What are G5's flaws?

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

It's time for an airing of grievances. What flaws do you think G5 has?

Edited October 24, 2022 by The Wife of Hawks

[Megas 27,052]

I still think they should have just went and done it's own thing instead of Tying it directly to G4, forever keeping it in G4's shadow. It messes with the established lore of both G4 and itself in a negative way yet at the same time comes off as unambitious after a strong start with the movie.

[Props Valroa 25,980]

It should have been it's own thing. Making it connected to G4 is a really dumb decision, and the over all modernity of it ruins a lot of the reasons why I liked mlp to begin with.

[Megas 27,052]

3 minutes ago, Props said:

It should have been it's own thing. Making it connected to G4 is a really dumb decision, and the over all modernity of it ruins a lot of the reasons why I liked mlp to begin with.

I don't think tying it to G4 was a bad thing on paper, however I think the problem is that it relies heavily on G4 as a crutch. I always like to compare the situation to Beast Wars(which was connected to G1 Transformers) because I think that was the direction they should have taken G5, which established the characters and world of BW first then went on with the ties to G1 sometime later

Of course in this instance, I don't think the comics are helping at all, which rely heavier on G4 to do the heavy lifting

[Props Valroa 25,980]

9 minutes ago, Megas said:

I don't think tying it to G4 was a bad thing on paper, however I think the problem is that it relies heavily on G4 as a crutch. I always like to compare the situation to Beast Wars(which was connected to G1 Transformers) because I think that was the direction they should have taken G5, which established the characters and world of BW first then went on with the ties to G1 sometime later

Of course in this instance, I don't think the comics are helping at all, which rely heavier on G4 to do the heavy lifting

The way that beast wars did it was great, and that was an excellent example at connections to prior situations. I do not mind the concept of connection, but the execution so far isn't something that satisfies me.

I haven't read the comics, so I cannot really comment on that.

[Misty Shadow 7,068]

In celebration of the next part of Make Your Mark airing in just a little over two weeks from now, let's air our grievances!

Of course G5 has flaws, the weakest part of Tell Your Tale is definitely the animation, the weakest part of the pilot of MYM was also the animation and its story could've done away with a pointless subplot about Zipp having to come back to Zephyr Heights, and it should expand on more lore outside of the comics. 

I really don't see the problem with it being tied to G4. It was originally going to be an alternate universe of G4 after all. "Using G4 as a crutch", I don't see that either. You don't even need rudimentary knowledge of FiM to understand what's going on in the shows. As for the comics, the "new cast must uncover a mystery about the generation before them" plot is just a very common trope in fiction. That and the fact that it's in a modernized setting feel like very minor nitpicks. A lot of TYT's plots and jokes could still work in FiM (which included modern innovations like arcade machines) too.  

[J.J 918]

Not keeping the same VA, I still think Sunnys new VA works, but I love love loved Kimiko as Izzy, and Izzy's character despite being so hard to mistake for another pony or forget personally, she just changes on her own scale of "goofy competence"... From New Gen to MYM heavily, I don't take all of the TYT details into account but I honestly think the animation style for it, is adorable and I'm glad that those gen.5 renders exist... I imagine a lot of the gen.5 merchandise I will end up buying will be the cutesy TYT models... Rewatching MYM there are some horrendous moments of animation, noticed mainly early with Zipps wings but noticeable all throughout the entire special, I think not just releasing it for the world to marathon at their own leisure is a mistake, but I think their philosophy is that an overall inclination to want to keep up with what happened on "the newest episode" will keep the series relevant for awhile... I liked what they were trying to do with MYM story was a little soft and the way they visualize disharmony through one of the most basic of disagreements I've ever seen is kind of silly...

Aside from the windigos missing from the plot, and having to create headcanon for all the other creatures of Equestria, I actually like some of the changes that have occured in Equestria, it's just I feel like they create more questions and complications by tying it to FiM, they don't alleviate any confusion or create any explanation, it's like we have abandoned the idea of the elements of harmony, but we still want you to think there are relative aspects to the elements in the Mane 5, it does seem needless and silly...

I looooove Windy the pegasus, and I love the little sandcastle unicorn filly from MyM, I think MyM is gonna have to do a lot of compensating on the cuteness scale and the fan servicing, bc I think the plot is going to be very straightforward, and the character building we will be doing for the Mane 5 is going to be extremely different from FiM, there isnt going to be enough time for all the independent interactions that we had across 9 seasons of FiM, the character building for the Mane 5 is going to be very codependent on one another I feel... Time will tell... Can't wait tbh lol!!!!

[Fluttershutter 2,114]

I like the connection to G4. I'm sick of everything being a reboot. Taking somebody else's idea and reworking it is the lazy way to write. I do wish they'd think more about what the connection is and how the world works. I know the comics answer that more and I have to read them.

I definitely wish they'd kept the voice actors consistent. I know it's not realistic to keep the celebrity voice actors and the new ones aren't that bad but I'd say Izzy's the weakest and I'd love to have Kimiko Glen.

And with Izzy I definitely wish they'd stop making her so crazy and focus more on her creativity,

[Splashee 28,537]

I'll wait until I have seen where MyM is taking us. Only story can save G5 for me.

[Castle Bleck 19,164]

It's not that it relies on G4.

It's that it resorts to the "Happy ending was undone offscreen. So we're immediately back at square one, if not worse" cliche, which seems to be the best way to drive longtime fans away from a sequel these days.

Edited September 12, 2022 by Even Evil Has Standards

[Ganondorf8 11,118]

It's hard to say that G5 has flaws when there's only been a few things released for it. Maybe we should wait for Make Your Mark to air properly and come back to this question after say about five or six episodes have aired.

[Star_Quake 28]

Unpopular opinion, but I think it's fine for G5 to be a sort of continuation of G4. The writers just needed to do a better job at making sure the story flows well. 

[AlbaTross 1,581]

As others have said, tying G5 to G4 was the worst possible idea, especially since the writers never had any intention of properly tying the lores together.  At best it's a talking point that has little bearing on the actual show, and at worst it's a giant middle finger to fans of G4, so thanks Hasbro.  

Beyond the connection to G4 though...I just think G5 needs better writing, including proper character development and even proper world building.  Having more plot should certainly help, but I really hope it ends up being good.  Better music would certainly help too, but the writing is my main issue right now.  It's important to note that I do not think G5 is a lost cause, as I do think it still has potential, and TYT has certainly helped establish that much.  I'm not expecting that potential to be realized, but there's certainly a possibility that MYM can turn things around.  As it stands, G5 currently lacks much in the way of substance for me.  I think my number one wish is for it to end up being at least half as good as G4 in at least one aspect.  I don't know what the odds of that happening are, but I'll at least give it a chance for the time being.  

[Splashee 28,537]

Why is Twilight Sparkle in 3D? And why is she not “The Last Problem” tall??

[Rosy Moonlight 367]

G5 being in the same continuity as G4. This led to centuries worth of hardwork in G4 to be erased to make room for G5's premise, and it would make it easy for some fans to see it like it's a poor copy of G4.

[Rosy Moonlight 367]

21 hours ago, Splashee said:

Why is Twilight Sparkle in 3D? And why is she not “The Last Problem” tall??

Maybe it is the Spirit of the Tree of Harmony. I think she kept that form because it was the form Twilight had when she and the rest of Main 6 first connected to the Tree of Harmony.

Spoiler

I did hear that the pink tree in the MLP:ANG movie was the Tree of Harmony. Maybe the Spirit came back because the magic did. I also wonder if the Tree turned back into crystal.

I just got the idea that Izzy would be special to the Tree of Harmony as she has an currently unexplained affinity with magical crystals.

Maybe, she ends up being the cause for the Spirit and the Tree's crystal state to come back.

Her hair accessory could end up being like a crystal tiara for her.

I heard that in Tell Your Tell, Izzy ran away from a former life. Maybe she did run away from a former life because something like a prophecy scared her away.

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Rosy Moonlight

[flutterJackdash 218]

17 minutes ago, Rosy Moonlight said:

Maybe it is the Spirit of the Tree of Harmony. I think she kept that form because it was the form Twilight had when she and the rest of Main 6 first connected to the Tree of Harmony.

I like this explanation. It will keep me sane. Though it doesn't really address other concerns that I have...

The G5 world is (or was) a world without magic, so the IDW comics run decides to explain it in this way: Twilight Sparkle, and her friends, after the events of School Raze, saw some conflict between their races and discarded their platform of education and rehabilitation in favor of removing magic from the Equestria wholesale. Although, apparently not quite eliminating Discord's magic.

Now, I bring up School Raze because it was in that pair of episodes, and Twilight's Kingdom before that, in which it is established that the absence of magic proves devastating to Equestria's ecology. Given that all of the ponies twice experienced the threat of no magic in Equestria, the decision to remove it in response to intertribal conflict seems several steps away from in-character for any one of them, but particularly for Twilight Sparkle whose lessons to Starlight Glimmer included not turning to magical means to solve her friendship problems.

Actually, while we're at it, how has Starlight Glimmer now made a bigger impact in Equestrian history? She did save the world once, which really should have placed several names in the history books, but apparently those have all been carefully censored over time?

Edited September 23, 2022 by flutterJackdash
Adding two words (or was)

[J.J 918]

I think honestly, choosing to go with 3D models and the kind of limitations it creates when keeping up with the Equestrian lore... Bc there are a lot of creatures we just don't/wouldn't want to see animated in this render and some of those "creatures" were very prominent in FiM... It's like do you think we as bronies could accept 3D Discord with a new VA... Calling it "rough" would be an understatement... I do love A New Generation, but the Production values have greatly decreased in the transition, they can't pay top tier VA and keep the animation as smooth as it's origin..

But you know like, the disproportionate dragons, loved those in FiM, but now MyM will have to completely reinvent the identity of an entire species to even slightly keep them relevant HOWEVER I think Sparky may be the "last of his kind" I have a feeling it will be some cornbread like that..

Seeing Twilight in 3D verified my thoughts on that as even she looks awkward in this render, I couldn't fathom taking other gen.4 concept art and making the animators transition to g.5 graphics... It just wouldn't be wise...

I think MyM is made to appeal broadly to a younger crowd, but Hasbro sees it as a BONUS if they can get "new bronies" "the youngins" interested in g.4 there is a back log... But yes I feel Twilight is here to keep a lot of fanboy bronies intrigue

[Props Valroa 25,980]

I think that G4 ponies being part of the G5 universe is what bothers me most. I don't like the fact that Twilight could return in this. It's a new generation for a reason, and I have a feeling they would completely butcher G4's story and come up with something that's nonsensical, meaning that G4 would have been wasted. At least that is what it feels like.

[Sparklefan1234 161,672]

I think Pipp Petals not being the "main" main character is a tiny flaw in Gen 5 and I'm being serious. 

I understand why this isn't the case and I know it probably wouldn't work but I also feel like Pipp is the character in the group of five friends

with the most fleshed out personality.

 

I guess going by Tell Your Tale everyone else feels one-note to me in comparison to Pipp Petals. 

[thegreenpony 82]

I feel like they missed adding the comics because it states queen opaline caused the divide when g5 first showed none of this was mentioned it would have made more sense

[J.J 918]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

I think Pipp Petals not being the "main" main character is a tiny flaw in Gen 5 and I'm being serious. 

I understand why this isn't the case and I know it probably wouldn't work but I also feel like Pipp is the character in the group of five friends

with the most fleshed out personality.

 

I guess going by Tell Your Tale everyone else feels one-note to me in comparison to Pipp Petals. 

Pipp: "Oh Sunny, you get wings and a horn?, Show me after I'm done singing 3/4 the shows soundtrack and doing my podcast..." 

Sunny: "Yeah because nobody could hear you in the shadows during the movie..." 

I love Sunny Starscout... A lot, you've seen some of my theories/questions and heard me go on, but I do think that Pipp seems to be making herself a public face with MyM and it's related content and it's good bc she was a very overshadowed character in "A New Generation.." I think part of it is the transition to AJ Bridel as VA whos voice literally sounds like it was made for Children's cartoons, right now she's definitely the strongest VA in MyM...

Edited September 23, 2022 by KingCorvus

[flutterJackdash 218]

28 minutes ago, KingCorvus said:

Pipp: "Oh Sunny, you get wings and a horn?, Show me after I'm done singing 3/4 the shows soundtrack and doing my podcast..." 

Sunny: "Yeah because nobody could hear you in the shadows during the movie..." 

I love Sunny Starscout... A lot, you've seen some of my theories/questions and heard me go on, but I do think that Pipp seems to be making herself a public face with MyM and it's related content and it's good bc she was a very overshadowed character in "A New Generation.." I think part of it is the transition to AJ Bridel as VA whos voice literally sounds like it was made for Children's cartoons, right now she's definitely the strongest VA in MyM...

I also quite like the direction they have taken her in the comics, making her an even more sincere and authentic character that is visibly relatable to parts of the population. She does well for herself, certainly.

I also like Detective Zipp. It's Izzy I feel is feeling the most left out in terms of development. That and she's quite alone as the sole unicorn in the troupe.

Sunny is pretty great, and it is her determination and social nature that makes her splendid at what she does. I like how this character is in so many ways different from Twilight Sparkle, and that they are not overemphasizing the horn and wings, nor making them organically part of her but rather magically present.

Now, nevermind TYT, but with ANG, MYM and the comics the plot does not feel terribly cohesive when considering all of those parts. At least, to me.

  

5 hours ago, KingCorvus said:

I think honestly, choosing to go with 3D models and the kind of limitations it creates when keeping up with the Equestrian lore... Bc there are a lot of creatures we just don't/wouldn't want to see animated in this render and some of those "creatures" were very prominent in FiM... It's like do you think we as bronies could accept 3D Discord with a new VA... Calling it "rough" would be an understatement... I do love A New Generation, but the Production values have greatly decreased in the transition, they can't pay top tier VA and keep the animation as smooth as it's origin..

But you know like, the disproportionate dragons, loved those in FiM, but now MyM will have to completely reinvent the identity of an entire species to even slightly keep them relevant HOWEVER I think Sparky may be the "last of his kind" I have a feeling it will be some cornbread like that..

Seeing Twilight in 3D verified my thoughts on that as even she looks awkward in this render, I couldn't fathom taking other gen.4 concept art and making the animators transition to g.5 graphics... It just wouldn't be wise...

I think MyM is made to appeal broadly to a younger crowd, but Hasbro sees it as a BONUS if they can get "new bronies" "the youngins" interested in g.4 there is a back log... But yes I feel Twilight is here to keep a lot of fanboy bronies intrigue

Now, the thing I loved about the choice to go 3D is the amount of variety that enabled within the cast of characters, so that there aren't just a few specific body types everyone is sorted into but different types, heights, builds. Like Pipp, she's short and a little plump, while Zipp is tall and athletic, and Sunny is also athletic while being about medium height and Izzy appears to be quite a large specimen, and then there's the diversity of body types throughout the world as a result of this. I honestly didn't think of it as limiting in any way, just a departure from what G4 bodies had been used to and spoiled by.

However, in terms of your arguments on funding and that, well I do see your point. Though I'm not too unhappy with the current VAs, honestly.

But you're right, seeing something like a changeling or a yak rendered in this way might not cut the same cute aesthetic in this style, could even be jarring. Though I don't see why they'd have to reinvent anything and couldn't keep disproportionate dragons as a thing, though if Sparky is indeed the last of his kind... one wonders where the egg came from.

I like to think they could have gone with rendering Twilight in as close an approximation to her original style as possible and explained the difference in appearance between her and the new crew as general evolution.

Edited September 23, 2022 by flutterJackdash
Added response to another post into this one rather than double post

[thegreenpony 82]

the comdic state opaline caused the pony divide is the show gonna just not mention it

[flutterJackdash 218]

3 minutes ago, thegreenpony said:

the comdic state opaline caused the pony divide is the show gonna just not mention it

I hate to say it, but I don't think the show (G4 or this) has ever acknowledged the comics in any way, except for including Andy Price and his wifes' OCs in one or two episodes. They've all but smothered the comic canon to bits, or made it an entire AU as the result of how they've ttreated it.