Can’t wait to hear your full thoughts, Anchorhead, but I think I am in complete agreement. And this is from someone who hasn’t watched Clone Wars or Rebels, and many of the characters were complete unknowns to me.
The pacing is really what drew me in. It doesn’t rush to get to “the good stuff”, it plays out like, well, a story. In each scene I learn something about the characters, not just plot, but how they think. To me this is saying a lot considering what we get with much of the films/series today.