Voltron: Legendary Defender, produced by DreamWorks, is a reboot of the original Voltron series from 1984. (More specifically, it reboots the iconic first season.) Here, five humans discover they’re mystically linked to a pride of five robotic lions that fuse to form the mighty Voltron. Together, they use Voltron’s incredible power to defend the known universe from a race of evil conquerors called the Galra Empire. It’s simple, straightforward, and pulpy — this show is very much a child of the ‘80s, from the bright colors to the funky hair. Any lover of classic shows about good fighting evil with swords and energy weapons will feel right at home watching this series.

Simple, straightforward, and pulpy

But this new effort raises the bar with sharp writing and even sharper visuals. The original Voltron dripped with cheese, and the reboot leans right into that heritage with glee, never batting an eye at how silly the premise can be. But shows like Steven Universe are already pushing the envelope when it comes to storytelling that’s exciting and thoughtful all at once. Legendary Defender is clearly taking some inspiration from those efforts, too. While the show’s mythology is given its due, every character feels fleshed out and, above all, human.

Viewers are made to root for each of the Defenders of the Universe based on how well they interact with one another. Shiro (Josh Keaton) is the leader, and he grapples with having been abducted by the Galrans. Lance (Adventure Time’s Jeremy Shada) is the loudmouth of the group, but is also the first to discover his Lion. Keith (The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun) is the rebel, Pidge (Bex Taylor-Klaus) is the computer nerd, and Hunk (Tyler Labine) is the mechanic with a love of food. To some extent, all these characters are cliched archetypes, but they’re each given depth. For instance, Lance believes Keith is his rival as a fighter pilot, but, much to his chagrin, Keith barely considers him a challenge. Meanwhile, Pidge is secretly a girl, and is trying to find her father and brother who were abducted with Shiro. Exposition is doled out slowly and organically, and as time goes by you care what happens to everyone onscreen.