SheZow

An animated series for children in which traditional gender roles are criticised, reflected on and ridiculed in a way that is passed off as playful entertainment. This isn’t an analysis of the subliminal level, but a description of the very top layer of the work. After all, this is indicated by the series’ premise, in which a boy turns into a legendary superheroine. Besides the regular situations when he is supposed to act like a girl or resist doing so, or try not to reveal his identity to his friends, one of whom is in love with the superheroine, there are also a number of references to and reflections on the way superhero stories and identities work. (01.05.2014)