Sorry in advance for what will probably be a long reply, but I was actually thinking about this recently and I'm taking the excuse to type out my thoughts.

The fact is that Lower Decks does have certain similarities to Rick and Morty, but they're mostly superficial and the show is different where it counts. Aside from the obvious similarities in animation style and the characters' penchant for wacky hijinks, Lower Decks also features frequent bleeped out swearing and occasional jokes based on sexual innuendo or censored nudity. Some people really don't like that stuff in their entertainment. If you're one of those people then it isn't a show for you.

But there's one big way in which Lower Decks is the exact opposite of Rick and Morty. The difference is the thesis of the series. Rick and Morty is at its core very cynical. Morty said it best himself: "Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody's gonna die. Come watch TV" I don't know if it was by accident or on purpose, but I think that line is really the whole show in a nutshell.

Lower decks is not a cynical show. Lower decks is a joyous show. Sure, the characters fight, but they always end the episode as friends. They make mistakes, but they learn from them. They have problems, but, over time, they mature.

I remember seeing an interview with the show creator in which he said that he conceived of it as a story about a group of young adults maturing and figuring out who they really are. I think that's his thesis, and he delivers on it.

So yeah. I guess bottom line is, if adult oriented animation in general turns you off then Lower Decks probably isn't going to change your mind. It inherits a lot of its sensibilities (and a few bad habits) from its predecessors. But if you're mainly concerned that it'll be a Trek skinned Rick and Morty then I would encourage you to look past the superficial similarities and give it a try.