Cult Corner

Cult Corner: ‘Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil’ Is An Overtly Feminist And Modern ‘Sailor Moon’

When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.

Creating children’s shows, specifically children shows targeted to young girls, is a tricky challenge. Loud, bright shows are the industry norm and what younger audiences tend to gravitate toward, but there’s a line between fun and jarring. Add in the fact that creators have to be conscious about what lessons their projects are sending to viewers, and the whole industry can feel like an overwhelmingly cautious and insane tightrope walk. That’s why Star vs. the Forces of Evil is such a sweet gem. Mild spoilers ahead.





From its very first episode, I immediately had a soft spot for this cartoon because it’s exactly the kind of show I wish I had more of when I was growing up. The series follows Star (voiced perfectly by the optimistic powerhouse that is Eden Sher), a princess from another dimension who’s forced to learn about responsibility after being sent to Earth as a transfer student. When Star first arrives on Marco’s (Adam McArthur) doorstep, she’s a silly, ridiculous mess of a party girl who has a wand and no real control of her powers. Now in Season 3, she’s still a mess, but she’s someone who has slowly and painfully learned about the cost of her powers and what being a leader really means. Star vs. the Forces of Evil is a series about growing up, but for all of its insightful lessons, it rarely feels heavy-handed.





That’s a big reason why the series feels so refreshing and Star is so interesting as a character — you never see the character growth coming. From Adventure Time to Over the Garden Wall, it’s becoming more and more common for even the most outlandish Western cartoons to embrace over-arching storylines. However, more often than not, these season-long plots are flagged by huge tells. You know when Steven Universe transforms from a day-in-the-life comedy about Steven and his quirky gem caretakers into a series-long epic because the series all but tells you.

Star vs. the Forces of Evil doesn’t do that. Instead, we watch Star’s off-the-walls antics slowly start to destroy her life. There are episodes showing Star running out of money, lying to her parents, breaking her wand, and most terrifyingly of all, lose her ancient book of spells. It’s not until episodes later that you realize all of these seemingly consequence-free actions actually did have an impact. There are consequences for Star’s actions, even if both Star and the viewers failed to foresee them. That cause and effect relationship becomes more pronounced as the show gets older, and it’s made the series better.





However, for all of the terrible choices Star makes — and she is capable of making some truly cringe-worthy choices — it’s hard to get too frustrated with her. Star is everything I want in a leading lady for a children’s cartoon. She’s unapologetically herself, someone you’d love to be friends with, and she kicks all sorts of butt without batting an eye. Star’s fierce individuality is so ingrained in her character that she forgoes her family’s typical spells to fight bad guys with her own Narwhal Blasts and Rainbow Fist Punches. If a little girl was given an all-powerful wand and told to protect the world, she would act just like Star.

Daron Nefcy’s show is one of the best examples of what a modern, inclusive kid’s show can be. It’s led by a female protagonist who is allowed to be feminine while being an unapologetic hero, there are diverse characters, the lessons are insightful and intelligent, yet none of these things ever feel too aggressive. Star vs. the Forces of Evil may suck you in with its all-star cast (Jeffery Tambour, Jenny Slate, and Rider Strong are in this) and insanely catchy theme song, but it’s the show’s hero’s journey that will keep you on Star’s side until the end.





Share this:

Stream Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Hulu

Stream Star vs. the Forces of Evil on Disney XD