Early Seasons vs. Newer Seasons?

[Steve Piranha 29,425]

I like the later seasons better. They have improved animations, more consistency in story quality, better shades of color, darker themes here and there, welcoming more voice actors, less hammy and in your face morals, and a bigger Equestria (in can be even bigger tho)

I do miss a thing or two tho: more adventure, Pinks not being flanderized, Snarklight Sparkle, and Equestria at night

[Dark Qiviut 22,430]

23 minutes ago, Theanimationfanatic said:

I feel that the newer seasons handle the Mane 6 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.

Indeed. And as a counterpoint, a lot of episodes in earlier seasons didn't write the Mane Six all too well, either. Just off the top of my head:

1. Griffon the Brush Off (Twilight only in the library)
2. Boast Busters
3. Look Before You Sleep
4. Bridle Gossip
5. Owl's Well
6. May the Best Pet Win!
7. Mare Do Well
8. Dragon Quest
9. One Bad Apple (Pinkie & AJ)

---

As for the topic at hand, it's no secret that I heavily favor the newer seasons, specifically 5, 8, and 7 (my top-three). Over time, the episodes became more and more polished with better animation, storytelling, characterization, and pacing. Season 8's episode quality is also the most consistently good FIM's ever been.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

18 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Indeed. And as a counterpoint, a lot of episodes in earlier seasons didn't write the Mane Six all too well, either. Just off the top of my head:

1. Griffon the Brush Off (Twilight only in the library)
2. Boast Busters
3. Look Before You Sleep
4. Bridle Gossip
5. Owl's Well
6. May the Best Pet Win!
7. Mare Do Well
8. Dragon's Quest
9. One Bad Apple (Pinkie & AJ)

 

---

As for the topic at hand, it's no secret that I heavily favor the newer seasons, specifically 5, 8, and 7 (my top-three). Over time, the episodes became more and more polished with better animation, storytelling, characterization, and pacing. Season 8's episode quality is also the most consistently good FIM's ever been.

Adding on to your point:

10. Feeling Pinkie Keen

11. Spike At Your Service

12. Putting Your Hoof Down

13. Just For Sidekicks

[RulesofRarity 493]

Although there's lots of stuff I miss about the earlier seasons, the later seasons are overall more consistent in storytelling and animation. The biggest reason why I prefer the later seasons is due to Fluttershy's characterization. I couldn't stand her in S1-4 because prior to Season 5 because all her episodes were the exact same, she'd learn something about being more assertive and then she'd revert back to the exact same way she was before in the next episode. Her "shyness"(which was clearly social anxiety disorder) was depicted as so severe at times that she'd become a burden on the group(Dragonshy), have terrifying hallucations such as this:

  

I don't know what happened in the writers room between Season 4 and 5 but starting with Season 5, Fluttershy became an entirely better character. She had suddenly learnt something from all those episodes about her learning to assert herself. Now she's able to put her hoof down without a sudden rush of adrenaline, administer tough love when a friend needs it and be a a total snark when the situation calls for it. I now always look forward to her episodes these days because she's just so great!

Edited September 2, 2018 by RulesofRarity

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

13 minutes ago, RulesofRarity said:

Although there's lots of stuff I miss about the earlier seasons, the later seasons are overall more consistent in storytelling and animation. The biggest reason why I prefer the later seasons is due to Fluttershy's characterization. I couldn't stand her in S1-4 because prior to Season 5 all her episodes were the exact same, she'd learn something about being more assertive and then she'd revert back to the exact same way she was before in the next episode. Her "shyness"(which was clearly social anxiety disorder) was depicted as so severe at times that she'd become a burden on the group(Dragonshy), have terrifying hallucations such as this:

  

I don't know what happened in the writers room between Season 4 and 5 but starting with Season 5, Fluttershy became an entirely better character. She had suddenly learnt something from all those episodes about her learning to assert herself. Now she's able to put her hoof down without a sudden rush of adrenaline, administer tough love when a friend needs it and be a a total snark when the situation calls for it. I now always look forward to her episodes these days because she's just so great!

Indeed. The earlier seasons are funny and nostalgic, but the later seasons have more character growth and show more signs of maturity from the characters. Without giving anything away, "The Washouts" is a showcase for how much Rainbow Dash has matured as a character from her Season 1 days. For those who haven't seen it yet, you'll know what I mean by next week.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Theanimationfanatic

[Iam 525]

! Subjective opinion alert ! Subjective opinion alert ! Subjective opinion alert !

 

From today's perspective I see the older seasons as nostalgic ones, then ones that hooked me to the show for years, till now and won't unhook for ever, even if I'll be an eldery.

I find newer seasons having more quality, both in animation and in writing, oh, and creativity. And one certain character, that changed my life unrecognisably, but in a positive way.

 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

1 minute ago, Iam said:

! Subjective opinion alert ! Subjective opinion alert ! Subjective opinion alert !

 

From today's perspective I see the older seasons as nostalgic ones, then ones that hooked me to the show for years, till now and won't unhook for ever, even if I'll be an eldery.

I find newer seasons having more quality, both in animation and in writing, oh, and creativity. And one certain character, that changed my life unrecognisably, but in a positive way.

 

It's the same thing with Power Rangers, honestly. Everyone talks about and is nostalgic for Mighty Morphin' (Seasons 1-3), but some people overlook the later, better seasons like In Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, SPD, etc.

[RulesofRarity 493]

 

5 minutes ago, Theanimationfanatic said:

Indeed. The earlier seasons are funny and nostalgic, but the later seasons have more character growth and show more signs of maturity from the characters. Without giving anything away, "The Washouts" is a showcase for how much Rainbow Dash has matured as a character from her Season 1 days. For those who haven't seen it yet, you'll know what I mean by next week.

I agree, The Washouts is one of my favourite episodes of the Season 8.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

5 minutes ago, RulesofRarity said:

 

I agree, The Washouts is one of my favourite episodes of the Season 8.

It's still my favorite episode of Season 8, and (no exaggeration) in fact, it will probably go down as one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Theanimationfanatic

[RulesofRarity 493]

On 9/1/2018 at 10:38 PM, Theanimationfanatic said:

It's still my favorite episode of Season 8, and (no exaggeration) in fact, it will probably go down as one of my favorite episodes of the entire series.

Honestly, if it would be my favourite episodes of the season if Friendship University and Sounds of Silence didn't exist.

Edited September 3, 2018 by RulesofRarity

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

Just now, RulesofRarity said:

Honestly, if it would be my favourite episode of the season if Friendship University and Sounds of Silence didn't exist.

I enjoyed "Friendship University" (7/10), but "Sounds of Silence" was pretty damn great too. In fact, the second half of Season 8 (Specifically the last 5 episodes) really helped bolster the season. It went from "meh" to very "solid". 

40 minutes ago, RulesofRarity said:

Although there's lots of stuff I miss about the earlier seasons, the later seasons are overall more consistent in storytelling and animation. The biggest reason why I prefer the later seasons is due to Fluttershy's characterization. I couldn't stand her in S1-4 because prior to Season 5 all her episodes were the exact same, she'd learn something about being more assertive and then she'd revert back to the exact same way she was before in the next episode. Her "shyness"(which was clearly social anxiety disorder) was depicted as so severe at times that she'd become a burden on the group(Dragonshy), have terrifying hallucations such as this:

  

I don't know what happened in the writers room between Season 4 and 5 but starting with Season 5, Fluttershy became an entirely better character. She had suddenly learnt something from all those episodes about her learning to assert herself. Now she's able to put her hoof down without a sudden rush of adrenaline, administer tough love when a friend needs it and be a a total snark when the situation calls for it. I now always look forward to her episodes these days because she's just so great!

Also, speaking of Fluttershy, "A Health of Information" is another showcase episode for her.

[Kadeda 178]

I think the later seasons are much better. The older seasons are nostalgic but i think the only thing that bugs me of the later season is flanderized pinky. I do kinda miss them all going bat crazy to though.

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

The old episodes are great and they’re fun to look back on but I feel the show has grown into a much funnier and much more intelligent/self aware entity in the more recent seasons. 

[Megas 27,675]

S7>S5>S1>S3>S4>S8>S2>S6

 

It doesn't really matter which ones are newer or not personally

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,570]

I will always love the older seasons due to nostalgia and their simple charm, they were good in their own ways. The newer seasons just feel far more fleshed out though. They actually feel like the show has a real point, rather than just standard few seasons kid show that Faust intended. That is why I think her leaving was a great thing. No disrespect to her or anything, but she clearly had no long term vision for the show and now it feels much more developed. Pretty much all of my top favorite episodes are from season 4 onwards, even if I think season 5 was actually a mixed bag.

[CheeryFox 23,821]

14 hours ago, Hierok said:

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.

True. It's kinda like watching the comics ver. * come to life. 

[Thrond 3,263]

My opinion fluctuates. I really like seasons 1, 2, 4, and 6, whereas I'm not a big fan of seasons 3 or 5, I kinda hate season 7, and my opinion of season 8 is very much divided. The funny thing is, I've always perceived season 4 as an extension of the first three seasons, to the extent that my main complaint about it remains that the show had become slightly formulaic at that point, although each revisit has given me a greater appreciation for how it tried to give more maturity to the show's old formulas. I generally have a softer spot for the first two seasons, if only because I feel there's a clearer trend of improvement than recent years, and because I like their simplistic focus more. A recent rewatch of the earlier seasons have shown me that the show's never been that consistent in quality, but I still really like those first two seasons, and I feel like every step forward for this show has been accompanied by two steps back. I like those first two seasons' purity, they still feel a little more fresh to me, and I don't feel like the writers have really known what to do with the mane six since the start of season 5. Those are still the characters I care most about. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by AlexanderThrond

[Thrond 3,263]

Though maybe it's just that the combination of hating season 7 and being mixed on season 8 is getting me down; I enjoy a good majority of episodes from four seasons spread across six years, and that's not nothing. 

[Celli 4,338]

The newer seasons are far better. Better animation, better writing, more interesting plots. I feel like people who say the old seasons better are looking at them through rose-tinted glasses. Season 1 might have been great at the time but I can't look at it and not think it's heavily flawed and has many crap episodes. Season 2 gets so much praise yet I feel like it only has a few standout episodes. Season 6 is the only new season I feel is not good.

Overall I'd rank them 7>5>4>8(so far)>3>2>1=6

[Ganondorf8 11,316]

I feel the newer seasons fare better but not from a story perspective--that can be subjective as the quality varies. The newer seasons have improved special effects thanks in part to DHX being accustomed to the animation, better voice acting as the artists are used to their roles, and I'd say that character development is better now than it was in the earlier seasons.

[Sparklefan1234 171,183]

I enjoy the newer Seasons of Friendship is Magic more & find myself rewatching episodes from Seasons 4-8 a lot more often than Seasons 1-3. 

[FirePuppy 735]

I still think Seasons 5-8 are the newer seasons over Seasons 1-4. Between them, I find Seasons 5-8 more enjoyable because Seasons 2 and 3 didn't have a lot of duo episodes (mainly due to Twilight's friends writing different friendship reports to Princess Celestia).

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

Seasons 1 and 2 got me interested in the show, but Season 4 onwards is where I became hooked.

It's of course fun to revisit the beginning of the show, but the more recent seasons have more meat and substance. 

[Conred 274]

Recent season is just very bad beause Haber and Dubuc are very bad story editors. They ignore the details like new writers making Mane6 act inconsistent with earlier seasons. Discord is suddenly uncaring for Fluttershy or other kids, Pinkie Pie suddenly is selfish and care more about some music object than her friend or making them smile. Theres suddenly an adult mature dragon who is very short and barely bigger than Spike and entire lore about greedy dragons growing up is suddenly ignored and thrown out of a window. Starswirl is suddenly a naive senile old man and not a wise sage. Rarity and Dash suddenly realise that they shoudn't be friends or even be part of Element of Harmony. Twilight is suddenly less protective of Spike being influenced by some suspicious nasty predator dragon than she was protective of Starlight being influenced by Trixie. There is just pile on pile of inconsistencies and character flanderisation. It has nothing to do with earlier seasons. Season 5 and 7 was one of the greatest and it happened just one year and 3 years ago. That's because Larson and Songco/Lewis were great story editors who were invested in the story and characters. Josh Haber just treat it as another cartoon that will give him a paycheck.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

12 minutes ago, Conred said:

Recent season is just very bad beause Haber and Dubuc are very bad story editors. They ignore the details like new writers making Mane6 act inconsistent with earlier seasons. Discord is suddenly uncaring for Fluttershy or other kids, Pinkie Pie suddenly is selfish and care more about some music object than her friend or making them smile. Theres suddenly an adult mature dragon who is very short and barely bigger than Spike and entire lore about greedy dragons growing up is suddenly ignored and thrown out of a window. Starswirl is suddenly a naive senile old man and not a wise sage. Rarity and Dash suddenly realise that they shoudn't be friends or even be part of Element of Harmony. Twilight is suddenly less protective of Spike being influenced by some suspicious nasty predator dragon than she was protective of Starlight being influenced by Trixie. There is just pile on pile of inconsistencies and character flanderisation. It has nothing to do with earlier seasons. Season 5 and 7 was one of the greatest and it happened just one year and 3 years ago. That's because Larson and Songco/Lewis were great story editors who were invested in the story and characters. Josh Haber just treat it as another cartoon that will give him a paycheck.

I would disagree with this. There have been more than plenty of gems in Season 8 that portray the Mane 6 quite well.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Theanimationfanatic