Wild Manes - Tell Your Tale Inspired Cartoon

[Iforgotmybrain 5,518]

So, theres a new horse cartoon on the block you might’ve heard of. It’s called Wild Manes. Wild Manes is a 5 minute long cartoon featuring horses that currently has one episode released on YouTube. It seems to be heavily influenced by My Little Pony’s own Tell Your Tale as it has the same runtime, a similar art style, and a somewhat similar “Mane” cast. New episodes look to be releasing weekly, with the next episode set to go live on the 19th of July. Here’s a link to the first episode of Wild Manes, which released on the 12th of July:

Spoiler

 

I watched the first episode and… it’s okay. Hard to judge a show on a single 5 minute episode but yeah, it was alright. Kinda like TYT but with less personality and somehow an even more basic plot. Like I’m already having a hard time remembering who’s who and the characters’ names, that never happened with G5 I can tell you that lol.

If you’ve watched the first episode or are seeing this thread after other episodes have released, what did you think of it? Do you think having some competition in the 5 minute long horse cartoon scene might inspire Hasbro to kick things up a notch with TYT, like releasing the episodes weekly again? Wanna discuss anything else Wild Manes related? I guess put it here? Thanks?

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

I do agree with the general consensus that this first episode of it was mid. It makes me feel like I'm watching a less entertaining version of Tell Your Tale, but it's totally fine for its target demographic. What's really had me puzzled is the brony fandom's reaction to this. Although I like how our fandom knows how to take MLP being "copied" like a champ...what I don't like is how our fandom seems to have the reverse problem of embracing MLP being "copied" too much. 

For real...I have no clue why this show is being hyped the way it is in the MLP fandom. Filly Funtasia and Unicorn Academy, two other MLP "clones", were not hyped like this at all. I mean, Equestria Daily, an MLP site, making an episode discussion for a show from an MLP competitor...like, really? It's not a spiritual successor to MLP...it's not made by people who worked on MLP...it's not made by the same company that made MLP...so why are we treating it like it's MLP?   

[Sparklefan1234 169,814]

7 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

It makes me feel like I'm watching a less entertaining version of Tell Your Tale

My favorite horses are Candi because she reminds me of Pipp Petals and I like Bailey, too. 😁

[Rafa Stary 2,894]

Holy Celestia, What The FuI mean, well, if it's inspired by a show I don't like, then I couldn't expect less from it, watched this episode and I just found it even more joyless and lackluster than Tell your Tale, so definitely avoiding the next episodes of this...thing ☆, as well, both shows just aren't for me. It's also bizarre to see this just dropping out of nowhere just a few days after I went full bye bye on TyT 

[Antiyonder 1,103]

On 2024-07-13 at 1:41 AM, Misty Shadow said:

Although I like how our fandom knows how to take MLP being "copied" like a champ...what I don't like is how our fandom seems to have the reverse problem of embracing MLP being "copied" too much. 

I can't speak for the fandom, cause honestly I've never really been concerned with girl shows in general, even if average and such.  I don't know, it's like how people will hold the original 1980s Transformers in high regard more than the MLP cartoon of the time.

Except said Transformers series while fun, definitely not good even factoring in the decade.  For good 80s fare you have The Raccoons, Gummi Bears, DuckTales, Beginning of Garfield & Friends, The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin and the syndicated portion of The Real Ghostbusters.

I don't know. If low quality boy fare is worthy of praise, then it just seems wrong for any similar girls fare to be judged more strictly.😅

But looking forward to this.

Edited July 14 by Antiyonder

[Fluttershutter 2,412]

It was okay. At first I thought they were running around with a bunch of stuff tangled in their manes. (Wild Manes)

[Tao 7,566]

Yeah not impressed  the last "girly" cartoon I watched was Unicorn Academy and least that had a decent story and animation....

[Finding_Marty 789]

I just watched it and enjoyed it. However, it's hard to say anything about this show after seeing only a 5 min episode. 

What I don't really like are the phones and live streams. Maybe it's just me but I think that these things do not go well with the horse/pony world.

Same with G5... not a big fan of Pip using her phone et cetera.

... or I am just grumpy *shrug*

[Rafa Stary 2,894]

14 minutes ago, Finding_Marty said:

I just watched it and enjoyed it. However, it's hard to say anything about this show after seeing only a 5 min episode. 

What I don't really like are the phones and live streams. Maybe it's just me but I think that these things do not go well with the horse/pony world.

Same with G5... not a big fan of Pip using her phone et cetera.

... or I am just grumpy *shrug*

Maybe it's because you're very used to how it used to be in the past generations, there weren't phones or live streams at all, their approach was more based on the 20th Century (with G1 going even further back), G5 just tries to be in line with the current generation we're all living, it's part of its concepts from the beginning (which already kinda started back with Equestria Girls and Pony Life).

I'm personally not a fan of it too, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of the story, I don't mind it 

[Finding_Marty 789]

19 minutes ago, Rafa Stary said:

Maybe it's because you're very used to how it used to be in the past generations, there weren't phones or live streams at all, their approach was more based on the 20th Century (with G1 going even further back), G5 just tries to be in line with the current generation we're all living, it's part of its concepts from the beginning (which already kinda started back with Equestria Girls and Pony Life).

I'm personally not a fan of it too, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of the story, I don't mind it 

Yes, I needed to be told this.  It's true! I am old :s

And you're right. It's not like the whole plot focuses on the phones, the Internet or such. It's fine

I just always hoped for some more pony-adapted items and not just human-like world. But it's kid's show. The producers know better what they should do to attract their audience.

 

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

The second episode released today...and I was not impressed. It was another standard kids show trope plot with a disappointingly unimaginative conflict resolution. To make matters worse, the pointless "you're probably wondering how this happened" recap style of storytelling is looking like something they're going to do in every episode. 

Definitely not getting the hype for this. 

[Iforgotmybrain 5,518]

I honestly forgot a new episode released today. I watched it and yeah, still feel the same way. Very meh. Not going to go into full detail because, well, it really does seem aimed at younger kids, even younger than TYT. But the 4th wall breaks, not a fan. Dislike them even more than the element phrases in TYT. And something I saw someone else mention on Twitter is that the only ponies we see are the main cast. There’s no background characters, which is really weird!

I’ll give it a few more episodes, since it is only 5 minutes long, not out much and with how simple it is I can just watch it in the background lol. If it doesn’t get any better than I’ll quit watching it. Not gonna call it bad or anything since I think it’s meant for really young kids. Definitely not a true MLP competitor.

[Rafa Stary 2,894]

Okay I really have to admit that the robot ruining everyone's mane and the Main horse K.Oing him by kicking him into the water actually entertained me, now I think "Wild Manes" made sense here 

3 hours ago, Iforgotmybrain said:

I honestly forgot a new episode released today. I watched it and yeah, still feel the same way. Very meh. Not going to go into full detail because, well, it really does seem aimed at younger kids, even younger than TYT. But the 4th wall breaks, not a fan. Dislike them even more than the element phrases in TYT. And something I saw someone else mention on Twitter is that the only ponies we see are the main cast. There’s no background characters, which is really weird!

I’ll give it a few more episodes, since it is only 5 minutes long, not out much and with how simple it is I can just watch it in the background lol. If it doesn’t get any better than I’ll quit watching it. Not gonna call it bad or anything since I think it’s meant for really young kids. Definitely not a true MLP competitor.

I'm not sure if I'm going to watch more episodes of this, but I think we need to be fair with it too, I mean, visually, the kids are definitely going to prefer TyT, as much as I dislike the visuals for that show, I must admit, TyT just feels more alive, more colorful, and of course, the characters look much cuter, and you know kids love cute things. Wild Manes just don't help itself that much with the characters not being much colorful and being more horse-ish in design, it has to do with the approach too, TyT's designs definitely are meant to be cute, while the concept of Wild Manes's designs appear to be more "diva-ish" to me, so it's going to be good for those girls who like something more "stylish" than cute.

Story-wise though, I do think this has the potential to be a competitor for TyT, the storytelling and format feels a lot like TyT to me, let's remember that we are adults, we in no way can capture the expectations of a kid, they live in a different world, so I think the "Definitely not a MLP competitor" line works if you consider the older audience only, that for me shouldn't really even be considered at all actually, the show is clearly not for us, kids must enjoy it as much as TyT.

"There's no background characters, which is really weird!" No it's not weird, that is actually a super common pattern seen in cartoons for little kids, remember Backyardigans? That was one of the most popular kids show, and also lacked background characters as well, Max & Ruby, Bubble Guppies, Pocoyo, many other popular cartoons for little kids also had the main cast as the only characters (just can't give more examples because I can't remember their names) I really have no idea what is the reason for this, but it's just a pattern that Wild Manes is apparently following, there's nothing weird about it, breaking the fourth wall is another thing casually seen in these cartoons too, they like to do interactions.

Anyway, the show is definitely nothing special, but I think we need to remember we are adults and that our expectations for it are surely going to be unrealistic, we have no idea what a kid is going to enjoy, just as for me it was more interesting to see Wild Manes' main character using violence for once to solve the problem than the TyT cast always using the same element speeches to solve their problems, TyT is not fun for me and that is completely fine given the show's purpose, that's why I stopped watching it, it's not for me, we need to understand what it's trying to achieve.

I think I might take a look on episode 3 when they release it, the latter half of this episode was surprisingly fun to me, I wasn't expecting it 

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

Not even an EQD article for the third episode of Wild Manes at the time of me writing this (there is one now). If it's a result of more and more people dropping this, very understandable...because this show is continuing to prove itself to be more and more undeserving of the initial hype it received. Third episode was, you guessed it, another standard kids show trope plot that continued the formulaic nature of the show's storytelling and gave its plot a lackluster resolution (seriously, Cocoa just beats her record making four cups of cocoa and that's it?). 

Regardless, so long as people are not hyping, I'm not hating. The show's still completely inoffensive and fine for young kids, the hype it's gotten in our fandom despite it doing nothing to earn that hype is the only thing that irks me.

Edited August 2 by Misty Shadow
Updated information.

[Sparklefan1234 169,814]

7 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

Regardless, so long as people are not hyping, I'm not hating. The show's still completely inoffensive and fine for young kids, the hype it's gotten in our fandom despite it doing nothing to earn that hype is the only thing that irks me.

 

I...I like watching Wild Manes a lot and I thought other talking horse show fans would like it, too.😢

I don't know if it's the shorter episodes or what but something doesn't click with Wild Manes with everyone else like it has for me

and that's disappointing because I thought I'd have another fandom I could be excited to talk about on MLP Forums

but people either don't like it or don't know about it. 

Edited July 27 by Sparklefan1234

[Rafa Stary 2,894]

3 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

I...I like watching Wild Manes a lot and I thought other talking horse show fans would like it, too.😢

I don't know if it's the shorter episodes or what but something doesn't click with Wild Manes with everyone else like it has for me

and that's disappointing because I thought I'd have another fandom I could be excited to talk about on MLP Forums

but people either don't like it or don't know about it. 

I think it was pretty obvious that this would happen, first that the show doesn't even try to burst its bubble (and it doesn't need to), and the most expected, this is just what happens with a phenomenon in every fandom nowadays, it appears in the middle of nowhere, catches everyone's attention, and then it is forgotten, it's just like what happens with memes too, they don't last for months or years anymore, it has to be very successful or mind blowing to remain on everyone's lips.

But surely there are still people who like Wild Manes or are still going to like it, you just need to wait for them to show up here, or you can reunite the ones you'll find.

I think you can create a thread to discuss the show and its episodes, or just use this exact same thread (and rename it to "Wild Manes Official Discussion Thread"), and then wait to see what happens, you can continue posting here and talking about the episodes if you want, maybe I can pop in from time to time to comment something I found funny, though, the last half of episode 2 entertained me but that doesn't mean that I'm looking forward to continue watching the show  but I'll see if I check out episode 3, for now I want to do other stuff (<-lazy)

[Iforgotmybrain 5,518]

I watched the 3rd episode last night and I did enjoy it well enough, I think it’s been the best one so far. I’ll definitely continue watching like I said before.

[Starlight Serenade 3,062]

I just watched the first episode of this new show as I saw it mentioned before elsewhere and now here. It's okay(a bit overhyped by a vocal minority), it just feels like it came out of nowhere. It definitely feels similar to MLP, I guess?

After doing some searching online, I was surprised to find out that it is a joint venture by JAKKS PACIFIC and Epic(Epic Story Media). Jakks Pacific is a really well known and huge toy company here in the US. It's based here in California. For those that are not aware, Jakks Pacific has worked with WWE, UFC, Nintendo, Sega, and many more huge companies. Epic Story Media is based in Toronto and they have created/worked on a lot of other children's franchises in Canada. I'm curious to understand why they have just decided to enter this kind of format similar to MLP. Based on what I am aware publicly for both franchises(including financials for Hasbro), G5 is doing way better than we think if now we have other companies entering the fray and copying ideas.

At the bottom is the link and quote regarding an article from April 2024 discussing this new show. It says that there will be FORTY, five-minute episodes, set to launch on Youtube(and other platforms)! 40 episodes? That's quite a big number. Granted they are five minutes each, but still that shows some confidence in their new product.  From what I saw in the initial episode, it looks like they copied several ideas from MLP and the newer Strawberry Shortcake series. I do not recall them using magic or having multiple races which is somewhat interesting as it feels more slice of life to me.

A joint venture between several companies would not risk putting something like this on the market with that many episodes and advertise an official Roblox server game thing(Idk how else to describe it) if they did not have a plan. Additionally, they are launching a sizeable toy line that will be available soon on Walmart, Target, and Amazon's platforms! That's a pretty large market!

https://www.jakks.com/brands/wild-manes/

Not saying this will happen or even if it's their mission, but any competition is good as it could force Hasbro's hand to try new things with MLP/G5, depending if Wild Manes really hits off. Their official channel has almost 100K views for their first month in, so this is an interesting development. 

https://www.anbmedia.com/news/2024/04/jakks-pacific-announces-partnership-epic-story-media-launch-wild-manes/
 

Quote

 

"Epic is set to produce and globally distribute the brand’s animated series. The short form series is developed and produced by Epic Story Media, animated with its 2D studio, Loomi Animation. The series has been written by Shelia Rogerson, led by creative producer, Cheryl Hassen and directed by Tahir Rana. Forty fun-filled 5-minute episodes will run on YouTube Kids and other OTT platforms this summer.

JAKKS Pacific is also thrilled to “let friends run wild” in an all-new Roblox game, currently being developed by Epic’s new game studio, Freeground. The Wild Manes Roblox experience will be released this summer, and players will get to hang out with the Mane Girls in the town of Wild, listen to their stories and lend them a hoof on quests and adventures. The more they do, the closer they get to becoming the Mane Girls’ BFF, unleashing their creativity with accessories and unique mane colors.

Blending realistic horses with a touch of magic, JAKKS Pacific’s Wild Manes toy line launches at retail this fall and will include a diverse array of character-driven horse sets, horse and cart ensembles, feature playsets, and more. Each Wild Manes horse possesses a distinct personality and origin story, that is complemented by their signature hair color and personal passion. Whether it’s hitting the beach with Bailey and their surf shack, “Surf n’ Snacks,” or indulging in frills and fancy treats at Cherie’s cart, “Mane Macarons,” there’s something for everyone in the world of Wild Manes. In this realm, one is free to pursue their passions daily, be it chatting over lattes with Cocoa or enjoying the fair with Candi. Whatever the preference, there’s a Wild Manes horse ready to share in the adventure.

“Every character in Wild Manes is truly unique, ensuring that every child can find one to resonate with. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Epic Story Media in developing a 360° franchise ecosystem, with engaging content, consumer products and children’s toys for this incredible brand this summer,” remarked Greta Salmon, Sr. Director of Marketing, Girls Toys at JAKKS Pacific. “The new toy line of horses, carts, accessories and playsets in a variety of characters will be available at all major retailers and online this fall.”

“Partnering with JAKKS Pacific on this custom content has been an extraordinary endeavor. We’re crafting content across multiple channels, each tailored to reflect the brand’s essence, and devising engaging methods to introduce and engage children with the brand throughout the year,” stated Ken Faier, CEO and President of Epic Story Media. "

 

 

 

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

6 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

 

I...I like watching Wild Manes a lot and I thought other talking horse show fans would like it, too.😢

I don't know if it's the shorter episodes or what but something doesn't click with Wild Manes with everyone else like it has for me

and that's disappointing because I thought I'd have another fandom I could be excited to talk about on MLP Forums

but people either don't like it or don't know about it. 

I totally understand people liking it, but the reason why it is not clicking for me has nothing to do with shorter episodes. I just find the show to be very unoriginal, formulaic, and repetitive. It's not bad, just not something I get the excitement for. I can see people liked the third episode and that's fine...but let's be real. If TYT put out the same episode, everyone would be complaining. 

[Sparklefan1234 169,814]

4 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

I totally understand people liking it, but the reason why it is not clicking for me has nothing to do with shorter episodes. I just find the show to be very unoriginal, formulaic, and repetitive. It's not bad, just not something I get the excitement for. I can see people liked the third episode and that's fine...but let's be real. If TYT put out the same episode, everyone would be complaining. 

 

First point, I look at it this way for both TYT and Wild Manes, what do people expect from five minute YouTube videos? 

Second point, repetitiveness is the nature of the slice of life format. 

[Starlight Serenade 3,062]

6 hours ago, Misty Shadow said:

I totally understand people liking it, but the reason why it is not clicking for me has nothing to do with shorter episodes. I just find the show to be very unoriginal, formulaic, and repetitive. It's not bad, just not something I get the excitement for. I can see people liked the third episode and that's fine...but let's be real. If TYT put out the same episode, everyone would be complaining. 

Same. I don't find myself becoming a regular viewer of this show. It's alright, but I can't imagine it changing much. Though it's definitely aimed at young children like TYT. It's just more slice of life without all the magical chaos.

2 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

First point, I look at it this way for both TYT and Wild Manes, what do people expect from five minute YouTube videos? 

Second point, repetitiveness is the nature of the slice of life format. 

I agree. TYT and WM format's are five minute episodes aimed for the short attention spans of young children. I think people should look elsewhere and stop expecting anything huge to happen in general within a five minute episode. 

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

2 hours ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

 

First point, I look at it this way for both TYT and Wild Manes, what do people expect from five minute YouTube videos? 

Second point, repetitiveness is the nature of the slice of life format. 

I actually agree with how we shouldn't be exigent with our demands from five-minute shorts for kids cartoon series. I do, however, feel that Wild Manes could be doing more with adding depth to its characters and world and pouring more imagination into its stories. I am also aware of the "every show is repetitive" argument, it's not just something used to defend slice-of-life shows. However, some shows are noticeably more repetitive than others. The formula WM has established with every episode taking a standard kids show plot, recapping how the characters got in the problem they're at in the beginning, and then solving said problem with next to no effort (or just letting the problem solve itself) is quickly going to grow stale with how plain it is to see. What makes Tell Your Tale the better show is how you never know what you're going to get. With WM, you always know what you're going to get.

[Pixi-Pie 51]

I've watch the three episodes released so far and I have a few thoughts...

1. I actually really like the art style

2. I haven't watched Tell Your Tail so I don't know much about 5 minute shows like these. But what I can say is that it is too short to tell an interesting story. Seems like it's meant for people with really short attention spans...

3. It seems a lot younger than My Little Pony. According to the creator, it's supposed to be meant for older kids, but I disagree

4. The characters seem really flat with simple personalities and no depth

5. It has potential, and the characters are really cute but the overall show seems too young. G4 and maybe even G5 seems to be a lot more compelling and complex than this

[Snow 7,004]

I gave it a go, cant rate it as highly as MLP but by no means it it bad, just not my cup of tea, pretty decent style and animation for what it is.
No doubt the shows intended younger audience will like it but for me the characters and how they interact are paper thin and I've never been big on that yaas queen girly girl type of character in the first place 

[Misty Shadow 7,845]

Looks like interest in this show is quickly declining now. Hawk Nightwing's dropped out of reviewing it, the current top comment on the Equestria Daily discussion thread for the newest episode is expressing fatigue with the show, and most noteworthy, the show's views have drastically declined since the first episode's premiere. The second episode got less than half the first episode's views, and from there forward...yikes, nothing has even received one-tenth of the first episode's views. 

As someone who's watched every episode of the show...it's very easy for me to see why it's losing steam so rapidly. Every episode just feels like the same thing over and over, there's no character development with how every episode has to star Cocoa, who still has hardly any personality and has already been shown to be able to learn the same lessons she's already learned (the pilot had her learn not to jump to conclusions and Curious Cocoa recycled this exact same moral), there's no world development with me getting tired of constantly staring at the same brown dirt in the same town, the plots are derivative and lacking in imaginative twists on things we've seen done better in other shows, and the plot resolutions are never satisfying (Macaron Mare recycled the exact same solution to dealing with the story's threat as The Mane Machine with the threat literally just getting kicked and that being it).  

I, and many other people, gave this show an honest chance. But it's becoming more apparent than ever that it's complacent with just being a poor man's version of Tell Your Tale without understanding what makes Tell Your Tale work. TYT is much more fun to watch because it has an evolving world. A cast of endearing characters with depth that each bring something unique to the plot. A lot of variety with its stories that put the characters in creative situations. The knowledge of how to do something new with something that's been done before. Impactful resolutions to its plots that have been built up to well. This show has the potential to be better than average, but it just doesn't want to put forth the effort.