Early Seasons vs. Newer Seasons?

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

This might be a somewhat unpopular opinion, but I believe that the later seasons of the show (Seasons 4-Present) are much better than the early seasons (Seasons 1 to 3). 

While the first 3 seasons are still good, the later seasons have proven to be more consistent in quality, more nuanced with its morals and storytelling, and better overall. Does anyone else feel the same?

Edited October 13, 2018 by Theanimationfanatic
I added a second poll.

[Jeric 46,861]

@Theanimationfanatic changed your topic title as it was a bit vague. 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

Thank you. I probably should have been more specific.

[SDP40F amtrak 2,447]

We'll both are good and bad 

[Oleks 1,993]

I agree that the newer seasons are better in almost every aspect. Of course, the early ones make me feel nostalgic and they are still very good, but the overall quality of the new seasons is higher: animation is better and more detailed (e.g. Zecora's tree, much more diverse background ponies instead of clones and recolors of the first seasons), the stories are more coherent and epic, references to popular culture are even cooler, and I can go on. 

So yeah, for me the old seasons are precious and filled with nostalgia, and the new ones are just better in terms of quality.

[Here No Longer 5,279]

Note that this is my opinion, I don't consider it (well most of it) to be objective.

 

I think that the seasons have sort of been fluctuating in general quality. Seasons 1 and 2 are pretty good (sure they had their pitfalls like "The Showstoppers", but most of the episodes were at least decent, if not good), but I can't stand season 3's clearly rushed writing that culminated in easily the worst finale, and among the three worst episodes in the series. Season 4 is easily the best in the series with episodes like "Inspiration Manifestation,', "Pinkie Pride", and "Somepony to Watch Over Me", and it really was dialed up to 11 in "Twilight's Kingdom" the best finale and episode in the series, Season 5 was a lot like season 4 but it was consistently good less often, but season 6 was pretty meh in general that was marred with poorly written episodes like "Cart Before the Ponies". Season 7 was initially awful, but it recovered after the atrocity known as "Hard to Say Anything". Season 8 has been inconsistent as of current from airing garbage like "Fake It 'Til You Make It" to airing amazing, well scripted episodes like "The Mean Six."

 

My personal ranking of the seasons themselves though at the moment:

4>5>7>2>1>>8>>>>>>>6>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>3.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Dusk Noire
Added personal ranking, like in other posts in the thread.

[Hierok 11,832]

Well, for me season 1 till 3 had the best episodes like Return of Harmony. It is true season 4 and further had better animation and story, but the earlier were original and funnier for me.

[MangoFoalix 25,038]

I personally like all seasons except maybe season 3. Season 3 was just a bummer on its own.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

Just now, TheTaZe said:

I personally like all seasons except maybe season 3. Season 3 was just a bummer on it's own.

Season 3 is definitely the weakest. It feels rushed, underdeveloped, and has some of the worst episodes of the series. That being said, I'd hesitate to call it a bad season, The first 3 episodes are all pretty solid, "Wonderbolts Academy" and "Sleepless In Ponyville" are all-time greats, and it is in line with the first two seasons in tone.

[MangoFoalix 25,038]

Just now, Theanimationfanatic said:

Season 3 is definitely the weakest. It feels rushed, underdeveloped, and has some of the worst episodes of the series. That being said, I'd hesitate to call it a bad season, The first 3 episodes are all pretty solid, "Wonderbolts Academy" and "Sleepless In Ponyville" are all-time greats, and it is in line with the first two seasons in tone.

I haven't watched in Season 3 in over 5 years. I would need to rewatch it again to give it a fair opinion to be fair.

[The Kaeya Simp 13,990]

Season 1-2 had best animation

[FlutterJack21 1]

I prefer the older seasons. They have way more charm.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

Just now, Sherbert Music-Guard said:

Season 1-2 had best animation

Did they though? 

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

I like the early seasons better. I've been a bit underwhelmed by season 8 it seems like they are trying to hard, character interactions are forced into unnatural confrontation. It's like Apple jack is being too.... applejacky if that makes sense. But with all of them...

The early seasons are blissful fun. Pinkie pie was just pinkie pie, now it's like "ohhh uhhh pinkie pie hasn't done something annoying in a while.... let's have her do something stupid, ohhh yah good idea tom...."

The early ones are my favs..   

[SDP40F amtrak 2,447]

The early ones are super overrated anyway I still like the old season but I kinda  think it too overrated

Edited September 1, 2018 by Amtrak sw1

[The Kaeya Simp 13,990]

8 minutes ago, Theanimationfanatic said:

Did they though? 

Yeah, they style of animation was better!

 

5 minutes ago, Califorum said:

The older seasons had better animation, at least to me.

Same!

[bigbertha 415]

I prefer the older seasons. While season 1 might've been too simple, it along with season 2 and 3 have a charm that none of the seasons after can match. It also helps that seasons 2 and 3 have a lot of really great episodes.

Also, they're the only seasons with unicorn Twilight, who is a much more interesting character than alicorn Twilight. And I prefer the animation of seasons 1-3 despite how stilted the animation is in early season 1. It just seems more cartoony and fun compared to the much flatter look of 4-8.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

I feel like the animation was a lot stiffer in Season 1. To be fair, it looks good for a Flash show, but Seasons 4 and up have a much brighter color palette, more fluid animation, and better detail.

 

 

[DonMaguz 1,023]

Well... my favorite season list is [7, 5, 2, (8), 4, 3, 1, 6] at the moment, with season 8 still on the move, so newer seasons are definitely a step up IMO.

Seasons 1 - 3 are great, but the writers have been constantly taking risks since the beginning to improve the show.

Some of those risks have been failed attempts to improve, but in the long run the payouts have been more rewarding than the failed attempts have been disastrous.

Edited September 2, 2018 by DonMaguz
I wrote earlier thinking in newer /)~<)

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

Just now, DonMaguz said:

Well... my favorite season list is [7, 5, 2, (8), 4, 3, 1, 6] at the moment, with season 8 still on the move, so earlier seasons are definitely a step up IMO.

Seasons 1 - 3 are great, but the writers have been constantly taking risks since the beginning to improve the show.

Some of those risks have been failed attempts to improve, but in the long run the payouts have been more rewarding than the failed attempts have been disastrous.

I think that "Safe" is a great word to describe the first 3 seasons. They played it safe, told basic, but effectively written stories, and did a good job of world-building. From the Season 3 finale and onwards, the show began to take more risks with the stories it told, to *mostly* successful results. I say mostly because even though most of the risks have paid off, there has been a fair share of misses.

20 minutes ago, Sunlight Glisten said:

I like the early seasons better. I've been a bit underwhelmed by season 8 it seems like they are trying to hard, character interactions are forced into unnatural confrontation. It's like Apple jack is being too.... applejacky if that makes sense. But with all of them...

The early seasons are blissful fun. Pinkie pie was just pinkie pie, now it's like "ohhh uhhh pinkie pie hasn't done something annoying in a while.... let's have her do something stupid, ohhh yah good idea tom...."

The early ones are my favs..   

Would you consider the later seasons bad?

[Sunlight Glisten 368]

1 minute ago, Theanimationfanatic said:

 

Would you consider the later seasons bad?

By no means.. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. And really my complaint comes with season 8 only. 4-7 gold, DISCORD fun, tirek, the pillars, starlight shenanigans. Now in 8  the over focus on the school, even completely redoing the opening animation, I know they had added to it after she became an alicorn but now it's had a complete overhaul. And like I said before, the mane 6 seem to have become 1 dimensional charactors. Not in every episode, but it's been a decline from how real they were before, and that realness is what made us love them. 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

Just now, Sunlight Glisten said:

By no means.. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. And really my complaint comes with season 8 only. 4-7 gold, DISCORD fun, tirek, the pillars, starlight shenanigans. Now in 8  the over focus on the school, even completely redoing the opening animation, I know they had added to it after she became an alicorn but now it's had a complete overhaul. And like I said before, the mane 6 seem to have become 1 dimensional charactors. Not in every episode, but it's been a decline from how real they were before, and that realness is what made us love them. 

The first half of Season 8 has been iffy with a few gems here and there, but the last 8 episodes I feel are sure to make up for it. 

[Kevin Tang 2,427]

Hmmm... I don't really see the differences, i like them all.

[The Nth Doctor 663]

They both have their highs and lows, but at this point, I prefer the older Seasons if I want the Mane 6 to be in-character, especially after Season 4

The newer seasons have done better with new/returning characters, but only when they don't have to lobotomize the Mane 6 and Spike to do it

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,597]

2 hours ago, The Nth Doctor said:

They both have their highs and lows, but at this point, I prefer the older Seasons if I want the Mane 6 to be in-character, especially after Season 4

The newer seasons have done better with new/returning characters, but only when they don't have to lobotomize the Mane 6 and Spike to do it

I feel that the newer seasons handle the Mane 6 quite well after Season 4, see:

"The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"

"The Mane Attraction"

"Top Bolt"

"The Gauntlet of Fire"

"Stranger Than Fanfiction"

"The Times They Are A Changeling"

"Parental Glideance" 

"Molt Down"

and

"The Washouts"  (upcoming) just to name a few.

Those are just a few examples. While characterization can be inconsistent, I still maintain that the staff is doing a good job with the main characters overall.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Theanimationfanatic