Is Too Much fanservice A Bad Thing?

[MMFAN 198]

Too many songs? Never, but you can definetely have too much fanservice, that's a personal. And the subtle nods to other fandoms and how they behave within the episode "Daring Don't" of season 4 were great and I thoroughly enjoyed that episode for that reason alone, I could care less about the nuiances of "world-building".

I'm talking more about how back in the good old days of seasons one and two, DERPY WAS HARD TO FIND. It became a kind of Where's Waldo for fans and now she's almost literally everywhere. For me it's distracting. Also new this season, is the need for all the main six to be in the episode for even the most minor roles with no lines, just screen time.

 

In my mind here's what happened, Ten or so fans complained about how thier favorite pony wasn't making it into enough episodes and the writers came to a consensus that this meant they needed to cram all of them into as many episodes as possible. Rainbow Falls would have been totally okay without Rarity there, not counting the fact that she probably has important orders to fill with her boutique. Daring Don't would have been fine without Fluttershy barely speaking two words and Rarity providing the off handed comment here and there. You get the idea, what do you guys and gals think, is the show's quality being overshadowed by the apparent need to please it's fanbase? A little presumptuous, they should have held a poll or something.

Edited March 10, 2014 by MMFAN

[Alpha-neos 46]

Wait wait....

I thought the writers weren't suppose to do that. O__o

Or was that something else?

I don't know.

I can't really tell whats fan service or just an idea some one just had.

Edited March 10, 2014 by Alpha-neos

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

All of the ponies being present has not bothered me, what has bothered me though is the fan service with all the constant nods to other fandoms and stuff only older fans would get. Not to mention how crazy Pinkie has become.

 

I don't mind the occasional nod now and then, but did Discord's song in Three's a Crowd have to include all those nods to things like Harry Potter or Fear and Loathing? Did Doctor Hooves and Rose have to be in the Breezies episode so blatantly rather than being further off in the distance and hidden more? Does Pinkie seriously have to be as crazy and inconsiderate as she was in Filli Vanilli, doing things like climbing walls, spouting out stuff stupidly fast without thinking first, and in general constantly having to be scolded by the others anymore?

 

Things are starting to get a bit out of hand IMO. If they want to make nods, do it with some class and don't load an episode up with them.

[Virgil 685]

I do agree that too much fanservice can be a bad thing (there is a certain sci-fi video game series that fell trap to this, that's ending caused a stink) , I don't think FIM the tv show has ever crossed that line even with the Derpy Whooves scene in Rainbow Falls because she didn't speak. Sounds a bit odd but by not speaking Derpy reastablished herself as a gag character as the creators wanted to have such a character in the begining (a clumsy character that would cause accidents on occasion), it was a nod to the fandom having her there but not so much that it crossed the line, I think. The Equestria Girls movie on the other hoove... I felt like Hasbro was just throwing shiny things at us by using so many background characters, and showing them off. But the TV show I think has struck a good balance by and large.

[SomariFeyWright 776]

Fanservice is not an inherently problematic addition to something, as long as it isn't sexual (which would be hard to incorporate in MLP, might I say). However, it CAN be milked out too much for it to be any fun, and ruin the value of certain parts of the show.

 

... I don't feel that the show has done this too extensively. Personally, I'm genuinely grateful for some of the fanservice it's had to offer. I liked seeing Bench Press get a name and more of a personality, I liked seeing Derpy get another show on-screen, brief and quiet as it was, I liked Big Mac singing Acapella... I haven't had many complaints for this season.

 

... However...

 

 

 

Also new this season, is the need for all the main six to be in the episode for even the most minor roles with no lines, just screen time.

 

This is the biggest problem with the newer episodes and I won't attempt to dislodge this argument at all. It seems the show lately has just been desperate to shove as many ponies as it can possibly manage into a single episode. I find this heavily infuriating, especially because these appearances almost always result in a heavy butchering of the character's personality for the sole purpose of just giving them SOME purpose.

 

Don't even get me started on poor Pinkie...

[Alpha-neos 46]

Did Doctor Hooves and Rose have to be in the Breezies episode so blatantly rather than being further off in the distance and hidden more?

 

I must of not been paying attention.

Where was Doctor Whooves and Rose at?

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

I must of not been paying attention.

Where was Doctor Whooves and Rose at?

 

 

I believe that's when Seabreeze took off on his own.

Edited March 10, 2014 by The Mane-iac

[Alpha-neos 46]

 

O____O.....

 

HOW DID I EVEN MISS THAT!! D:

[joecal97 340]

But all of the ponies aren't present in all of them!

Take the new episode, some pony to watch out for

That was AJ and the cmc's

Edited March 10, 2014 by joecal97

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

I don't understand what is going on in this short scene.. What does Rose have to do with Time Turner? Why is he wearing 3D glasses?

I don't get the reference/joke.

 

 

That's Rose Tyler, the companion of the 9th and 10th Doctor. And the 10th Doctor wore 3D glasses quite often. Time Turner aka Doctor Hooves, is basically the pony version of the 10th Doctor.

 

 

They've had Doctor Hooves and Rose Luck in the background before,

but this time they were almost front and center as seen in my other post.

Edited March 10, 2014 by The Mane-iac

[joecal97 340]

OOHH.. See, I don't watch Dr. Who so that's why I didn't understand it xD

Someone who doesn't watch doctor who? :0

[Dark Heart 284]

Since S4 started after watching episodes like castlemania and power ponies i came to the conclusion that this season is the season of fun and liberty for the fans, after all considering that MLP woulndt be in its 4th season whit out us, i believe all the references they put its to talk to the broad fandom that its the fandom of MLP from the old like "gone whit the wind" to star trek and harry potter, the show itself its a big reference.

 

Back on season 1 thats why most people got in to the show besides the good story and animation, was the references to older shows that made MLP what it is today, do they need to cram so much reference in one episode? maybe not, but if we have some episodes like pinkie pride were we know its gonna be a fan episode why not think of the whole season 4 as a big thx to the fandom from the writers of the show.

 

In short we made MLP:FIM something big and season 4 its the thx we get from the show, i love season 4 so maybe im bias towards it, but i think its a great season.

[joecal97 340]

Yes, someone who doesn't watch it xD

Wow, as far as I can remember, everyone else on this forum I've spoken to about it has.

You, miss, are unique

[Dark Heart 284]

Wow, as far as I can remember, everyone else on this forum I've spoken to about it has.

You, miss, are unique

  hive never watch the show didnt know it even existed until like 2 years ago and im 30 btw xD

[joecal97 340]

hive never watch the show didnt know it even existed until like 2 years ago and im 30 btw xD

I'll make it 2 I've spoken to who don't watch it then

[Shanks 10,816]

Yes of course it can be but I don't think the problem is too much fan service but too many inconsistencies and out of character moments this season. It is like they don't even know where to take the characters or the series in general, with the exception of some episodes everything lately feels extremely rushed and lazy.

[Castle Bleck 19,383]

I don't have a problem with the "fanservice"...

 

Edited March 10, 2014 by Anti-Villain

[MMFAN 198]

Fanservice is not an inherently problematic addition to something, as long as it isn't sexual (which would be hard to incorporate in MLP, might I say). However, it CAN be milked out too much for it to be any fun, and ruin the value of certain parts of the show.

 

... I don't feel that the show has done this too extensively. Personally, I'm genuinely grateful for some of the fanservice it's had to offer. I liked seeing Bench Press get a name and more of a personality, I liked seeing Derpy get another show on-screen, brief and quiet as it was, I liked Big Mac singing Acapella... I haven't had many complaints for this season.

 

... However...

 

 

 

 

This is the biggest problem with the newer episodes and I won't attempt to dislodge this argument at all. It seems the show lately has just been desperate to shove as many ponies as it can possibly manage into a single episode. I find this heavily infuriating, especially because these appearances almost always result in a heavy butchering of the character's personality for the sole purpose of just giving them SOME purpose.

 

Don't even get me started on poor Pinkie...

While it's nice to see Pinkie have more than a few lines in a non-focus episode, the way her personality this season has steadily become more and more blatantly obnoxious and sometimes even crude is becoming a real issue for me. Though I did love her from start to finish in Pinkie Apple Pie and Pinkie Pride. Hopefully they continue with this mix of fun-loving but complex personality. I'm crossing my fingers that the next Pinkie Pie episode is just as good as those two were.

 

All of the ponies being present has not bothered me, what has bothered me though is the fan service with all the constant nods to other fandoms and stuff only older fans would get. Not to mention how crazy Pinkie has become.

 

I don't mind the occasional nod now and then, but did Discord's song in Three's a Crowd have to include all those nods to things like Harry Potter or Fear and Loathing? Did Doctor Hooves and Rose have to be in the Breezies episode so blatantly rather than being further off in the distance and hidden more? Does Pinkie seriously have to be as crazy and inconsiderate as she was in Filli Vanilli, doing things like climbing walls, spouting out stuff stupidly fast without thinking first, and in general constantly having to be scolded by the others anymore?

 

Things are starting to get a bit out of hand IMO. If they want to make nods, do it with some class and don't load an episode up with them.

I thought the nods to the fandoms were great in "Glass Of Water". In my experience this is the first time they really gave any of the other fandoms any attention at all, maybe I just don't see the nods as often as thou dost. I happen to be a HUGE Doctor Who fan, so the fact that they put Rose with doctor whooves was for me, kinda awesome.

[Megas 27,786]

I don't think fanservice is bad, but I do think it can become problematic, like how fans will get upset if a background character isn't present or is doing something different than what the fans like seeing. Remember how a lot of fans were complaining about the lack of Derpy throughout most of S3 and S4?

 

Sometimes I think some fans expect too much

Edited March 20, 2014 by Megas75

[MMFAN 198]

Since S4 started after watching episodes like castlemania and power ponies i came to the conclusion that this season is the season of fun and liberty for the fans, after all considering that MLP woulndt be in its 4th season whit out us, i believe all the references they put its to talk to the broad fandom that its the fandom of MLP from the old like "gone whit the wind" to star trek and harry potter, the show itself its a big reference.

 

Back on season 1 thats why most people got in to the show besides the good story and animation, was the references to older shows that made MLP what it is today, do they need to cram so much reference in one episode? maybe not, but if we have some episodes like pinkie pride were we know its gonna be a fan episode why not think of the whole season 4 as a big thx to the fandom from the writers of the show.

 

In short we made MLP:FIM something big and season 4 its the thx we get from the show, i love season 4 so maybe im bias towards it, but i think its a great season.

References to other shows/media (doctor who, harry potter ect.) are fine.What I have a problem with is the pandering to a few whiny fans who have minor complaints that the majority of us don't even notice, which are mentioned in the first post. Two questions I have at the moment, would it be too over the top to suggest a Hunger Games reference in a CMC episode? And when did they put a Star Trek reference in?

[The Mane-iac 1,648]

I thought the nods to the fandoms were great in "Glass Of Water". In my experience this is the first time they really gave any of the other fandoms any attention at all, maybe I just don't see the nods as often as thou dost. I happen to be a HUGE Doctor Who fan, so the fact that they put Rose with doctor whooves was for me, kinda awesome.

 

Trust me, I thoroughly enjoy the Doctor Who references. When I saw them walk across the screen like that recently I did a double take, even backed the episode up to be sure I saw what I thought I saw with it being Rose again and the 3D glasses. I just don't think they should have been in your face. It's a nod enough they've named him Doctor Hooves officially on some merchandise, having to drop the W for copyright reasons.

 

 

References to other shows/media (doctor who, harry potter ect.) are fine.What I have a problem with is the pandering to a few whiny fans who have minor complaints that the majority of us don't even notice, which are mentioned in the first post. Two questions I have at the moment, would it be too over the top to suggest a Hunger Games reference in a CMC episode? And when did they put a Star Trek reference in?

 

The comment about Star Trek might be because Discord is a straight copy of John de Lancie's character from Next Generation, Q.

[GrimCW 658]

IMO anything can be over done. But as long as its not directly affecting the story or main cast, nor tearing holes in the story otherwise... its really harmless.

Not sure why so many are in such a fluster over a literal non-issue.

I mean look at the final comic in the main series for those. It went from Lord of the Rings, to 28 days later, on to star trek, and then into Dial "M" for murder.. all within the first half of the book!

and given the context the jokes, and content flowed smoothly without harming a thing. In fact, it played on the idea and made it funnier.

 

The show hasn't exactly stepped over any boundaries either. The references are often hidden, or barely noticeable aside from the frame counters *cough*slendermane*cough* with only a few sticking out directly. Not one of which so far has even stepped on the show, its stories, or its main cast.

 

However they are likely setting themselves up for a hard time in later seasons by having so many references now. As some people will come to expect these things, and when the pot cools... the animators will likely have little heat to give up...

 

 

 

Too many songs? Never

 

 

yeeeah.. that can happen too.. far easier than too many fan service references tbh.. Only so many songs can come out before it just starts getting silly and the quality nose dives. references can almost go on forever since they're just background noise.. but something thats up front and in your face.. not so easy to keep up.

 

 

 

Star Trek reference in?

 

 

Not 100% on the show itself, but the comics have had it CONSTANTLY as a running gag.

Derpy is a member of the Local union "1701" (I.E. the enterprises registry # is NCC-1701), Luna named her new pet "tiberious" (Which is what the "T" is for in "James T. Kirk".),

and they even had a whole couple pages with the ponies in trek uniforms in the finale for the main stories. Rarity as Uhura.. priceless and it looked so her..

There's more, i'm just too lazy to go digging atm

Edited March 10, 2014 by GrimCW

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Fan-pandering is not ok, it's when fanservice being placed in an episode detracts from the overall story of an episode. 

 

Fan-referencing is fine, it's when fanservice being placed in an episode doesn't have a negative effect on the overall narrative.

 

MLP:FiM has not crossed the line into pandering with the possible exception of parts of Equestria Girls. So yea, too much fanservice is a bad thing (see animes where it focuses on breasts for long periods of time for no reason *cough* High School of the Dead *cough*), but the show hasn't really gone down that route yet. The Mane 6 being strung along is an unrelated issue to fanservice and was actually present Season 3 as well. My guess is the writers wanted to capture the group dynamic more, but they may be going overboard with it.

[Jangocoolguy 433]

Someone who doesn't watch doctor who? :0

Another here too. I have NO interest in it, find it overrated, and find those jokes and references--in the Show and in fan labor--annoying, pointless, and intrusive.

 

On topic-- I don't mind subtle shout outs to the fans. At least they appreciate us. It's when it gets in the way of the story or take away from it I mind. Like with Equestria Girls. There were several scenes that were cut from Hub broadcasts that didn't effect the story on bit and the work that went into those scenes could have/should have gone into making a better or more interesting plot (like making Sunset a better villain, for example). Hey, it only takes a few minutes to give the plot or a character some extra depth. That time shouldn't be wasted appeasing self-entitled, bratty fanboys who are a secondary demographic.

 

Though I am happy that at least it's not that other fan service *shudder*

[joecal97 340]

Another here too. I have NO interest in it, find it overrated, and find those jokes and references--in the Show and in fan labor--annoying, pointless, and intrusive.

 

On topic-- I don't mind subtle shout outs to the fans. At least they appreciate us. It's when it gets in the way of the story or take away from it I mind. Like with Equestria Girls. There were several scenes that were cut from Hub broadcasts that didn't effect the story on bit and the work that went into those scenes could have/should have gone into making a better or more interesting plot (like making Sunset a better villain, for example). Hey, it only takes a few minutes to give the plot or a character some extra depth. That time shouldn't be wasted appeasing self-entitled, bratty fanboys who are a secondary demographic.

 

Though I am happy that at least it's not that other fan service *shudder*

Ok ok I'll just say this now, the doctor who thing was a joke more than a fact

Apart from that I agree with what you say about mlp.