When you look at the poster, Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defender does not look like a fun action-packed comedy. However, some of the people working on Voltron worked on both Avatar series, also animated Voltron, which makes it pretty exciting!
The lions are back with Voltron: Legendary Defenders, but does this reboot capture the magic of the original Saturday morning classic?
There are some decent animations from studio Mir with solid character designs and colorful settings. The show utilizes anime-inspired look and feels just like Avatar, so that’s a bonus.
So is the new Voltron on Netflix worth watching?
Here are what we think.
Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defenders
The Good
Adventurous Setting
Numerous twists and turns in the story will are exciting and suspenseful, making the show enjoyable for all ages. You will also like the whole space journey-aspect to the story and the many planets that they visit and save from the Galra Empire. Each of these planets has its charm and personality.
The Humor
You will also find a lot of kiddy humor in the show, which is not surprising because it was made for children. But the humor is benign and funny enough to make even adults laugh.
Likable Characters
As for the characters, even though they are cliché archetypes, they are still impressive, well-developed, and very likable. Five powers operate Voltron. Each has its personality.
Although they are very well-played and clichéd, most of the characters get some substantial development. In the process of exploring their backstories and motivations, we see them grow as individuals throughout the show.
Page, Keith, and Shiro are the strongest of the five. Finally, they all work so well together as a team. Their connection is genuine, and the bond is undeniably strong.
Voice Cast
The voice cast did a tremendous job as their characters. They bring a lot of wits, energy, charisma to their characters. The actors that voice these characters fit perfectly with the characters that they portray.
For example, Glen from The Walking Dead voices Keith from the show as the rebel. It’s impressive because you can see how well these voice actors differentiate between characters.
Another notable character is by Chris Summers, a renowned voice actor who voices a multitude of other characters. You will also find Kimberly Brooks, who voices Allura in the show, Buena Girl from Mucha Lucha.
Action Packed Plot
Whether in their lions or on foot, there are a lot of flashy, fun, and creative action scenes that are exciting to watch. The space battles are also flashy and unique. It has a straightforward yet compelling hero story filled with conflict, intrigue, and science fantasy action.
Cliff Hanger episodes
Finally, the last praise for Voltron and fittingly so is the last episode of each season. Each ending of every season is unquestionably the best episode.
They are thrilling, have the best animation and some of the most epic action in the series. It also provides some of the greatest character development moments.
It is a near-perfect package, and the Voltron team sure knows how to entice you to come back for the next season. The little details and steams at the end of each of the last episodes make you want to come back for more.
Unfortunately, like all exciting things in the cartoon, there are major flaws too.
The Bad
Poor Animation
One of the main issues is the animations that seem decent for what the show is. But when compared to all the other animations that studio Mir has done, notably Avatar, this is a downgrade Some of the animations is limited and stilted.
Stereotypical Characters
Another major issue is the stereotypical characters. It honestly feels like each of the characters are ripped straight out of the 80s. It sounds great but for people who are beyond stereotypical characters, this is a big led down.
First, there is Shiro, the active, generic leader type.
Next, is the rebel type who is always stern, brooding, and makes a typical angry face all the time! He reminds everyone of Zuko. The angry disposition, the fiery personality, and the fact that both wear red and lost their mother makes it a very familiar an unoriginal character.
Then there is the geeky, tech-savvy member of the team who is always enamored by new technology and can’t get enough of it. Pidge completely loses it whenever she sees anything that beeps or has a flashing light on it.
There is also the softie of the group. The comic relief character consistently makes quips and in every situation and flirts with every girl in sight (even the princess Allura).
But the archetypes most hated are the big guys like Hunk, who has to continually mention how hungry he is all the time, in every episode.
Shallow Villains
Another thing that pertains to the characters is the villains of the series. They could have explored a little bit more. They are a menace, sturdy, capable, but they lacked depth.
If the show explored the different types and factions of people, some of the villains may have a deeper purpose and twist the story around, but no.
The Ugly
One Dimensional Characters
The weakest part of the show was Lance. The character has lots of potentials to be great and worthwhile, but the creators don’t delve deeper into the character to explore him. Even Lance’s rivalry with Keith sometimes seems forced. With poor attempts at humor.
The stereotypes were already outdated back in the 90s, and to bring them back in the late 2010s is cheap.
The characters could have been more dynamic if the team can resort out of the one-dimensional character. Sometimes they have some development, but it is these flat character traits that define them for eight seasons.
Final Thoughts on Voltron: Legendary Defenders
The series shows that there are different facades in approaching the main objective of a goal from the heroes and the villain’s point of view, but with little focus.
Despite its many flaw and irritating clichés, it is a well-done attempt at an 80s cartoon remake and has paved the way for Netflix to do more such reboots like She-ra.
