Which generation do you think is better: G4 or G5?

[Pinkamena111 36]

Well I think G4 is better for now. In my opinion, G5 looks 3D and the G5 like you know the designs are kind of like Disney- like designs. I am not a Disney fan so yep. G4 is the one. 

[BronyH 3]

I think it is too early in the generation 5 series to compare it to Friendship is Magic. The gen 5 movie in my opinion was amazing, but I do not think I can honestly say that either is better than the other. Perhaps after season 1 of gen 5 I can give my opinion. I do love both generations though.

[MangoFoalix 24,944]

There is literally only one movie when it comes to G5. I wouldn't even say it's a fair comparison until more content comes out.

[Cash In 22,223]

As everyone else on this thread said, way too early to make that call. Nine years of content vs one movie isn't exactly a fair fight.

[Malarkey 45]

I personally prefer G5 over G4 so far.

You might be wondering, how is that possible when there's so much G4 content compared to one piece of G5 content?

Well, I'm sure there are plenty of movies you enjoy more than certain entire TV shows. And a lot of people knew they liked G4 more than G3 after watching just a couple of episodes of G4. I even know a few people who are big G5 fans, but hated G4.

Here is why I prefer G5:

• My collective love for the Mane 5 cast is bigger than my collective love for the Mane 6 cast.
• I love the animation more, the G5 ponies look and feel so real and it helps me immerse myself into their world and their emotions more. I prefer their smaller eyes, bigger snouts, and their visible hooves.
• I think the Mane 5's friendship and dynamics are more believable than the Mane 6. When I rewatched Season 1 of Friendship is Magic, I was put off by how jerkish they could be to each other at times.
• I think the G5 characters are more interesting and less tropey than the G4 characters.
• I think A New Generation is a much stronger beginning to a generation than Season 1 of Friendship is Magic was.
• When G4 first came out, I hated it for years despite watching the two-part opener and I didn't gain interest until Season 5. With G5, I already love it from the very beginning and that's a great sign.

I like all pony generations, but G5 happens to be the one I have the strongest connection to already.

[JMTV99 1,352]

I don't think it's a really fair to compare one movie to an entire decade worth of G4 content. I'll hold off my opinions when G5 specials and the series will be released.

[Splashee 28,563]

13 hours ago, Malarkey said:

I love the animation more, the G5 ponies look and feel so real and it helps me immerse myself into their world and their emotions more. I prefer their smaller eyes, bigger snouts, and their visible hooves.

Awesome to hear such good feedback from the 3D design. I think that is a first!

I still have to go with G4. When G5 finally becomes a show, G4 will be so nostalgic for us older fans that it will be difficult to not say G4 is the best even then. Oh, and I like big cute eyes, small cute snouts, and I can live without too much hooves and fur.... But I don't like cat designs either (Pony Life)

[Fluttershyfan94 5,742]

I believe the fourth generations, though I believe main reason why it will always be the better generation in my mind. Is that it is what got me to love the show to begin with. Of course that would be hard to compete with heh.

Edited November 18, 2021 by Fluttershyfan94

[Kion 7,407]

If we’re talking about the movie then G5 wins hand down but if we’re just talking about MLP in general well I can’t really say since G5 tv show hasn’t came out yet and we know nothing about it.

[Sonic Shimmer 4,131]

Not really a fair comparison at this point. We’ve only had about an hour and half with the new world and characters, compared to dozens of hours worth of episodes and five movies with gen 4z

[Kevin 160]

I don't think it's fair to compare them as they're completely different generations and characters.

[Bluish 22]

I miss g4. For right now, g4 is my favorite because there isn’t a lot of context in g5, and that will change soon because Netflix is making a new mlp series.  

[Savy 5,075]

Literally not a fair comparison, considering there's literally only one g5 movie and literally so much g4 content. :p  

I do miss g4 in a way, but I'm not gonna compare it and g5 quite yet :p 

[AlbaTross 1,586]

G4 for a variety of reasons.  First off, fair or not, first cut is the deepest, and that's something FiM will always have over ANG for me regardless of the quality of either.  Secondly, while I think the CG of ANG is great (hard to say if the show will match the animation budget but we'll see), I find 2D animation is more expressive, and I'll also miss FiM being a holdout of Western 2D animation in an age oversaturated with CG.  Neither of these things are about the actual quality of the ANG movie though, so I'll move on to that.

I think the biggest thing I'll miss about FiM is the Equestria of the past.  Yeah, I know magic has now returned to the future world in the movie, but there's something to be said for a world that just has magic, and all manner of interesting mythological creatures in it, along with a history of having had it.  The world of the old series just has more life to it, and it is a series that really leans into the fantasy aspect.  Sure, all manner of slice of life stories can and have been told in that world, but there's something about the juxtaposition of everyday life with the extraordinary that really makes the world of FiM come alive.  By contrast...there just isn't as much excitement in the new world.  The return of magic can and probably will provide a much needed boost to it, but it's probably otherwise going to continue to feel a little flat.  

Of course, when it comes to story and characterization...well, Here's what Josh Scorcher has to say on the subject: 

 

To be clear, my perspective isn't nearly as harsh and I enjoyed the film, but Josh makes some pretty good points that have helped explain some potential reasons why I can't help but feel this new film falls short on a fundamental level.  While it was apparent to me from the start who Twilight Sparkle is outside of her friendship studies, I can't say the same of Sunny.  I really don't know who she is now that she has successfully united the three pony tribes.  Maybe the new series can explore that by framing it as an identity crisis on her part or something, but I doubt it will go that route.  In fact, where FiM didn't need much to set up its characters, I really feel as though all of the Mane Five here could use some serious character development (especially the Pegasus sisters).  We will likely get that, but I wanted that from this movie.  Also, it's pretty obvious all five characters take cues from somepony from the Mane Six, with varying degrees of success at differentiating themselves from their predecessors.  

Now for the elephant in the room: the link this new series has to FiM.  It's great that it gets people talking, but it really wasn't necessary at all for this film, and now this new series will never be able to stand on its own, which is unfortunate.  FiM stood on its own, and didn't need G3 or any other previous series.  I really wish ANG could have done the same, and based solely on the plot of the film, there's no reason why it shouldn't have.  I'm going to guess that exploring the reasons why the Equestria of the past is no more is going to be embedded into this new show to some capacity.  It's a hook for the fandom, for sure, but it's an artificial hook and one that comes at the expense of this new series just being another extension of FiM.  

I'll give the new series a shot, but as it stands...I think it's probably going to be my second favourite MLP series (third if I count EQG).  In all fairness, Pony Life tried as a follow-up to FiM, and failed miserably IMHO.  I think ANG is far better than that at least, and let's not get into past gens of which G1's the next best series.  I think ANG is well set up to be better than that too.  I just can't see it topping FiM though.  

[applejack130 3]

I like g5 more its does not spread that horrible FrIeNdShIp Is MaGiC crap g5 was about excepting differences I think fim had great characters but the fim lesson is toxic so g5 for me

[Foxyboy1998 4]

G5 only has a movie currently but I liked it.

 

So I am not so sure

 

But G4 is so overrated that the other generations barely get attention compared to it. 

 

I've watched every generation so far before but G2 is my favorite generation. 

[Foxyboy1998 4]

37 minutes ago, applejack130 said:

I like g5 more its does not spread that horrible FrIeNdShIp Is MaGiC crap g5 was about excepting differences I think fim had great characters but the fim lesson is toxic so g5 for me

I agree. G4 is overrated, too long like when it came out while I loved the franchise it took almost the entire decade for me to finish it. In the battles they always asspull a victory (The way of the main ponies defeating Tirek in Season 4 being the main example) they gained transformations that has neat designs but is bland and too overpowered (I know its called Rainbow Power but however I call it Elements Of Harmony Requiem), it only had 3 minutes of screentime and there was no development for it at all. Its like Lauren Faust just wanted to make some buffed version of Elements Of Harmony that makes them become invincible to beat someone who has the magic of tons of creatures including Discord's. 

 

All the villains that were defeated for good are only those who stopped being villains (Starlight Glimmer and Discord as examples) I know that they won't even hurt an insect but at least have them banish the villains and seal them away forever or something.

and in the near finale, Grogar wasn't really Grogar and it was Discord all along, Grogar was one of my favorite villains in the entire franchise as a whole (Yes I watched G1-3 before), and made me walk away.

 

Its just my opinion but I am not saying G4 is the worst generation, probably better than G3 at least. 

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

I think it's best that grogar didn't appear in gen 4..... so he can appear in gen 5.... and I think hasbro was planning this all along.....

[Goat-kun 2,527]

Back in the day I was constantly ranting about how FIM stories were subservient to friendship lessons, how magic was stupid, how non-pones were being treated like shit, and how they've turned all the interesting places like Everfree into noob-friendly zones for tea parties. G5 took those concepts and amped them up to eleven. I hate how pony tribes now function like some sort of damn Voltron. The absence of magic is only there so our glorious writers didn't have to think about how to reunite them. How about windigos? I mean, why use old lore if you can make some new crystal junk and a discount alicorn princess to go along with it.

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

the windigoes showed up in the movie though....

[Foxyboy1998 4]

I hope Grogar comes back in G5, he was one of my favorite villains when I got into the series. 

[Splashee 28,563]

So far, G4 is being the better. And it is still trending on Netflix right now (I had to check)

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

G4 is still the best. G5 is still too young to be a favorite anyhow.

[J.J 922]

G4 is hands down always going to be what made My Little Pony special, what turned it into a life changing cult classic. However I don't think G5 is as bad as some make it seem. So far it greatly impressed by the intuitiveness seen in Earth Ponies, I think the new ponies are cute, but I just love ponies and I'm gonna stay close to the franchise bc of that loyalty developed during G4.

[Sparklefan1234 169,805]

It's WAY too early to tell, but I feel like Gen 4 was given an unfair advantage in this "poll" because Gen 5 pretty much just started while

Gen 4 has nearly a decade worth of  of history behind it. 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Sparklefan1234