#spop review

[tippenfunkaport]

2023 in Fanart

I am not immune to trends.

I ordered myself a cheap drawing tablet last December 26th and didn't really get a chance to play around with it until mid year, but I made a fair amount of fanart after then so here's everything I posted in 2023, roughly in the order I made it.

Thanks for sticking with me while I figure out what I'm doing and a Happy New Year to everyone!

[historyhermann]

Kiff Review

Kiff is a musical comedy animated series by Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal. They are known for their work in the animation industry, either script writing, storyboarding, or voice acting. This post will have spoilers.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the twenty-seventh article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on March 27, 2023.

The plot of Kiff focuses on a young flying squirrel named Kiff Chatterley (voiced by Kimiko Glenn), who is friends with a mellow bunny named Barry Buns (H. Michael Croner) in a magical land, within the mountains, known as Table Town. Both go on adventures in and around the town.

Like other Disney series airing this year, Kiff is aimed at kids and families. This is clear from the format, similar to many episodes of Amphibia, Milo Murphy's Law, and Phineas and Ferb. Each 22-minute episode is divided into two 11-minute segments. In typical Disney fashion, there is a musical number in almost every episode.

Apart from the animating powerhouse of Disney Television Animation, a well-known animation studio, Titmouse, is producing the series. The same studio is known for series such as Cleopatra in Space, Star Trek: Lower Decks, The Midnight Gospel, Q-Force, Inside Job, Pantheon, My Dad the Bounty Hunter,  The Legend of Vox Machina, Fairfax, and Chicago Party Aunt.

Many of the voice actors in Kiff are well-experienced. Glenn previously voiced Paperstar in Carmen Sandiego, Katherine-Alice in Welcome to the Wayne, Tomiko in Elena of Avalor, and Nomi in Dogs in Space, to name a few roles. Deedee Magno Hall, who voices Deer Teacher in the series, is best known for voicing Pearl in Steven Universe. Furthermore, James Monroe Iglehart and Lauren Ash, who voice Kiff's parents, prominently voiced characters in series such as Tangled, Helluva Boss, Elena of Avalor, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Keen listeners might recognize Rachel House, voice of Barry's mother, or Nichole Sakura, voice of Barry's sister. Both had prominent voice roles in Moana and OK K.O.!: Let's Be Heroes. Personally, I was familiar with voice actors Katie Crown and Rhys Darby because they voiced characters in Cleopatra in Space. The former also voiced Ivy in Amphibia. Furthermore, Darby voiced a variety of characters in Milo Murphy's Law, We Bare Bears, Welcome to the Wayne, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and Infinity Train. It was great to hear Vella Vowell, who voices Candle Fox, again. I remembered her impressive voice acting as Princess Mermista in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and as the No Tattoo Barista (which later turned into a CBD Monster) in the lesser-known Magical Girl Friendship Squad.

Kiff snagged the well-regarded Eric Bauza and Tom Kenny. From my years of watching animated series, I was familiar with Bauza as Scoops in Ollie & Scoops, as well as Kenny for two roles: Ice King in Adventure Time and Yancy Fry in Futurama. In this series, Bauza voices Reggie and a scrupulous TV producer named Roy Fox, while Kenny voices multiple characters in the series. A stand-up comedian named Josh Johnson also voices Barry's brother, Harry.

The show's animation is expressive and colorful. However, it pales in comparison to Amphibia, The Owl House, or Adventure Time. In some ways, Phineas and Ferb is put together better, as is Milo Murphy's Law. All in all, the show is a bit funny, but not laugh-out-loud funny. Drama is more a strong suit for the series than comedy.

The first twelve episodes of the series are double-episodes. They introduce viewers to the characters, allowing you to get a feeling for their lives. More than anything, they make it clear that Kiff is not serialized like Steven Universe, Tangled, or Milo Murphy's Law (especially the second season). Instead, each episode seems in its own world, without being connected to another. If some rumors are correct about upcoming Hailey's On It! and Iwaju, it appears that Disney series are moving in this direction. This is evidenced by the fact that the recently aired Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur uses serialized storytelling.

The first twelve episodes of the series is is a double-episode. They introduce viewers to the characters, allowing you to get a feeling for their lives. More than anything, it is clear that the series is not serialized similar to Steven Universe, Tangled, or Milo Murphy's Law (especially the second season). Instead, each of the episodes seems in its own world, without being connected to one another. If some rumors are correct, it appears that Disney series are moving in this direction. However, the recently aired Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur uses serialized storytelling as does the upcoming Hailey's On It! and Iwaju, if reports are correct.

Kiff has some elements reminding me of the Futurama episode openings, like fake adverts at the beginning of each episode. At the same time, the series is different than what has come before since the show creators, Heavens and Smal, who voice characters in the series, are from Cape Town, South Africa. As a result, their life-stories are undoubtedly integrated into the series itself. Furthermore, the show's directors include animators for Black Dynamite, 6Teen, and Amphibia, with this career experience enhancing the show even more.

The series emphasizes the importance of acceptance, friendship, self-worth, and notoriety. The latter is shown in the extreme by Roy Fox, who makes trashy reality shows in order to profit from people's misery. In a manner similar to the focus on education in many anime series, Kiff seems to imply that education is important to achieving your dreams and that school shouldn't be skipped, no matter what. This stands diametrically opposed to what is shown in Birdie Wing: Eve, one of the show's protagonists, is a terrible student, but remains at the premiere golf academy because she is a sports star.

There are many other themes focused in Kiff. For instance, the episode "Career Day", when Kiff and Barry get a part-time job at city hall, implies that mass records destruction is fine as long as you cut through the "red tape". This contrasts with commentary about overly technical bureaucracy in Hilda and Futurama, to name two series. Such a negative theme in "Career Day" is offset by episodes which accentuate family togetherness and honesty.

As a person who has reviewed media with libraries and librarians in pop culture since July 2020, and with a MLIS degree, it should be no surprise one of my favorite episodes of Kiff was "Club Book". In he episode, Kiff learns the value of quietness in the library after turning the library into a club scene. I thought it was interesting that the librarian, voiced by Aparna Nancherla, is made more relatable than most. Her character, Miss Moufflé, somewhat bucking stereotypes, while reinforcing them at the same time, as she shushes people but also likes souffles.

Similar to other series, the value of libraries as a place of knowledge and learning is affirmed in Kiff. In some ways, the episode reminded me of the "Quiet Riot" episode of The Replacements, in which the show's protagonist, Todd, causes the shushing librarian in charge of the school library replaced by a rockstar. However, he later regrets his decision, resulting in the original librarian returning to her job.

Currently, Kiff is almost half-way through its series order of 30 episodes. It is hard to know where the series will go from here. Even so. I am more optimistic about this series than Hamster & Gretel, which has fallen flat, despite the fact that Dan Povenmire is the show's creator. Instead, the series has episodes somewhat mimicking absurdity and, even hilarity (to an extent), which are present in Phineas and Ferb. The latter, in fact, was recently renewed for more two seasons.

Even so, Kiff will probably never measure-up to the strength of four-season animated magical comedy powerhouse of Phineas and Ferb, a series even mentioned in an episode of Better Things, a comedy-drama by Pamela Adlon, who voiced some characters in the series. Despite this, Kiff will chart its own path, perhaps different than what has come before. After all, both creators are said to be a "brilliant creative team".

Although Disney has recently removed release dates from the upcoming Tiana and Moana series, clearly Kiff is part of a trend by the company to feature more diverse series. This year is bound to bring series such as Iwáju and Hailey's On It!, while there are others in production such as Cookies & Milk and Primos.

It is further possible that Disney is producing Molly Ostertag's Neon Galaxy, a series reportedly about a trans princess. In any case, diverse series are on the horizon for Disney, especially more than HBO Max, a network which has been struggling to find its corporate identity since David Zaslav became CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery conglomerate. It is said that the streaming service has Iyanu: Child of Wonder and Lumberjanes in production.

The first 12 episodes of Kiff are currently airing on Disney+ and all twelve episodes have aired on the Disney Channel. Four new episodes will air on the Disney Channel on April 1st and later be added on Disney+.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[sometipsygnostalgic]

everyone on Reddit being asked what their least favourite She-ra episode is and at least two people commented on the tonal dissonance of Signals being 50% trash and 50% the best episode in the season, it’s great

[archivyrep]

She-Ra, Bow, and the archives: An "archivy situation," indeed

Lance and George show the Best Friend Squad (Bow, Adora, and Glimmer) First Ones artifacts

Recently, I published an article for ilovelibraries, a division of the American Library Association. In that article, I focused on the library themes in the She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, noting how the season two finale of the show, "Reunion," focused around the two middle-aged Black librarians, George and Lance, who have a library in the Whispering Woods, who are the fathers of Bow. In that episode, Bow, Adora, and Glimmer work to translate a message, with Bow reluctantly revealing his true identity after Adora releases an elemental monster, with his dads accepting him for who he is. I also noted how in the season five episode, "Return to the Fright Zone," with Bow and Glimmer looking for George and Lance, who recount a rebellion against the first settlers of the planet, the First Ones, and as I noted, an "existence of a fail-safe for the superweapon in the planet’s core." This becomes important, with the information they provided helping the show's protagonists, especially Adora and Catra, setting the stage for the final episode's groundbreaking kiss between Adora and Catra, which saves the world and universe from being destroyed by the villainy of Horde Prime. Even saying this, there is a lot more going on in this episode, with some in the archival field have talked about it, noting archival themes.

Reprinted from my Wading Through the Cultural Stacks WordPress blog. Originally published on Aug. 13, 2020.

The first of these is by Metadata Specialist Kathleen Smith of Treasures from the Archives, the blog of Old Dominion University Libraries Special Collections & University Archives. She writes enthusiastically about the episode, "Reunion," stating that Adora and Glimmer find Bow "in the archives," where they learn about ancient pottery and unique artifacts. She also states that she loves this episode most of all because it features a library/archive which is "complete with artifacts and rare books." She further states that the artifacts on display inside reminds her of the ancient Cypriot pottery in ODU's Special Collections’ Dudley Cooper collection while stating that she likes seeing "libraries and archives being represented animatedly." While I appreciate her words, I don't think she is completely right here, when it comes to calling the family library that Bow's dads run an "archive." I would call it a library/museum with archival qualities, which I'll expand on in the next couple paragraphs, with Bow's dads as self-defined historians of the planet's first settlers. I know that galleries, libraries, archives, and museums are "four types of cultural institutions that share a collaborative relationship stemming from their similar missions," otherwise known as GLAM, but these are not the same. The UK National Archives explains how libraries and archives are different,

The books in a library are often secondary sources of information, whereas the records in an archive are primary sources. Archives provide first-hand information or evidence relating to historical events or figures. Library books are arranged by subject and author, whereas information in archives is arranged according to the person or organisation that created it. This means that you will probably need to look at records from more than one source, or more than one archive, as you gather information.

Additionally, the SAA adds that while librarians and archivists both preserve, collect, and make materials accessible, they differ in ways they use, arrange, and use materials in their collections, with materials in archival collections often irreplaceable and unique, while "libraries can usually obtain new copies of worn-out or lost books." The same page talks about the difference between historians and archivists:

These two professions have a longstanding partnership. The archivist identifies, preserves, and makes records accessible for use; the historian uses archival records for research.

On another page, the SAA states that libraries can be defined, generally as "collections of books and/or other print or nonprint materials organized and maintained for use," with patrons accessing materials either in person, through the internet, or checking out materials for home use, with libraries existing to "make their collections available to the people they serve." They add that while archives to make their collections accessible, they differ in the types of materials they hold and how those materials are accessed.

With this being said, I think it is clear that Bow's dads operate a library, and it is what the American Library Association (ALA) calls a special library, which serves "particular populations, such as the blind and physically handicapped, while others are dedicated to special collections." Adding to this, a special library provides specific information on a particular subject, serving a specific group, and delivering services to that group. [1] In the case of the library in She-Ra, its only patrons were George, Lance, presumably Bow, and Bow's 12 brothers, before Adora and Glimmer came along, and its collections focused specifically on artifacts of the First Ones. At the same time, this library has a museum within it, which the CLIR defines as a place that identifies, acquires, preserves, and exhibits objects, while also:

[Promoting] cultural, community, and familial identity and understanding...[providing] experiences where visitors can make connections between content and ideas...[serving] as memory institutions for a culture...support[s] formal and informal learning and research...[and serving] as focal points for communities and promote community interests

While the museum in the family library does promote identity and understanding, while allowing visitors can make connections "between content and ideas," supporting learning and research, I'm not sure it is serving as a memory institution "for a culture," or a focal point for communities, as its original patrons were very limited, as I noted earlier. As such, the situation is archivy, and I'll expand on that later.

This brings me to what Samantha Cross, the Pop Archives guru, writes about the episode, "Reunion," on her blog, POP Archives, stating that while it seems like a stretch when she first considered the episode when she "witnessed the beauty that is Bow's historian fathers," she wanted to talk about it. She began by summarizing the show, noting that Bow's fathers, historians "who have no idea that he's a soldier in the resistance against the Hoard." She adds that the home of Bow's fathers is a museum/library/archive of "documents, research, and artifacts devoted to the enigmatic ancient-yet-advanced society" of the First Ones, with these dads believing Adora and Bow are Bow's schoolmates at the Academy of Historical Enterprises (an academy Bow made up), giving them a tour of their home. She further notes that even though George and Lance are called historians automatically doesn't take them out of the archives because "there are plenty of archivists who are historians and have a degree in history or started with a history major before moving into archives." Even so, she laments that the home of George and Lance isn't defined as a "particular institution," but is less thought to be an archives when a "museum or a library presents a less complex visual representation." She closes by noting the purpose of introducing Bow's family while adding that you have to "squint and imagine George and Lance appraising, selecting, arranging, and describing their First Ones collection," although she says she would enjoy seeing their "lavish history-based home in a future episode." And see that we do!

In the show’s last season, Bow’s family library makes an appearance in the episode, “Return in the Fright Zone.” In this episode, Bow and Glimmer teleport into the library to check up on his dads. The place has been abandoned and is a wreck. Thanks to a note left behind, both teleport to the Crystal Castle ruins, and find his dads there. Both recount their discoveries: an ancient rebellion against the planet’s first settlers and the existence of a fail-safe for the superweapon in the planet’s core. This information becomes vitally important in the effort by Adora, Catra, and her friends to save the world (and universe) from destruction.

Library as first seen in the episode "Reunion"

All of this begs the question: is Bow's family home a library, archives, or a museum? The fact it is basically a combination of three, it's kinda library-archives-museum hybrid, specifically a special library with a museum within and having archival qualities. This is much better than Star Wars which badly merged a library into an archives with a good number of stereotypes. Without a doubt, it is a positive depiction of libraries in animation, beginning when Glimmer and Adora entering the library unannounced at the beginning of the episode. We know that Bow's dads are academic in a sense as they are impressed by Bow going to an academy, even though it is a made-up one, and the majors his friends supposedly had. Later in the episode, George and Lance still help Adora, Glimmer, and Bow figure out a message, using a library projector, recognize it is a constellation, and where the message is being broadcast from. Of course, they both caution them to not travel there, but you can tell that they will go there anyway (as predicted in my friend's fan fiction), which happens at the beginning of Season 3.

Apart from this, I'd like to say that one of my favorite lines of the episode is uttered by Glimmer, who tells Adora "we have to find Bow and get him out of this...uh...library?" as is Adora's line about being scholars. I thought it was interesting that Glimmer is hurt by the deception from Bow, who claims she doesn't "know him" anymore, even though she misses the hints about where he came from, as Bow tells Adora in the show's second episode, "...I'm starting to get a little freaked out. I mean, I pretty much grew up in these woods and I've never even seen this part of them. I've heard of stories about weird stuff out here." Apart from saying all this, it is clear that Bow's home is, more than anything else, a giant and beautiful library, with its introduction which is proceeded by music trying to make it seem magical. It seems to be a welcoming place, where you can be offered food and drink, and full of knowledge. I also enjoyed how Adora aids Bow’s dads in translating a message as part of their three-person “Best Research Squad,” and she accidentally releases an elemental monster, causing havoc in the library.

Finally, my good friend broached this subject in a fan fiction, "The Library of the Whispering Woods,"  noting it had the "largest collection of artifacts and writings of the First Ones in all Etheria," and described it as "open to visitors and researchers." As my good friend envisioned it, this library had an open public access catalog (OPAC) allowing users to easily find relevant items and searchable, along with having many resources available so that people could continue their "quest for knowledge." This included video archives, various exhibits and rooms, and various processes in place to review their diverse and inclusive collections. My friend envisioned that Bow's dads were interested in the "open exchange of knowledge" in this special library with features which would be "befitting of an archives," with one of them even doing an oral history interview with one of the characters. This showed that this library was a "magical space with never-ending potential and promise" while it was also "a repository of knowledge which could help them all find answers." The library gave "them enough of an answer to move on to the next part of their quest."

To conclude this article, I tend to see Bow's family home as more a library than anything else, which is why, in the first version of the article I submitted to ilovelibraries, I called it a library/museum, although that was changed to a library in the published edition. There are undoubtedly archival qualities of the family library in the Whispering Woods, so it is understandable some in the field would see it as an archives. I would end by saying, from my analysis, the home itself is a special library with a museum, meaning that there are archival elements.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] Shumaker, David. "Special Libraries." In Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, third edition, 4966-4974. New York: Taylor and Francis, 2011; Mount, Ellis, and Renée Massoud. Special Libraries and Information Centers: An Introductory Text. Fourth edition. Washington, DC: SLA Publishing, 1999.

[pe4chpunch]

modern au but the adora, catra, bow, and glimmer are all big youtubers for no reason 😭😭

adora is a gamer,, probably does a lot of minecraft content on his channel as well as horror games (they’re a big baby and get scared easily 😔😔). catra is a musician and posts a lot of her own music as well as song covers,, maybe she’d even do lyric breakdowns and things like that. bow would be a tech channel for sure,, he does PC builds, tech reviews, maybe some game reviews. he’d do things like switch customizations too. as for glimmer, she’d definitely have a channel all about true crime and just grim stuff in general. i just like the idea bc it goes against her whole pink cutesy girly aesthetic 😔 i just wanna hear her talk about murder

[evies20dollars]

I posted 11,509 times in 2022

That's 4,369 more posts than 2021!

56 posts created (0%)

11,453 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@princessrhcenyra

@catradoratwtgoodies

@thefabulousfab-3

@livelovecaliforniadreams

@yourstormthlaylirahh

I tagged 10,821 of my posts in 2022

Only 6% of my posts had no tags

#fanart - 1,255 posts

#toh - 1,204 posts

#toh spoilers - 737 posts

#spop - 703 posts

#hunter - 648 posts

#wwdits - 568 posts

#catra - 560 posts

#arcane - 540 posts

#adora - 531 posts

#the wilds - 481 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#anyways i love queer i can denote that i don't fit in the cishet box without having to tell you my specific sexuality and gender it's lovely

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I feel like the people who keep saying "stop criticizing the episode, this is the shits and farts show" have a genuine lack of comprehension of the show as a whole. Even if you don't want to criticize it, what happened in this episode was emotional and a violation with deep seated consequences and the narrative KNOWS IT even if these viewers don't.

The way Guillermo asked why he couldn't just have one thing to himself, how irreparably depressed he is after what happens-- it's serious. In the narrative it is framed seriously. Yes, this show is full of farts and shit and dick jokes, but that's not ALL it is and the fans saying to lay off because of it are doing the show as a whole a disservice.

And frankly? Even if it was exclusively a sitcom with no longer story arcs or genuine emotional beats, which it isn't, we'd still have the right to think critically about it and call out misogynistic writing or anything else deserving criticism

310 notes - Posted August 31, 2022

#4

Oluwande: I can't believe you’re literally from St. Augustine and you didn’t tell any of us

Jim: You people already know too much about me

Oluwande: I know exactly three facts about you, and one of them is that you’re from St. Augustine

706 notes - Posted April 2, 2022

#3

I’m rewatching Turning Red, but in portuguese for language practice and i’m like 95% sure Tyler shouted “casa comigo!” at his favorite 4Town guy which for those of you who don’t speak portuguese, means “marry me!” so basically what i’m getting at here is we have a classic case of “y yo a ti” and portuguese Tyler is gay

Edit: I've confirmed that is what he says and for anyone who wants to see here you go:

See the full post

985 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

#2

Thinking about how Belos not only decided to kill Hunter before he even betrayed him, but specifically manipulated and led him through all the memories that showed how horrible Belos is, how little he cares about Hunter, and would make him likely to betray him even though Hunter expressed as soon as he entered Belos' mind that he just wanted to get out. He didn't go looking to explore Belos' memories, yet Belos deliberately chose to lead him through them and to choose ones to break him. In conclusion, The Collector was right:

1,272 notes - Posted April 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

4,999 notes - Posted May 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[chiqita]

I posted 12,824 times in 2022

That's 7,064 more posts than 2021!

155 posts created (1%)

12,669 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@elf-kid2

@edge-lorde

@prismatic-bell

@elytrians

@skipppppy

I tagged 4,476 of my posts in 2022

#spop - 2,204 posts

#hordak - 803 posts

#entrapta - 787 posts

#catra - 548 posts

#entrapdak - 401 posts

#adora - 399 posts

#horde prime - 261 posts

#glimmer - 255 posts

#cats - 216 posts

#catradora - 142 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#we have this thing called guest reserve in finland meaning a stash of treats and goodies just in case someone comes over for coffee

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

... And then Adora jumped on Catra and Frosta kicked them out.

550 notes - Posted May 6, 2022

#4

Anyone else smell smoke?

760 notes - Posted April 4, 2022

#3

Don't worry, she loves space!

767 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

#2

Ever had anyone confess?

919 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

You have no power here.

993 notes - Posted April 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[simpforcatra]

I posted 328 times in 2022

49 posts created (15%)

279 posts reblogged (85%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@simpforcatra

@lesbeanlatte

@trioxidewastaken

@blog-i-hate-friday

@turtle-ly

I tagged 294 of my posts in 2022

Only 10% of my posts had no tags

#spop - 130 posts

#shera - 126 posts

#catra - 62 posts

#catradora - 61 posts

#toh - 41 posts

#meIrl - 25 posts

#adora - 21 posts

#shitpost - 18 posts

#catra my beloved - 9 posts

#trioxide - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#we still haven't recovered from 4 years of trump and if we don't show up at the polls it is perfectly possible we will get another 4 years

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

lilith presents:

149 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

#4

this is basically what happened, right?

184 notes - Posted October 28, 2022

#3

yall thought i was done huh? :)

185 notes - Posted January 20, 2022

#2

this shitpost goes out to @waaaaytoomuchhomework who was my 400th follower on tumblr <3

201 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

haha happy pride month to our favorite lesbian catgirl and her golden retriever girlfriend

artwork by aku <3

508 notes - Posted June 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[lem-cup-rev]

5.3 | Corridors

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

-Spoilers-

HELL YEAH HELL YEAH HELL YEAH

This show hasn’t been about Catra and Adora for a while! They haven’t really thought about each other for a long time!

The idea to use that parallel scene from their babyhood knocked me straight over. There couldn’t be a better way to load up all of the emotional weight of the Catra/Adora development thus far into one big punch. It was heartbreaking seeing that Catra was this pathetic, awful, toxic person even when she was far too young to hold any blame for it. Wild to think that the agonizing nightmare of now cosmic proportions that is Catra’s life was caused by one narcissistic mom who isn’t even a core character. This whole episode told such a clear subtextual story of Catra realizing there’s absolutely nothing for her to covet anymore and the one thing worth caring about is the love Adora once showed her. The way she finally gave the apology she never gave when they were little?? Oh my God.

Extremely cool that she shot Glimmer straight into vacuum and they had to pick her up really quick. The mechanics were obviously a little fudged, though – it wasn’t really established that the teleport took time, so it seemed like she just sent her too early and killed her 😆

The Catra/Glimmer dynamic was so good. The way she brought her cake and was a tsundere about it? Literally what could be more tender.

I half-expected, and was right, that the villain-side plot would be amazing while the hero-side would be more thin and silly in an awkward way. If anything’s consistent in She-Ra writing, it’s that!

I don’t really know why Adora was kind of dumb and irresponsible and Bow was that aggro. Entrapta was, well, the Entrapta we’ve come to expect in this season. There kind of wasn’t a plot on the hero-side anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.

Actually, it was really interesting seeing Glimmer hang out on the villain-side this time and retain the most thoughtfully written, interesting version of her personality while the other good guys got all dumb!

Their little rounded pastel spacesuits are SO CUTE. I LOVE THEM. The way Adora’s ponytail goes outside the suit is so freaking funny. Now that is the definition of camp.

Next time: Just some guys in a cave.

[tooningin]

It’s done

I finally present… my spop season 5 review!

This is the first time I’ve ever done something like this so feedback would be highly appreciated and help me on future projects

@spop-romanticizes-abuse @spopsalt @anti-spop @anti-catradora-collection @antispopausandstuff @my-nitpicking-self

[swearyshera]

Slowly making my way through the inbox, here's today's big bunch!

@freedfromthegalactichivemind Snap! It's not beyond the realms of possibility, we shall see what happens with my other ideas for continuing the series.

I can write them down for you! It reads...

Following the events of the finale, life changed for everyone on Etheria.

Scorpia was officially handed her kingdom back. Upon seeing the state of it she yelled "What motherfucking thundercunt did this?!" She is still apologising.

Within a month of Prime's defeat, Perfuma held the biggest Trans Pride parade Etheria had ever seen. Prince Peekable still did not turn up. He was later found dead, but Perfuma insisted that this was not an excuse for failing to support trans people.

Frosta was finally able to return to Hell. The other demons had not changed at all during her absence and were still massive dicks. She has now made this realm her permanent home. It has more cake.

Mermista initially failed to respond to our request for comment on how her life had changed. When we reached out again, she said "It's fine, I guess, whatever." Her smile indicated things were a lot better than 'just fine'.

Sea Hawk celebrated the defeat of Prime with a series of 'victory fires'. The resulting court cases found him guilty of arson and sentenced to a total of five years in prison. Mermista officially pardoned him after a lot of convincing.

After finishing Sweary She-Ra, Entrapta was tasked with writing the SPOP movie. It has been hailed as the greatest movie of all time and received glowing reviews from all critics. It never received a release outside of Etheria.

Hordak finally achieved his dream of taking over Etheria. There is now a branch of Greggs in every town and village on the planet. He and Entrapta created a unique menu of tiny sausage rolls.

Shadow Weaver's remains were returned to Mystacor. The burial site is now a popular gender-neutral bathroom.

Double Trouble opened an acting school. They closed it a week later after realising no-one could be as good they are.

Bow used his spare time to focus on inventing more tech. His inventions have changed the everyday lives of many Etherians. The French horn alarm clock was not one of them.

Glimmer now spends her days collecting antique weapons. Though she has no need to use them, they are maintained in perfect condition... just in case.

Catra went through a fuckton of therapy at Mystacor. Things may not be perfect but she's happy. Also, Castaspella told her several embarrassing stories about Glimmer as a child. Catra has them saved up for when she really needs to piss Glimmer off.

The first thing Adora did after defeating Prime was take a well-earned rest. Well, she slept for a few hours. Well, I say slept, she lay down on the bed for a few minutes. What can I say? Adora is still Adora.

@hi-im-uur It's been my pleasure! There are a good few thousand strips to go through, so enjoy it all over again!

[spopsalt]

I got 100 followers!

What should I do to celebrate?

[historyhermann]

"We wrote her that way": Entrapta and autistic representation in She-Ra

Entrapta forgives Catra for exiling her to Beast Island at the end of Season 3, and being a jerk to her in the past, in the episode, "Taking Control"

In November of last year, I wrote about Entrapta, one of my favorite characters in the animated series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, because she is morally gray character, a hacker, and a "smart and quirky chaotic neutral icon." In that post, I examined her character in the first four seasons of the show, noting that she is an autistic character who makes her own decisions, acting as "a princess with prehensile hair who is [also] a scientist and inventor always trying to tinker with ancient technology. " I also criticized some who claimed she is a "hurtful" representation of autistic people, noting that she is sweet and underappreciated, pointing out that Bow is the only one who sees her sympathetically, and that she stays in the Fright Zone by choice. I further noted that she is dedicated to science and research, sticks up for Catra when Hordak wants to send her to Beast Island, and stated that when she is rescued from Beast Island in Season 4 she "goes with them back to Bright Moon because of data and scientific discovery, not because of friendship or anything else." I additionally made a comparison between her and Peridot in Steven Universe, with storyboarder Maya Peterson (the same one who said Peri is asexual and aromatic), said she doesn't interpret Peridot as autistic. I intend this post will be an update from my previous post, talking about her in the show's final (and fifth) season, which started streaming on May 15th.  If you haven't see the new season, please do so because this post is filled with spoilers! It is important to write about this because series creator ND Stevenson confirmed that Entrapta was autistic, basing Entrapta on an autistic person on the SPOP crew, a full-time storyboard artist named Sam Szymanski. [1]

Reprinted from my History Hermann WordPress blog and also Wayback Machine. It was originally published on May 27, 2020.

Most of the commentary about the new season has focused on the mutual confession of romantic feelings by Catra and Adora, shipped as Catradora, who kiss in the show's final episode, with their love literally saving the world (and universe) from destruction. This is the right focus, while some have noted the other LGBTQ characters confirmed like Seahawk (whose ex is named Falcon), Kyle and Rogelio, the relationship between Perfuma and Scorpia, or the romance between Bow and Glimmer, among many other topics. [2] After all, as Lindsey Mantoan, wrote in a CNN opinion, She-Ra is the "best queer representation on television." In the process, however, little has been said about Entrapta. In fact, of many reviews I looked at, only a few even mentioned her in their analyses, despite her pivotal role in at least part of the season. [3] While one reviewer for A.V. Club (Shannon Miller) claimed that the show trades an in-depth look at Entrapta's treatment for "heroics," and saying there could have been "more reflection from those who have outwardly had more difficulty understanding Entrapta’s mindset, " another, for Forbes, Linda Maleh, says the opposite. Maleh argues that Entrapta gets a lot "a lot of screen time as she learns to balance her love of machines with her desire to connect with people," calling her entirely "adorkable," and that her character gives viewers some of the most touching and funny moments of the show. I tend to agree with Maleh more than Miller. Similarly, I think that Heather Hogan of Autostraddle makes a valid point in saying that Wrong Hordak brought out the charming parts of Entrapta, stating that it was nice to see her understanding how to work alongside friends, express herself better, and her feelings, while the princesses "start to understand her for who she really is." Although it is positive these reviewers noted her role in the season, there is clearly a lot more going on about Entrapta than what Miller, Maleh, or Hogan talk about.

Entrapta, who is between the ages 28 and 30, appears in every single episode of the fifth season, apart from episode 10, can be said to be the "smartest" character in the series. In the previous season,  she was rescued from Beast Island by Bow, Adora, and Swift Wind, reminded about her true friends while ancient technology continued to pull her in. In contrast, in this season, she struggles to find a place among the other princesses, as highlighted in the episode "Launch." Since Entrapta has been a morally grey character in the past, it makes sense that the princesses are a bit distrustful. Even Emily, with her name as an obscure reference to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, turns away from Enttapta when it appears that she cares more about tech "than saving their friend." After that episode, the princesses begin to understand her better. She later helps out Adora and Bow save Glimmer from Horde Prime's flagship. Glimmer is transported through space by Catra, in her first likely selfless act. She then helps Adora, Bow, and Glimmer successfully rescue Catra from Prime's flagship, called the Velvet Glove. She even does surgery on Catra, removing the chip in her neck. She, additionally, forgives Catra after she apologizes for treating her terribly. As a reminder, at the end of Season 3, Catra panicked when Entrapta tried to warn Hordak to not start the portal. She then orders her to be sent to Beast Island. She is shocked with what she is done (as is Scorpia by this cruel act against her), beginning her descent down a "dark, dangerous path." Basically, Catra blamed Entrapta for her own mistakes.

In the rest of the season, Entrapta continues to help the princesses and tries to disable all the chips before being transported to Prime's flagship. She apologizes to everyone when captured by Prime, literally the head of a cult of mindless drone soldiers. Whether Entrapta has platonic or romantic feelings for Hordak, the latter shipped as Entrapdak by one of of the show's story editors (and some other fans), it is up the viewer. [4] As some fans noted back in March, a few months before the recent season premiered, it is clear that there is "some chemistry between her and Hordak" and some even call their relationship "sweet," although I'm not sure I would go that far. In any case, it does mean that Hordak is more than a one-dimensional villain like in the original She-Ra: Princess of Power series in the 1980s which was used to sell action figures for Mattel. Through some searching, I did find an interview with Stevenson (complete with unfortunate spelling errors by the person who wrote the transcript of her interview responses) where he specifically talks about how Entrapta grows in this season:

I think with a character like Entrapata [sic], we sort of live in a little bit of her own version of the world that the other characters don’t always understand...It's not only Entrapta learning how to empathize and connect with others, but also for others to learn how to empathize and connect with her. And so I think with both sides of that, we see [Entrapta] growing this season. What I think has always been [Entrapta's] strength is that, even if she might struggle with communicating her feelings or understanding other characters when they’re communicating their feelings to her, I think her strength as a character -- kind of her superpower -- is that she sees humanity in everything. Not just in humanoid or organic creatures, but she sees humanity in robots. She sees humanity in the AI that drives ships. She sees humanity in one clone in a million identical clones and knows their personality and knows who they are and knows how to connect with them... I think we see her make a lot of progress on that front, but then we also see her. I think she does more than almost any other character in humanizing characters who have never been humanized before by anyone....It's so much of what is the heart of this show. It seems like that’s what makes Etherea [sic] special in general is that everyone who comes to Etherea [sic] isn’t getting broken by it a little bit. They end up making connections and falling in love in ways they never thought were possible. And I think Entrapta really embodies that."

Furthermore, as a morally grey character, who played a "big hand in some of the Horde-led destruction on Etheria," she still cares about her friends. While some may question her renewal of the individuality or "humanity" of Hordak, becoming his first genuine friend, later leading him to turn against Horde Prime, she clearly had a "unique perspective on the world that not everyone understands." Earlier in the season, when she encounters Hordak before he is freed from Prime's control, in an attempt to access the computer control center of Horde Prime so she can disable the mind-control chips, helped by Swift Wind, she tells Hordak “remember, your imperfections are beautiful!” When the essence of Prime is destroyed by She-Ra, he is freed, and is soon reunited with Entrapta, who says that she is "so glad" to see him back.

By this point, it is clear that Entrapta is not the "worst kind of villain" as some described her and is more than a person who "only cares about the pursuit of knowledge," no matter the consequences, as Brett Elderkin described her, also calling her a "mad scientist," but rather just a morally grey character, or perhaps "chaotic neutral" to use a Dungeons and Dragons term. That brings me to a recent article by Megan Crouse in Den of Geek appropriately titled "She-Ra: In Defense of Entrapta." She states that while Entrapta occasionally embraces the trope of not caring about "people who might be hurt when dangerous experiments go wrong," she is much more than that, and dramatically changes in Season 5. Crouse added that Entrapta in Season 4 was not truly happy as a hermit on Beast Island, although she maintained her fascination with science, missing people, and afraid that "her friends will inevitably abandon her." She then talks about the episode "Launch" where Entrapta's conflict with the fellow princesses reaches a boiling point, putting others in danger, with her actions "extremely, comically risk," wanting to win at no matter the cost. After Mermista accuses Entrapta of not caring about any of them, and not being trustworthy as a result, she responds by saying she didn't realize they were angry at her. She then retreats to apologizing, one of her many defensive mechanisms, stating

I’m not good at people, but I am good at tech. I thought maybe if I could use tech to help you, you’d like me. But I messed that up, too.

As she barrels ahead, Mermista pulls her back by her hair (just as Horde Prime does later), and is finally convinced of her good nature when Entrapta declares “Glimmer needs us!,” indicating she is willing to put herself in harms away as much as anyone else. As Crouse further outlines, while Entrapta's action is similar to what she has done in the past, as she begins to explain how and why she acts and feels the way she does, gaining more friends along the way. Even so, she still clearly has trouble reading people, which is not "magically cured throughout this season." While Crouse says that it would "have been nice to see Entrapta really feel the consequences of her dangerous actions," I would counter and say she did grow a lot in this season. On the other hand, I agree with Crouse that it is "sweeter to see her pursue science and friendship" than just tinkering with technology on Beast Island. While I can see why she argues that Entrapta is annoying, she makes a good point that Entrapta is not letting her "loner tendencies turn into complete isolation, but nor does she have to completely change who she is." As a side note, Entrapta cuts her own bangs, as Stevenson said once, although this is terrifying considering her power tools! Yikes!

Now, lets get to the elephant in the room: Entrapta flirting with technology. The first time this happens is in the episode "Launch," declaring flirtatiously: "Hello. You are very technologically advanced" before almost being blown to smithereens by the Horde robot. Then, in the episode "Stranded" she says: "Darla and I are going to spend some quality time together," again in a flirtatious manner, leading to confused looks from Adora, Bow, and Glimmer. Now, robosexuality, a term seemingly coined and/or popularized by Futurama, means the "love and/or sexuality between a humanoid and a robot." From these two interactions you could say that she is robosexual. Let us consider what Stevenson said about Entrapta: that she is learning to connect and empathize with others, and sees humanity in everything, knowing their personality and how to connect with them. One fan put Entrapta very well, remarking that she is a functional adult who can make full decisions, arguing that she is "chaotic good with a bad moral compass who likes to fuck space nazis," saying she makes bad decisions. I can agree with that to an extent, except to say that it makes sense why she ended up working for the Horde, since the princesses had not really liked/understood her before that point. Another fan noted, correctly, that Entrapta (and Scorpia) but had to earn the trust of the princesses in their own ways.

That's all! Comments are welcome.

© 2020-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] In her first tweet, she responded to a fan who asked if entrapta is autistic, saying that "many of us relate to her and love her so much and it would mean a lot if we could get confirmation of her being autistic." She responded by saying: "yes, we wrote her that way. One of our crewmembers was on the spectrum and related to her specifically, and had a huge part in shaping her story and character!" She further explained that "the crew member was board artist @Sizzlemanski. His first episode was Entrapta’s introductory episode in season 1 [System Failure] and he had a HUGE hand not only in defining her physical acting, but also pitched me several ideas for her arc early on! He basically became our go-to for Entrapta."

[2] As Stevenson stated on Twitter, he hopes that in the future we stop thinking about LGBT representation as a "race or a contest" and as more of a "community effort to uplift voices that have not yet had their stories told," with each individual piece of media as a "broadening of horizons."

[3] When ND Stevenson was interviewed by comicbook.com, Nerdist, Gizmodo, A.V. Club, L.A. Times, Polygon, Digital Spy, GLAAD, EW, and CBR, the interviewers understandably focused on the Catra/Adora slow-burn relationship, but never asked a question about Entrapta. One interviewer for Collider asked "...So we’ve got Bow and Glimmer, we’ve got Sea Hawk and Mermista, we’ve even got kind of an interesting relationship with Entrapta and Hordak, and then obviously CatrAdora. But did you know from the beginning how everybody was going to pair off or is that something that kind of developed over time?" but he never specifically replied about the "relationship with Entrapta and Hordak." Reviews of the show in The Mary Sue, PinkNews, LA Times, tor.com, and ScreenRant do not even mention Entrapta at all!

[4] On Instagram, ND Stevenson said that Entrapta would follow Hordak to Beast Island as his community services for his crimes and as a result, the "two would develop a romantic relationship and reunite with the bot she left behind in Season 4, keeping her promise to return," so it sounds like it is leaning toward romance, as noted in a summary on her fandom page. Also see Emily Hu who noted they did board a scene with Entrapta and Hordak but it never ended up being included. There is clearly a connection between Entrapta and Hordak, but I'm still not sure if it is romantic or friendly. It could really go either way.

[binnieceo]

"I don't support it in real life!"

Then why write about it? If for coping purposes, why post it online for others (especially actual predators) to see and consume? Then why portray those things in a positive light instead of condemning them?And you're seriously going to tell me that just because as an adult you want to see a fictional minor (that mind you, is usually designed to resemble an actual child) depicted in sexual situations doesn't mean you don't share that same view concerning children in real life? You find fictional minors attractive but not real ones? Why does the line between finding someone who is (and usually also looks like) a child sexually attractive get drawn at whether the child is real or not? I'm not calling anyone pedophiles, but if the shoe fits... And also no, I am not talking about 18 y/os finding 17 y/os attractive. Use your brain. Creating content of underaged characters is still questionable regardless of age, however.

I have some free time and you were polite in your ask, so I'll answer you since I believe you were genuine in your question.

I'll answer your question in parts, if that's alright with you!

"I don't support it in real life!" Then why write about it?

Well, it's not because I don't support something that I'm not allowed to write about it!

Fiction is just that... fiction. They are stories. I'm sure there are many stories in your folclore that depict hideous acts (such as murder, rape, incest, etc etc) but neither you or your people agree with them or think that the things done in those stories are okay to be done in real life—because stories are just stories and bad things done in stories are meant to stay in those stories.

And dark content is present in most media forms, whether you like it or not. I don't know which fandoms you are a part of (since you sent this ask anonymously) but I'll just list a few:

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has canonical torture, murder, racism, self-harm and even genocide

The Dragon Prince has canonical racism, torture, murder, kidnapping, blackmailing and gaslighting

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has canonical slavery, racism, murder, torture, child soldiers, child abuse and much more (its been a while since I last watched SPOP so i don't remember)

Adult shows also tackle these subjects. Doctor House, Game of Thrones, Hannibal, The Simpsons, South Park... God, even the HOLY BIBLE has stories with rape, murder, slavery and much more in them! And that's a SACRED BOOK!

If for coping purposes, why post it online for others [...]

I don't speak for everyone who sees this post, but when I post online, I post for myself. My fanfics are all completely self-indulgent. And while I appreciate my readers, I don't write with them in mind.

But on that same note, the stories are mine and I can do whatever I want with them. This is the internet and I can post whatever I want, anytime I want. If I decide I want to post a rapefic on ao3, I will. If i want the fic to be private for me and my friends, it will stay private.

Plus, other people might find my stories and relate to them or even enjoy them! I write about rape and sexual harrassment, for example, because I am a survivor, and so many survivors have found my stories and messaged me about them, thanking me for putting into words what they couldn't. It's rewarding, really. Being able to connect with people so deeply over stories.

[...] (especially actual predators) to see and consume?

I'm gonna be completely honest with you. Predators, pedophiles and the like are NOT reading ao3 fanfiction. They are out there on chatting websites trying to prey on children, or going out of their way IRL to take advantage of young family members or unknown children/teenagers.

If I crave a hamburger, I'll go out of my way to eat it. I won't open a review talking about the burger or stare at pictures of burgers. The same goes for predators. NO PREDATOR OUT THERE is reading fanfiction about Klee Genshin Impact. Me posting or not posting my fanfiction WILL NOT CHANGE THAT.

But on the off chance that a pedophile really sees an underage fanfic of a fictional character, then... that's a good thing, don't you agree? I don't know about you but I'd much rather if a pedophile read smut of Klee Genshin Impact than if they went out of their way to abuse and traumatize a real, living and breathing child that exists in real life and will suffer for the rest of their lives because of it.

Characters are just that, characters. And in fanfiction, what we write about them isn't real, it isn't canon. They aren't even canonically traumatized by what we write, but real people are.

Why portray those things in a positive light instead of condemning them?

I don't know if you've ever read my fanfics or if you're just throwing this question out there, but to me personally, I have never written about rape/sexual assault and painted it in a positive light, much by the contrary.

As a survivor, I highlight how horrible the abuse made me feel and use my characters to talk about it. Not once have I glorified or written about sexual abuse in a positive light.

But if you're not talking about me personally, then I have to say... I'm sorry? Do you learn your morals from fictional content?

Ok fine maybe you can learn a few morals from MLP like "don't lie" and "be nice", but do you really open a show like South Park with racist, homophobic jokes and go "ah yes, this is a perfect example! I should base my morals off this show"? Do you?

Are you really unable to tell what is right or wrong by yourself? Does watching a slasher movie with a charismatic killer make you go "wow! Killers are amazing! I want to be like them!" Does watching action movies make you think that it's cool to commit arson and shoot people?

If your answer is yes, then I am so sorry but there is no other way to say this other than... that's your problem.

It's not the writers' duty to tell you what's wrong or right. They are not pre-school teachers who will grab you by the hand and point and tell you what you should or should not do-The writer has one and only ONE duty: To tell a story. They can portray whatever they want to portray in WHATEVER WAY they feel like, and you're supposed to be an adult about it.

And you're seriously going to tell me that just because as an adult you want to see a fictional minor [...] You find fictional minors attractive but not real ones?

Yes, because fictional minors are... fictional? They are not real? They DO NOT EXIST?

I'm so sorry but if I ever saw a child/teenager with the same proportions that lolisho/anime gives them then i'd be calling the authorities ON THE SPOT because THAT SHIT IS AN ALIEN AND IT IS NOT HUMAN.

Children don't look like that. Put up Klee Genshin Impact next to a real child. They are so incredibly different that once you notice how uncanny it is, you'll feel weirded out because she won't even look like she's human anymore.

You wouldn't accuse all furries of fucking real life dogs just because they think their blue dog fursonas are hot, would you? (what if anthro blue wolves were real? I'd be scared out of my mind to be honest,)

It's not because you're sexually attracted to something fictional that you find it hot in real life (god bless me and my breeding kink girlies who are sex repulsed and are terribly afraid of getting pregnant)

Hey, have you heard of like, lesbians who fall in love with fictional men? (like me lmao), do you think those fictional crushes make them any less lesbian? No, because these guys are not realistic. They have blue hair, extra limbs maybe, and were literally designed to be loved and to be perfect.

There are SOOOOO many examples I could give you, but I don't want to go on and on because I got my point across

But like, you do understand that fictional characters are... fictional, right? You can't even say that they are minors because... they aren't. They don't have a birth certificate, or a family tree saved in a country's government somewhere. They do not exist, you are aware of that, right?

When a "child" or "minor" is fictional, there is no child, there is no minor. You can't touch, groom, rape or abuse something that does not exist.

Law was made to protect the children who suffered, or who are, suffering because of abuse right now.

And by that i mean, real, living breathing human children who have their likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams for the future, and families that exist.

Fictional children/minors are nothing but tools, characters, a way of expression. THEY DON'T EXIST. They don't eat, they don't cry, they don't smile. They won't do anything unless they're commanded to by the writer.

They have no lives, no mind. And they will only grow up when the creator decides that it's time for that to happen. The line is there for this exact reason.

YOU CAN'T HURT OR PROTECT A CONCEPT.

You using your time to send this ask to "defend" PIXELS isn't doing anything to help or advocate for REAL CHILDREN who are suffering in the world right now.

Honestly, this only makes it seem like you're the one who doesn't care.

By the end of it all, i have no idea why you sent me this ask. Yeah I am anti-harassment but I don't think I've posted lolisho/underage content before? (again, I stray far from these because i find them icky and triggering) So I don't know why you focused so much on fictional children rather than the other things I do talk and post about on this blog.

And before I go, I want to shine a note here:

I'm not calling anyone pedophiles, but if the shoe fits...

I don't know how old you are, but you know damn well what you are saying and what you are doing. And I'm gonna say it again: Implying or flat out CALLING people pedophiles without proof can get you into real trouble.

Don't misuse that word. It has a meaning and a weight to it. I wasn't a victim of pedophilia myself but I know that real survivors would feel enraged at the way you're just throwing out words and accusations as if they were nothing, as if those people didn't suffer because of it.

I'm asking not for me, but for any other person who may come across this post, DON'T GO OUT THERE USING WORDS YOU DON'T KNOW THE MEANING OF. You are causing more harm than good.

Also, send your asks un-anonymously next time. Don't be a coward.

Have a nice day!

[n7punk]

She-ra (2018) Con-Exclusive Merch & Giveaways

I'm assembling a master post of all officially-produced merch for the SPOP reboot, but it's focused on information. I have a separate post focused on promotion-exclusive items, and this post is dedicated to detailed information for the ambiguous middle ground: con exclusives. Some of these were given away and some were for sale.

If I get additional information on any of these specific items, I'll edit the post to add it, but if I find anything new then it'll go in a reblog addition as I've hit the image limit on this post.

Sometimes you have to click photos to see full images, as many are cut off due to varying dimensions. Any [x]s will lead to the source of the images, usually secondhand listings that will eventually become defunct. I use the best photos I can find.

Pins/Buttons:

The buttons (first two images) were at NYCC in 2018. [1st] [2nd].

Han Cholo sells a lot of pins on their website, but the four on the right were exclusive at SDCC one year (concept photo in the final reblog here, this post chain in general has a ton of photos of She-ra merch from a mix of sources). [3rd]

Misc:

A foam tiara (2 photos) and a (seemingly foam and plastic) flat sword were at NYCC 2018 & 2019 and SDCC 2019. [2nd], [3rd]

There aren't any good photos and I'm at the image limit anyway, but there are pictures in the final reblog here of knee-high socks that were given out at promo events (possibly cons) and in reviewer/influencer promo packages. They're patterned after She-ra's uniform and have a cape on the back. Any details on this would be appreciated if you know them.

Temporary tattoos (far left) and stickers (middle left) were at NYCC 2019 and maybe also Power-Con. Coloring sheets and hair ties were at either NYCC or Power-Con. The coloring sheet is watercolor with paint squares provided at the top of the sheet. I believe the hair ties came in three colors (purple, pink, and blue) and the long post* has good photos of the pink one. If you want to look at approximately ten pixels, this listing has all three colors. [1st] [2nd] [3rd]

Bookmarks were available at SDCC one year and likely any other locations that had the books (Power-Con, etc). [x]

Collector card sets featuring 16 of the characters were given out at cons, possibly SDCC 2018. First image is the front of the packaging, second is one of the cards, and the third is the back of the package. [1st] [2nd] [3rd]

Posters:

Buckle up, this is the final, longest part. Posters were at many conventions and some designs may have been available at multiple cons. I mostly want to catalogue the designs here and will list a con just when I know it. Most listings online are of fan reprints unless otherwise specified.

The first four (left to right) were available at SDCC 2019. The 4th & 5th are the front and back of the same poster, which was probably also distributed at places like Power-Con or wherever they sold the books (since it's a Scholastic poster). [4th] [5th]

Here are clean social media uploads of the 2nd and 3rd image. The 2nd was also the cover image for season 3 and the front of the DVD for seasons 1-3.

The character mini prints in the bottom right [6th] seem to have been given out at multiple cons. They were probably at SDCC (year unknown) and/or Power-Con (year unknown). The collector card designs roughly followed their design pattern.

All three of these were at SDCC WonderCon. The first was 2019 and the second was probably 2018. The 3rd was supposedly at 2023 but was (probably) 2018 unless they still just had a bunch of extras laying around. WonderCon also had a variant of the 4th poster from the SDCC section above, but I can't find good photos of it and there's going to be a third variant of it further down too, so at this point I think you get it.

The first design is the cover image for season 2.

The first was probably at NYCC 2018. The right two were given out at a NYCC 2019 panel, as well as sent out with an exclusive statuette to family bloggers to promote season 4.

The first design is the cover art for season one. Its design was also used for a shopping bag at Anime Expo 2019 (photo in the final reblog here). The second one is the cover image for season 4.

Distribution currently unknown (if there ever was one). The second image is the cover for season 5. I'll edit on the distributions if I happen to find them, but I'm fine with what I've got here. I could have missed one or two posters, but since their distributions mostly amounted to handing out flyers, they're hard to find.

[aprillikesthings]

so these somehow got lost in my notifications (they're from March 23) but these were all left as replies on my re-watch posts for the She-Ra episode Shot in the Dark

And @1023sstuff ...you vastly misunderstood the point of the post???? It wasn't meant to be a serious review??? It was literally intended to just be squee and dumb jokes???? I know I didn't put the disclaimer on EVERY post of my rewatch but I did put it on a lot of them: they were, in fact, intended to mostly be squee and dumb jokes. I originally started my rewatch to refresh my memory of the show for a fic I'm writing. There's a few bits of something closer to meta or analysis on some of the posts, or talking about how some of the plot points relate to my own life and experiences, but that wasn't the point of these posts.

If you wanted to make your own Serious Post about that episode or the show in general you're free to do it on your own blog, but it's extremely bizarre to find a random post that clearly isn't doing a serious critique and then criticize it for....not being a serious critique.

"The person only seems interested in what the characters are experiencing" Yes, you are correct. That was in fact what I was doing.

Edit: lolol in the first half of my rewatch post for that episode I actually SAID that anti-spop blogs need to get a life and go touch some grass, the IRONY