She-Ra: Parallel Arcs - Detail Diatribe 

RU-vid strikes again m'dude.

I think the lack of footage makes it easier to not realize they are wrong

to me they looked like smurfs

I respectfully request my very own Blue and Red plushies for my couch.

@@Crystalfeathers4 they will have 5 stars for squishiness

& keep Red's enthusiasm on the rails.

Two characters with very drasticly differnt backgrounds somehow lead to very simmilar character arches. Thats what I call good writting!

Although, similarly the both were kept separated from others by the "mother figure" and had that one friend, Adora and Bow

@@newhelmfun72 Shadow Weaver frequently reminded Catra of how trash she was at keeping up with the others, and also how she only kept her around because Adora liked her. So yeah she was kinda alienated as the underdog because of that EDIT: or... undercat?

Over-sheltering is a form of abuse, after all.

@@Mysteri0usChannel That is a sentence that I really needed to see spelled out clearly. Thanks! :D

we need a video

@@belav4898 were watching that video

Blue: *sad little half-smile*

So a bimbo?

@@Nai-qk4vp Sort of, but himbos are stronger and more masculine. Also they don't have as many variants as bimbos, so for know it also implies a good guy that thinks about others.

A herbo, if you will

Blessed shimbo

​@@Nai-qk4vp Not quite. A Himbo has a lot of traditional masculine qualities. Physical strength, the ineffable quality of amiable bro-ness, coupled with not a lot of brains. And nu-Scorpia has all of that.

Adora the explora

@@dogomage9003 oh goodness

And Glimmer who can glimmer

Bow has bow

@@dogomage9003 *Pulls up conspiracy sheet* POINTS AT ADORA AND DORA: “They’re connected! The same person! I just know it!”

And Catra's is a spray bottle

why do i feel like someone in the writer's room mentioned that to explain why glimmer did something and then they liked it so much they decided to put it in the show

They only talked up to season 4 finale. When the actually parellels were front and center before redemption arcs time. That was season 5.

She is great

Woah! That's a lot more personal than FIRE!

Same

Imperfections are beautiful

Me with my problematic faves

Red kinda gives me entrapta vibes in general ngl

Entrapta but with a personalit- **-gets shot-**

Honestly, I think Entrapta and Hordak was my favorite pairing in that show. When it was clear she wasn't afraid of him (simply because it didn't occur to her to be) we finally got some serious depth in Hordak's own complex and it was strangely moving watching him try to be nice without really knowing how.

@@josephperez2004 same

Oh my god how... FACINATING

@@josephperez2004 *entrapta running around making a robot, enters hordaks lab searching for something* hordak: who dares enter my sanctum? hordak: SHOW YOURSELF! *entrapta looks around the corner* hi hordak! you got a screw driver?

hehe ye

E

Interesting how they're himbo and she-himbos respectively.

I mean, come on: Scorpia's both the Loveable Bad Guy AND the Team Powerhouse. It was always meant to be.

@@apophis7712 I believe the term is "Herbo"

I personally like entrapta more, but I definetily see why you think they're so cool

Ayy

Wait your here tooooo

Same

Easily. I already want to rewatch season four because of this video.

Can we blow up this comment?

I would watch an entire series of them just talking about She Ra, without question.

@osp please. do adora. i'm begging

It's an interesting debate. If there ever was a person / persons who could always be free from bias and always make the best decisions for as many people as possible, would living in a dictatorship under them be considered undesirable? In the real world, this can't happen for a number of reasons, not the least of witch the mortality of this perfectly pure person. But if such a platonic ideal could be reached, would it be worth it?

I mean, then we handed the entire economy over to robber barons and it doesn't actually seem like they can genuinely be satisfied since they keep lobbying for increasingly lax tax codes and environmental regulations, so that they can destroy the planet for short-term profits even faster. So C S Lewis might have just been full of shit.

@@andrewcapra7153 To be fair, there wasn’t much environmental awareness in CS Lewis’s time.

@@InRealTime769 Actually, it would still be tyranny, no matter how good the dictator was. Strong leadership is important as a facilitator for the process of government, but majority rule is _always_ better than dictatorship or one-party rule. The reasons why are fairly simple: A) individuals can only ever see the world they already know. It is physically impossible for any individual to be unbiased, because they are ultimately a person, defined by their own personality and background, and they can only have the one they have. Without other perspectives telling them they're wrong, then their society succeeds or fails on their unchallenged and arbitrary assumptions. B) Government is and always has been a _collaborative_ process. Rulership is a game of regimes and factions, an alliance of independent interests. Even from the earliest days of complex societies it was impossible for individual leaders to handle the whole business of government, and even if they could, no king can enforce their own laws alone. A nation's government is a complex organisation, and that organisation is not of dedicated machines, it's your family, your friends, your neighbours, your bosses, enemies, landlords, tenants, schoolmates, clansmen, tribesmen, and so on. Unless it isn't. If a government's bureaucracy, police, and military are primarily drawn from a particular caste or castes, such as a narrow selection of ethnic groups, religious sects, or socioeconomic ranks, it will naturally reflect the worldview of those people and not others. That platonic ideal dictator, no matter who they are, must make decisions in accordance with the interests of those who serve them - or, more accurately, who serve themselves by serving the dictator. If that dictator decides to try and take away their land and redistribute it without their consent, for example, they'll dump that dictator like a flaming bag of dog poo and replace them with a more suitable ruler, the kind who makes more reasonable decisions, as far as that ruling caste is concerned. That exact eventuality has happened countless times throughout history to forward-thinking reformist leaders. If the government does not draw its servants from all sections of society, and thus directly involve the people in policymaking anyway, its laws and policies will inevitably be distorted towards the narrow interests of the people who constitute it. The underlying function of government, the reason why people ever allow others to have power over them, is to better meet their own needs. It is preferable in an agricultural society to have a government than not, because organisation and cooperation lead to better results than chaos. But, if the people cannot advocate for their own needs directly, and demand absolutely and participate in a government of public confidence, those needs simply will not be met, not even in theory. Without involvement in government, there is only repression and neglect.

@@andrewcapra7153 C.S. Lewis was usually full of it. Dude loved himself some autocrats (and no money for guessing who he thinks should get all that power).

I was honestly really into learning about Shadowweaver. She's not exactly evil for the sake of evil. In a way she's more like Entrapta: there is a goal she has and she will pursue it through the most effective means available to her. She used to be one of the mages of Mystacor but chafed at what she viewed as cowardice in the face of an enemy, hiding behind magical barriers and doing nothing. She believed they could accomplish more and part of her rational for that was the fact she could recognize talent, like with Mycah (oof, that is a relationship I'd have loved to get more screentime in the last season if it were possible). I think the main thing with Shadowweaver was she had this 'greater good' complex, that the people capable of creating change had an obligation to do so, regardless of what others think. Like you said, she instilled that into Glimmer when she began to council her, though that ultimately backfired when Glimmer decided she didn't need Shadowweaver anymore and no longer listened to her council.

@@josephperez2004 I don't think Shadowweaver had a greater good complex. She joined the Horde the moment she could and pushed to potentially sacrifice Adora for the fail-safe instead of herself despite knowing about it beforehand. She's just a selfish abusive parent figure who likes controlling others (as seen with mykah, adora, catra and glimmer), but who has some maternal instinct, which in the end made her sacrifice herself.

Ooooh I didn't notice that!

@@zukodark I'm not sure if I am just looking at this wrong, but from my perspective Shadow Weaver from season 3-5 was just a pragmatist. She used to be someone who sought more power and knowledge, because she was like Entrapta and had a need to learn more (and I think that was her true motivation in making Mycah help her obtain the spell of power). The failed spell that possessed her clearly drove her to more negative extremes. But after she hit rock bottom when Hordak cast her aside and Catra betrayed her, she basically changed. She escaped to Adora, her beloved protege and was healed. From here on she actually never legitimately does anything truly bad intentionally. She gives advice that she considers sound, even if it is usually cold and detached. She lets herself get convinced to do several things that put her in danger too. She _does_ understand what has to be done to achieve a goal and she _does_ give helpful advice. Her overarching goal by the end seems to be mostly just to free the magic in Etheria, because that's what fundamentally drove her life decisions - magic. She has some affection for Adora and even Catra, she merely doesn't know how to express it. She can teach, but she can't connect. So overall to me Shadow Weaver is just a spurned scholar who lost control of her own schemes and eventually accepted being a tool herself, which made her use others as tools as well.

@@zukodark i believe that noelle revealed shadow weaver did not sacrifice herself out of maternal instinct, but selfishness in a "now you have no choice but to forgive me for abusing you all your life", look at angella's final words and shadow weavers, "take care of each other" vs "you're welcome"

Which results in me, as Shadow Weaver was sacrificing herself, going "good riddance biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch" because she did not earn redemption.

@@DarkestElemental616 She died as she lived; emotionally gaslighting Catra and permanently forcing her kids to remember her

Catra is probably the closest I've seen to another show replicating Asuka Soryu from Evangelion.

@@DarkestElemental616 Shadow Weaver's sacrifice is fucking _masterful_ writing because it manages to take one of the most selfless acts possible, giving one's own life for others, and turning into a selfish, manipulative thing. God I hate her, and I love that the writers were able to inspire that feeling in me.

Oof. That hit close to home.

Five by five takes basicly did that. Their She-ra videos are pretty great.

I'm 19 and it made me feel old- RIP

what if people just never watched or watched he man lol

@@femboyfantasia It's the fact that an adult asked their parent about a kid's show instead one of their peers. The show is 2 1/2 generations old.

@@eshbena same as. It has nothing in common with the original and should have just been a new ip.

I kind of enjoyed how catra tried to "redemption=death" but adora's having none of it...

nice summary

​@@geraintthomas4343 I mean _ehhh?_ It's not that I disagree with you. The show did sort of deconstruct the "redemption = death" trope, through Catra and Shadow Weaver, but "redemption = death" is also not something Catra consciously chose? I don't know, does that make sense?

I also really like how you can interpret Catra as a classic case of borderline personality disorder. I wish I had the sources offhand but from what I've gathered that was entirely on purpose. It explains her behaviors (doesn't excuse it) but also raises awareness and allows for people to find someone to relate to plus she has a good ending which is a light for borderlines. Wish Red had mentioned that but it's seriously a wonder how you can fit such a complex character into a show about magic princesses based on a show from decades ago made solely for merchandise.

I always loved how Catra is aware of things. Even in the very beginning when Adora is like "Woah the horde is evil!!" and Catra's just like "um... yeah? You didn't know?"

Thanks for adding!

I can't wait for them to talk about Avengers EMH. We all know that's coming, Reboot too

this feels like a threat

Turns out it was only Red, and Blue scrambling to keep up.

was that a stellar firma reference?

@@katerinakap8730 ...idk? I just copied Shaggy's meme

I don't think the way shadow weaver manipulates them is actually all that similar. she doesn't put glimmer in the scapegaot position. she put her in a position similar to adora for being the kid of her first golden child micah. so that in particular is more of an adora -glimmer parallel in how they react to shadow weaver. what does give you a " never had to deal with ozai" parallel is the time on horde prime's ship where catra is familiar with navigating the manipulation and abuse while glimmer isn't and it shows.

Scorpia is Catra's Iroh. All of the similarities are there: A professional soldier in a high-ranking position that's clearly too kind-hearted for her surroundings, finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, supports her Zuko without hesitation even when she clearly has doubts as to her motivation, is treated dismissively by her Zuko, encourages her Zuko to consider what she really wants when they find themselves in a situation in which they could potentially escape the militaristic complex only for her Zuko to dismiss her, shows ambiguity towards the sides of the conflict, all the way down to details like her bulky physique and appreciation for tea. Literally all Scorpia needs is a few decades of gathering wisdom to fully become Iroh.

@@annak2597 Scorpia is a teenager in love who isn't a sage on morality and life, she happily fights for the Horde to impress her crush, and only defects in order to save Entrapta, not for Catra's own good. Iroh gives life advice, guides Zuko to the right path, and never left Zuko even in his darkest hour.

@@keitoimon I meant the way Shadow Weaver manipulated Catra when she was a prisoner: soothing voice, trying to uplift her, touching her face... She used the same tactics with Glimmer.

I like that we are at a point where AtlA's characters have become archetypes on which we use to support story analysis

Double trouble our great destroyer of... well catra

Yet saved her as well.

Catra destroyed with FACTS and LOGIC.

It was kinda corny imo

@@darkyoumemento5307 they consider themself an actor first, mercenary second and spy third, if they can go for the melodrama, they will

This is the most succinct description of their characters I've seen. Catra was abused so hard that she was broken, while Glimmer was loved so much that she was smothered, and now they are both emotionally stunted and pushing away the people they love. And it's so fascinating to watch it unfold, and really touching to watch them overcome their issues together. Really great writing.

The interesting twist to this is that Catra hasn't actually lost all her chances to get best friend back, but only thinks she has, as she has realized that the method she had pursued to far to get Adora back is a dead end that will never work, but she hasn't yet realized that there are other ways she can try, which she ultimately does in season 5.

Mine was drunk adora 🥴

@@cristianvillanueva8782 drunk adora? Oh right the writers attempt at "comedy"

I love the scene of Double Trouble laying hard truth on Catra

I think the look was more of a “no more ****ing around anymore” from adora

Not to mentiom they both activated doomsday machines in the name of not letting the other side win, knowing full well that they could end up destroying the planet.

Maybe the real lesson here is that Adora needs to pick better friends :D

@@runelessruneless9024 Or at least be more willing to tie her friends up and stuff them in a closet until they chill the f out.

lmao everytime she says that i image her as entrapta dissecting she-ra like entrapta does a robot

Faaascinaaatiiiiiinnng ...

I keep hearing Mr. Spock with the raised eyebrow

What's the timestamp?

Entrapta is love

different equations, same answer?

God I wish "she-ra: its a whole thing" was the title of this episode

I appreciated the exchange early in the show: "Who calls it the evil Horde?" "EVERYONE."

Hey now. Good name branding it's how you take over the universe.

In thirty years when people realize that "Friend Amazon" is actually just the same Amazon that trampled on people for decades

Next time they will be the Good Horde and no one will ever find out that they are evil

Someone get the tipex, we need to change that name.

For real. I want more of this now.

we shared the same dream :D

It was only a matter of time with Red lol

@@musewolfman No, the show is done, I dont have faith they could take it anywhere satisfying after this. ... but as long as we are doing wishful thinking. What I would want is a reboot with the same story but withouth the writers not so constricted by the suits to make sure children could watch along, a slightly runger run time just like a few episodes per season to flesh some characters out, and a much bigger animation budget to do it over again. Because those things really are the only gripes I have with the show.

Yes! This is the best thing ever. I've been wanting a video like this ever since I finished watching She-Ra for the first time

bro, me too. I said the same thing with Bakugo from MHA/BNHA and also out loud told everyone Horikoshi is a shitty writer for thinking _Bakugo_ could _genuinely be redeemed,_ but hot damn if he hasn't done it. I now verbally revoke my assessment of his skillz™. similarly, I didn't like Catra, like, I did, but I didn't and I didn't think I ever would, but holy shit I love it when writers prove me wrong with how good they are at their jobs. I guess I'm just so used to all the horrible writing nowadays.

I still don't think she's redeemed in my opinion.

Now I've only watched the first couple of seasons, so maybe the execution sells it, but my problem with Catra's "redemption" is that Catra doesn't really have a state to be "redeemed" to. At the start when we see her and Adora together she's kind of a dick and her biggest driving motivator is that Shadow Weaver favoured Adora over her. There's no state of grace for her to reclaim. She was an asshole.

@@AshenVictor yeah redemption is the wrong word, but it is a healing and growth process - she goes from projecting her trauma onto everyone with disastrous consequences, to maturely handling her emotions, over a very long arc.

@@RandoSando. it's more about forgiveness than redemption, she still did terrible things. But she's aware of that and feels guilt, apologises, and is forgiven - the audience isn't forced to forgive her, but even Glimmer does, and it seems the mature position / natural resolution. It doesn't make the harm go away, nothing can, but the characters are able to move past it.

How can it be seen as "an insult to the original" when the original was *literally made just to sell toys* lol

@@Cadonkadonk people will say anything to try and seem like they have a rational argument.

Now a days someone somewhere has a beef with every show and will try and tear the show down and anyone who enjoys said show whether or not either deserve it. It’s why I don’t really bother watching negative reviews/analysis of shows, movies or games, even if it’s for something I don’t enjoy. All the criticisms just seem to blend together now a days and just feels too negative or contrived for me, like some people just constantly want to focus on the bad of a media product whilst completely annoying or downplaying any good it may have. So honestly just ignore those people, if you enjoy a show, movie, or game that others say is bad, ignore them and you do you. You don’t have have to justify your own happiness to others. At least in my opinion. Either way, I too am happy to see Red do such a thoughtful analysis of the show.

@@Cadonkadonk Because of Anti-SJW. They hate everything because of their politic. If Avatar had come out now, I am sure all the Anti-SJW while have shit on it.

@@rhymenoceros3303 I think the best take I saw recently regarding the new She-Ra was that it was "generally enjoyed by people who don't have axes to grind."

Noelle Stevenson said so, that’s who

The writing was kinda crap. There was hints of the good it was trying to be which leads us all to dig up the coal hoping to make diamonds out of it. Otherwise we wouldn't need all this in-between the lines explaining away tractor size character fails and plot holes in order to make it good. Good writing doesn't need post-explanations to explain things that should've been shown in the first place.

@@cyberwolf_1013 Yeah, that's what's called subtext. It's kind of extremely important in storytelling. If you spellout the point of everything you write you're doing a crappy job of writing.

@@cyberwolf_1013 the writing in SPoP for sure had its low points, looking at you season 5, but overall seasons 3 and 4 were pretty well done minus a few nitpicks here and there that don't fully diminish the finished product.

@@quinnsinclair7028 You ever hear of "show, don't tell"? If you have to go back and explain what went where and how this went down. You either did a terrible job of showing off your characters and plot or you're just an attention diva who panders to get clicks and views. Noelle is so kick ass? Then point this out. Does she explain what the Honor of Grayskull is? Why are those the words to activate the sword? How does Adora regain She-Ra in season 5 and why is she different? Who took care of Adora as a baby? Pfft, I don't see Shadow Weaver waking up for those 3am feedings. Why does Adora abandon her team and the only friends/life she's ever known, not even trying to go back to save them? It doesn't come up once. Some captain. Why is Adora so torn up about Angella? They talk maybe once or twice and one of those times the queen is threatening Adora. What's the timeline of the show? There is NO weather in Brightmoon. One time it thunders as effect for Mermista... and then? What's the time it takes to travel to Plumaria? Dryl? Crimson Waste? Why does the Princess of Brightmoon travel without even a blanket to cover up with? Does Noelle bother answering even the simplest of these? No. She doesn't.

Same

Hah, weird. Literally finished going through it with some friends this week as well. Glad to see these two dorks still want to talk about it!

Finished it last night

Same with me!

I found this show through browsing Netflix

Wow. I’ve watched a few video analyses on Catra’s arc, and you just summed all of them up so perfectly. 👏👏

You expressed this so well im impressed!

favorite comment

Yeah, I really wish that the show had more time to explore Catra as a separate entity from Adora after she joined the rebellion. She has a nice couple of episodes in the desert away from Adora, Shadoweaver and Horde (aka the abusive household) and that helps immensely with her character growth and her relationship with Scorpia, albeit she believably snaps back to the destructive spiral. Due to the romantic subplot she never really gets the chance to find her value and build new relationships and properly mend her friendship with Entrapta and Scorpia.

@@silverish9081 I've heard that the writers planned 6 seasons to wrap all things up, probably with more episodes of Catra apologising and living with the rest of the crew, but by the beginning of season 5, Netflix said them it will be the last, so they have to rush.

The difference is that Shadow Weaver does her best to make it seem like fact, make the character believe it and internalise it without realising it, while Catra is just shouting.

The breakdown is also well done because it's slow, gradual, and it comes from the insecurities of the characters themselves. Yes, double trouble makes things worse, but it's an open question to me if they only hastened the inevitable

Iirc...The series has ended tho... Right? Right?

Wai-

cleo and catra hmm sounds like a obvious joke

@@redninjakat5733 Cleocatra the Cleopatra

@@travispluid3603 cleopatra was a pharoah, and iirc pharaohs can be seen as manifestations of ra,,,,, so cleopatra was a she-ra

YESSS! 🙏

I agree.

I would watch all of them. I'm still so hopelessly obsessed with this series.

@@fRkOdCmK It has been so long since season 5 came out but I am still obsessed as well.

I'm in 👍🏼👍🏼

Catra is truly The Ultimate Tsundere. I thought of Danganronpa when I typed "ultimate."

B-B-B-BAKA!!!

Oddly, the characters are comfortable being around Catra, despite every horrible action she has done in the show :/

@@JLacay yeah that struck me as a bit weird too

​@@JLacay I mean it's just situational right. Glimmer had that whole heart to heart thing and with Catra and also Catra saved her. Adora always cared about Catra, but realised that unless Catra is willing to seek help, Adora can't help her, so when Catra actually apologises, says that she sacrificed herself for *Adora*, it of course makes sense that Adora would head back for Catra. Bow's always been a kindhearted person and both his best friends want to head back for this person, and he'd of course trust their judgement. With the other princesses, they've already had Entrapta and Scorpia to humanise the Horde to them, and besides, if your three biggest commanders come back with a Horde soldier, one of whom you know has a complicated relationship with said Horde soldier, and they say "yeah long story but I'm absolutely sure that they're with us" and you see the two being really happy together, having fun, deeply caring for each other, and you're currently in a war where said Horde soldier can really help you, it's pretty likely you'll decide to just trust them first and ask questions later. Also it's not as if Perfuma didn't have a problem with Catra at first, and the person who'd have the biggest problem with Catra, Mermista's already chipped, so, for me, it makes sense? Personal opinion of course.

Omg crossover

Hi! Glad to see you here

@@PseudONym-kz3fr now all i need is a Video on Transformers (Prime, or anything else, except Bayverse)

We need a crossover

*Kermit flail*

actually Catra kinda doubled down for a while but not really internally... I think if Azula had continued for like 2 seasons she could very well get a spoiler powered redemption arc

@@gabrielandradeferraz386 There were plans to give Azula a redemption arc, with the help of Zuko! Unfortunately, the Avatar movie stymied any hopes of getting another season.

I thought azula was the female fire sage meeting korra in season 2. I think she mallowed out.

@@Fralexion After that they started making comic, dont know if those still continue?

@@marocat4749 There is nothing that even remotely hints at that.

S5E3. "I'm sorry...for everything" That is all

Oh yeah. We really needed S4 to deconstruct Catra, break her down to nothing and shove the truth in her face in the form of Double Trouble. It was the only way to make her feelings of guilt believable in S5, and allow the audience to accept her reformation (redemption?). It probably shouldn’t have worked, but it was a master stroke of pacing and writing.

I think it took knowing her story on (4th) rewatch with my partner who (now in early season 4 of 1st watch) instantly felt drawn to her that made me sit back and think more about her inner world? My partner couldn’t possibly have a more different personality, if anything he’s more similar to Catra (and he does like and identify with Catra too, but not on the same level as Glimmer) I still don’t know how I feel or think of her, she frustrates me through most of the show. I think her personality being more abrasive and cringe at times is one of the things my partner connects with though (it’s been a few months since we’ve sat down to watch any She-Ra)

I just finished the show. "Emotionally destroyed, probably will never recover, and couldn't be happier"... I feel you😅

Finished the show a few days ago - also in two days - and I'm not emotionally destroyed, don't need to recover but I also couldn't be happier. She-Ra is almost as good as ATLA and I love it sm

I love how She-Ra and Katra were in love and got together by the end. It made so much sense. 💜💜

@@ladyandraia8724 Catradora supremacy

All the heroes are still the ones with diks, but some are hidden.

@@ladyandraia8724 Even more, if either of them had been straight, the whole universe would have ker-ploded.

@@SpurgeonGeneral46 I actually shipped Catra and Glimmer for some time BECAUSE I saw this parallel character development and just thought it would be kinda cool for them to be together. But whenever I tried to convince anybody else about this they wouldn't get it because they didn't see the connection btwn them. Since then I still think it would be cool for them to be together but now I am firmly on the side of Catradora.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Yep they're both extremely insecure due to their upbringings

Yeah they're very relatable

as another character on the show said, glimmer's worst weakness is crippling self doubt mixed with overwhelming hubris

Take a sip, and you will be annihilated in 5 min.

My liver curses you

The Entrapta challenge

No thank you. I would rather *NOT* die of alcohol poisoning.

Sorry, but I haven’t got self-destructive tendencies like Catra did

she is 100% caught up in the cycles of abuse that shadow weaver unintentionally taught her. Like in promise she says to adora "what do you want? An apology? Youre not getting one!" and two episodes prior, shadow weaver admitted to abusing catra and then said, "and i wont apologise". Its uncanny how much catra learnt from shadow weaver.

@@bellac6311 I forget the episode name, but Adore does point out that Shadowweaver was more than just their CO. She was basically their mom. Adore and Catra were raised in the Horde since they were knee high and Shadoweaver was the one who took care of them, for lack of a better term. The fact that Adora was Shadowweavers favorite and received special treatment only made it that much worse for Catra, because Shadowweaver ingrained how special Adore was and how Catra didn't deserve the faith and friendship Catra received from Adora. At one level ahe internalized that, but at another she rejected the fact Adora was special or better than her. It's was she was so competitive and never let herself be vulnerable around her.

@@josephperez2004 Yeah, its so sad to watch

The scene where Glimmer just decides to go solo the Horde and actually try as hard as she can is fucking amazing

Glimmer's behavior about this really connects with me as someone who has BPD. I have such a horrible fear of abandonment that I will apologize and relinquish everything in order to keep someone in my life and happy with me. It's definitely not intentionally manipulative, it's just the way BPD works. And there are similar symptoms in other relationship related disorders, but I would guess that because of Glimmer's upbringing, I wouldn't be surprised if apologizing to Bow isn't because she knows what she did was wrong or truly understands why, she's just willing to not be mad at him for it anymore in an effort to keep him in her life. To convince him to stay.

@@faithjolley6034 That was something that always really hit with me too. I said it from season 1 that it seemed like Catra and Glimmer both have BPD.

@@lillianclarke5316 Yeah, and I think Catra also truly believed the princesses had abandoned Entrapta, because she feels that a princess also abandoned her, so it's only natural they did it again.

That statement just makes my mind spin. On one hand, it shouldn't make sense, since the term himbo was literally created to describe a male equivalent of a bimbo, which was a sexist term used to describe a "dumb woman." The two terms, lady himbo, shouldn't make sense. It's like calling someone a "misogynistic feminist." They shouldn't work together, they are basically opposites. Yet it makes so much sense. Himbo has become a new term used to describe a "strong, friendly, good natured, wholesome dummy," and the gender has been all but removed from it. Lady himbo shouldn't work, but it works SO WELL. How, how does red reach into the zeitgeist so well? She comes up with a term, lady himbo, that literally makes my brain both hurt, but realize how fundamentally the usage of that term has changed.

@@MatthewSmith-sz1yq linguistics is a bitch innit?

That’s just a bimbo

Double Trouble is genuinely the most evil person in the show besides Horde Prime. Prove me wrong

@@mme.veronica735 I have a friend who watched the show and was of a similar mentality. His essential stance was that Double Trouble was just a smaller scale version of Horde Prime (they only care about themselves, if they actually like you they make you a part of them, etc). I have no intention of changing your mind or proving you wrong because evil is a question of morality and that's a tricky slope, to say nothing of the centuries of discussion that is still unresolved. I'm mostly just interested in discussion. I think on the basic level, Double Trouble comes off as charming and thus gets some leeway. They are snarky, smartalecky, and seem to genuinely enjoy people's company even if they have ulterior motives. Horde Prime is much more sterile. Every word out of his mouth is a veiled threat, from showing his hospitality with food and treasures from worlds that he exterminated, to offering to help stop the violence he is 'forced' to inflict on your friends and family if you just help them see reason. Double Trouble, is a had to put a belief system to it, is an anarchist: personal freedom is what they want and they don't care if it inconveniences others. It selfish, but not harmful to others per se. Horde Prime is a nihilist- to him existence outside of the perfect order he imagines is unfit to live and so much be wiped clean. So I can definitely see the concerns. Certainly if Double Trouble had more power, you might see acts of evil similar to Horde Prime, it's hard to say if they had the power to read minds to better understand people that they wouldn't use it. I think the fact that Double Trouble views their art of copying others as a goal in of itself and seems to use it for gain simply because it is their most useful skill might also play a part, where as everything Horde Prime does is simply a means to their final end goal.

Double Trouble had to be that extreme. Catra would NEVER get listenned.

@@mme.veronica735 no

@@mme.veronica735 That's really an overstatement and not thematically cogent? They're morally apathetic, but they never permanently damage someone, emotionally, mentally, or physically.

I know there's a very slim chance that it will be brought up in that video, but in this slightly-obscure fantasy book series there was a character who could shapeshift, and it actually played a very interesting role in her character beyond just being a magical tool. She was constantly having identity crises because she didn't know what her "true form" was and sometimes completely changed species unconsciously while in the middle of a conversation. In the story, she was raised by this evil hag who cursed her as a baby and killed her parents and all that tropey fairy-tale villain things, and when that hag told her to infiltrate the good guy's military force and impersonate a valuable member of the group because "mummy said so", she ended up slipping into that character's mindset and occasionally forgetting who she was. Eventually, when the heroes found out she was an imposter, she was killed without hesitation. Anyway, the whole thing was very fascinating to me as a kid, and I do think that more shows and pieces of media should turn the concept of shape-shifting into a part of the character's... character.

@Ivy Inkwell What book was it?

@@ivyinkwell1754 I'm interested to find out what book this is

Ok, um, I was a little scared to say the name, because it's... An animal fantasy book. As in Warrior Cats or Wings of Fire. Not sure how many people respect that genre. Anyway, the series is called The Owls of Ga'Hoole. There was a movie adaptation a while back that some people may have seen, creepy, beautiful, and inacurate. The book she actually features in is I think #11, which is a part of a sort-of prequel trilogy arc thing. It's got a weird writing style that I'm not sure if it's bad to just unique, so I don't know if I'd recommend the series. It's got a pretty cool plot and world though, and interesting social stuff, so maybe?

i love double trouble

The ending there was pretty awesome. The led up to it was amazing too, turning the whole Chosen Hero thing on it's head. In Entrapta's word 'You don't get to chose.' That, along with everything leading up to it: we learned the truth about Mara and the arc with Glimmer's family was a gut punch. And I personally just am a sucker for the trope of AI growing a conscience.

That is a fun homophony joke. The liet in lietmotief means "leading."

I think she said “Light Motif” I don’t think it’s a pun. Sorry :(

@@lukasnovella9001 a musical queue that introduces a character or idea in any piece of media with music is known as a Lietmotif. It's pronounced light motif because not all of us are good at german.

@@lukasnovella9001 The subtitles say "light motif," for what that's worth.

Apologies for raining on the parade, but I checked the captions, and she did say Light Motif, not lietmotif.

Don't you mean that he only had a Glimmer of Light Hope?

Nice

Yes, it's been 10 months, still waiting on the Adora hero complex video!

@@TempestFNG Same!!

LMFAO I-

😂🤣😅

that is simultaneously the best and worst joke ever

Thank you for existing

10/5 stars. Don't take to much pride it's an overflow error.

Good luck.

Good luck

Same bestie. Didn't regret a thing tho. 😂

Good luck with your finals!

Ohhhh noooo!

theyre like that meme of "friend who talks a lot" and "friend who likes to listen"

@@avrilynravenee5143 YES EXACTLY YOU GET IT

She's basically Aang's character and arc, with Azula's backstory and trauma. Good stuff.

More like Catra is Azula and Adora is Zuko

@@biancapereira5334 not so much really no

@@biancapereira5334 which side they're on isn't as important as how they act. Catra is the screw up trying to rise up and gain the approval of her boss/father/parental figure who is simply manipulating them and doesn't actually care about them. Like Zuko. Adora was constantly praised as the perfect soldier/follower/child. Like Azula. Yes the arcs are very different for all 4 characters. But the set up for their mentality and narrative matches up rather well.

Though one key difference is that Adora really cares about Catra (which, if course, Shadow Weaver uses in manipulating them). And Catra does care about Adora, too (though her feelings get much more complicated after Adora defects). Unlike Zuko and Azula, where there's absolutely no love lost on either side of that relationship.

It was actually such a clever way to keep Catra from backsliding.

I have a stupid grin thinking back to all of my favorite jokes. "You are...very technologically advanced..."

im so excited for her to join the show

THIS STOKES ME OUT WOOOOOOOO

Thanks for the heads up, I hadn’t heard of that!

WAIT REALLY? That’s epic!

I mean, my take for this is simple: they left just the dolls because if Red had to animate the entire conversations with the normal models, even if stock images were used to save time, this would easily take 4-5 times longer to produce per episode, which isn't ideal for a long-form discussion type video.

they answered that question in one of the recent podcast episodes.

Danikoshi: Doylist explanation Rayhatesu: Watsonian explanation

They're sitting behind the projector.

Your all forgetting about the pocket dimension behind the bookcase.

Was that meant to knock on it? I get that sometimes the series' pacing is too fast but I think they focused on them enough to understanding the heavy processing and how it motivates the cast.

@@sunlitsonata6853 No, I absolutely love the show. I was just making a joke about how the characters tend to react to their own behaviour

@@sunlitsonata6853 to fast, the only thing faster then that shows pacing is literally everything. I watched the first few seasons and nothing happened

@@sunlitsonata6853 to fast, the only thing faster then that shows pacing is literally everything. I watched the first few seasons and nothing happened

If we ever get a movie, it better be addressed

I don't see how anybody forgot what SW did. Adora, the one who was actually favored and "loved" by SW, is constantly antagonistic to her at every point in the show, even when she saves her life. And Catra is 10 times more resentful towards her, but in her horribly lonely existence, also clings to SW as a mother figure at points. In season 5 though she constantly distrusts SW, because she sees what she is doing to Adora. Literally nobody except Glimmer trusts SW at all beyond her factual knowledge of magic. Though I don't see how SW abused Glimmer? She gave her advice that she considered sound and Glimmer gladly followed it, because she was too stubborn to listen to anybody else. SW didnt lie or trick her. She gave her options that could lead to success, just not in a way that the heroes would prefer.

Yesss

This show was fairly good at that. When Shadowweaver joined the Alliance, frankly no one trusts her and that carries over to some extent even to the very end. The only reason they don't lock her up completely is because her council is actually useful on occasion (though she often bring a 'the ends justify the means' attitude to the table) and they arent in a position to be picky about allies against the Horde.

I'd argue She-ra was pretty good at showing just because someone switched sides it was not all cool with regards to past actions. Of the characters who switched: + Adora had the advantage of being the legendary She-ra. And does get threatened by Queen Angella in the first few episodes IIRC after she switched. + Entrapta started on the good guys side before she switched to the bad guys side, then got exiled to Beast Island. And even then, there was a lot of mistrust with the other princesses after she came back. + Shadow Weaver is treated with suspicion from the start after her defection. In fact, she only stops being a prisoner when she starts getting her manipulative bitch hooks into Glimmer during Season 5. And no one trusts her right up until she performs her heroic sacrifice in what is pretty much confirmed by the showrunners IIRC as partly her basically trying a Redemption through Death move. Even when dying the bitch can't help being manipulative. + Scorpia is the biggest offender when it comes to defectors being easily forgiven, though with the advantage she hasn't done much than be the muscle and Catra's loyal lieutenant. She still gets put in the jail for a bit before winning over the princesses. But still; it is the lovable cinnamon roll Scorpia. Can you blame them for being so forgiving? + Double Trouble is a mercenary, and while they do cooperate with the heroes a few times, they also fuck off afterwards. They get neither redeemed nor reformed. + Catra is the most interesting. Adora has spent four seasons hoping Catra would come over to the good guys side, been her childhood best friend, and has a major crush on her. Glimmer, who has the most reason to hate her after Catra's actions led to the loss of her mom, has the whole being saved by her and the shared bond of having to live with their actions almost destroying the world. Bow is Bow, so that helps with him. She still gets attacked on sight by Netosa and Frosta. + Wrong Hordak is essentially a child cut off from the abusive cult who raised him and effectively adopted by Entrapta. Bow also seems to feel guilt with the whole frying his mind thing. + Hordak; we never actually see him get anywhere because he only switches in the last episode. Mermista does literally ask if they are okay with regards to him, which implies he still has some way to go to redeem himself in some of the princesses eyes.

I don't people realize that redemption is not an event, it's something you have to commit to every day. When you've spent your whole life hurting people, it takes active effort every day for decades or even your lifetime. Redemption and reformation are the same concepts that have to take place simultaneously because you can't be "redeemed" if you don't change. Especially when the reason why you hurt people is based on PTSD. Trauma completely rewires your brain, and trauma never truly heals. Because of this, the mechanisms that you gain during and after trauma are embedded in you, and not every one of them is able to be dug out. You have to work on it and change your thought patterns and coping mechanisms every day for the rest of your life. And it gets easier over time, but you'll always have a relapse every couple of years. And the same will be true for Catra.

I feel like Steven Universe is a great example of this phenomena as well

Like what?

No stabbing here, Catra even points it out at one point.

@@liegeparadox2624 wait really? I’ve never seen it before so I was just making a dad joke

@@Jessie_Helms yah, totally. I don’t remember the specifics, but Catra says something along the lines of, “Adora, Adora, I get it. Everyone loves her, no need to rub it in.”

@@liegeparadox2624 Scorpiria also comment on that.

@@Jessie_Helms Basically every character has really obvious tag names. Scorpia is a scorpion. Bow uses a Bow. Netossa tosses nets. Glimmer... sparkles. It's almost as if the original 80s show was written by unimaginative hacks who just wanted to sell toys.

Yeah I’m honestly really upset that the amazing writing of the show got overlooked for dumb politicized discussions about the changes in character designs and the tone problems inherent to any children’s show about war. Like, you going to ignore all the amazing writing because you think the creators are hacks because Entrapta doesn’t look old enough? Bruh 🙃

@@allyli1718 going mildly off topic here but i hate that all succesful modern non anime cartoons are children show. i don't mean succesful as in popularity wise, i mean storywriting wise. All good animated shows that have good writing, She-ra, gravity falls, avatar (well, avatar isn't really but it's still y-7). All of the adult animation focus way too much on the "mature" topic, that the story itself is left kind of flimsy. those kids show only have story to leverage so their story is good. i kind of wish non children cartoon also works the same but they really doesn't or idk, maybe i just haven't looked far enough to find good series

that cause it is bad writing red geeking out doesn't make it good

@@Steven9567 is it bad writing though

@@Steven9567 Objectively, no the writing of the show even at its worse is competent and it does some pretty clever things with themes and character dynamics that one cannot objectively call it “bad writing”. Does that mean the shows for everyone? No. No series, even if one had perfect writing, will be for everyone. Everyone has their own preferences and what may be a masterpiece to one person may not be that special to another person. Unfortunately, in my opinion at least, it seems today’s society feels the need to either pressure others into having a consensus on a series or having to fight tooth and claw to justify why they may not enjoy something that others do. Too many people try to place their personality and self worth around media and when something they like gets criticized or something they don’t like gets praise, then it leads to resentment that then leads to vitriol and “us against them mentality”. People will throw themselves into these arguments, desperate to prove their point, to prove they are right even if it means attacking and belittling others over the internet and social media. People will literally come to hate and despise one another. And ultimately these arguments, never accomplish anything. They’re pointless rhetoric because neither group will ever let go of their beliefs because both are ingrained in their very being. Internet discourse and arguments are pointless and only breed pain and hatred. That’s why I think people should just allow others to like what they do or do not like. There’s no pointing in attacking or belittling piece of media just to justify your own dislike of it. Just don’t enjoy it and move on. And don’t attack or belittle others for not liking something you love. Everyone has their own tastes, likes and dislikes. If people understood that then I feel like the internet would just be a nicer place. Ultimately though this is just my opinion. So you do you, just don’t be a jerk about it.

I started watching it too after seeing a video of it (though it was frin The Sin Squad) and I am so glad. I can't believe how close I was to never watching it after having a friend talk shit about it, when now it's my favourite show!

So *that's* where Luna and Celestia wound up after the improbability drive kicked in!

yeah. i guess they didn’t want to mention the whole child abuse thing, but glimmer becoming friends with fucking shadow weaver of all people was rough

*being manipulated by Catra and Adora´s abusive mother But yeah you´re right

I dunno about other people, & I haven't had a chance to watch the show, but I think I would dislike Glimmer because she's self-righteous, according to Red. Self-righteous people are the literal worst. I would probably relate to Catra, who is self-loathing and self-destructive. It's about the actions and thought processes that leads to the same outcome, not the outcome itself. "I have to be accomplished for people to like me" is way more likeable than "everyone's wrong, I'm always right". But! I haven't watched the show for myself, so I can't say for sure. But if Red's description is accurate, Glimmer sounds like an asshole, especially since she's a goodguy.

@bluELFsuma while i agree that glimmer was a real jerk in s4, it wasn’t always like that. she is very stubborn and quick to get stuck in her ways. i think she felt she ‘*had* to be self righteous because the alternative meant failure and the inability to fit her mother’s shoes. as red said, it’s very self destructive behavior. your opinion is valid tho! i just hope you can give glimmer a chance esp bc of her growth in s5 and you have the chance to watch a show❤️

@@cecijayx Ah, okay! If I get the chance to watch, I'll try to go in with a fresh perspective.

In fairness to Hordak, the two lies are on very different scales lol

Okay but I have very little interest in being fair to Hordak (at that point in the series at least)