I think the voice acting is getting awkward.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

Have you ever recognized that the more recent episodes the voice actors has a more static mannerism and kinda lacks subtle nuances or dynamics? For example, when they are acting being nervous but trying to hide it at the same time, they go on full 100% nervous. When they act as being scared, they go 100%. There is no mixture of emotions they portray, it is only one at a time, and it sounds kinda forced. Less dynamic on pacing or on intensity of their delivery either. It feels less like a real conversation. (I know acting like a real situation and voice acting for a cartoon is different, but still.)

Especially at the beginning of the episode, when the show breaks it down to the most basic and obvious level and feeds information to us. It's like the show is afraid that we won't get it because they aren't being so obvious. When they set up the plot points or introduces characters or having an exposition of the situation, they go like a radio commercial. Usually Rainbow Dash was the one that bothered me the most by doing this, but now it is everyone. It's not even a very recent phenomenon that I've been noticing. I think it slowly started from season 4, and started to grow from season 5, but now it's getting on my nerves. (Usually Rarity is more free from this because she usually speaks with some sort of panache. she already has a certain formulaic manner.)

This kind of awkward dialogue happens when : 

1. When the show tries to show so obviously what kind of a characters the main cast are. (Fluttershy is a shy one with animals, Rainbow Dash says awesome all the time etc.) When the show establishes the characters by giving each one of them a comment early in the episode. (usually the mane six or the student six)
2. When the show takes a one-dimensional approach on translating nonverbal expositions. (Fluttershy is nervous → make her nervous.)
3. When the characters are being asked what they are doing and they start to explain the plot. (Pinkie, what are you doing? Applejack? What are those? Twilight? Are you alright?) Or even say it when nobody asked them.
4. When the editing and pacing between dialogues feels awkward when it's not supposed to be. (usually lot of these happens in indie films and badly edited films.) No pace changes between the dialogue, just an awkward stock sound effects or a silence between the dialogues in a static pace.
5. When someone puts a lot of pressure on their vocal cords and slows it down when it's just a casual dialogue.
6. When someone asks about something with a doubt in their mind.

Number 3 might be a writing problem and number 4 might be an editing problem, but it all contributes to the unnatural feeling.

Somewhat, the characters has been known each other for years and shared a life and death situations, but they kinda sound awkward talking to each other. I love the show and the voice cast is one of the most important part of the show's success, I think they are talented and did a great job but I can't help thinking that they are falling into mannerism. Maybe it's the director's fault, but I don't know. What do you think? Do you think they have changed? If they changed, is it good or bad?

[Jeric 46,869]

22 minutes ago, Sepul-Coloratura said:

he already has a certain formulaic manner.

Tabitha St. Germain has the most vocal variation when acting as Rarity than any other character. Run samples of her lines through a wave analysis algorithm and compare to each other and then do the same for other characters, Rarity is not vocally formulaic. 

[Twilight Luna 31,450]

I have noticed since the episode with the Kirin, that Applejack’s voice has been getting deeper at times. It’s not as bright and bubbly as it was in season 1. Granted that was 8 years ago and people’s voices can change over time especially with voice actors. 

Case in point, the voice actor who did the voice of Skippy in Anamaniacs hit puberty sometime during the show and his voice dropped. Instead of getting a new actor, they altered his voice to be higher but it was still a noticeable change.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,322]

1 hour ago, Jeric said:

Run samples of her lines through a wave analysis algorithm

                                                                                          

[Steve Piranha 29,453]

1 hour ago, Twilight Luna said:

I have noticed since the episode with the Kirin, that Applejack’s voice has been getting deeper at times. It’s not as bright and bubbly as it was in season 1. Granted that was 8 years ago and people’s voices can change over time especially with voice actors. 

Case in point, the voice actor who did the voice of Skippy in Anamaniacs hit puberty sometime during the show and his voice dropped. Instead of getting a new actor, they altered his voice to be higher but it was still a noticeable change.

Ashleigh Ball deepened her AJ’s voice since S2, as her S1 voice was commented to sound too much like Dashie

[Early Sunsets 2,108]

I did notice something off when I got to season 7. I wasn't sure if it was the writers of the voice actors, but there was a noticeable change in both the way the main characters acted and spoke. I still really like MLP, but it kind of put me off a little bit. The characters are the biggest reason I fell in love with the show in the first place.

Also, I've noticed a bit of AJ's accent spilling over into Rainbow sometimes and I've always thought it was funny.

[Misty Shadow 8,016]

Only voice that started getting weird to me at times was Sweetie Belle's back in Season 4. Turns out I wasn't just imagining things because the voice actor for her, Claire Corlett, was actually at the age of puberty at the time. Slight voice changes, I usually don't really pay attention too though, writing quality has always been my biggest interest. 

[MangoFoalix 25,046]

I personally don't notice most of what you have a problem with honestly. It doesn't seem to be that awkward by how you are making it seem.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

15 hours ago, Jeric said:

Tabitha St. Germain has the most vocal variation when acting as Rarity than any other character. Run samples of her lines through a wave analysis algorithm and compare to each other and then do the same for other characters, Rarity is not vocally formulaic. 

That's not what I meant. What I meant was Rarity has sort of a stage presence, a sort of attitude, a charade that none other characters have (something similar to Flim snd Flam). So she doesn't have a problem. Simply put, she already is in a radio commercial. She certainly has a most dynamic voice, and it stands out most obviously when she breaks the certain manner. But nonetheless, even in her casual dialogues and simple reactions, she is the most natural and nuanced voice. Mostly as rarity, and pretty much as others. She is the character that doesn't have a problem I was addressing. That's why she is the one of my favorite character.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Toastypk 924]

On 2/20/2019 at 2:09 PM, Steve Piranha said:

Ashleigh Ball deepened her AJ’s voice since S2, as her S1 voice was commented to sound too much like Dashie

And then you have Newbie Dash with RD trying to immitate AJ. Paradox. 

[Justin_Case001 4,908]

I haven't noticed any of this.  In fact, I've always felt that amidst rocky, hit-or-miss writing, the voice acting has always been the most consistently phenomenal thing about this show, and is one of the main things that has kept me around the whole time.

You want to hear what awkward voice acting really is?  Go watch a show called Horseland.

[Kadeda 178]

 I only noticed applejacks voice getting deeper.

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

On 2/25/2019 at 10:01 AM, Justin_Case001 said:

I haven't noticed any of this.  In fact, I've always felt that amidst rocky, hit-or-miss writing, the voice acting has always been the most consistently phenomenal thing about this show, and is one of the main things that has kept me around the whole time.

You want to hear what awkward voice acting really is?  Go watch a show called Horseland.

Ah, Horseland, why do you continue to haunt me (it's relatively ambiguous, but weren't the majority of the voice actors actual teens with little-to-no VA qualifications? That may explain it substantially)?

Alternatively, the true nadir of English-language voice acting is the dub of Dingo Picture's 'Aladin'. I can understand the OP's point to a degree, but the voice acting on the series has, at least from a majority around here, remained at a relatively high standard (although Twilight and Pinkie's voices have admittedly suffered since around the S4 period, although this can also feasibly be chalked up to more inconsistent characterization as opposed to solely VA fatigue or misdirection, which is actually a less likely scenario here, considering that the majority of the cast seem to have retained their passion for working on the series despite its lengthy duration by this point, which is, is all honesty, a pretty impressive feat), particularly when stacked against most other contemporary kids' media.

Edited March 14, 2019 by Them's Seeing Ponies