Do you think MLP is getting worse with age?

[Fawkes The Phoenix 737]

Not for me, this season was great and by far the best for me. There were a lot of good episodes that are now my personal favorites and only 1 episode that I disliked. I'm impressed of how they've managed to keep the quality improving after 100+ episodes.

[Sectus 246]

​I'm typically a very pessimistic and negative person overall, so my opinion on the matter might be a bit jaded to start with. I think the series, while having a few bad episodes here and there, has survived well overall. They have achieved a decent balance of fan service and actual series development by catering to bronies using the finales and premieres, and having more simple episodes in between.

 

I'm sure, like with all shows, eventually it will lose its luster, but I think they have another season or two before that happens. The world is only as limited as the creativity of those writing for it.

[4april 374]

No. It is not getting better, it is improving. Definitely improving! The characters are growing, the plots much more complex and interesting... and the music, always good music!

 

Can't wait for season 6 and EQG4.

 

And the movie...

Edited December 8, 2015 by 4april

[ggg-2 3,553]

Not worse, no.....But in light of content in the season 5 finale, i feel as if they're getting a bit too adventurous. The show is called "Friendship is Magic" and really, even in an alternate timeline, a war where a main character loses a wing isn't exactly friendship. Not to mention with each passing season, things look increasingly hopeless. Twilight couldn't stop Starlight, the only reason she was stopped was because Twilight convinced her to stop on her own.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Season 1 has some classic episodes but still the worst season.

 

Season 2 is superior so I dont want to talk about it anymore.

 

Season 3 is a rotten season.

 

Season 5 is slightly better than season 4 for some reasons:

- More mature morals.

- Pinkie's character is well-written not some stupid pink pony in season 4.

- I know everyone wont agree with me but I l thinkseason 5's premier and finale are better than season 4's.

- Season 4 & 5 have fair shares of bad/mediocre episode but at least none of season 5 bad/mediocre episodes are unbearable to me (Season 4 contain 3 episodes I truly dislike : Rainbow Falls, Trade ya, Somepony to watch over me). Princess Spike is even more enjoyable than those eps.

 

2 < 5 < 4 < 3 < 1. The results are not that depressing... I want to say " keep positive ", but I think you guys have heard a lot of it already... Forums are getting depressing... I need to play some video games.

[Miles 2,512]

To be blunt, I'd say the answer is both (and/or neither) yes and no for various reasons... 

The main reason there can't be a straightforward yes or no answer is: Every individual has different tastes and will judge the old and the new differently from each other.  The only logical way to derive an answer as to whether the show is getting better, worse, or staying the same, is [for Hasbro/DHX/Discovery Kids] to idly lurk fandom sites [like this one] and look for reactions.

But to get to my own points...

I think one reason the show has gotten better is the animation.  It looks so much smoother, sharper, and more unique aspects have been brought in.

On the other hand, (not that I actually think the show has gotten worse, but if I were asked to give a reason for that sake)... @ had previously mentioned that early seasons were formulaic.  Now, Coby's view on that was that the newer seasons were better since the "formula changed."  However, my view is different.  It isn't that I dislike the style of the season 4 and 5 episodes, but, in my opinion things have become overly random... You see, I always loved the slightly formulaic ways of seasons 1, 2, and 3.  

But, I always have and always will continue to love MLP, regardless of changes in style along the way.  My overall personal opinion about the OP's question is that asking such a question can mess with people's standards.  I don't see the new seasons as better or worse.  I see them as different, and love both the new and the old.  (Likely because I'm a "glass half full" thinker, though).  Though, I do have to admit that I miss the simplicity of the lessons and the energetic fulfillment of character arcs in the early seasons.

Anyway, I cannot give a yes or no answer. 

MLP is just awesome, always.

~ Miles

[Gestum 2,493]

Well, season five did have "Slice of Life", so I'm going to say that it is getting worse.

[DeadRightNowBoi 161]

Well in my opinion, I feel as if every season is getting better and better! (Thank god lol) Let's hope it'll stay that way in season 6

[AbeLinkedIn 69]

Well, season five did have "Slice of Life", so I'm going to say that it is getting worse.

I wanted to think that way too, especially since I'm wholly against excessive fanservice, but having seen it, I thought it was an alright episode, barring the Octavia/Vinyl scene since I never cared for either of those characters personally and it was the most fanservicey portion. 

[Fhaolan 4,484]

This appears to be discussing the show itself, so off it goes to Show Discussion!

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Hah, looking at the poll's question

"Do you think MLP has got better or worse?"

the only way for you to answer "no" to this is if it stayed 100% the same XD (since you ask if it got better OR worse"

 

 

 

 

Anyways, Its a mixture. MLP has gotten better in SOME ways, but its also gotten WORSE in others.

 

Better? Its started having more adventure, more arcs, more depth and a bigger, more open world. This is very good, and something that I was looking forward to since day one. I feel S4 is the second best Season due to having a very good arc, a great ending to the finale, a Good adventure episode (Power ponies), and some really good character interaction. but it still falls short of S2.

 

 

Because while the show's taking many steps forward, its also taking many steps back. I feel that they've strayed a bit from the original very close knit feel of the group and the more evenly focused and well done feel of the First 2 premiers and finales. In Best night ever and return of harmony for example they REALLY hammered home the group as a whole being the truly important part, and gave all the characters importance and focus.
Now, if you even GET the other 5 in the finale or Premier as anything but a cameo its a miracle, and the entire "Arc" of this season was just about twilight being stalked.


So While I feel the show's moving forward in its slice of life middle of the season stuff, its also backpedaling FAST for finales and premiers. This season felt very fillerish compared to S4, as I really don't care much about Starlight (she feels like Sunset merged with Trixie), and I have really no excitement for S6 as I've already seen the Plot of "Evil twilight clone turns good and then learns about friendship and ascends" in the EQG series.
Why the hell do I want to see that again with a clone of Sunset shimmer?

[Alex Z 848]

I think the show gets better with each passing season.

[HybridImages 16]

It is getting worse but its also improving! I think its really good! but also some of the content isn't the best...

[Cirrus. 1,090]

I think the show has been improving (for older viewers). I think kids under 10 aren't going to fully grasp some of what's actually going on in some of the newer episodes though.

 

I think the writing has gotten more complex overall. It seems like writers went from writing for kids in a way that won't rot an adult's brain to writing for the older audience they know they have, but trimming it so they can still stuff it in the "Y" rating. Another thing to think about is that the people working on the show have the waiting fandom as motivation to keep doing good/better work. On the flipside, if they start slacking, they'll definitely hear about it.

 

Remember, Season three would have probably been it if not for the fandom.

[Buck Testa 5,505]

Its gotten better with age. Frankly the first season is one of my least favorites out of the five, barring only the third. The fourth and fifth seasons count for a majority of my favorite episodes with season two having a generous helping as well. If it had only grew worse for me I simply would of moved on from it by now, but its only getting more interesting for me as time goes on. 

 

p.s your poll is weirdly worded, you are asking if its better or worse but give a yes or no selection. Are you asking if I have either of those opinions? 

Edited December 10, 2015 by Buck Testa

[Dark Qiviut 22,444]

I don't think so. Seasons five and four have a lot more blatant pop culture references, and season four's episode quality bounced up and down like a roller coaster.

 

But that doesn't mean the show's worsening.

 

To echo @, it's different now, but that doesn't mean bad, either. Take a look at the big format change in season five: the subtly of the morals. In the first two seasons, the morals were always spilled out at the end. Season three began a transition to eventually abandon the practice. Season four revived it for the most part via the journal, but they still transitioned away from the friendship lesson and became more general with their bolder morals. This season, the morals aren't spilled out for everyone anymore: They're interwoven in the script, allowing the writers to show the moral throughout rather than tell it at the end. In addition, the animation has taken steps to improve, too, even though they're a little more subtle now. Secondly, the characterization overall significantly improved over season four, especially Twilight and Pinkie Pie. Hell, we can say Spike improved albeit the disastrous Princess Spike. The background characters got their chance to shine with an amazing thank-you present to the fanbase. Lastly, Starlight Glimmer is the best villain this show has ever put out there: misguided, believing she did something right, and not believing in the consequences when her philosophy crumbled. How Twilight showed in Part 2 of The Cutie Re-Mark is one of her best characterizations and transitions to date: Not only did Starlight naturally redeem herself, but Twilight will guide her to become a better pony.

 

It's not perfect. Nothing is. But season five put in something new, and the new is bolder, brighter, more revolutionary, and excellently executed. To date, my favorite and possibly best season yet.

 

 

 

Yes, it have. Season five have had more than a few of the worst episode in the entire series.

Well, season five did have "Slice of Life", so I'm going to say that it is getting worse.

Disagree strongly. The worst episodes this season are Princess Spike and Appleoosa's Most Wanted. At the most, they're bottom-ten material. At the same time, season five has some amazing episodes, including The Cutie Map, Amending Fences, Crusaders of the Lost Mark, and Bloom & Gloom.

 

Yamet, to say FIM worsened because "a few" of the worst come from this season is like saying season two is worse than season one because there are more awful episodes. Gestum, to say FIM worsened because season five had Slice of Life is naïve, too. That's like saying FIM worsened because season four had Rainbow Falls or Trade Ya!; season three had One Bad Apple; and so on.

 

Good, bad, and average seasons aren't so black and white. You can have many bottom-ten episodes, yet at the same time have so many top-twenty and top-ten episodes. It's also possible to have more bottom-five episodes than top-five and still result in a great season. Littler details within these episodes add up into one ginormous picture. Season four's episode quality is very polarizing, but it's an improvement of season three because they made improvements within the episodes, and the improvements create the sum. Season five is an improvement over the fourth because they improved on season four's strengths and fixed some problems from season four, including some of the characterization. Season quality is determined by the sum of its smaller parts rather than the episodes themselves.

 

Besides, Slice of Life is one of FIM's better episodes, and episodes like Rainbow Falls, One Bad Apple, Boast Busters, Owl's Well, The Show Stoppers and Dragon Quest are forty times worse than SoL.

[PacificGreen 1,163]

This is probably a very heated topic, but my take is that it hasn't really gotten "better" or "worse", just a little different. I have my reasons to like and dislike parts of both the older and more recent seasons (which I won't outline here 'cause I'm kinda lazy), but I think my opinion is just that it's shifted more towards adventure and larger-implication events (like Cadance and Shining Armor having a foal, the introduction of a pop star who was Applejack's childhood friend, etc.), with less slice-of-life, but that doesn't make it inherently better or worse in my book. 

 

(BTW, you should rephrase either the question or the answers; you ask "is it better or worse", but the answers are either "yes" or "no".)

Edited December 22, 2015 by PGNatsu

[baba_booey 4,303]

Nope. I think it has majorly improved through the years, in fact most of my favorite episodes these days are from Seasons 4 and 5, plus I feel they take risks with darker plots and morals that they probably wouldn't have done in earlier seasons.

Not to mention, I really feel Season 1 has just as much episodes I'm meh on or dislike than Seasons 4 and 5 combined. S4 has Rainbow Falls? S1 has Boast Busters. S5 has Appleoosa's Most Wanted? S1 has Bridle Gossip, etc.

[Black Sabbath 2,486]

Yamet, to say FIM worsened because "a few" of the worst come from this season is like saying season two is worse than season one because there are more awful episodes. 

I  said it had more than a few of the worst episodes, which is a fancy way of saying that it had many of the worst episodes, like Princess Spike, Appleoosa's Most Wanted, Slice of Life, Crusaders of the Lost Mark, Slice of Life, Do Princesses Dream of Magic sheep and Slice of Life for example. Did I mention Slice of Life? 

 

And yes, there were a couple of good episodes in this season as well but there wasn't enough of them to outweigh all of the bad and mediocre ones.

 

Besides, Slice of Life is one of FIM's better episodes, and episodes like Rainbow Falls, One Bad Apple, Boast Busters, Owl's Well, The Show Stoppers and Dragon Quest are forty times worse than SoL.

That's your opinion. I couldn't stand it because of all the fan service, the fact that none of the jokes weren't  funny and the characters were as interesting as a piece of wood.  

Edited December 22, 2015 by Yamet

[Gestum 2,493]

Gestum, to say FIM worsened because season five had Slice of Life is naïve, too

Slice of Life was in my opinion so bad that it lowered my average score of the episodes by quite a bit. So that means that it literally make the show worse, at least if you look on the average score of the episodes.

[Dracu98 139]

the opposite is true, I feel like they are getting better and better. it gets funnier, the villains have become more interesting, and I feel like the characters have grown up. the episodes are not only fun and happyness anymore, they are sometimes pretty dark and serious ("Do Princesses Dream Of Magical Sheep" for example.). it seems like the writers just improve with every single season, and even though every season has its bad moments (of course), the good ones outmatch them by far.

[JeyWiz 1,097]

The show just gets better every season. With season 4 being my favourite, most of the recent episodes are higher quality than the older episodes, not saying that the earlier seasons were bad though.

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

Maybe not necessarily worse, but it has gone further away from my personal liking.

[Sketchy Style 39]

I think it's doing fine at this point.

I still enjoy it, and that's all that matters.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Let me just say that this is the first season since S3 where I WASN'T looking forward to what comes next and have little enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

So I think that definitely qualifies as a "worse" rating from me XD