of this despite your tallent you may never be suitable to be a master. Coming clean would have killed his ability for advancement in the order. Of course in their philosophy careing about ones station in the order on its self Goes against the teachings of the order one isn’t supposed to seek power or influence one is supposed to seek following the will of the force Being in love was t a Akins truest sith like Crime the real fall was his ambition for power and want to climb the ranks in the order. He should have been happy to be a knight and serve the will of the force but what he wanted was to have what was out of his reach he was striving to clench his fist around what was forbidden. He was already falling to the dark just in his ambition.
“The more we commit to disproving someone’s idea of us, the more we’re actually giving that idea power.” I had to rewind that line like five times to fully digest it. Just what I needed. Thank you. ❤️
I love how this isn't your typical "Power of love/friendship" show. It goes way deeper than that and shows all the characters feelings and shows that real life is much more complicated than just "friendship is everything". It's just so well developed I can't help but re-watch it over and over again.
"we are not the expectations of us" - idk why but this quote literally made me tear up. as someone who struggles a LOT with identity, guilt, and trying to live up to expectations put on me by family/society at large being in my 20s, etc. this was something i really needed to hear. who knew it would be in a she-ra analysis video. thanks for the great in-depth look.
One of my favorite turning points in their relationship was in Taking Control were Adora *stops* trying to take control of Catra, stops using vague generalized language of prescriptive behavior, and uses 'I' statements and starts talking about her feelings on their relationship.
To the person who made this video essay. I want you to know that through times in my life when I question myself, I go back to this video to reteach the lesson I learned from this show and in your view of it. It's a philosophy I have gravitated towards ever since I watched this show. Thank you with my whole being.
You are a serious therapist. You know you’re talented when you can make someone bawl and give them serious hope by explaining a magical 80’s reboot kids show.
The dynamic of their relationship was for the first 4.5 seasons "follow me/stay." Thier relationship was unbalanced and it wasn't until Catra could accept her feelings for Adora and follow her and Adora accepting that she can be genuinely loved and staying with Catra that they could finally see each other.
You’re so right! They got together only when Catra joined the rebellion _and_ Adora decided to stay instead of sacrifice herself. I honestly expected them to get together like right after Catra joined but I was missing this bit of the dynamic.
B so cool if there was a storyline where Adora followed Catra while she led a mission (such as rebuilding Salineas or rehoming refugees) showing that she’s just as willing 2 support her when she takes the lead, like Catra has all this time 4 her. I really believe Catra could b a light in her own right (pardon my inner poet!) 4 those who have done wrong in their lives & can’t c a way out (like she has been 4 the Fandom). In a sense, it would b hard 4 people in that situation 2 relate 2 Adora - as she’s always shown with an air of perfection & treated as a deity. Something u can’t really strive 2 b as only 1 person in a generation is given She-Ra’s role. Catra has no Fancy Pants Princess Powers but she accomplished so much WITHOUT IT! It’s 4 that reason I c her as a far more realistic role model than Adora.
im literally crying. im individually so obsessed with love and this just explains the insane connection i have to she ra and how i genuinely feel empty without it. thank you so much
7:35 I just want y'all to take a second and realize that these are the villains of the show. An abuser who will do anything for power and status, the last relic of a long gone empire, and an Emperor who believes he will conquered all and quell all magic.
When you were talking about home and how it’s where you can be “comfortably yourself”. It made me realize that I’m always wishing for a perfect fairytale home, but all that really matters is that your with people you’re yourself with. I wish I’d heard this 7 months ago, thank you for this video ☺️
Stay was another key word they use since season one as well, Catra keep saying and begging Adora to stay with her, also Adora to her plead to Catra leave the Horde and go with Adora, both kinda rejected each other until the moment of season 5 when Catra safe Glimmer make Adora realize there was still hope. This Essay is probably my new favorite She-Ra Essay, this show was all about Love, and how important is to accept it no matter where it comes from, Adora was safe by it, Catra as well.....and the whole Etheria was literally safe by love.
After months of, frankly, obsessing over She-Ra after its finale, it's nice to have found something new and uplifting in The Owl House. But then there's also a kind of comfort in watching a video like this and still feeling that it hits like a truck. Gonna keep hoping for a She-Ra movie or epilogue season.
“We’re not monsters for wanting to be cared for” those words will always echo in the back of my mind. No matter how many times I hear them, they always bring tears to my eyes.
As someone who came from an abusive household with a similar dynamic as Shadow Weaver and Catra...these are the lines that really hit deep and made me actually start bawling. I didn't even think of these point, but they're INCREDIBLY true. I didn't even have a sense of identity, personality, or wants until I was able to move away from my dad. Growing up being abused while being invalidated by my mom really made it feel like I was "sitting in my own darkness, but feeling like I'm doomed to be the only one to see it." This really is a really great analysis, thank you for sharing 💗😭 "The question isn’t what do I want, it’s how do i stay on her good side, so I am not punished. So i don’t suffer. Survival mode is a state of chronic stress, self-neglect, and uncalibrated emotions. Here, we can’t access our authentic self--our wants, our needs. The self that does emerge is a distorted one, on autopilot, keeping us safe the only way it knows how." "Without having been child soldiers, we all might have wounds that feel inevitable to us, like we can’t tell where our pain ends and we begin. Pain does not explain itself to us, it just comes. And often, the worst part is not only sitting in our own darkness, but feeling like we’re doomed to be the only ones to see it." "The more we commit to disproving someone’s idea of us, the more we give that idea power."
This was like a therapy session, wow!!! Your tone of voice is so calming and smooth, almost hypnotic. You did an incredible job with this! I hope Noelle watches this! She would be so proud of the message! I agree with everything and was blown away by how eye opening it was! 🥰
@@tami3421 Oh.... that makes sense. I interpreted the sleeker, slimmer, and more form fitting outfit as her "getting into" her part as She-Ra. Previously, using the sword to become She-Ra feels artificial, but once she can do it on her own, she can imprint her own personality on how She-Ra appears.
“Home looks different to all of us, a different skyline, different smells different laughter, so I think it’s defined best just by the way it makes us feel. Safe. And comfortably ourselves.” This is all too real. You have a way other words that could cause someone to fall in love. And some of your words in a way, sound like home
I started she ra because it’s a “gay staple” and I knew I had to watch it sometime I never expecting for this show to literally change my life, I’ve never related more to a character then I do to catra not in a good way tho, the way I show my insecurity and anger is similar to her Catra gave me hope and her I relate to her flaws and her strengths aside from that once I started the show and got to episode three i knew this show was going to change my life Razz talking to adora was smth I hadn’t heard in a long time I always go back to that ep when ever I feel sad, anger or hopeless anyways thank you for this amazing video
That was a fantastic take on these themes. The whole idea of power versus love spoke to me on a personal level and just hit home that much harder, because I have a family member, who is focusing all of his energy on controlling and manipulation, instead of building interpersonal connections. I have just never seen anyone phrase it so clear and simple and it floored me for a moment. Thank you so much for this great video and keep up the good work.
Sophia Gray thank you for sharing. it’s hard stuff. we are stronger together than whatever arbitrary “safety” we can have on our own. wishing you and them the best
I'm a couple days early, but happy three-year anniversary to my favourite She-Ra video essay. It's so emotionally fulfilling to hear someone other than myself talk about the love in SPOP and how unfalteringly important it is. I mean this in the most sincere way an internet stranger possibly can: thank you. If I could get knocked on the head and get to watch this for the first time again, I would take that choice in a heartbeat. It makes my soul feel lighter in a way I can't properly describe or explain, nor do I need to. Hope you have a brilliantly good day (month, year, life)
@alexander_markovski. Yes, I'm still slightly saddened every time I remember that I can't ever go through the experience of watching for the first time again. There's a comment thread under a different YT video (I don't know exactly which, I think it was one of "Best Friends Squad best moments" ones) which perfectly sums up my feelings, and does it in a very few words. Commenter 1: "When Glimmer kissed Catra on the cheek*, I felt like 10 years were added to my lifespan". Commenter 2, responding: "I have watched that moment so many times, I am now effectively immortal".🤣 *(Referring to a moment at the end of "Shot in the dark").
She-ra is such a beautiful drama. It builds so well to the climactic moment, with every thought so thoroughly reinforced, that I can't help but tear up every time I see it. At some point the reaction may die down, but even just grabbing some clips for art, or watching an analysis video like this, I'm still brought to tears.
She-Ra doesn't turn abusers into victims: it humanizes them. Abusers can't be excused for the pain they bring to others, but they don't hurt people because they want to. They hurt people because they feel threatened, and they want to feel safe. The reality is that Shadow Weaver conditioned Catra to build up her walls. All of us know that walls aren't easy to break down. In the end, though, it was Catra's decision to break them down. Catra made that decision, not Adora, not Glimmer, not anyone. She-Ra reminds us that we have the ability to choose what we deserve. Do we want to isolate ourselves and hurt those closest to us? That's our choice. Do we want to live freely as the person we, and the people closest to us, know and love? That's our choice. She-Ra reminds us that abusers, just like us, have that choice.
as a fellow lgbt+ italian who's way too emotionally invested in these types of media i could not be happier to have stumbled upon your channel. truly amazing work.
At about 9:50 you talk about how in her new She-are form, she’s outfitted with Bow’s heart, Glimmer’s boots, and Catra’s crown. I think it’s also worth noting that the silhouette of the new outfit very closely resembles the silhouette of Mara’s, which is yet another really important connection for Adora. It shows that she’s not only accepted that Mara wasn’t evil or crazy, but also that she’s allowing herself to become more like Mara, which she didn’t want to allow herself to do even after finding out Mara’s reasoning for sending the planet to Despondos.
"Love" a word so simple yet so complex. Love can mean warmth, comfort, and happiness, but it can also change a person so quickly. Love can change a friendship for the better or make it fall apart. Love can be friendly or something you feel towards another person that's indescribable. Love can make you hurt, it can deceive you, and can make you hate someone, but it can also make you realize the truth. Love is the one thing that will never leave us, it's the one thing that people can't take away from you no matter how much they try. Love can mean different things for many people, but in the end it's all the same. It's what you make it.
I knew that there's more to shipping itself in She-ra, there's also a deeper more authentic meaning to the characters and what they've been through. Huge thank you for Noelle Stevenson and her crew in this show, also for your very well explained in depth video analysis. It's very comforting and cannot wait for more shows like She-Ra.
How did I never realize Shera’s new outfit incorporated Glimmer, Bow, and Catra!!! I love that so much, and this video was amazing. Shera is truly an amazing expression of love
And Mara! .... Before, she had bare legs and a little skirt, but now she has Mara's full white leggings. (I can't believe 5 X 5 didn't point that out at the time 🤔)
oh. my. gosh. wow. just wow. I can't even put into words how amazing this analysis is. it made me feel so many things, I've been barely able to stop myself from crying. it's absolutely amazing!
This is the best articulation of why love is so central in She-Ra. Not that love fixes everything but that it gives us the strength to overcome. Tysm for this awesome video essay
“The universe might be indifferent, but we don’t have to be” Your videos really are about so much more than tv shows and movies, they are literally about the essence of humanity
This wonderful show gave me hope and made me reflect on my own negative, toxic behaviors that had made me isolate myself and lash out on others. It came into my life during a very hard time and I think the timing was perfect. My only worry was that the final season would be not that good, that they would butcher Catra's arc and that Adora and her would never go back together when that was what they both wanted. I was so happy with how it ended, with Catra giving more to others and Adora being more "selfish", leading to what saved the world.
Noelle Stevenson and Rebecca Sugar are two of my favourite human beings. Both have made amazing shows that teach us how to love, be kind, care for others, and be true to ourselves. I hope anyone that reads this has a wonderful day. ❤️
"Newly outfitted with Glimmer's boots, Bo's heart and Catra's crown... " Every part of this was wonderfully well done with so many feels, this however really hit home.
I think that this summarizes why I feel like questions such as “did Catra deserve to be redeemed“ fall flat for me. It’s because they fundamentally miss the point of the story. The story goes out of its way to reject the idea of love as a transactional thing, something that can be owed, earned, or deserved. Instead, it depicts love as something that can, and should, be given freely, without limit or reason. The question isn’t whether or not somebody deserves love and forgiveness even after doing truly terrible things, the question is whether the people who they hurt want to forgive them.
bingo
Yeah there's no such thing as "deserving" redemption. Redemption in itself is about earning it... imagine watching this series and not understanding basic character arcs lol
Even if they try to kill you and have no problem with hurting you?
@@emilyp.3679 I think it's about choosing. Boundaries are self esteem manifested, and I loved how Adora asserted hers with Catra. That's not to say things didn't go wrong, but that's to be expected. No one owes forgiveness to those who have wronged them. But that isn't the frame here. Adora chose to forgive Catra. It was comforting to see.
@@Misstressofdons Adora could have forgiven her but decieded to move on from their relationship because even though Catra is better person now she still had no problem hurting Adora. Who says this isn't going to happen again when they have problems in their relationship. Maybe people shouldn't forgive their abusers over and over again just sayin
“Perfection and power are overrated. I think you’re very wise to choose happiness and love...” Uncle Iroh
CharlieGreen he’s right
😢
Neil Brown depends on how you look at it but if you’re not even happy with perfection and power, is it really worth it?
Neil Brown no, you’re an idiot
Omg catra(I think) thought the same thing!
“We’re not monsters for wanting to be cared for”
Well shit...that really hit me where it hurts
same bro same
We should all just vibe with each other and care for each other in this reply section U^U
@@your_local_fander3702 hey we could all use some love and care. I send free hugs🤗🤗🤗🤗
Valek Stormhowl I send more free hugs to anyone who sees this: 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
I hope ya’ll feel loved
@@your_local_fander3702 😁😁😁
“ confusing emotions for catra” that’s a subtitle for “ your gay adora”
honestly tho
Your gay
I have it. It’s mine now
And I’m not giving it back (･_･ノ*ヽ
Honestly, I don’t think Shadow Weaver is homophobic. Don’t get me wrong; I know that Shadow Weaver is a power-hungry abuser (and I think she knows this too, at the end, but that’s a discussion for another time), but no one in this universe gives any indication that there is any sort of homophobic/transphobic bias. Shadow Weaver is actually one of the first characters to refer to Double Trouble as “they.” Admittedly, this is mainly just because until them DT was mostly referred to in the first person, but still.
I think it’s great that we get to see a show that centers on the power of love in a world where non-heterosexual relationships aren’t remotely discouraged.
@@_somerandomguyontheinternet_ I doubt shes homophobic, but i definitely think the is unapproving. I think when shadow weaver was drilling into catra and adora that "catra can only do wrong, adora is golden child" she drilled it into herself. I think she believes adora is too good for catra, and that catra dosnt deserve love from adora. So, either way, shes a massive bitch
it’s called shadow weaver is not only the worst person in the entire series but she’s also homophobic
"Bow has parents" I laughed so hard at this line
i’m a comedian
Me too 😹
@@5x5Takes yet you manage to be so even while maintaining the tone of the video. Well done!
Also, I don’t know if you noticed (you probably did but you didn’t mention it so I will just in case), but the second She-Ra has Adora’a hair-poof that does get made fun of, but represents her true self. It helps visually symbolize that THIS is the true She-Ra, unrestrained by the First Ones’ vision of perfection.
Catra has a cute sneeze!
I wasnt expecting to cry this morning
Oh Hi Blackie Sootfur Love Yah Channel :3
I wasn't expecting to cry tonight!
I was NEAR tears. I never cried. ;D
Same
I cried in the afternoon. 😩
"you miscalculated, I love Catra more than I fear you"
The thematic crossovers about abuse, power, and love between ATLA and She Ra are amazing
This crossover tho ✨👄✨
@@annalafarina3945 imagine that crossover
That would be weird
NO YOU MISCALCULATED!
"You should've feared me more!"
"The universe may be indifferent, but we don't have to be."
I like this.
Such a good line!
😊
Another good one “Pain doesn’t explain itself to us but love doesn’t either”
"If nothing we do matters than all that matters is what we do" -Angel
"So I believe in a universe that doesn't care and people who do." - Night In The Woods :')
“And often, the worst part isn’t just sitting in our own darkness but feeling like we’re doomed to be the only ones who can see it.” Holy shit
Woooow! That's so well-written.
You just went deep
🗣️🗣️🗣️
i'm gonna be totally honest.
when i started watching She-Ra, I expected it to be all childish happiness and love. Instead what I got was something deep, that went straight to the heart. As someone who had parents very similar to Shadow Weaver, I had to stop after watching season 1 because it hurt too much. but someone close to me told me about the fact that this show also helped them deal with their abuse and self-reflect on it. i'm so glad i stuck through with it to the end because it WAS worth it.
I’m glad it helped you. You are valid, loved, and important. Are you doing okay now? If you want to talk about it, I’m here.
I had a similar experience. My best friend told me to watch it pitching it to me as “Lesbian superheroes.” I wasn't sure at first, but I was hooked within the first five minutes. I don’t have any experience with abuse, but it still hurt to watch shadow weaver treat Catra and Adora the way she did. And of course, the ending was fantastic and worth it. I hope they find a way to continue the story.
You took the words right out of my mouth--
I feel the same way honestly..
I am happy 4 U
I had similar experiences as well and I didn’t notice how much I related their experience until after I finished the show but I did notice when watching the She-Ra I felt constant anger at Shadow Weaver and I never stopped being suspicious of her. I wanted Shadow Weaver to suffer and I always thought she got off to easy. This helped me reflect on the past and I am now trying to work on acceptance, though I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive my parents, I still thank this show for helping me confront my past.
The fact that Adora was wearing her hair down, a nice crown and a light airy white dress in her vision of the future shows that Mara really managed to reach out to her. It shows she managed to detach herself from "I am a weapon and it is my destiny to sacrifice myself to save everyone". Her only problem was that Glimmer and Catra were running around like babies and that they were going to be late to Scorpia's first ball... This is heart warming
I've also seen it pointed out that Catra is wearing boots in the future vision. Throughout the show, she always has her cat feet exposed, ready to spring away from danger in an instant. Wearing boots that impede sudden flight suggests that, in the future with Adora, Catra feels safe at last.
@@frankwales I’m really happy you pointed this out, it adds an adorable extra layer for me to enjoy. Thank you friend🥰💚
Imma cry
another detail: even though they're running late, they're laughing. they know that if they were late, the worst thing that would happen would be minor disappointment. no abuse, no danger, no punishment. just as absolute worst case "aw guys, where were you? thought you wouldn't show up! glad you're here, though." and it's no big deal, won't be held over their heads. it's just being late to a party. its not a test.
me- "I only watch She-ra for the plot!"
the plot- 'catra and adora'
it’s the catradora show and i love it
@@5x5Takes don't we all
FACTS
So true
I started it cause i saw some clips of catra on TH-cam but i stayed for the Story between her and adora.
THAT'S IT. THAT'S LITERALLY IT. THE PLOT REVOLVES AROUND THEM AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP. FSDAJKFHLJKFASD
“A forest isn’t beautiful because we command it to grow. A song doesn’t make us feel something because we know how it ends. Genuine connection isn’t a grasp for control, but a desire to share, and it’s those things we share that, I think, make life sweetest.”
..”and maybe that’s magic”
That.. is beautiful beyond any words
i’m glad it resonated with you 💛
this analysis was so good??? i kinda wanna rewatch the series for the hundredth time because of this
Hellothere so Do It. embrace it
Same
@Arty Gamer yes I agree. How about "heyadora"
hey Catra ;)
Same
"love...IS clarity." hit me hard.
8:10
@jacintak2118 thank you for the citation.
Therapy: expensive
Rewatching She-Ra and this video a million times: free, cathartic and great for your mental health.
therapy: expensive. rewatching she ra and writing too enthusiastically about it: free. we’re both winning
@@5x5Takes All the more free when you find it on TH-cam and not Netflix 😏
Therapy: Expensive
Burning a blue lives matter flag free and good for the whole family
more like CAThartic-
Same lol
Intertwined with the motif of “left” is the motif of “stay” and I think that’s where it turns from pain to love and as it slowly fades from “you left” to “why can’t you stay” is where it changes from looking strictly at the past to accepting the past while still remembering that they get a future
Silverblaze 3 bingo
I’m crying so hard I have tears in my pasta 😭🍝
Galaxion Art i’m italian so so do i
I love it
@@5x5Takes *Are you really Italian? :D Me too!
Remember that Entrapta is associated with the artificial but she's not about control and she isn't a bad person.
jjhggdcqz yes! it’s done in a different way and she is pointedly about integrating tech and magic. and with her, tech doesn’t suppress her Self, it’s the most authentic expression Of it! the metaphor is dynamic, but here i focused on how it’s used with prime and the land, specifically
@@5x5Takes I like this reading especially when you remember Entrapta's coded neurodivergent, meaning the way she expresses herself is different but it doesn't mean she is incapable of love
Phaden Swan DeMil agreed. her relationship to tech is not about destruction, or stripping humanity, it’s an expression Of it. creativity, personality, curiosity. emily wasn’t a tool, she was a Friend, and pointedly so. a beautiful inversion.
Entrapta is the exact opposite of Horde Prime - he sees people as machines; she sees machines as people.
I think she combines tech and magic, something bow points out in season one. She does this with tech, but also with connecting to hordak and turning his controlled artificial face into something authentic. She’s like a connection between the two ideas
The most unexpected plot twist: Catra's sneeze
a true masterpiece
I teared up at that scene 😔😔😔✋✋✋
I was so shocked at this scene, I almost cried. So emotion grabbing
in love O.O 😳😍
There are two instances, both important: C. getting teased by Bow about her sneeze (largely for fun, but also important from the perspective of bringing her closer to the BFS) and her bonding with Melog, which was key to exposing C.'s emotional vulnerability.
I really love one of Perfuma's dialogue that roughly goes like this:
"Love can make you feel vulnerable, but it doesn't make you weak." Like oh my god
I found it really important when and why Perfuma opened up to Catra. Catra literally says "Scorpia is lucky to have a friend like you." I always found this a tad twisted on Catra's part like thr "Perfuma and Scorpia" friendship was random and came together through luck rather than for their characters, important discussions, and support they give each other. Secondly the second the empathic and sensitive Catra shines through Perfuma wants only to coax it out and nurture it. Perfuma was always antagonizing to Catra because she heard about the hurt Catra caused yet filpped when she saw the possible Catra and the Catra, Catra wanted to be. I always wanted to see Perfuma rip into SW. However, I doubt anyone has ever heard of the damage SW has done to Catra, Adora, Glimmer and even (At least S5 rebels) Micah: Adora would carry the burden, Catra would be too self reversed to open up about it, Castaspella really only has a connection to Glimmer and I doubt Casta or Angella told Glimmer cause she was a child, and Glimmer just got teleported to an alien spaceship when she experienced the fall out. I mean I would guess Bow and Glimmer have parts and inclinations about it from Adora. I still somewhat doubt bow and Glimmer know a lot about the SW abuse and they 100% don't have the full picture.
You just made me just understand how much realistically the world is. In the eyes of catra , she felt abandoned and was mentally and emotionally abused by shadow weaver. And after adora left her, she felt so overwhelmed that she just lost everything even her best friend
Catra was mentally, physically and emotionally abused. It why she freak out from touch so much.
b e s t f r i e n d
hazelnut •-• and they were roommates
@@aiuramikoto4635 omg they were roommates
hazelnut •-•
Gal Pals!
in conclusion: maybe the real magic was the friends we made along the way
another win for the power of friendship
And the girlfriends as well
fRiEnDsHiP iS mAgIc 😂
@@TheKingOfGremlins My LiTtlE PoNyyY~
Im sorry I'm so stupid-
Catra is such a great character!
my fave.
Same she's my favorite. In ALL of the seasons.
Not just season 5.
Gwenyth Salyer bingo. her whole journey is compelling
yes! she’s very well developed and a genuinely interesting and adorable character :)
Five by Five Takes exactly
So want to say this...this show literally in the most PUREST sense of the word saved my neice life. She is a BEAUTIFUL woman now (just turned 20) and has known she was a lesbian for a long time. She has a friend who she loved deeply but her mother (my sister) who is a super evangelical christian and said all lesbians/gays ect ect are going to hell. So she has been fighting with this part of herself for a long time. To the point it would almost drive her to suicide a few times. She would push the one she loved away so much who was openly a lesbian but never once tried to force the issue. Her mom (my sister once again) would use guilt and the fact she was her mom to control her over and over...when she started watching this show. As she said it was like watching herself in Catra.....and made her re-evaluate herself and who she was and what she was becoming. This show has given her the drive to seek the help she needs.....she has pretty much told her mother and let her choose what to do with their relationship and moved on (Mother disowned her and blames me since i told her about anime). My neice is so much happier now....dating her friend who is taking it slow. In therapy to and learning to love life and herself. I wish honestly wish I could show the creator of this show that is has literally save a persons LIFE.......in no uncertain terms it saved her life. Starting her on the road to happyness and healing.
Tell your niece that she is valid and loved. She’s very strong and I’m happy for her. I’m glad like people like you exist.
^^this. What Lakshita Yellanki said.
Your story was really heartwarming to hear. Thank you for sharing.
I’m openly bisexual, as is my mother, so I knew before I came out that I would be accepted, but that didn’t make it all that much less stressful or make it something that was easier to accept about myself.
To know that others out there are going through struggles similar to mine - even worse, in fact - and came out not just alright, but in your words, beautiful… That is truly amazing. Thank you.
Tell your niece that I’m rooting for her, even if I am just some random guy on the Internet.
This made me cry.... especially since I had a similar experience watching the show. I am glad you niece is ok
Somehow, someway, I get the feeling Noelle knows
This is an amazing anecdotal evidence of the power storytelling can have...? People who dismiss anything fictional/fantasy-based as juvenile, or don't believe broad representation is important, really miss how much popular media can touch people and help them confront issues and broaden their ideas, and heal.
Of course the inverse is unfortunately true too? Media which perpetuates harmful messaging can be equally impactful, to damage or diminish people... As creators, we have a big responsibility, even when we're just creating stuff we thing might be fun to see!
They were only used as resources- and thats why Queen Angela’s sacrifice blew my mind and broke me heart.
For once- it wasn’t on the KIDS on us... to fix everything... for once we were people worthy of living the lives we WANT. I never got that..
And growing up with an Narcissist father... I never had that chance...
Seeing it on screen broke me in wonderful ways
Are you ok now? I’m here if you need to talk.
Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it? Remember that you are loved and valid. Take care of yourself and stay strong.
When Angela saves adora it broke my heart. Angela was always trying to protect them, shield them from the danger. She knew that it wasent fair. They’re children. The only person in the show that truly tried to let them be children, even if they didn’t want that.
She wanted adora to live a full life, she wanted her daughter to have her friend.
Angela at first may have thought if adora as just shera. But she saw that adora was also a child, someone taken and hurt by people she trusted. Her “death” shows that adora now has to try and accept herself. Because everyone else already has.,.
Same here brother
I love She Ra because is humanizes everyone. Even the people we don’t like, Hordak in season 3 for example, are shown as humans with feeling, fears, hopes, and loves. I feel like in a lot of shows, the villains are shown as just pure evil and wanting nothing but power, but this show really shows that everyone, no matter what they do, is human. We all want something, we all do what we do for a reason, and this show does an amazing job of portraying that.
Except Horde Prime. It was evil and irredeemable and far older than the body that hosted it during the show.
Yeah Hordak caught me off guard, he seemed like the super evil big bad like the Emperor to Catra's Vader. But even he got humanized in a good way.
@@rmsgrey Well even in the video she said Horde prime has some insecurities when he call Etherians "too emotional" almost showing he was afraid of feelings and seems like he tried so hard to get away from them. And also it was a character that we didn't had the chance to really know, we would think the same if Hordak's character advance wouldn't been shown on season 3. So I guess Horde prime it's an unfinished character judging only by what they showed us on the Serie. Kind of a shame cause he got the potential to a deep character. The only we had about him was the fact he was a selfish, obsessive perfectionist, and his insecurities were his lack on controlling magic or having control at all (When Meagol tell them about what happened to his planet), it reminded me a little of Thanos hahaha but still, we can't blame the story, it was a great one.
@@rmsgrey The thing is, Horde Prime has lost his humanity long ago when he refused to die. Who knows what he was in the beginning? Maybe all he wanted was just to bring peace. His version of peace, maybe, but peace and order, which are not bad things in themselves. But he couldn't let go. He couldn't pass on his tasks. He prolonged his life far beyond what was intended, he replaced his humanity with an artificial body and over the millenia, he eroded until he was but a machine himself, carrying on the code programmed into it, unable to adapt or grow. When he is finally vanquished, he is put at rest. The code is purged and the body (in this case that of Hordak) could finally live again.
@@siamath9954 It has been said that there is no peace this side of the grave.
Horde Prime's stated goal may have been peace and order (or "light") but his observed methods were to destroy whatever he couldn't control, and use mind-control chips on anything else that might threaten his uniform world - turning them into drones for his collective.
To be fair, we never actually see what life is like on core Horde worlds; only on the flagship, or in Horde-occupied lands (or the Fright Zone if you count Hordak's domain), and the only non-Hordak citizens we encounter are fugitives/refugees whose experience of the Horde (even if they report it accurately) may not be typical. Maybe there are whole worlds of cheerful citizens out there, living in blissful ignorance of the horrors their glorious and eternal leader perpetrates in order to defend them from the dangers of the great dark...
In my headcanon the difference and simularities between Wrong Hordak and just Hordak are really well written. They were both rejected by Horde Prime for something they could not control. The big difference between them is that Wrong Hordak had support when he came out of Horde Primes cult. He had people who cared for him. Hordak didnt. He was alone, with no one who truly cared for him until Entrapta. In my mind, she was the first to see him as a person instead of just an extension, a failure, or a menacing boss to be feared.
i think you've nailed a really good point that goes beyond headcannon and just is canon, well said.
I want Wrong Hordak to choose a name for himself.
*saves this to show to therapist later*
me in tears: I did my homework... *whimpers*
ha! hope your therapist enjoys
Are you doing well now? Do you want to talk about it?
"Bow has parents, Catra has a cute sneeze!"
i cant XDD
You really came for everyone's heart quoting Uncle Iroh huh
This really is so much more than “just a kids show”😭😭😭
I hope they make a he-man
@@varyaism same
Phantom Wave They will, they are making two actually!
@@marvelculous8127 :0
@@marvelculous8127 they are, omg i cant wait to watch it
How can anyone hate on this show if I’m crying so hard rn
Probably homophobic ppl 😐
@@xinen8147 Or just people who use nostalgia as an excuse to hate on a show-
I know right i dont understand
Either people who cry that a show allows gay characters and then claim they're "pushing an agenda"... Or it's the old school people that love the shitty old She-ra. Granted it was shitty because it was underfunded, but still, shitty nonetheless. From what I gathered, it's one or the other.
@@GhostStealth590 True, I hate how people get mad at a show just cause they liked the “classic” version better, like come on?
Aaaaaand I’m crying again. Well done Sara!
Lauren Frey good that’s the goal this is just a tear factory now
same
As soon as I heard the Iroh quote I was like "oh here we go."
Same. Its so well done and so beautiful! This video makes me cry and makes me see She-ra differently. Thank you for making this video
"We aren't monsters for wanting to be cared for." Repeating this line four time shattered the ice around my cold, dead heart, melted it, and made it defy gravity just so it could flood out from my face.
In all seriousness, as someone who is still struggling with depression, anxiety, self-loathing, and suicidal thoughts, this made me bawl my eyes out. Thank you so much for this line, and you can trust I will hold it close to me. I hear that so rarely, and hearing it from you with your perfect delivery and hearing it come from one of my new favorite shows; it's too much. Thanks again for this diamond in the rough, and once covid ends and I can return to my therapist, I will be sharing this entire show, and especially this theme with him. I personally relate to Adora, in that for a while now, and to this day, most of my self worth has been based on what I can give to others, and hearing that I deserve love, not because I earned it, but because I'm a person too, is so amazing to me. There are many time where I've told myself that I deserved mocking and bullying from peers because "I didn't do enough for them" or "I let them down", and feeling like I'm worth something just because I'm human is so amazing to me. Thank you again for this video, and for all that you do. I'm gonna keep doing my best to love myself.
You aren't alone. I know COVID-19 make for a long, lonely year, where all the struggles feel harder, the shadows seem darker, and the demons look bigger, but you aren't alone.
I want you to know that you aren’t alone. You’re loved and wanted. Take care of yourself and be strong. You are valid and very strong. If you want to talk about it, you can.
You are *not* alone. You have value. Everyone does. You do not have to “do enough for” others to have worth or to be a *treasure* worth valuing.
I know that it’s not as simple as just reading or knowing it. All of us have struggles ahead. We have struggles now. But. All of us *can* overcome our struggles.
I hope you know that I’m rooting for you, even if I am just some random guy on the Internet.
"You're worth more than what you can give to other people, you deserve love too."
I believe in you, love you and you are going to make it to wherever you want to be. You are important. take care
"genuine connection isn't a grasp for control but a desire to share"
She-Ra is such a beautiful show, it’s so inclusive, diverse in not only the characters but the main messages of the show. Catra’s evolution and the empathy in this show is amazing. Also, Adoras “destiny” is to be with Catra ❤️
Deepali Gham the way i am falling to pieces
Also, it doesn't kill characters for shock value, which is part of what's so good about it.
DAMN Right! As far as I’m concerned Adora only came thru that portal for 1 reason alone - C.A.T.R.A. 🥰
@@unhackerthelaziestbastardo6083 Yeah, but it takes time to plant seeds of anxiety. Fourth season was sooo dark, when you take into consideration that it's for kids and how light was first season.
(Mer-mysteries. This is only time, when something is played for shock value but it is done perfectly)
“Home is best defined by how it makes us feel, safe and comfortable yourself…Home is, through love, life made better than the sum of its parts.” This is perfect and that’s all I have to say
i will say i was rly proud of that line. it came to me in delirium. and thank you, friend. i hope you have or find that home
This must be one of the best analyses about Catra and Adora's relationship, the way their environment shaped them as they grew into teenagers and adults and the importance of love to the narrative, more specifically all the characters'' love of all types being able to shine through in spite of the internal and external obstacles in their way. Good job!
"This person in survival mode is a part of us, but isn't actually who we are." That hit hard
This made me cry.. I think the most important part of She ra is that scene between Mara and Adora, where she tells Adora "you are more that what you can give to people." and that is so important. This explains exactly why. I love She ra so much ;;-;;
I agree. That was actually a great cliche-dodge, with so many protagonists sacrificing themselves in the end, and now we're given a plausible argument against that. Just another example of great writing that this show continually expressed.
This idea that the actual conflict is real connection vs. outside manipulation is really spot on when it comes to Catra and Adora’s relationship and the show in general. Noelle Stevenson has said she based Catra and Adora’s dynamic on the love story between her and her wife. I suggest watching their Black Lives Matter live stream to hear the whole story but basically Noelle wasn’t supposed to fall for Molly because Molly had a boyfriend and they all were in the same friend group. So this whole genuine connection vs. outside manipulation is really spot on
i have seen it! good catch too
This made me cry so much. as someone who is a victim of abuse, and a similar kind of abuse at that, She-ra and your amazingly eloquent analysis of its themes means so much. thank u
it's important to see ourselves in stories, to remember there is always hope. thank you for sharing, and sending you love, friend.
Same. Starting my first session of trauma therapy today, and this analysis hits so much closer to home now.
Me too. I knew that the abuse that I endured, which is scarily similar to what was talked about in this video, has affected me and shaped me in countless ways but it's still surprising to me just how much. Realized new things and cried like 8 seperate times in this 18 min video. I honestly wish I could download it. I feel so seen and validated, thank you for this masterpiece♥️
"and YET"!!!! the way ur just out here with all these thoughts... the big brain energy truly Jumped out. if there's a place for fiction, it's for hope - ur so right, thats what its About. Maybe That's Magic.... this video is so good i truly cannot express it. the show is so clearly about love through its literal narrative and its production and the way that this video is a reflection of that.... Unmatched
wow riley finn really says the sweetest things thank you 💛 lesbian rights
12:51"We don't access our own full potential by denying parts of ourselves" - whoa, that resonates. Great vid.
There’s one quote from Mara to Adora that really gets to me. “You’re worth more than what you can give to other people.”
“You deserve love, too”
Watching She-Ra gave me the power to recognize my parents' abusive behavior and to leave them.
Also, just a PSA, the abuse depicted in the relationship between Shadow Weaver and Adora and Catra is formally known as Narcissistic abuse. Narcissism comes in many forms, and it isn't just about someone loving themself a lot. As this video has shown, its actually quite the opposite. I would encourage you all to learn more about it, here are some links to videos that talk about it:
th-cam.com/video/NvUxtewXkEc/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/XUtWkTyu7eo/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/sI7WkpSFI7I/w-d-xo.html
I remember snickering at the sheer 80's cheese of old She-Ra in between flipping channels as a kid.
The writers of the new one really knocked it out of the park. I can't believe how much I immediately loved it. This vid is an excellent analysis of exactly why the writers of the show did something unique and truly special here.
"The universe may be indifferent, but we don't have to be."
That quote resonated with me so much. Because that's the crux of it, for me at least. That's why I've fallen in love with humanity. Because we are all flawed and imperfect and selfish and cruel. Because the universe is infinite and neutral. We get in life, what we create in no small part because nothing else will create that same spark. We find Hurt and Love but they are both special Because they are not uncaring. The universe is black and Grey and white but humanity is a rainbow. Temporary but no less incredible. It is our capability to do anything, good or bad Because we are human we are capable of the worst crimes imaginable and at the same time complete selflessness, sometimes in the same person because There is Nothing Simple or Explainable about us. For all our love of labels, we exist indefinable for all that some of our experience is universal.
Perhaps, and yet you’ll still be stabbed in the back eventually, and all you have built will crumble.
@@notyetdeleted6319 I've been stabbed plenty of times, and what I build is still standing, because I will not let one person's pain overshadow everything good that I've come to love about the world. And this form of nihilism is both unhealthy and a poor coping mechanism overall that maybe you should talk to a professional about.
You sound like Catra after Adora left and she was trying to keep from getting hurt again. And we all know how that turned out.
@@notyetdeleted6319 I was abused by my parents, I was betrayed by friends, and I have hurt people who did not deserve it. My scars do not make me stronger, but they neither define me if I don't let them. In the end the dark claims us all but for the brief instant we're here we can either be kind, or be hurtful. Nihilism brings nothing but pain. Joy, love, and shared friendship are better.
“We’re not monsters for wanting to be cared for” hit me different
As someone who feels deep regret for past actions, She-ra have me so much hope. Maybe I don't "deserve forgiveness" because my actions were just too bad, but I have to hope that even if what I did was awful, I can become a better person, and I can still have a life afterwards. I see myself in Catra, from starting as a.. mildly fun, but immature person in a bad situation, to growing colder and colder and feeling like I've lost everything, until finally, I broke. I did something I can never take back and paid the price. For a while I rationalized, tried to proceed as normal, but I finally realized. I did something awful, and I needed to make amends. The people I hurt are right to not forgive me, but maybe, if I try, there's still a life for me.
2:38 Props to AJ for managing to fit 21 years of dealing with Shadow Weaver's bs into one word.
Why am I crying omg !? The way you talked about this subject is just beautiful. I am by nature a rather pessimistic person and always saw the world and life as something we couldn't control or a thing that kinda happened and a thing we have to deal with, but after hearing you, I realized that the world itself is a gift we have to cherish. That may sound obvious to most people but not for me so thank you ( plus you watched She ra so thank you for that as well) I'm sorry if I made some mistake, I'm not english.
El Furari i am so happy to hear that, thank you friend. we control what we can, right? wishing you well ❤️
I thought I was the only one crying. I feel better about it now.
Someone once told me that tears are a sign that something touched us - that it's real to us on a deep level.
Omg you make me cry again, i have always think that i am afraid of love and this video touched me so hard
Catra: Deals in absolutes
Sith: Only Deal in Absolutes
Conclusion: *Catra = Sith Lord*
Catra was supposed to be a Vader-like character in the show, a villain with irredeemable qualities only to be forgiven if sacrificed in the end to save the hero and defeat the main evil... unfortunately the show runners focused on the rushed friendshipping than consistent storytelling.
@@svagglaorde4387 She was going too far.
If you want your Villain to be redeemable, don't have them try to destroy all of Time and Space.
@@johannesseyfried7933 I disagree. IMO a character can be redeemed to a certain extent without being forgiven. Catra paid for her mistakes, and her reasons for many of her actions (including the one mentioned in your comment) are also the roots to her redemption. Just as the characters begin considering that there is a point of no return, Catra begins to act selflessly, and proves this notion wrong. A far better Vader analogue would be shadow weaver.
Shadow Weaver never stops acting selfishly, never tries to fix her actions. She sacrifices herself, sure, but I would argue she has the worse character arc. Dying does not absolve her - or Vader - from their sins. Catra still did wrong, but she begins consistently and for an extended period of time working toward betterment. Shadow weaver decides at one point to sacrifice herself in a singular moment, and although it cost her more it means less overall.
4:38 "and one made up of absolutes"
*sith lightning immediately flashes*
@Amelia ListerI think this is a big incorrect criticism of the force that has been created due to the point of view character in revenge of the sith being Anakin. Because the point of view of the story os that of him we hear his biases and views the most we hear his point of view as the most obvious and this creates a bias that his point of view is correct.
One problem that exists is anakin is a very impatient person and he is a person who while more Gifted than nearly any jedi craves attention power and status as well. Worse he is a person who most needed a time of peace and meditation to temper his impatience and wants. The way he saw it his idea was I am a great warrior I’m the most decorated jedi I’m winning so many battles I am greater in combat than some members of the council. My power level is higher than some masters why do you not promote me. But on the jedi order being on the council or being a master is not a rank based on skill alone it’s about the understanding of the nature of the force it’s about attaining a certain degree of attunement with the force. A jedi master is not necessarialky someone who is the most powerful it’s a person who has attained a form of enlightenment with the force. But anakin saw it as more a military rank and and palpating knew this. He knew he could foster a doubt that the council was holding him back denying him what should be his.
This to me is the key problem with the jedi aren’t permitted to love thing. The problem with love is love can be a selfish thing. Let’s say you are in love with someone let’s say they don’t love you as much. Too much love may not let you let them go. They might want to end the relationship but you love them you aren’t going to let them go. That is why that kind of attachment is frowned upon it’s a kind of attachment where even the best person can allow selfish wants to
Get in the way of the wants and needs of the other person. The reason the jedi forbod love is because of the evil things a jedi might do if they think they might loose the one they love.
The biggest problem was because love is a no no and anakin was ambitious he knew if he told obi wan even if the reaction was understanding obi would have told him something he couldn’t handle. One that if the will of the force is for padme to die then don’t try and stop it through your actions as a jedi. At best he would encourage anakin to try and comfort her be with her she’s a major player in the senate shes a senator and former queen she can get the best medical attention. But don’t try and oppose the evil of the force. Perhaps the vision is even a vision of what will happen if you try and prevent it from happening perhaps in trusting the force her fate is not what you fear. But item two that anakin certainly would t be able to handle. This need to hold onto something that the force may be returning into it it is concearning it is an attachment that can lead to acts of heroism but also has risks of acts of evil as well because of this despite your tallent you may never be suitable to be a master. Coming clean would have killed his ability for advancement in the order.
Of course in their philosophy careing about ones station in the order on its self
Goes against the teachings of the order one isn’t supposed to seek power or influence one is supposed to seek following the will of the force
Being in love was t a Akins truest sith like Crime the real fall was his ambition for power and want to climb the ranks in the order. He should have been happy to be a knight and serve the will of the force but what he wanted was to have what was out of his reach he was striving to clench his fist around what was forbidden. He was already falling to the dark just in his ambition.
“The more we commit to disproving someone’s idea of us, the more we’re actually giving that idea power.” I had to rewind that line like five times to fully digest it. Just what I needed. Thank you. ❤️
I love how this isn't your typical "Power of love/friendship" show. It goes way deeper than that and shows all the characters feelings and shows that real life is much more complicated than just "friendship is everything". It's just so well developed I can't help but re-watch it over and over again.
I dont care how much time had passed, this analysis was the best thing that has ever happened to us. Thank you
"we are not the expectations of us" - idk why but this quote literally made me tear up. as someone who struggles a LOT with identity, guilt, and trying to live up to expectations put on me by family/society at large being in my 20s, etc. this was something i really needed to hear. who knew it would be in a she-ra analysis video. thanks for the great in-depth look.
This hit me pretty hard too.
Are you doing okay now? Do you want to talk about it? Remember that you are loved, valid and enough. You are more than enough.
"The more we commit to disproving someone's idea of us, the more we give that idea power." Dang, needed that one. Thx
One of my favorite turning points in their relationship was in Taking Control were Adora *stops* trying to take control of Catra, stops using vague generalized language of prescriptive behavior, and uses 'I' statements and starts talking about her feelings on their relationship.
To the person who made this video essay. I want you to know that through times in my life when I question myself, I go back to this video to reteach the lesson I learned from this show and in your view of it. It's a philosophy I have gravitated towards ever since I watched this show. Thank you with my whole being.
You are a serious therapist. You know you’re talented when you can make someone bawl and give them serious hope by explaining a magical 80’s reboot kids show.
Oh wow. I've never heard someone just speak the truth so clearly like that before. You're an angel! Thank you.
thank YOU for your kind words
The dynamic of their relationship was for the first 4.5 seasons "follow me/stay." Thier relationship was unbalanced and it wasn't until Catra could accept her feelings for Adora and follow her and Adora accepting that she can be genuinely loved and staying with Catra that they could finally see each other.
bingo.
Catra was "Why don't you love me?" and Adora was "Why don't you love anyone else?"
THIS
You’re so right! They got together only when Catra joined the rebellion _and_ Adora decided to stay instead of sacrifice herself. I honestly expected them to get together like right after Catra joined but I was missing this bit of the dynamic.
B so cool if there was a storyline where Adora followed Catra while she led a mission (such as rebuilding Salineas or rehoming refugees) showing that she’s just as willing 2 support her when she takes the lead, like Catra has all this time 4 her.
I really believe Catra could b a light in her own right (pardon my inner poet!) 4 those who have done wrong in their lives & can’t c a way out (like she has been 4 the Fandom). In a sense, it would b hard 4 people in that situation 2 relate 2 Adora - as she’s always shown with an air of perfection & treated as a deity. Something u can’t really strive 2 b as only 1 person in a generation is given She-Ra’s role.
Catra has no Fancy Pants Princess Powers but she accomplished so much WITHOUT IT!
It’s 4 that reason I c her as a far more realistic role model than Adora.
im literally crying. im individually so obsessed with love and this just explains the insane connection i have to she ra and how i genuinely feel empty without it. thank you so much
entraapta right there with you, my friend. stories are wonderful
"The more we commit to disproving someone's idea of us, the more were actually giving that idea power"
Fuck me uppp
7:35 I just want y'all to take a second and realize that these are the villains of the show. An abuser who will do anything for power and status, the last relic of a long gone empire, and an Emperor who believes he will conquered all and quell all magic.
When you were talking about home and how it’s where you can be “comfortably yourself”. It made me realize that I’m always wishing for a perfect fairytale home, but all that really matters is that your with people you’re yourself with. I wish I’d heard this 7 months ago, thank you for this video ☺️
and home shifts throughout our lives. maybe the best thing we can do is be present, especially when we're with people we care for. thank u friend
Stay was another key word they use since season one as well, Catra keep saying and begging Adora to stay with her, also Adora to her plead to Catra leave the Horde and go with Adora, both kinda rejected each other until the moment of season 5 when Catra safe Glimmer make Adora realize there was still hope. This Essay is probably my new favorite She-Ra Essay, this show was all about Love, and how important is to accept it no matter where it comes from, Adora was safe by it, Catra as well.....and the whole Etheria was literally safe by love.
"The Heart part 2" should have been titled "Stay" in my opinion because it is such a powerful word throughout the show.
After months of, frankly, obsessing over She-Ra after its finale, it's nice to have found something new and uplifting in The Owl House.
But then there's also a kind of comfort in watching a video like this and still feeling that it hits like a truck.
Gonna keep hoping for a She-Ra movie or epilogue season.
“We’re not monsters for wanting to be cared for” those words will always echo in the back of my mind. No matter how many times I hear them, they always bring tears to my eyes.
As someone who came from an abusive household with a similar dynamic as Shadow Weaver and Catra...these are the lines that really hit deep and made me actually start bawling. I didn't even think of these point, but they're INCREDIBLY true.
I didn't even have a sense of identity, personality, or wants until I was able to move away from my dad. Growing up being abused while being invalidated by my mom really made it feel like I was "sitting in my own darkness, but feeling like I'm doomed to be the only one to see it." This really is a really great analysis, thank you for sharing 💗😭
"The question isn’t what do I want, it’s how do i stay on her good side, so I am not punished. So i don’t suffer. Survival mode is a state of chronic stress, self-neglect, and uncalibrated emotions. Here, we can’t access our authentic self--our wants, our needs.
The self that does emerge is a distorted one, on autopilot, keeping us safe the only way it knows how."
"Without having been child soldiers, we all might have wounds that feel inevitable to us, like we can’t tell where our pain ends and we begin. Pain does not explain itself to us, it just comes.
And often, the worst part is not only sitting in our own darkness, but feeling like we’re doomed to be the only ones to see it."
"The more we commit to disproving someone’s idea of us, the more we give that idea power."
Are you doing okay now? Do you want to talk about it? You are valid, you are loved, you are important and you are enough.
The last one!!!!
The Virgin Weaver: I was only trying to make you strong.
The Chad of War: For the sake of our children we must be better.
"The universe may be indifferent, but we don't have to be" is such a raw line, I'm stealing it for my own personal use
This was like a therapy session, wow!!! Your tone of voice is so calming and smooth, almost hypnotic. You did an incredible job with this! I hope Noelle watches this! She would be so proud of the message! I agree with everything and was blown away by how eye opening it was! 🥰
Sailorlyoko4life hey thank you!!! i appreciate that so much. still tryna @ noelle on twitter hehe
I always thought S5 Sheras crown looked like catras 😳
Mimi Ortizzle she really wears catra’s symbol of self defense on her HEAD aka clarity ugh the symbolism of it all amirite
Five by Five Takes
She also wears glimmers angel shoes
And bows crop top, i guess every part of her armor represents someone important to her?
@『Catradora is gay and I love it』
Oh wow, I never noticed dat.. that’s so Kuwl :0
@@tami3421 Oh.... that makes sense.
I interpreted the sleeker, slimmer, and more form fitting outfit as her "getting into" her part as She-Ra. Previously, using the sword to become She-Ra feels artificial, but once she can do it on her own, she can imprint her own personality on how She-Ra appears.
“Home looks different to all of us, a different skyline, different smells different laughter, so I think it’s defined best just by the way it makes us feel. Safe. And comfortably ourselves.” This is all too real. You have a way other words that could cause someone to fall in love. And some of your words in a way, sound like home
I started she ra because it’s a “gay staple” and I knew I had to watch it sometime I never expecting for this show to literally change my life, I’ve never related more to a character then I do to catra not in a good way tho, the way I show my insecurity and anger is similar to her Catra gave me hope and her I relate to her flaws and her strengths aside from that once I started the show and got to episode three i knew this show was going to change my life Razz talking to adora was smth I hadn’t heard in a long time I always go back to that ep when ever I feel sad, anger or hopeless anyways thank you for this amazing video
Just here to say that this is the best analysis of She-Ra I ever seen and that this channel has a new sub
PHCP ! thank you dude!
I never cried for a youtube video... Dude this is a tiny masterpiece
That was a fantastic take on these themes. The whole idea of power versus love spoke to me on a personal level and just hit home that much harder, because I have a family member, who is focusing all of his energy on controlling and manipulation, instead of building interpersonal connections. I have just never seen anyone phrase it so clear and simple and it floored me for a moment. Thank you so much for this great video and keep up the good work.
Sophia Gray thank you for sharing. it’s hard stuff. we are stronger together than whatever arbitrary “safety” we can have on our own. wishing you and them the best
I'm a couple days early, but happy three-year anniversary to my favourite She-Ra video essay. It's so emotionally fulfilling to hear someone other than myself talk about the love in SPOP and how unfalteringly important it is. I mean this in the most sincere way an internet stranger possibly can: thank you. If I could get knocked on the head and get to watch this for the first time again, I would take that choice in a heartbeat. It makes my soul feel lighter in a way I can't properly describe or explain, nor do I need to. Hope you have a brilliantly good day (month, year, life)
@alexander_markovski. Yes, I'm still slightly saddened every time I remember that I can't ever go through the experience of watching for the first time again.
There's a comment thread under a different YT video (I don't know exactly which, I think it was one of "Best Friends Squad best moments" ones) which perfectly sums up my feelings, and does it in a very few words.
Commenter 1: "When Glimmer kissed Catra on the cheek*, I felt like 10 years were added to my lifespan".
Commenter 2, responding: "I have watched that moment so many times, I am now effectively immortal".🤣
*(Referring to a moment at the end of "Shot in the dark").
I don’t get why this doesn’t have a million views, it’s a masterpiece
hey, 88k ain't too shabby. thank u friend
Jajsjajsj ik but I still think it deserves more, love your work btw keep going! ❤️❤️
@@5x5Takes currently 287K.
One quarter of a million down.
Three to go. 👍
She-ra is such a beautiful drama. It builds so well to the climactic moment, with every thought so thoroughly reinforced, that I can't help but tear up every time I see it. At some point the reaction may die down, but even just grabbing some clips for art, or watching an analysis video like this, I'm still brought to tears.
She-Ra doesn't turn abusers into victims: it humanizes them.
Abusers can't be excused for the pain they bring to others, but they don't hurt people because they want to. They hurt people because they feel threatened, and they want to feel safe. The reality is that Shadow Weaver conditioned Catra to build up her walls. All of us know that walls aren't easy to break down. In the end, though, it was Catra's decision to break them down. Catra made that decision, not Adora, not Glimmer, not anyone. She-Ra reminds us that we have the ability to choose what we deserve. Do we want to isolate ourselves and hurt those closest to us? That's our choice. Do we want to live freely as the person we, and the people closest to us, know and love? That's our choice. She-Ra reminds us that abusers, just like us, have that choice.
I manage to not cry through the entire show and then you ripped my whole emotional barrier out of my throat with your bare hands
as a fellow lgbt+ italian who's way too emotionally invested in these types of media i could not be happier to have stumbled upon your channel. truly amazing work.
At about 9:50 you talk about how in her new She-are form, she’s outfitted with Bow’s heart, Glimmer’s boots, and Catra’s crown. I think it’s also worth noting that the silhouette of the new outfit very closely resembles the silhouette of Mara’s, which is yet another really important connection for Adora. It shows that she’s not only accepted that Mara wasn’t evil or crazy, but also that she’s allowing herself to become more like Mara, which she didn’t want to allow herself to do even after finding out Mara’s reasoning for sending the planet to Despondos.
"Love" a word so simple yet so complex. Love can mean warmth, comfort, and happiness, but it can also change a person so quickly. Love can change a friendship for the better or make it fall apart. Love can be friendly or something you feel towards another person that's indescribable. Love can make you hurt, it can deceive you, and can make you hate someone, but it can also make you realize the truth. Love is the one thing that will never leave us, it's the one thing that people can't take away from you no matter how much they try. Love can mean different things for many people, but in the end it's all the same. It's what you make it.
15:25
To quote Angus from NITW "I believe in a universe that doesn't care, and people who do"
I knew that there's more to shipping itself in She-ra, there's also a deeper more authentic meaning to the characters and what they've been through. Huge thank you for Noelle Stevenson and her crew in this show, also for your very well explained in depth video analysis. It's very comforting and cannot wait for more shows like She-Ra.
"Together, even for moments, we can have peace... And maybe that's magic."
Damn girl that was so good!
How did I never realize Shera’s new outfit incorporated Glimmer, Bow, and Catra!!! I love that so much, and this video was amazing. Shera is truly an amazing expression of love
And Mara! .... Before, she had bare legs and a little skirt, but now she has Mara's full white leggings. (I can't believe 5 X 5 didn't point that out at the time 🤔)
oh. my. gosh.
wow.
just wow.
I can't even put into words how amazing this analysis is.
it made me feel so many things, I've been barely able to stop myself from crying.
it's absolutely amazing!
This is the best articulation of why love is so central in She-Ra. Not that love fixes everything but that it gives us the strength to overcome. Tysm for this awesome video essay
thank you for watching it, thank u for commenting
being kind and loving is a good thing and we love to see it 💞💞 also she-ra said the environment is gay and i have never felt more seen 🌿
she ra really DID
“The universe might be indifferent, but we don’t have to be” Your videos really are about so much more than tv shows and movies, they are literally about the essence of humanity
This wonderful show gave me hope and made me reflect on my own negative, toxic behaviors that had made me isolate myself and lash out on others. It came into my life during a very hard time and I think the timing was perfect. My only worry was that the final season would be not that good, that they would butcher Catra's arc and that Adora and her would never go back together when that was what they both wanted. I was so happy with how it ended, with Catra giving more to others and Adora being more "selfish", leading to what saved the world.
I cried over this. This is incredibly well spoken.
genuinely, i think this is one of the most beautiful things ive ever seen
Noelle Stevenson and Rebecca Sugar are two of my favourite human beings. Both have made amazing shows that teach us how to love, be kind, care for others, and be true to ourselves. I hope anyone that reads this has a wonderful day. ❤️
"Newly outfitted with Glimmer's boots, Bo's heart and Catra's crown... "
Every part of this was wonderfully well done with so many feels, this however really hit home.
“We’re not monsters for wanting to be cared for” that hit really close to home