Love seeing an Adora analysis video in 2024 aaa. The first time I watched she-ra i really overlooked the nuances of Adora's character until season 5, but since then, every time I've rewatched she-ra I've grown to love her character more and more every time. There's always a new thing I realize about her arc that only makes her all the more endearing to me. Her story is truly uplifting and a huge comfort.
I mean, if Catra is the “unfavorite child” in a toxic environment, then Adora is the “golden child” in it. Both case scenarios are equally unhealthy. In Adora’s case, her abuse is more hidden than Catra’s, because she was given too much pressure and high expectations, making her feel like she doesn’t deserve love if she isn’t useful and self-sacrificing . Even when she leaves the Horde, this pattern is unwittingly repeated through her friends and authorities, just because “she’s She-Ra, she’s the last Ancient, she’s destined for greatness, and blah, blah, blah, blah…”. Indeed when people (like Catra) ask her what SHE TRULY want, she can’t find the answer, and tries to change the subject. As it turns out, what SHE TRULY wants is to live a peaceful life with her friends and girlfriend, free from any expectations (a wish that even Horde Prime calls it beautiful). Which is why Catra is the perfect candidate to teach her to accept love from others because she DOES MATTER (with or without powers) and that being selfish sometimes is necessary.
I think a really interesting thing is in ep3 season 1 - Razz, Queen Angela welcomes She-ra to the rebellion not by Adora's name/herself, I think this could've potentially added to Adora's low self-worth as she was only welcomed when she was She-ra not for who she was just because she came from the horde.
I mean, while Catra very much disliked the _old_ She-Ra, she is shown to be attracted to the _new_ She-Ra who also looks more like Adora (she blushes the first time she sees her.) Still, it's true that she loves Adora for Adora and I don't think She-Ra would be used for any, uh, private activities unless Adora gets to a point where she'd want to and feel comfortable doing that.
thank you for making this - it's really interesting to see a lot of my own thoughts put in a linear format. i constantly see conversations about catra and her story of overcoming abuse but it makes me so sad how adora's is overlooked, given how important her journey is.
Me, watches video on analyzing Adora: Oh cool I've never thought of this before this is actually very fitting and makes sense! Let me just like the video- what do you mean there are only 70 likes. Well, its probably cuz this channel posted it a few hours, 3 DAYS?!
I really like your vid, especially bc it's been done recently. I still rewatch She-Ra from time to time and also watch vids about it. I like watching videos about Adora bc she's also been through a tough childhood and teenhood although most people "only" talk about Catra (I also LOVE Catra's vids and her character). I miss reviews and informations about Adora. Also, I relate to Adora and her people pleasing trait. Going over that is a huge process. She has developed a lot when she finally stood up to Catra at the end of season 3 and when she chose her own destiny at the end of season 4, for instance. During the seasons she falls back in the pattern, but not like the way she was in the beginning. As time goes by she learns how to be more confident and to be more herself, learning her own worth. Although that development line is not straight (just like in real life). I think Adora's path is admiring, not because she is the protagonist, but because her story is deep. She's a young woman who has just gone to the world and is discovering new things besides what she has been taught. She has gone against beliefs she once knew and is confronting the old baggage she has with the new connections she makes. One has to be really brave to be open to the newness and embrace it. She's not perfect and does not always win. She also makes mistakes and is still learning that she doesn't have to do everything by herself. It's a journey of a person who thinks she is alone (bc she "has to" do everything by herself), therefore she has difficulty to be vulnerable and to ask for help, although she knows she has friends. And she still sees her friends as people she has to protect. And that's one of the things that makes her story beautiful: she's still learning to receive love and help (and she's not alone, her friends always reminds her that). She's learning she's not the one to take care of everything and everybody. She's also a person that can want things for her personal self and her desires matter! Idk if it was the best choice of words, but I hope you all got it. Thanks for reading e congrats for the video :3
Can I just say thank you for being a modern, not brain dead She-Ra video essayist. I've seen the recent trend after the show ended where people suddenly lose all sense of nuance or media literacy and think Catra's the bane of existence, a total abuser, and that Adora and Catra are an abusive relationship and thus She-Ra supports abuse, despite the ENTIRE show being built on overcoming the cycles OF abuse. It sucks because this show is full of important and complex messaging that goes beyond good/evil or straight abuse/victim, but apparently the second the show ended, people couldn't handle it anymore. So thank you for having a well-thought out, analytic perspective on the show!
legit. And people always heavily twist Adora's character to fit that narrative too. It always ends up sounding really belittling, both to the audience and Adora herself.
@@Indigo_Splash THANK YOU! That's so much of why I hate that argument because it twists what happens in the show entirely and actually gives Adora, a character who struggles with having agency in the show as her character arc, less agency in the one time and genuine decision she makes for herself and what she wants. Like no one forced or manipulated Adora into going back for Catra and trying again, she would have quite literally gone back for anyone even a stranger if it was to save them from Horde Prime. She saw proof Catra might be good, and decided, independently, after thinking about it, to give her another shot. The minute Catra started slipping again on the ship Adora shut that shit down immediately and set clear boundaries. Like Adora's not some foolish victim forcibly given blinders by the narrative, she CHOSE to do this because she wanted to. She had every right not to go back for Catra mind you, but she decided instead to pursue a relationship with an admittedly very toxic but growing old friend she'd had since she was a toddler. This was a personal journey and mission that in all honesty goes against her mission as She-Ra, but, it was what she wanted to try. And people just strip her of that agency and decision.
@@misfits9294 THIS. t's exactly what urks me about it too. It's like incredibly inaccurate to her character when Adora is honestly pretty good at calling catra out when she needs to. she never bent her morals, or what was important to her, for catra's sake, that is literally what sparks their whole arcs. Adora going to save Catra wasn't convenient, for the greater good, or because someone told her it was the right thing to do, I personally see it as a personal decision she made, because Catra showed signs of wanting to change, and Adora didn't want to let go of that chance. And heck, Catra discouraged her from risking her life for her, so it's not like Catra asked for Adora to risk herself either, it was Adora's choice, a choice she should have cause that's literally the message of the show. And yea like u said, as soon as Catra starts backtracking Adora is having none of it. I feel like people put Adora and Catra into these bubbles of "mean girl x meek nice girl" for some reason even though both of them are so much more than one trait, nor is Adora remotely meek. She can be guilted by people and blames herself a lot, but she does have a backbone, and is honestly quite the badass. I've also seen the argument that "Adora taking catra back later erases her development at the end of S3 when she finally gives up on Catra and says that it was Catra's own fault" Which is a really black and white way to look at it because like Adora only accepted Catra into her life when she was willing to change? It's made incredibly clear by the show, and in no way should that erase her standing up for herself in S3. it would be one thing if having Catra around turned Adora into a doormat, but it doesn't. Catra is the one trying to discourage Adora from being pressured into things by others (*cough* Shadow Weaver *cough*) due to her hero complex in season 5, but for some reason their characters always get the most heavily misinterpreted in that season lol. Season 5 gets a bad rap for being so good, but honestly some people I've debated with that have these opinions have admitted they don't remember the show lol
Love seeing an Adora analysis video in 2024 aaa. The first time I watched she-ra i really overlooked the nuances of Adora's character until season 5, but since then, every time I've rewatched she-ra I've grown to love her character more and more every time. There's always a new thing I realize about her arc that only makes her all the more endearing to me. Her story is truly uplifting and a huge comfort.
I mean, if Catra is the “unfavorite child” in a toxic environment, then Adora is the “golden child” in it. Both case scenarios are equally unhealthy.
In Adora’s case, her abuse is more hidden than Catra’s, because she was given too much pressure and high expectations, making her feel like she doesn’t deserve love if she isn’t useful and self-sacrificing . Even when she leaves the Horde, this pattern is unwittingly repeated through her friends and authorities, just because “she’s She-Ra, she’s the last Ancient, she’s destined for greatness, and blah, blah, blah, blah…”.
Indeed when people (like Catra) ask her what SHE TRULY want, she can’t find the answer, and tries to change the subject. As it turns out, what SHE TRULY wants is to live a peaceful life with her friends and girlfriend, free from any expectations (a wish that even Horde Prime calls it beautiful).
Which is why Catra is the perfect candidate to teach her to accept love from others because she DOES MATTER (with or without powers) and that being selfish sometimes is necessary.
I think a really interesting thing is in ep3 season 1 - Razz, Queen Angela welcomes She-ra to the rebellion not by Adora's name/herself, I think this could've potentially added to Adora's low self-worth as she was only welcomed when she was She-ra not for who she was just because she came from the horde.
I mean, while Catra very much disliked the _old_ She-Ra, she is shown to be attracted to the _new_ She-Ra who also looks more like Adora (she blushes the first time she sees her.) Still, it's true that she loves Adora for Adora and I don't think She-Ra would be used for any, uh, private activities unless Adora gets to a point where she'd want to and feel comfortable doing that.
thank you for making this - it's really interesting to see a lot of my own thoughts put in a linear format. i constantly see conversations about catra and her story of overcoming abuse but it makes me so sad how adora's is overlooked, given how important her journey is.
Nice to see a video essay not just crap all over Catra.
Me, watches video on analyzing Adora: Oh cool I've never thought of this before this is actually very fitting and makes sense! Let me just like the video- what do you mean there are only 70 likes. Well, its probably cuz this channel posted it a few hours, 3 DAYS?!
I really like your vid, especially bc it's been done recently. I still rewatch She-Ra from time to time and also watch vids about it. I like watching videos about Adora bc she's also been through a tough childhood and teenhood although most people "only" talk about Catra (I also LOVE Catra's vids and her character). I miss reviews and informations about Adora.
Also, I relate to Adora and her people pleasing trait. Going over that is a huge process. She has developed a lot when she finally stood up to Catra at the end of season 3 and when she chose her own destiny at the end of season 4, for instance. During the seasons she falls back in the pattern, but not like the way she was in the beginning. As time goes by she learns how to be more confident and to be more herself, learning her own worth. Although that development line is not straight (just like in real life).
I think Adora's path is admiring, not because she is the protagonist, but because her story is deep. She's a young woman who has just gone to the world and is discovering new things besides what she has been taught. She has gone against beliefs she once knew and is confronting the old baggage she has with the new connections she makes. One has to be really brave to be open to the newness and embrace it. She's not perfect and does not always win. She also makes mistakes and is still learning that she doesn't have to do everything by herself.
It's a journey of a person who thinks she is alone (bc she "has to" do everything by herself), therefore she has difficulty to be vulnerable and to ask for help, although she knows she has friends. And she still sees her friends as people she has to protect. And that's one of the things that makes her story beautiful: she's still learning to receive love and help (and she's not alone, her friends always reminds her that). She's learning she's not the one to take care of everything and everybody. She's also a person that can want things for her personal self and her desires matter!
Idk if it was the best choice of words, but I hope you all got it. Thanks for reading e congrats for the video :3
Amazing vid, I swear your channel is way too underrated
Can I just say thank you for being a modern, not brain dead She-Ra video essayist. I've seen the recent trend after the show ended where people suddenly lose all sense of nuance or media literacy and think Catra's the bane of existence, a total abuser, and that Adora and Catra are an abusive relationship and thus She-Ra supports abuse, despite the ENTIRE show being built on overcoming the cycles OF abuse. It sucks because this show is full of important and complex messaging that goes beyond good/evil or straight abuse/victim, but apparently the second the show ended, people couldn't handle it anymore. So thank you for having a well-thought out, analytic perspective on the show!
legit. And people always heavily twist Adora's character to fit that narrative too. It always ends up sounding really belittling, both to the audience and Adora herself.
@@Indigo_Splash THANK YOU! That's so much of why I hate that argument because it twists what happens in the show entirely and actually gives Adora, a character who struggles with having agency in the show as her character arc, less agency in the one time and genuine decision she makes for herself and what she wants. Like no one forced or manipulated Adora into going back for Catra and trying again, she would have quite literally gone back for anyone even a stranger if it was to save them from Horde Prime. She saw proof Catra might be good, and decided, independently, after thinking about it, to give her another shot. The minute Catra started slipping again on the ship Adora shut that shit down immediately and set clear boundaries. Like Adora's not some foolish victim forcibly given blinders by the narrative, she CHOSE to do this because she wanted to. She had every right not to go back for Catra mind you, but she decided instead to pursue a relationship with an admittedly very toxic but growing old friend she'd had since she was a toddler. This was a personal journey and mission that in all honesty goes against her mission as She-Ra, but, it was what she wanted to try. And people just strip her of that agency and decision.
@@misfits9294 THIS. t's exactly what urks me about it too. It's like incredibly inaccurate to her character when Adora is honestly pretty good at calling catra out when she needs to. she never bent her morals, or what was important to her, for catra's sake, that is literally what sparks their whole arcs. Adora going to save Catra wasn't convenient, for the greater good, or because someone told her it was the right thing to do, I personally see it as a personal decision she made, because Catra showed signs of wanting to change, and Adora didn't want to let go of that chance. And heck, Catra discouraged her from risking her life for her, so it's not like Catra asked for Adora to risk herself either, it was Adora's choice, a choice she should have cause that's literally the message of the show.
And yea like u said, as soon as Catra starts backtracking Adora is having none of it. I feel like people put Adora and Catra into these bubbles of "mean girl x meek nice girl" for some reason even though both of them are so much more than one trait, nor is Adora remotely meek. She can be guilted by people and blames herself a lot, but she does have a backbone, and is honestly quite the badass.
I've also seen the argument that "Adora taking catra back later erases her development at the end of S3 when she finally gives up on Catra and says that it was Catra's own fault" Which is a really black and white way to look at it because like Adora only accepted Catra into her life when she was willing to change? It's made incredibly clear by the show, and in no way should that erase her standing up for herself in S3. it would be one thing if having Catra around turned Adora into a doormat, but it doesn't. Catra is the one trying to discourage Adora from being pressured into things by others (*cough* Shadow Weaver *cough*) due to her hero complex in season 5, but for some reason their characters always get the most heavily misinterpreted in that season lol. Season 5 gets a bad rap for being so good, but honestly some people I've debated with that have these opinions have admitted they don't remember the show lol