Should they have made this different way?

[Sarafina_]

I mean, should they have told us about Kovu and Kiara's cubs and something like that? What about a movie about Mufasa and Scar when they were cubs/younger?

I like Timon and Pumbaa, but I find them a little overrated. TLK1½ is a good sequel, it's very funny, but do you think it would've been better if they'd told us about the next generation/Mufasa and Scar? Tell your opinions!

//Yeah my English ain't good. Don't mind it.

[Carl]

I don't think they should have made TLK 1.5 differently, no. In fact, I'm very pleased with the way the left the franchise. Yes, I would have liked lions to have been in the movie more, and yes I would have liked something continuing from SP or being a prequel to TLK.

The thing is though, pretty much all direct-to-video sequels lose some of the epicosity of the original, and so, after two movies, the chances of them producing a really epic and worthwhile third film are extremely low. TLK 1.5 is made for a laugh not just because it would sell better or anything like that, but to me it also makes sense because they can make it and it is still TLK without a doubt, but at the same time, it's hard to really mess it up or let people down when they actually see this new sequel if it's advertised as a movie for a laugh from the get go. If it's meant to be a joke, no one will take it seriously and they won't get the disappointed feeling like after watching some other direct-to-video sequels (Pocahontas 2, Hunchback 2, Mulan 2, etc.) because their expectations are not that it will be on the same scale as TLK.

Additionally, I like the range of creativity the lack of prequel or sequel gives to the fandom. I enjoy reading numerous fics with all of these different interpretations of how things got to where they were in the first movie, how things changed after Zira's death, what happened before and after the story that we're told. It's a mystery, and we fans are given free reign to play with it, make our own spins, and share ideas with each other, forming new ways to view old characters and making the world of TLK an even richer world than it already is. It gives us plenty of room to further the story and see numerous different takes on what made the characters what they are.

Because of this, we get to have more well-rounded characters than may have been provided. For example: had Disney made a prequel, chances are Scar would have been nasty and mean the whole time, while Mufasa would be the caring hero who tries to help his brother. In the world of fandom, we can explore that possibility, or we can explore the other possibilities. Like: Taka feels victimized and Muffy's playful brotherly rivalry could be misinterpreted as bullying and so, neither could be to blame entirely. Or: Ahadi and/or Uru could be neglectful or abusive, to one or both sons, and build up anger between the two. Or Mufasa's imperfections can be explored and Taka's caring. It can go any number of ways. And the possibilities for an SP sequel are almost endless as well.

And personally, I like that aspect of the fandom, it took me a while to get into it, but it's a lot of fun, and there are so many semi-canon characters that can be added in to make the world more immersive and fulfilling.

Tl;dr: I like 1.5 and think that the way the series is left gives a lot to fanfic writers and readers.