My 10 year old son even likes “Sofia The First” for some reason. I don’t get it. My 8 year old daughter of course likes the show, and my 3 year old will pretty much watch anything we let him. My 6 year old son kind of likes the show but I suspect that’s only because my 10 year old does. My point in saying all of this is that while “Sofia The First” is on Disney Junior, essentially the Disney pre-school network, the show has wider appeal.
Now we get the second DVD release of the show – Sofia The First: Ready To Be A Princess. If you’re not familiar with the series, don’t feel too bad. It’s relatively new, initially debuting this year as a series while the “pilot” double-length episode (“Once Upon A Princess” disguised as a movie) was shown in November of last year. Not only is this the second recent Disney show to feature a female lead (see “Doc McStuffins”) but I also think she is of Latin descent since there are a few clues, but nothing definite so I’ll hold off on declaring this an absolute.
So the show has a female lead and it appeals to a wide range of kids. But is it any good? And what is it about?
To answer that first question, if my 10 year old son is interested in it, then yes, it is good. Not because it holds his attention, but because he can sniff out when a show is pandering to its audience or appealing to a narrow segment. he has become quite savvy in this regard.
As for what the show is about, Sofia is learning to be a princess. This means not just wearing gowns and showing up at the ball, but learning important character traits. Much of these lessons come from the Royal Preparatory Academy and her teachers Flora, Fauna and Merriweather (which Disney fans should immediately recognize). Not only do these characters show up, but other famous Disney princesses show up from time to time. On this DVD we get Princess Jasmine from Aladdin in one episode.
In true Disney princess form Sofia is able to talk to animals. This is done through a magical amulet, and of course this is coveted by the evil wizard Count Forced Series Antagonist er… Cedric.
While we aren’t getting the series on DVD in release order through volumes or season sets at least Disney is offering up some solid value. There’s 5 episodes as well as a packed in paper wardrobe playset which my daughter is still playing with a week after tearing into the DVD. May I remind you she is 8. Here are the episodes:
A Royal Mess
The Shy Princess
Blue Ribbon Bunny
The Princess Test
Two To Tangu (the Jasmine episode)
If you have a young kid who is into the Disney Princess theme, check out “Sofia The First” on Disney Junior. Sofia The First: Ready To Be A Princess is a solid DVD offering of the series, even if the episode offerings are random.