The Complete Series includes all 39 episodes. But, unlike the original series, in all likelihood this He-Man will hold up a little better in the future. But the third season of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe never came to fruition, and like the original series, all we have are the fond memories of a show that was loved and respected. Teela's origin would be further fleshed out, and Skeletor would have made a grand comeback, more villainous than ever. Characters like She-Ra were set to make an appearance. Ideas planned for the third season seemed ambitious, making it clear producers were planning on pushing the boundaries of the series even further than ever before. It's a damn shame He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was canceled well before it hit its stride. There's rarely an episode that fails to balance its meaty character moments with genuine nail-biting excitement. Each episode is loaded with surprisingly energetic sword play, bombastic laser battles and magical sorcery from the hands of Skeletor and other series foes and friends. Other more minor characters (villains included) are also fleshed out and expanded with terrific results. Both Prince Adam and He-Man also get expanded, with questions of duality and the nature of power being drawn to the surface. Teela explores her mysterious past - a past only hinted at in one episode of the original series. He's defeated by King Hiss, who becomes the new primary villain in the second season. Skeletor doesn't turn into a Shredder-like villain who never manages to go away. The stories - particularly during the shorter, more focused second season - take on a serialized nature which gives way to better character development.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe does its best to both update and keep the spirit of 2-D animation alive. Don't expect any stock character movements, dry painted backgrounds and takes used over and over again, like the original series. Characters are incredibly detailed and landscapes are expansive and eye-catching, growing more and more lush and beautiful as the series builds upon itself. Despite reservations over the anime style, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe actually manages to form its own unique look and tone combining classic animation with modern stylistics - something entirely different from anime shows like Pokemon and Dragonball Z. As it turns out, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe got quite a bit better after the first six or seven episodes, and quickly turned into a near-classic piece of He-Man lore.
Not long ago, I decided to check out the show again after hearing from fans that it got much better after the initial rough start. After just a few episodes, I gave up on the series. Voice work mimicked the original series (which felt uninspired) and the animation style borrowed many elements from anime, a subgenre I had grown sick of over the years.
Wanting something a little more mature, I was initially disappointed with the series' first handful of episodes, which played to the 7- to 10-year-old crowd. Sadly, the series that followed didn't quite match the hype the toys received. The updated toys looked amazing, rich with detail and style. When the Four Horsemen toyline appeared on the market, fans were flush with excitement. But, deep-down, I still love what He-Man brought to the table - particularly the lavish characters, unique history and sci-fi/fantasy backdrop. Other shows, like Transformers were often better, with darker more-focused plot lines and sharper characters. Looking back, the series was hardly Earth-shattering. Even though the stories were watered down and animation was pretty terrible, the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was a mild Saturday Morning milestone of cinematic storytelling, severely dumbed down of course for a much younger demographic. Being a longtime He-Fan, I loved the original series dearly despite its many, many flaws. I'll be perfectly honest with you - I wasn't the biggest fan of this series when it premiered in 2002.