She-Ra - Princess of Power: Season One, Vol. 1 (1985)

If you were pleased with the DVD releases of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, you should be equally pleased with the She-Ra Princess of Power DVD box sets. She-Ra Princess of Power Season One, Vol. 1 features the first thirty two episodes of the series. This is the first season set release for She-Ra, as the prior She-Ra release was a ten episode best of release.

It's clear from the packaging and beyond that Ink & Paint put as much effort into the She-Ra release as they did the He-Man series. The box design is similar and similar to the He-Man sets there is artwork on the spine of the box that will one day form a complete picture. The She-Ra DVD box set also includes two collectible 4X6 art cards and a plethora of bonus material.

The DVD set begins with the five part episode The Secret of the Sword. If you purchased The Best of She-Ra this past summer, these are the same episodes that were featured on that set. For those who don't recall, The Secret of the Sword is the animated movie that introduces the She-Ra character. Prince Adam makes a trip to Eternia and before all is said and done, Adora finds her power as She-Ra when she raises the sword aloft, she fights being brainwashed by the Horde, and much more. Basically, this is the movie that introduced the She-Ra character and tells her background. Adora is the twin sister that He-Man never knew about. Both have alter ego's, his is He-Man, hers is She-Ra.

The episode quality is really good. She-Ra is a show that appealed to both boys and girls. Although She-Ra was a female heroine, many of the shows episodes featured strong storylines by supporting characters. One character who enjoyed a lot of screen time was Bo. In the episode, "The Red Knight," Bo feels his manhood was challenged when the mysterious Red Knight beats him in a series of physical events. Feeling down, Bo leaves home and sets out for the Whispering Woods along. In another episode, two young boys tell Bo that their father's axe was stolen, when actually they lost it. Bo goes off to retrieve the axe and finds danger. She-Ra rescues him.

She-Ra has many friends including Castaspella, Madame Razz, Glimmer, and Cowell. Light Hope and Madame Razz are among the few who know share the secret that Adora is She-Ra.

Similar to the He-Man series, there is a moral or lesson at the end of the episode which is explained for viewers. She-Ra is an enjoyable series, and it's good to see the show on DVD after waiting for so long.

Special Features

The Stories of She-Ra, Part 1 (documentary)

2 Full Episode Commentaries

Full length animated storyboard with interactive comparison

2 collectible 4 x 6 exclusive She-Ra cards

50 detailed profiles of various characters

Loo-Kee's Fun Facts and Trivia

DVD Rom features and language audio tracks

This is a great box set loaded with extras of one of the greatest animated shows of the 1980's. Even though I probably saw most if not all of these episodes 21 years ago, I don't seem to remember any of them. Watching them now is still highly enjoyable, even at 34 years old. I guess I'm still a big kid at heart. :)

One thing I have noticed when watching the episodes is how much Catra seems to annoy me. I could really do without all of her catlike sounds while talking! When she's a person, she should sound more like a person and not how a cat might sound if it could muster up some words from the English language. Oh well, like it really matters. I just had to get that off my chest.

I'm sure you can have faith that Entertainment Rights will get the remainder of this series out on DVD as quickly and with the same quality as they did the He-Man series. Unlike other publishers, they will not leave you hanging. If you're looking for some great entertainment from yesteryear, you can't miss with this set. For the Honor of Grayskull!

Of course this show gets all 5 stars. It is a classic. As a child I was facinated by She-Ra and her twin brother, He-Man. How many times did I raise my sword and chant, "For the Honor of Greyskull... I am She-Ra!"? They just do not take the time to animate any more. Have you seen cartoons on TV these days. They are soooooo generic, and sloppy! Well most anyways! This show did not only contain great animation, but great story lines as well.

Now for the packaging. It is great. There is a different character on every CD and the art is beautiful. Some of the best packaging I've ever seen for any DVD collection out there!

It is a must get for original fans, and even New Ones!