So being a kid from the 80s, it's almost a requirement that you liked Voltron. Voltron was never on the same level as GI Joe and Transformers for me, but I remember liking it. I think it has one of the best openings of any of the shows I have watched. When I saw that Netflix was coming out with a modern day revival I was pretty excited (I mean House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and Daredevil were all great Netflix originals), but once I saw that it was a DreamWorks production, I couldn't wait.
So I didn't really know what to expect when I started watching. I didn't know if they were going to go the "dark and gritty" route or the "overly kiddy" route. I was hoping that Voltron would take the Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars approach - make something that appeals to both children and adults. In my opinion, Voltron: Legendary Defender hit that perfectly. As someone in their 30s, I fully enjoyed the show and think that it's perfect for a younger audience as well.
Voltron: Legendary Defender takes a serial approach to their story telling. I remember in the original show it tends to follow the pattern: big monster appears, start up the lions, form Voltron, start losing, and then "Form Blazing Sword" for the win. The new show tends to follow a more story and character driven approach. The lions tend to take a back seat to the characters and story. Not every episode has the lions forming Voltron, and I think that's a positive. It means that each time the lions form Voltron, it's exciting, and it means the the battle needs it.
I really liked the way the characters are portrayed. Each character has a distinct personality, and it stays consistent throughout the show. Lance is the bumbling idiot; Keith is the overzealous, hot shot ace; Pidge is the technical genius; Hunk is the scared but reliable friend; and Shiro is the grizzled veteran of the group. The one character I didn't quite understand was Coran. I mostly found him annoying and didn't understand his purpose. I have an idea on how they are going to use him in the future, but I'll save that for another post.
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The twist with Pidge was a really smart move, and one that I think makes the show stronger. It also gives girls more characters to like in the show besides Allura. Not that girls can only like girl characters, but having a more diverse cast always helps make the show stronger. I'm hoping that it helps to draw more girl viewers into the show which is a good thing!
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The overall story wasn't very exciting most of the season, but it really started to build some steam towards the end. The show did a masterful job of setting up next season with some mysteries and cliff hangers. Overall the first season did a good job of setting up the characters so that the story can really take off. This was a great way to get that out of the way so that when season 2 starts we can dive right into the action and adventure.
I really enjoyed the design of the 5 lions. Each one was slightly different than the rest (beyond just the color) and had their unique abilities. The lions were used really well in combat, and I enjoyed seeing each one fight individually. Whenever the lions formed Voltron, I found it exciting and I enjoyed the formation sequence. The new Voltron does a really good job of paying homage to the original and striking it's own new look. I really liked the shield but was not a very big fan of the Blazing Sword. I REALLY liked the design of the original sword, but if that's my one complaint then I would say they did an amazing job. I can't wait to see the toys when they come out.
Speaking of toys I think that Playmates really missed an opportunity by not having a line of toys available with the launch of the show. I think that it would have been really smart to build on the momentum they have for the launch of a new show. I will definitely be buying Voltron when its released. Whether it is buying each lion individually or buying them as a set, I am excited. I missed out on the MattyCollector Voltron and really any Voltron set outside of the original set (and who know where that is because it's LONG gone) so I'm excited to have this chance. Bring them on! If they do as well as the new Ninja Turtle line, this is going to be a solid win!
Overall I highly recommend Voltron if you are looking for a fun watch. Anyone who wants to remember the magic of Saturday morning cartoons should give it a watch. The set up for season 2 is very strong, and I personally can't wait!