Is Too Much fanservice A Bad Thing?

[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.

[Wolfstanus 116]

Yes it takes away from the show. People will only watch it for the service and not the show itself. To much is a bad thing as that's the focus. To little is also bad because well lets be honest we do like being serviced and it does get some of us to pay a little more attention.

[MMFAN 198]

Yes it takes away from the show. People will only watch it for the service and not the show itself. To much is a bad thing as that's the focus. To little is also bad because well lets be honest we do like being serviced and it does get some of us to pay a little more attention.

And it's become sort distracting not in a "Hey look that a reference to Of Mice And Men." now it's become a little inception-esque with "Oh hey look, there's an actual nod to the fandom, derpy eyeing a muffin silently for the millionth time." Or an animator's OC, something that points the finger so to speak. I actually still enjoy the non-fandom references immensly, I personally think the fact that how the writers figure out new ones and get them into the episode somehow is a testament to how amazing these guys are. Granted I'm not saying eliminate the fan-centric references, just don't make them so obvious that it's almost unbearable.

Edited March 11, 2014 by MMFAN

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

I don't think it's as bad as it's being made out to be, if you want the truth; I do think that TOO much fanservice would be a bad thing, but that'd be in the form of it being so much it blurs the line between being "for all ages" and being "for bronies."

 

I think the fan service criticism, like (most) of the "Spike Abuse" criticisms, is just a fan trying to give a criticism to look more intelligent and level-headed in their reviews; there's criticism needed for nearly every episode, but those two are so prevalent and seen anytime something doesn't go Spike's way, or when the writers throw out a nod to us, that I have trouble taking most of them seriously at this point -_-

 

Whenever they give us a shout out, someone always is there to say "Too much fanservice!" and the same for every time Spike gets down on his luck. It's an anomaly to me how these are taken seriously at this point, since it just seems like a mass-produced and cheaply made criticizing tactic at this point   

So, no, I don't think there's "too much fanservice" because of the fact you can still see this as a show for all ages and the fact that most nods to us are subtle

Edited March 11, 2014 by ghostfacekiller39

[Andaasonsan 3,205]

The point when there would definitely be too much, is if every episode consisted of nothing but in jokes and self references, and would be pretty much impossible to follow without MLP Wikia open while watching the show.

 

So like DC and Marvel comics.

[MMFAN 198]

I don't think it's as bad as it's being made out to be, if you want the truth; I do think that TOO much fanservice would be a bad thing, but that'd be in the form of it being so much it blurs the line between being "for all ages" and being "for bronies."

 

I think the fan service criticism, like (most) of the "Spike Abuse" criticisms, is just a fan trying to give a criticism to look more intelligent and level-headed in their reviews; there's criticism needed for nearly every episode, but those two are so prevalent and seen anytime something doesn't go Spike's way, or when the writers throw out a nod to us, that I have trouble taking most of them seriously at this point -_-

 

Whenever they give us a shout out, someone always is there to say "Too much fanservice!" and the same for every time Spike gets down on his luck. It's an anomaly to me how these are taken seriously at this point, since it just seems like a mass-produced and cheaply made criticizing tactic at this point   

 

So, no, I don't think there's "too much fanservice" because of the fact you can still see this as a show for all ages and the fact that most nods to us are subtle

Though I agree with your initial point that they will always be those in a group will say the opposite of whatever the general consensus is just to get attention or stir up some shit... these are commonly referred to as trolls. That said, in saying what you did you are implying I am over-exaggeratting my original points... I don't feel I am so allow me to ask you "Have we both watched the same episodes from season 4?". Subtle is not what I see when I watch an episode with the whole mane 6 there and three of them have two to three lines an episode... Subtle is not a Derpy, Berry Punch, or Colgate sighting litterally every ten minutes. Go rewatch season 4 and then tell me I'm wrong, That's all I'm saying.

 

 

 

The point when there would definitely be too much, is if every episode consisted of nothing but in jokes and self references, and would be pretty much impossible to follow without MLP Wikia open while watching the show.

 

So like DC and Marvel comics.

More specifically like X-men comics dealing with alternate timelines, because oh my are their absolutely too many?

Edited March 12, 2014 by MMFAN

[Jammo 986]

"When they start playing beach volleyball and we get slow motion shots of Applejacks flank ripples as she kicks the ball" kind of fanservice.

Pop culture hasn't been too bad honestly.

It still has great character. It's not Family Guy which doesn't even need good writing when it's essentially a low-class reference real with a family in there somewhere.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

Though I agree with your initial point that they will always be those in a group will say the opposite of whatever the general consensus is just to get attention or stir up some shit... these are commonly referred to as trolls. That said, in saying what you did you are implying I am over-exaggeratting my original points... I don't feel I am so allow me to ask you "Have we both watched the same episodes from season 4?". Subtle is not what I see when I watch an episode with the whole mane 6 there and three of them have two to three lines an episode... Subtle is not a Derpy, Berry Punch, or Colgate sighting litterally every ten minutes. Go rewatch season 4 and then tell me I'm wrong, That's all I'm saying.

As it turns out, this is entirely subjective   I honestly haven't seen enough to worry about, and I wake up early every Saturday morning just to watch the new episodes as they air, on top of viewing them again whenever they go up on YT or wherever

 

Dude, the most fanservice I saw was Slenderpony in that one episode, hanging around in the trees. Having background ponies appear constantly is no problemo, given that they're just fulfilling their duties as hanging around in the back while the mane 6 do their thing

Edited March 12, 2014 by ghostfacekiller39

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Though I agree with your initial point that they will always be those in a group will say the opposite of whatever the general consensus is just to get attention or stir up some shit... these are commonly referred to as trolls. That said, in saying what you did you are implying I am over-exaggeratting my original points... I don't feel I am so allow me to ask you "Have we both watched the same episodes from season 4?". Subtle is not what I see when I watch an episode with the whole mane 6 there and three of them have two to three lines an episode... Subtle is not a Derpy, Berry Punch, or Colgate sighting litterally every ten minutes. Go rewatch season 4 and then tell me I'm wrong, That's all I'm saying.

 

 

 

More specifically like X-men comics dealing with alternate timelines, because oh my are their absolutely too many?

 

First of all, the Mane 6 being there every episode isn't fanservice. No fans demanded more Mane 6 besides Rarity. Derpy on the other hand appears in two episodes this season, as opposed to every single episode. Also, you know Colgate, Lyra, Bon-Bon, and Berry Punch? They are background ponies that have no significance in their "sightings." So yea, I'm going to say you're wrong, but that's just my opinion.

Edited March 13, 2014 by DryColt84

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

it can become a problem if it becomes like double rainboom, were the fan servvice and referances block out the main focus of the actual stroy. I don't see this happening with the current season of FiM, but what I do see is them squeezing all the man 6 in an episode for next to no reason. Like in rainbow falls, were all they had the others there for was to make a dress, force some "apple" puns and foodstuffs, and then do nothing for the remainder of the episode.