Uh, I think you're taking this just a TAD bit too seriously. Really, it seems much more like the animators are having fun with the series, and that includes the art. So the art isn't up to the former standard or the former style, does that make it bad just because it's different?

tl;dr lighten up some and let them have fun with the series and art. After all, what's animation and a show if you can't even have fun with it?