*This article was originally published on the now defunct (RIP 😥 ) The Sirens Rise on January 20, 2017*

I’m an unabashed “Disney Kid.” As a girl whose formative years stood firmly in the ’90s, Disney was a very big part of my childhood. I remember watching The Little Mermaid entirely awestruck. It’s the first Disney princess movie that I recall viewing. I’ve seen them all since, but Arial and her boldness really impacted baby Dani. Watching it later in life with my own daughters really opened my eyes to how far we’ve come even just from “under the sea.”

I think Pixar and Disney’s Brave was the first major stride in the right direction. While there were themes in the plot that revolved around finding the fiery Merida a suitable husband, Brave was ultimately a story about the complexities of mother/daughter relationships and a coming-of-age story. Most importantly, however, was the actual lack of husband that Merida ended up with. The movie ends with Merida claiming her own power and deciding that no husband is the exact right amount of husband for her.

Anna and Elsa followed along with Frozen, and while there was, of course, a love story, the real story revolved around the love of sisters, and just how flawed parents can be. Again, another step in the right direction, because most importantly in Frozen‘s story, in my opinion, was that Elsa being a woman was never a point of contention to her ascent to the throne. She was the first born child to the king and queen of Arendale, and to rule it was her birthright, full-stop.

Then came Moana. Look, I won’t lie to you; I thought Moana was the best movie I saw last year, animation or otherwise. It was breathtakingly beautiful, the music was exceptional thanks to the mastery of Lin-Manual Miranda, and the story was rich, fulfilling, and beautiful.

Moana is chosen by The Ocean to return the stolen heart of Te Fiti back to its home in order to save her island and others from rot and death. It’s not a task I’m sure I’d be up to. Moana is made of sturdy stock, though, and has the support and wisdom of her eccentric grandmother and the people of her village to help her complete her mission. Muai, played brilliantly by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, is the Demigod she recruits to help her, much to his chagrin; and she’s got her adorable sidekicks, standard for every Disney production.

Moana prevails over every obstacle with determination, humility, and confidence. However, she also faces her fair share of self doubt. She is utterly relatable, and for a mom of young girls, that is so refreshing. They need to the see young girls face the same trials and tribulations they too will face. While neither of my girls will be tasked with saving their home and an entire village of people (I hope), they will face their own obstacles and their own self doubts when struggling with them.

They will remember that Moana saved her village and her people without it having to be centered around a man. Yes, the shape-shifting Maui helped Moana immensely, but there was no trace of romance in their pairing. The discussion of Moana’s ascent to the leader of her village was never up for debate. There was no mention of a husband, or love, or any of those other romance-based desires most other Disney princesses pine for. She was the first-born child of the Chief, and that was that. She could fulfill her familial duty with or without a husband.

I enjoy an astonishing amount of privilege as a middle class white woman. My daughters will enjoy those same privileges. The women of color in this world do not, however, enjoy these same privileges, nor have they been given equal artistic representation. Every single human face featured in Moana is brown. Every. Single. One. There is not a white person to be found, and it is about damn time. The entire world does not look like me and my blonde daughters. Everyone deserves to see someone that looks like them on the big screen in vibrant technicolor, being a day-saving, butt-kicking badass.

Auli’i Cravalho, who hails from Hawaii, did an exceptional job as the voice behind Moana. She sings like a bell and brought our young heroine to brilliant life. She was the perfect choice.

For me, Moana is about as good as it gets when it comes to Disney “princesses.” Princess Jasmine has always been my favorite and, make no mistake, she is still at the tippy top of my list… she just shares the top spot with another brown-skinned princess now.