I believe that She-Ra may officially be my favourite television series to date. It's hard to say that, as some media fluctuate a lot over time, or have different favourites that meet different needs. But sometimes it's clear. Scott Pilgrim v.s. the World is clearly my favourite film since I was first taken to see it in theatres. Breath of Fire II has been my favourite video game since elementary school.
Some past favourite televisions shows or candidates have included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sailor Moon, the Vision of Escaflowne, (maybe even Last Exile?), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gilmore Girls, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Orphan Black, and (very recently) I am not okay with this. Some of them may still be favourites within certain specific categories. I'm probably missing a dozen series right now that have been formative but whatever reason escape my memory at this instant.
It's also hard to say, as there's a strong recency effect. Often I'll see a movie and be in awe of how perfect or amazing it was, but a week later, the feeling has subsided a bit. I felt that way a bit about Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and it subsided a bit. I felt that way about Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, but it remains one of my favourite Star Wars films. My favourite films are much easier to list, though. My top five include: Fucking Åmål, Garden State, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Amélie, Excalibur, Zootopia, and the aforementioned top of the list, Scott Pilgrim v.s. the World. (Don't try counting those.) What happened to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou? I'm not sure, but it was on the list once.
Music also jumps around a bit. Aqua, Evanescence, the Human League, Josh Ritter, The Frames, Grimes, and now Kitzl.
She-Ra has had five seasons, which is a lot. But the first episode aired in November 2018, which is recent. 5 seasons in 18 months. A strong recency bias. But, it's so re-watchable in a way that still hits hard each time. I don't think I've cried this much due to a story in long time (or perhaps ever so much, with Sailor Moon perhaps being the second most moving?). Its characters have a depth and richness that I often feel lacking and they have priorities I care deeply about.
I haven't cried much in the past 4 years for a variety of reasons. I think about that a bit here and there. It's been very important for me to able to empathise with characters again so strongly. I'd talk about specifics of the story that contribute to this, but as I'm adamantly against spoilers and I adore this show so, I won't. Let me know if you ever watch it, though. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings to share.
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