Alright, just got back from seeing the first episode.
Holy hell, that was an amazing introductory setup for the series. First off, i love the animation used in this. I'm usually not too keen on how Studio 4°C animates their programs, but this felt right. The fights were really cool, ESPECIALLY when the Clerics were dashing on the battlefield at high speeds. During the episode, i felt the pacing was moving faster than i would've liked to go, but by the end it really concluded nicely.
It certainly felt more modern than the original, but not too drastic in the least. None of the voices really stuck with me, besides Clancy Brown's Grune (guy with that single fang). He has always done spectacular voice work, and it really shows if you watch Superman TAS or the Justice League series. The King's voice fell flat however, and didn't imply much authority IMO. Everyone else's was acceptable. I also think it would be really cool if they did a time-skip later on, where Lion-O actually looks like his original character design.
[spoiler=big spoilers]The King dies in the first episode, i think everyone saw that coming. I don't recall if Tygra was a jerk in the original, but i found it annoying. For example, during the games he taunts Lion-O about how he will never be a great leader; how he is always "number 2", then he defends Lion-O in protecting the Lizards and later blames him when their father died. His personality just seemed too inconsistent. A little something to point out.
The best part was no doubt Mumm-Ra's introduction. To be honest, i didn't think they would introduce him this early into the show's lifespan. But i'm damn glad they did. Most, if not everything about him was exactly what i remembered from the original. The hunch, physique and "face". I found it hilarious when he was prepared to transform into Mumm-Ra, The Ever-Living, when the sun came out and burned him before he could. I loved it, but at the same time i wanted to see the transformation and went, "Goddammit, nooooooo!"
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My memory from the original series is hazy, so i can't compare every detail in this as opposed to, say, PB. But overall, this was an excessively satisfying episode. The wait until Friday will be a painful one.
[spoiler=oh, and one last thing]SNARF DOESN'T TALK! GOD YES!![/spoiler]