Officially worried about G5

[Star_Quake 28]

Title basically. I was hyped for the movie and which it didn't necessarily didn't disappoint. Until scraps of the movie came out and honestly the original ideas were far more creative. Then I learn that the writers were kinda just winging it when writing the plot for the movie?? Then I learn that the reasons for the ponies having half a cutie mark and using stuff with their hooves were just design reasons. WHY? Then I learn that king Sombra is returning and so is discord, but not in the show. No, in the comics? Why the comics? Why not the show, also I'm not  the biggest fan of reusing previous villains. (However I can kinda see someone (somepony) like Discord or Sombra returning???) 

Then we get the release of the 3D show and it has like the same quality of 3below. I understand though it's cheaply made, MLP g4 was crusty in the beginning but as more seasons were made you could  see the improvement. I would hope the same happens with G5. That's if the story is good, I'm almost concerned that the show won't have a fleshed out story. My excitement for the series has been officially replaced with just nervousness. Anyone else feeling the same?

[Steve Piranha 29,424]

I’m am more concerned about Netflix’s shenanigans rather the the show itself. And also, Discord being in the comics may be just that: only in the comics. Sombra may as well appear in the show, as that was mentioned in the toys, and toys never mentioned anything concerning the comics, but rather the show

[Misty Shadow 7,867]

I'm not worried like some fans I've heard express fears. I normally like MLP Fever's content, but her video stressing over the downgrade in animation had my face contorting into an expression of bewilderment. It was obvious from the start that the animation quality of the show was not going to be on par with the animation quality of a film that was originally developed for theaters. Also, I truly feel that the internet is just obligated to be jaded, cynical, and obsessively doubtful about everything now, because this is like...the third time we've done this for G5 alone. At least, fourth or fifth if you want to count the Sombra/Discord stuff too. Looking at one or two snippets of info and feeling that's enough to make a judgement call. We didn't learn from the movie and we didn't learn from Tell Your Tale. I'm not saying that I want to try and stop anyone from being worried, this is just how I feel personally, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...no way.". 

I'm tired of needless cynicism. 

[Will Guide 21,360]

1 hour ago, CloudMistDragon said:

I'm not worried like some fans I've heard express fears. I normally like MLP Fever's content, but her video stressing over the downgrade in animation had my face contorting into an expression of bewilderment. It was obvious from the start that the animation quality of the show was not going to be on par with the animation quality of a film that was originally developed for theaters. Also, I truly feel that the internet is just obligated to be jaded, cynical, and obsessively doubtful about everything now, because this is like...the third time we've done this for G5 alone. At least, fourth or fifth if you want to count the Sombra/Discord stuff too. Looking at one or two snippets of info and feeling that's enough to make a judgement call. We didn't learn from the movie and we didn't learn from Tell Your Tale. I'm not saying that I want to try and stop anyone from being worried, this is just how I feel personally, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...no way.". 

I'm tired of needless cynicism. 

I agree. Especially the pointless cynicism about things like the Disney live action remakes.  If you love the original animated movies go and watch them and leave the live-action we make to the people who actually found some good in that like me. Needless cynicism can prevent you from looking for things that other people can actually enjoy in an otherwise terrible thing. Not everyone has to look at a piece of art the same way

[SergioFernandez 33]

Don't worry about the things you can't change, G4 made a lot of mistakes too (alicorn Twi, every EQG movie except the second one, plot holes, etc.) And even after that the fandom is still here, not like in 2011-2015, but many of us still love the show. In the worst case, G5 fails, and we go back to G4 to continue expanding it with fan arts, music, fanfics, etc. At best, G5 is a success, and we enjoy creating new pieces based on it, enriching the lore of MLP.

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

11 minutes ago, SergioFernandez said:

Don't worry about the things you can't change, G4 made a lot of mistakes too (alicorn Twi, every EQG movie except the second one, plot holes, etc.) And even after that the fandom is still here, not like in 2011-2015, but many of us still love the show. In the worst case, G5 fails, and we go back to G4 to continue expanding it with fan arts, music, fanfics, etc. At best, G5 is a success, and we enjoy creating new pieces based on it, enriching the lore of MLP.

I can understand flury heart alicorn hate but you saying alicorn twi was a mistake is BLASPHEMY!!!

[Steve Piranha 29,424]

1 minute ago, Kujamih said:

I can understand flury heart alicorn hate but you saying alicorn twi was a mistake is BLASPHEMY!!!

But, but… why is McFlurry a mistake ?

 

anyway, I’m not as concerned nor cynical about the development of the show, but rather Netflix’s management They got yet another blow on their stocks 

[SergioFernandez 33]

5 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

I can understand flury heart alicorn hate but you saying alicorn twi was a mistake is BLASPHEMY!!!

Lol yeah, we can have an endless debate on that. But I just wanted to mention controversial decisions on g4. Personally I would have liked her to still be a unicorn, but if that hadn't been possible then I think the idea of her being an alicorn would fit better in season 4 or after the 2017 movie. But I still respect if you like it.

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

3 minutes ago, SergioFernandez said:

Lol yeah, we can have an endless debate on that. But I just wanted to mention controversial decisions on g4. Personally I would have liked her to still be a unicorn, but if that hadn't been possible then I think the idea of her being an alicorn would fit better in season 4 or after the 2017 movie. But I still respect if you like it.

BLASPHEMMIIIIII!!!? yeah I'm cool with that....

Seriously... I think the reason for the twicorn hate is so petty is all.

I'm just happy for her achievements while I think the others are just jelly deep down.

 

 

[Tom Gallagher 33,588]

I’ve given up on G5 to be honest. I gave it time to grow on me but my opinion on it is just on a steady decline. Tell Your Tale was the nail in the coffin for me. I’m sticking to what I know is perfect and that’s FiM. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by TomDaBombMLP

[Shadowmoth2011 150]

1 hour ago, Will Guide said:

I agree. Especially the pointless cynicism about things like the Disney live action remakes.  If you love the original animated movies go and watch them and leave the live-action we make to the people who actually found some good in that like me. Needless cynicism can prevent you from looking for things that other people can actually enjoy in an otherwise terrible thing. Not everyone has to look at a piece of art the same way

I cannot brohoof this enough. I'm open to finding good in all sorts of media, and cynicism frankly tires me out. This goes for G5 too - I haven't been able to see A New Generation or Tell Your Tale yet (too busy stuck in Detentionaire hell lol) but I think it'd be weird to give them so much side-eye. Yes, MLP:FIM is hard to follow up, but we could've gotten a LOT worse.

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

14 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

But, but… why is McFlurry a mistake ?

 

anyway, I’m not as concerned nor cynical about the development of the show, but rather Netflix’s management They got yet another blow on their stocks 

It's not their fault per say.... They were betrayed in a way....Disney and HBO did a back stab move is all.

Business politics etc blabla

[Steve Piranha 29,424]

3 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

It's not their fault per say.... They were betrayed in a way....Disney and HBO did a back stab move is all.

Business politics etc blabla

Yeah, competition is a good factor, but I also understand Netflix isn’t doing itself any favors by charging extra out of nowhere, and not offering nearly as many good shows and movies that last 6 months on platform . I BETTER NOT HEAR G5 HORSES CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THAT BULLSHIT 

[Evil Pink One 13,506]

1 minute ago, Steve Piranha said:

Yeah, competition is a good factor, but I also understand Netflix isn’t doing itself any favors by charging extra out of nowhere, and not offering nearly as many good shows and movies that last 6 months on platform . I BETTER NOT HEAR G5 HORSES CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THAT BULLSHIT 

no they won't... Hasbro is expensive and that would be even a stupider move for them. 

And they didn't charge much here with us though?....

[SergioFernandez 33]

12 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

BLASPHEMMIIIIII!!!? yeah I'm cool with that....

Seriously... I think the reason for the twicorn hate is so petty is all.

I'm just happy for her achievements while I think the others are just jelly deep down.

 

 

I agree with you, I don't hate that, I just don't like it. It is sad a lot of people left the fandom just for that, but we still here. Yay.

[Misty Shadow 7,867]

1 hour ago, Will Guide said:

I agree. Especially the pointless cynicism about things like the Disney live action remakes.  If you love the original animated movies go and watch them and leave the live-action we make to the people who actually found some good in that like me. Needless cynicism can prevent you from looking for things that other people can actually enjoy in an otherwise terrible thing. Not everyone has to look at a piece of art the same way

Heh, I actually do empathize with cynicism for something like that, but more power to finding good in something otherwise terrible. I love finding the good in terrible things. 

17 minutes ago, TomDaBombMLP said:

I’ve given up on G5 to be honest. I gave it time to grow on me but my opinion on it is just on a steady decline. Tell Your Tale was the nail in the coffin for me. I’m sticking to what I know is perfect and that’s FiM. 

That is your opinion man, but that aside...literally only thirty minutes of content of Tell Your Tale and about two hours worth of G5 content as a whole has been released at the time of me writing this and I don't think most bronies, even some of the diehard ones, would agree that FiM is perfect. 

20 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

Yeah, competition is a good factor, but I also understand Netflix isn’t doing itself any favors by charging extra out of nowhere, and not offering nearly as many good shows and movies that last 6 months on platform . I BETTER NOT HEAR G5 HORSES CANCELLED BECAUSE OF THAT BULLSHIT 

Though I understand your frustration, take it easy man. It could be a blessing in disguise with Hasbro always having other companies they can make contracts with that are better than Netflix and a highly viewed Youtube channel. Netflix could go under completely tomorrow and that wouldn't change the fact that Hasbro still has a series of toys to promote.  

[Tom Gallagher 33,588]

Moments ago, CloudMistDragon said:

That is your opinion man, but that aside...literally only thirty minutes of content of Tell Your Tale and about two hours worth of G5 content as a whole has been released at the time of me writing this and I don't think most bronies, even some of the diehard ones, would agree that FiM is perfect. 

FiM had me engaged within the first five minutes. G5 has a whole movie and that still hasn’t happened. I know nothing’s perfect and I will acknowledge FiM’s flaws but it’s pretty darn close to perfect for me. 

[Scilla Bell 103]

Honestly, I'm not really worried or nervous for G5! Maybe it's because I don't really have many thoughts on the more recent developments (the inclusion of Discord in the comics and the quality shown in the MYM clip) outside of "Wow! Can't wait to see the final product!" The most concerning thing is Netflix's whole... everything going on, but that's outside of anyone's control. I'm just optimistic overall, since I've enjoyed everything G5 related so far.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Scila Bell

[RDDash 19,173]

So far the Netflix show looks cheaply made, the ponies look like they're made from plastic, and I think that the company they are hiring is famous for making children's cartoons. I suppose I should be concerned, but I don't have high expectations anymore for my little pony. Predictions: G5 horses getting cancelled after season 1. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by RDDash

[Star_Quake 28]

1 hour ago, Shadowmoth2011 said:

I cannot brohoof this enough. I'm open to finding good in all sorts of media, and cynicism frankly tires me out. This goes for G5 too - I haven't been able to see A New Generation or Tell Your Tale yet (too busy stuck in Detentionaire hell lol) but I think it'd be weird to give them so much side-eye. Yes, MLP:FIM is hard to follow up, but we could've gotten a LOT worse.

Off topic, but I love your pfp 

[Stancet 688]

I am with everypony who wants to give G5 a chance. I liked the movie. Tell Your Tale is fine but I would have been disappointed if that was all G5 was going to be.

However, I am most afraid that Netflix's poor management will get the series cancelled. G5 might be over far too soon.

[Ganondorf8 11,307]

I'm not worried about what may or may not happen regarding G5. There is still too much that remains unknown which will gradually become known as the months go by. I am aware that there is discussion here in this thread regarding G5's animation and how the upcoming show's style is being compared to that of the movie. Movies have much higher budgets and so they can afford to go the extra distance as far as effects go. Doesn't matter if the movie is good or not.

G5 as a show was expected to have a lower budget but that shouldn't mean it has to be dismissed before it's even had a chance to air. Let it be released and then you can make your own judgment and not brush it off too soon.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I've made multiple posts on the matter, so bear with me as I think it's finally time for me to collect all my thoughts on G5 thus far in one place, so TL:DR, seek out one of my other posts as I fully expect this to be a long one.  

I for one wouldn't care either way if it weren't for one thing: G5's forced tie-in to G4.  If taken as canon, it desecrates Twilight's legacy, along with much of what FiM built up and worked towards.  I am anticipating the point in time when one of the writers finally acknowledges the elephant in the room and salvages this plot point by turning it into something that isn't in bad fanfic territory, along with having some kind of payoff for G5.  Yeah...FiM isn't the only series that suffers from this baffling decision by Hasbro; by virtue of being hooked up to G4 for some kind of unholy life support, G5 can never fully stand on its own.  Not only is that development forcing comparisons to FiM even more than would have likely been inevitable, but we literally cannot talk about the lore of G5 without talking about FiM to an extent by virtue of G5's lore actually being G4's lore. 

On top of the above problems...nothing about the movie's plot needed that connection to FiM.  The same story with the same setting, premise, characters and even story beats could have been told without the callbacks to FiM, so the connection has yet to have any payoff whatsoever.  Heck, it's even more irrelevant in TYT, so it really comes down to whether MYM will actually end up using its connection to FiM in a meaningful way, and even then, we should brace ourselves for plotholes galore.

I think the movie is...fine, at least on the surface.  It has decent production values, and it goes through the motions of being a Disney/Pixar-esque adventure.  I really don't think it's all that great from a story standpoint though, as it's essentially just the Hearth's Warming story all over again, minus the stakes (and the tie-in to Christmas).  I don't think it works as well as a pilot as Friendship is Magic Parts 1 and 2, as even though it has twice as much time, it does even less to build up its world, and the framework of the story doesn't allow for sufficient development of the characters, nor does it give every member of the Mane Five their chance to shine/contribute to Sunny's mission.  My theory is that it spent too much of the runtime trying to be a movie, including Disney cliches such as dead parents.

Speaking of the film as a movie, while it feels kind of like we got the Disney/Pixar experience, Pixar came along once, and Disney proper came along twice in the same year to show us how it's really done.  One could argue that ANG has the distinction of being a smaller scale story, but then Luca came along and provided a small-scale story about overcoming prejudice between two groups, and fostering friendships between said groups that neither side would really like, and I for one think it hit its mark a lot more.  Encanto came along as a musical in a small-scale story that also deals with cracks between people (in this case a family) and the importance of understanding and unity, all while exploring the psychology of the characters it opts to focus on in a manner that makes them a lot more dynamic and interesting IMHO.  Also, We Don't Talk About Bruno practically replaced any ear worms from ANG for me, and I think the waifus are better (SNS). 

Raya and the Last Dragon is probably the most imperfect of the three, but it's essentially the Hearth's Warming story spread out over a movie length that actually has stakes...and its own take on Windigoes for that matter.  In this case I'll attribute it to convergent storytelling rather than it being an intentional knockoff.  Also, Raya was actually put in a position of having to overcome her own prejudice, which is something that should have been the case for Sunny's arc.  It's another story where different groups, in this case five, need to put aside their differences, and if they didn't, they would have been finished.  The movie even explains what went wrong and why, and though it didn't use all of its main cast to perfect effect, they all had a decent amount of time to shine.  I really got a feel for the world of the film over the course of the runtime, which it had to build up from scratch.  Raya is in many respects the film I wish ANG was.

I also think TYT is fine.  I would say it's definitely better than Pony Life at least, and it's in the same vein as the EQG shorts.  The problem is, I haven't been given enough time to really care about the characters, so...it feels to me like a series that should have come after we at least got some of MYM.  I even get that sense story-wise, as I guess at least four of the Mane Five decided off-screen to live together?  I don't recall that being established in the movie though, so I feel like I missed a story beat.  All the same, it does develop the Pegasus sisters in a way that the movie doesn't, so props where they're due.  It also avoids the sin of bringing up the connection to FiM, so I can at least somewhat turn my attention away from that while watching these shorts.  They're not terrible for what they are; I just think they're meant to tie into MYM, so the merits for G5 are going to rest on that when we finally get it.  At the very least though, my beef with G5 doesn't really have to do with TYT, and it may end up being my favourite of these new series as a result.

As for MYM, and TYT...and ANG...I can't help but feel like the whole thing is being mismanaged.  It would help if there was one name to identify the current MLP by other than G5 as running multiple series and calling them something different isn't doing it any favours, as far as I'm concerned.  Neither series following the film has very good animation either IMHO, though I can live with both art styles and think there are much bigger hills to die on.  I do think it's an extension of how many corners have been cut with the new generation in general though, even down to the 2D series also featuring half-cutie marks, clearly debunking that as a quirk of 3D animation so we can skip right to budget cuts as an explanation.  

Much of the problem with the managing of the various series could probably be attributed to the shift in recent years from shows being things viewed on TV networks to things behind subscription paywalls, with opportunity for YouTube as a means to reach a wider audience.  It just feels as though MLP isn't making the transition well, as everyone involved, from Hasbro to even Netflix is clearly still trying to figure out the proper way to present such a series in this day and age.  Such an issue likely has to do with streaming services still being more nascent than we probably realize, and if G5 came out a few years later, maybe we would have gotten a more coherent product, but here we are.

So...yeah, I for one will be surprised if this new series has anywhere near the longevity of FiM, and for good reason (I'm in the camp that vastly prefers FiM).  I would have no issue with it had it not been tied into FiM, but as it stands...that's a problem.  In all likelihood I'll stick around in the fandom, but I may or may not keep up with current MLP stuff much longer if MYM doesn't help turn things around.  

[Splashee 28,564]

21 minutes ago, AlbaTross said:

G5's forced tie-in to G4

Tirek, Gusty, Grogar, they were all from G1, all put into FIM without any concerns from the fans. In the very beginning of FIM, most fans were really hostile towards the older generations.

The forced tie-in worked perfectly with the G5 movie. Every fan loved to see Twilight being in G5. It worked well. At least with Bronies React.

 

I don’t know much about Disney or Pixar, and don’t really feel the need to compare them with MLP or Hasbro.

 

G5 has a chance to fix every issue with its main show. Let’s pray 🙏 

[AlbaTross 1,586]

50 minutes ago, Splashee said:

Tirek, Gusty, Grogar, they were all from G1, all put into FIM without any concerns from the fans. In the very beginning of FIM, most fans were really hostile towards the older generations.

The forced tie-in worked perfectly with the G5 movie. Every fan loved to see Twilight being in G5. It worked well. At least with Bronies React.

 

I don’t know much about Disney or Pixar, and don’t really feel the need to compare them with MLP or Hasbro.

 

G5 has a chance to fix every issue with its main show. Let’s pray 🙏 

The thing is, the G1 characters were only given spiritual successors in G4, so that's why it worked.  Characters like the ones you mentioned, and I'll even add Somnambula, aren't the same characters.  Even if an argument could be made for a connection to G1, it's not a blatant in your face one.  If you want to see a connection there, then great.  I for one am content with G1 and G4 being separate, and see no reason to have to view it otherwise.  G4's connection to G5 can't be interpreted in any other way.  I don't mind subtle references at all, but ANG's references are anything but subtle.  

I did love seeing and hearing the Mane Six one last time, but we already got a sendoff at the end of FiM.  None of it serves ANG in any way.  Reminding me of that other series that I could be watching instead, over and over to the point of whacking me over the head with it may come with some sweet nostalgia, but at best none of it has any direct relevance to the story at hand, and in many ways distracts me from it, and at worst, it's a constant reminder that I could be watching something better, and it certainly does nothing to help me appreciate ANG as its own thing, which is what I really want from ANG: for it to be its own thing.  If I want to watch FiM I can do that.  If Hasbro wanted to start over, they should have started completely over, but of course they couldn't resist making it DLC to FiM when it really didn't need to be.  I also really, really hate the implications this all has for FiM.  

My point with the Disney comparisons is that I think they did a better job at delivering on different aspects of MLP's film, to the point where it's kind of difficult to view it as anything but an inferior product, and it's certainly not my movie of 2021.  Sure, there have been great Disney and Pixar films in the past, and that didn't stop me from appreciating whatever FiM was doing at the time, including when the 2017 movie landed, but FiM wasn't trying to be Disney either, so there wasn't really a need to make that comparison.  People cite the Disney/Pixar experience as being one of the merits of ANG and I get the sense that's what Hasbro actually was going for.  I certainly think it comes close enough in terms of production values...but I think it falls way short in execution.  It's kind of like a Pixar film from a production standpoint, and in some respects it lulls even me into feeling at times like I'm getting that experience.  It just misses the mark IMHO where it actually counts, bearing in mind that Pixar and original Disney films (not remakes) are almost consistently great, and I would be all for MLP trying to mimic that if the movie ended up truly capturing the essence of what makes those films work.

The bottom line is, G5 works just fine if you don't analyze it.  I made the mistake of thinking about it on a deeper level, but it's clearly not meant to be viewed from anything but a surface perspective.  I'm supposed to think "yay, references" instead of contemplating the pros and cons of said references and what they do for the film and FiM, and I'm supposed to look at the admittedly decent 3D animation and just let that make me feel like I'm getting a Disney-esque film with MLP characters, or close enough.  My reaction to tropes like dead parents is supposed to be "heh, that's so like a Disney film", and I should appreciate the songs as ear worms without really analyzing their quality or how they compare to what we got with FiM and EQG songs.  In short, don't peek behind the curtain and ANG is fine.  You're clearly holding on tight to that curtain to prevent me from opening it for you, in which case you're best off terminating this conversation and continuing to view ANG as a pleasant film.  I'm not here to stop you.  I'm simply saying it's too late for me to see things that way anymore.

Yes, I do sincerely hope MYM fixes everything.  It really shouldn't be in a position to have to do that IMHO if ANG did its job as a pilot, but here we are.