by Thinus Ferreira
5 TVs 
It's not - and perhaps never can or could ever be - the kids' cartoon again, with Netflix's reimagined Masters of the Universe: Revelation that is a much more gritty and depressing, and more adult "next chapter" of the story of the denizens of Eternia now inhabiting a post-apocalyptic version of their fantasy world.
Yes, the Netflix trailers were deceiving. Masters of the Universe: Revelation, although it is telling the story onwards from after the end of the iconic Filmation animation series, isn't so much a story about He-Man or Skeletor.
Now Teela is taking centre stage in a hero's quest of her own in Part I and its set of five 25-minute episodes (part II will release later with no date specified yet).
It's impossible to review Masters of the Universe: Revelation without noting some dramatic narrative events and character developments, so spoilers ahead.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation functions as a sequel of sorts to the 80s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon that was a TV vehicle to sell Mattel toys, but this time - as with the journey from child to adult - the He-Man universe has also matured into a much more shades-of-grey approach.
The new series is one where characters are no longer one-dimensionally "good" or "bad".
It's one where characters die and where individuals, even when faced with existential crises of environment, social order and faith don't necessarily choose to do "the right thing" to save themselves or others.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation brings surprising character growth that they've never had before to a now-disillusioned Teela, the wasting-away Orko, and most successfully to the no-longer-actually-evil Evil-Lyn.
It's especially Evil-Lyn who has the most interesting journey in moving beyond her stock character set-up, to voice the frustrations of having been a perpetual henchwoman-in-waiting of Skeletor. Evil-Lyn wasn't incapable of succeeding, it's skull-guy who didn't allow anyone else any space.
Longtime He-Man fans who grew up with the show or discovered it decades later and who just want a familiar story and fan service, might definitely feel ambivalence over Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
Prince Adam as the muscled, sword-wielding saviour and the purple-clad skull-faced Skeletor are reduced to cameo status in the first episode and only again seen towards the end, while all of the characters who look familiar, no longer act how "they're supposed to" in a grittier world that's run out of magic.
It's not just the Sword of Grayskull that's been fractured - it's relationships, trust and friendship.
The new magic in Netflix's Masters of the Universe: Revelation is emotion - the characters are emotional and more rounded as they exhibit moments of self-aware introspection.
Surrounded by an ever-present sense of loss, they actually talk honestly about loss as adults no longer tethered to a kids' show but functioning as adults in an adult world.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation is more violent than before (well, it maybe always was and we just didn't see it). The world is more nuanced as side characters who were along for the ride previously on "side quests" are moved into an Eternia main story.
It feels weird when a "main" character is killed off (perhaps, not permanently?) but is in keeping with the new Masters of the Universe mythos that exchanged the black-and-white choices, done-in-30-minutes, fantasy world of Eternia for an unfolding, serialised story with painful choices, now told in Grayskull-grey.
Masters of the Universe: Revelation Part I is on Netflix from 23 July
