Growing up in the 80's, specifically a boy growing up in the 80's, it's not surprising I am very fond on He-Man. However, just this past summer I watched one of the first episodes that I would have grown up with and didn't understand all the fuss. Why did I like this show so much? The writing was terrible - the animation....well, no good animation came out of the 80's in retrospect in my opinion. I guess the only thing the short lived, but heavily remembered, animated series had going for it was the plot.
I grew up with the action figures - possibly the largest array of action figures ever known - but slowly the names and the ongoing plots faded in my mind and soon my own creative imagination took over and created my own adventures, combining various sets of Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I was getting further and further away from the concept of the show - and then before I knew it, I grew up forgot all about Orko and and Beast-Man. That is, until I saw that terrible excuse for an episode.
It was bad, there's no denying that, but then why did I have such fond memories of the show? I guess it's the same with any show - limited technology never meant it was bad, but we've acquired higher expectations on television these days.
Not too long ago I heard of a new line of He-Man action figures. "What's the point?" I would ask myself, but really, they were pretty cool looking. And then I discovered the new series of action figures was arriving the same time as the new animated series itself!
Eventually I was able to download the show to see what all the hype was about - and truthfully, I was not disappointed! While not the most brilliantly animated show on television, it far surpassed my expectations, and even made me tolerate the dreadful Japanese Anime, since this new cartoon imitated it to an extent. The colors were stunning and the characters were dead-on. Everything was perfect - the enchanting and rich tale was still fresh and nothing could ruin it.
This show has done the unthinkable for me: it's preserved a child's forgotten yet rose-tinted memories of a show to which every other cartoon has always been compared with....yet it proved me right. He-Man is worth saving and marketed back in the mainstream of the public. He's truly a hero for everyone, 5 yr olds and even 20 yr olds like myself.
And who knows the same thing may happen 15 years from now and I'll be remembering this show was rose-tinted memories. Maybe I'll catch an episode on late-night television - you know, the time slot for insomniacs who don't care what they watch - and maybe then I'll wonder why the hell I was watching it back in the day as well. But for now, I'm reveling in the moment that one of the greatest tales ever told is being told to a new generation, and this time I can get a hell of a lot more out of my favorite animated star.
