by Squeely » April 24th, 2016, 5:51 am
It is very good with the right mindset, or very bad without it.
If you're looking for a sweeping epic like TLK, you won't find it here. If you're looking for the crisp and beautiful animation of TLK, well the backgrounds are almost as beautiful, but the character designs are less detailed and more stylized, and it being computer-trying-to-ape-hand-drawn, characters often move stiffly or lack fluidity. The songs are not as good or memorable as TLK's. In general, if you compare it too much to TLK, you're gonna have a bad time.
On the other paw, if you take it as a kids' show with smaller budget, smaller concept, etc it is very good. It has good characters, has a lot of action, and is very fun. It brings back every familiar character from TLK + Kiara (Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani are also confirmed to make an appearance in the future) and adds lovable new ones. It does feature a song in every episode, and while there are some misses, most of them are good. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it's only 12 episodes in. Give it more time to reach its peak, though what we have gotten so far hasn't been bad for the most part. And, it is set in the TLK universe, focuses on lion and hyena characters, expands the lore here and there, which I think can keep the show interesting for older fans. It's pretty dynamic for a Disney Junior show, and isn't afraid to show some violence or tackle the occasional tough issue (everything is still within the realm of what would be acceptable for young kids, of course). In those aspects, it certainly knocks the stuffing out of the old Timon and Pumbaa show.
Just go in with an open mind and not-too-high expectations, and you'll hopefully like it just fine.