Nimona (2023)

Nimona employs her protagonist's shapeshifting ability as a clear metaphor for gender fluidity, presenting it as liberation from a rigid society. The young shapeshifter declares 'today I'm a boy' and dismisses questions about her identity as 'small minds,' while creator ND Stevenson confirms in interviews that the story critiques the 'gender essentialism' of his evangelical upbringing. The Institution of knights, with its almost religious reverence for Gloreth and prophecies, is depicted as an oppressor that labels the 'different' as monsters. Furthermore, knights Ballister and Ambrosius maintain a homosexual relationship featuring an explicit kiss, normalized without moral conflict. Another character confesses feelings for Ballister. In the credits, Nimona exhales fire that forms a heart in the colors of the pride flag. This agenda is woven into a plot of friendship and justice, where Nimona aids the framed Ballister, demonstrating positive loyalty and anti-classism. However, the violence includes an amputated arm, a bloody arrow, an abdominal stabbing, and an attempted suicide, alongside Nimona's enjoyment of causing harm. The language is mild, featuring a clipped expletive and 'oh my Gloreth'. For parents, the risk lies in how it employs emotion and heroism to normalize fluid identities and non-traditional relationships for children, disguised as a tale of acceptance.