My Little Pony's Justice 2 - Official MLP Thread v2

[DabigRG]

4 hours ago, AdventChild said:

So Lauren Faust gives her reaction to a sampling of a Pony Life script and confirms that there is facetime/Zoom in Equestria now.

Thinking about it and as much I don't support it, it does make Equestria Girls feel very moot and pointless doesn't it? I mean, other than the school gimmick (which FiM copied with S8), the EQG world had the modern tech as an advantage over the FiM world. Despite having it for a long time, now that's gone because of Pony Life, what makes EQG unique anymore other than teen humans?

That's a good point.

I need to finish that stuff since the last I saw was Rollercoaster of Friendship.

[AdventChild]

So Pony Life is here with the first two episodes:

https://sendvid.com/snqqosb6

https://sendvid.com/dnr2kxao

Oh boy, if you think some of the episodes of the main series had bad pacing with a 22 minute format, it's awful here in half the time. Not a fan of the animation and art style that feel simplistic and sloppy simultaneously while being frenetic esp. the backgrounds. The jokes and writing fall flat nearly every time which is bad for a comedy in any form, even some characterizations are over exaggerated for comedic effect but fail to deliver as well.

So MLP GO-Roar gets a Meh from me.

[Strickerx5]

Well, I gave the first two episodes a go.

If I had to put them in a single word, it'd be "inoffensive." This is really less of a TTG and more of a Unikitty or something in its style. It's comedic, a bit random, though does end up having some form of message at the end of the 11 min runtime. Hell, even got some chuckles out of me (one from AJ which was legitimately surprising... don't think I've done that since season 5 or something... whatever ep had her being overly protective of AB).

So yeah, overall while I'm probably not going to go out of my way to watch the show this time around, I certainly don't mind it. That could easily change with other episodes but for now, idk, I enjoyed myself more here than I did with a fair amount of episodes in the later half of FiM.

Though I will say that the animation style is certainly hit or miss. A lot of effort went into the main character models but the moment the show tries to do anything outside of the mold (ie the little kid that shows up in Rainbow's ep)... yikes. Also the backgrounds are... weird.

 

As a side note, in regards to the whole Equestria and tech thing, I always felt like there was never a given level which led fans to run with their own interpretations which was fine. I'm sure Faust said something about it being less there overall, way back when, but FiM always did little to adhere to that. If a joke required a DJ set table, arcade machine, headphones, big Times Square styled screens, ect. they put them in. Plus, if my avatar didn't give it away already, I do like the idea of standard tech being there so from what I've seen of this show I'm sort of all for it. That being said though, do I want an episode revolving entirely around things like smart phones or facetiming? No, of course not. That would just be too big of a shift for the overall world imo (though I wouldn't be opposed to a gaming centered episode just cause).

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if the tech is handled as a means to advance the story rather than it being the story for the most part, I'm fine with that.

On 6/20/2020 at 9:39 AM, AdventChild said:

Thinking about it and as much I don't support it, it does make Equestria Girls feel very moot and pointless doesn't it? I mean, other than the school gimmick (which FiM copied with S8), the EQG world had the modern tech as an advantage over the FiM world. Despite having it for a long time, now that's gone because of Pony Life, what makes EQG unique anymore other than teen humans?

trying really hard to hold back my OG FiM fan feelings and replying with "well eqg was pointless from the offset anyways lol"

Honestly, if I had to guess, EQG's entire point for coming into existence was to just simply connect the brand closer to that school, teen setting (until the show tried to do it itself). Tech there also always seemed to take a backseat (at least as far as the movies went) so I doubt if there was any real effort to make that the defining trait of EQG over FiM. Though I admittedly have not kept up with any of those shorts/ episode things they've posted on youtube over the past few years so maybe they did make that shift at some point, idk.

[Penny]

the second episode (two-parter?) was pretty meh, but i really liked the first episode. thought it was pretty dang funny. kinda like the artstyle as well.

[AdventChild]

So episodes 3 and 4 of Pony Life have been released.

[linked removed]

[linked removed]

So yeah, my opinions haven't changed much from the previous episodes. Still feel like Diet TTG, frenetic cheap and sloppy art style and animation, and littered with a lot of lol-randumb and meta-humor and jokes and writing that falls flat. It feels like a show written by people who haven't even watched a single episode of the main series. Also, as jarring as some modern day digital tech is in the show, the fact that there is a talking cat (Bubbles) feels rather weird and that Spike not being voiced by Cathy Weseluck but by Rarity's VA Tabitha St. Germain which just felt off too.

Edited June 30, 2020 by Strickerx5
Removal of direct links

[Strickerx5]

FYI, let’s continue with not posting direct links to full on episodes here (or anywhere else on the forum) if they’re not posted on YouTube or something. I doubt we’re anywhere near on Hasbro's radar but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Not to mention that the episodes are easy enough to find on their own.

 

Also sad to see Cathy go. Though, I am happy that it was on here own terms. Plus, Tabitha does seem to do a fine enough job in the role based on the few lines she’s been given thus far imo (this show went straight back to season 1 levels of ignoring Spike wow).

[AdventChild]

Oddly enough Hasbro have been releasing 'Best of' vids for each character when the miniseries just started to premiere not too long ago and they abruptly cut at the end. Also, talking dolphins are now a thing as well.

Pulling something like this just make me think of one of two things. Either they are desperate for viewership or that they aren't confident in this spinoff so their just throw all their promos out there to get it over with (and to sell toys obviously).

[Echidna Adventurer CC14]

Thought this compilation was worth pointing out on this forum in particular because there's a nod to a certain franchise early in it. You might also be able to glean who makes said reference based on both an easy reasoned guess and a closer look at the video thumbnail.

Wow, "Gotta Go Fast" has certainly come a long way since it was just the English Sonic X opening, huh? I think more people know the actual phrase than the song or show it came from.

Been enjoying Pony Life. Not super amazing or anything and doesn't hold a candle to FIM proper in my mind (mainly because of the lack of songs, as those were probably my favorite element of the old show), but it's cute and fun and is trying to be its own thing in a lot of ways, which I can respect. (Discord without John de Lancie still just feels wrong, though.)

The odd bit has tended to make me laugh out loud on occasion as well.

[DabigRG]

Pinkie Pie hooks her friends up with hallucinogens, eh?

[Strickerx5]

So some news from the Pone front regarding G5:

Quote

“With the movie, we started development and made the decision to expand the world of My Little Pony, rather than starting from scratch with a total brand reinvention,” Thompson says. “We found ourselves with this whole decade of storytelling and really rich lore, and it felt wrong to walk away from all of that.”

"Instead of abandoning the franchise’s characters and stories, the movie will take place in the same world featured in Friendship is Magic and Pony Life, but jump ahead in time to focus on a new generation of ponies and unexplored corners of Equestria. This creates opportunities to include nods to the property’s previous iterations, both in upcoming content and consumer products offerings.

“If you’re brand-new to the franchise, I think it will grab you and pull you in,” says Thompson. “And existing fans are going to be picking out Easter Eggs for months and years to come.”

There is also some indication of the direction that Hasbro wants to take the series, wanting it to be more inclusive as well as providing some details about the main character, highlighting that they are an activist.

"The introduction of new characters and a departure from designs featured in Friendship is Magic and Pony Life is intended to shift the brand’s focus to more modern themes like diversity and inclusion. 

The movie’s main character, for example, is an activist working to make the pony world a better place."

(source)

If I'm being honest here, not a fan of them bring back G4 Equestria. Was hoping for a completely new world rather than they mess with what was already there. Like, the cynic in me is is screaming that they're only doing this to get around actually building any sort of new world and lore. And after those last few seasons, I'm highly skeptical of them handling any of it well.

And, on a side note, why does another part of me not trust Hasbro to pull off this activist angle...

Idk man, as some of the first official news of G5... G4 is looking more and more like a fluke.

[AdventChild]

Oh boy there are those political/SJW buzzwords again: activist and diversity. (And isn't this mainly aimed at kids too?) Yeah, because I guess G4 was NOT diverse enough for having an all female cast and inclusion of a variety of species in later seasons.

Honestly, this feels like its going down the Disney Star Wars route by making it sound like Princess Twilight influence and work have failed and they basically have the Mane cast become Last Jedi Luke by messing things up or be at fault for plot convenience. If this is the case, then I'd rather have it set in a different world and reality altogether that does its own thing than try to continue in an existing world where our favorite aspects can be botched up and rewritten to a distasteful and disgustingly degree. Not to mention it feels like Hasbro is playing it safe to keep current fans but still milking G4 when the well went dry.

[DabigRG]

Getting a bit of weird mixed vibes out of this. On one hand, the activist sounds like an attempt to have a main character that's different from Twilight (ala LoK). On the other hand,...well, OnePiece dude already hit on that, but still wth is with the diversity take?

[AdventChild]

So some official MLP merch have been making the rounds that could hint on what G5 might look like.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/02/rumor-licensed-mlp-bedding-shows-off.html
 

Spoiler

 

 

Honestly feel's rather generic and looks like its trying to be retro but unintentionally mixing G3/3.5 and Filly Funtasia in process. It's like G4 are steps forward and this feels like many steps back. You know its bad when official merch feels like its ripping off the knockoff. Kinda hoping its just a placeholder and not G5 related because if it is, it isn't making me confident nor looking forward to it and making G4 feel a like fluke.

[DabigRG]

Spoiler

 

4 hours ago, AdventChild said:

So some official MLP merch have been making the rounds that could hint on what G5 might look like.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/02/rumor-licensed-mlp-bedding-shows-off.html
 

  Hide contents

 

 

Honestly feel's rather generic and looks like its trying to be retro but unintentionally mixing G3/3.5 and Filly Funtasia in process. It's like G4 are steps forward and this feels like many steps back. You know its bad when official merch feels like its ripping off the knockoff. Kinda hoping its just a placeholder and not G5 related because if it is, it isn't making me confident nor looking forward to it and making G4 feel a like fluke.

It does look like an odd bootleg.

[Strickerx5]

This next series is suppose to be in CGI right? So I take it these are likely advertising/promotional art and probably aren't very indicative of what the actual show will look like beyond the base design. I'm thinking back to those early base renders they used for the toys with G4. Though, this time, we can't even expect it to be 2D I think.

Like yeah, the designs are there but the show generally cleaned them up quite a bit.

But yeah, either way there's going to be an investor meeting this Thursday I believe so there should be more news coming out of that. Though honestly, ever since learning that this is still taking place in G4 Equestia, I've sort have lost a lot of interest in it all. Maybe what they'll show will change that but idk, was sort of intrigued to see something completely new while still retaining that initial spark of fun G4 had; if that makes sense. To have it already carrying the baggage of the last series isn't exactly an appealing notion to me atm.

[DabigRG]

On 2/23/2021 at 6:55 PM, Strickerx5 said:

This next series is suppose to be in CGI right? So I take it these are likely advertising/promotional art and probably aren't very indicative of what the actual show will look like beyond the base design. I'm thinking back to those early base renders they used for the toys with G4. Though, this time, we can't even expect it to be 2D I think.

Like yeah, the designs are there but the show generally cleaned them up quite a bit.

 

Oh goodness, I can't imagine that the 3d versions of those are gonna look very good.

[Strickerx5]

2 hours ago, DabigRG said:

Oh goodness, I can't imagine that the 3d versions of those are gonna look very good.

So... eh

'

Been hearing mixed reactions. But yeah, information is starting to come out. It's probably a safe bet that we'll get a trailer or something later today but for now, a synopsis.

Quote

In the new movie, the pony world of Equestria has lost its magic. Friendship and Harmony have been replaced by paranoia and mistrust, and Ponies now live separated by species. Sunny -- a feisty and idealistic young Earth Pony -- is convinced there’s still hope for this divided world, but her slightly misguided and often hilarious efforts to change hearts and minds have led to her being branded a misfit. When Sunny befriends a lost Unicorn named Izzy, who wanders innocently into the Earth Pony town of Maretime Bay, the town has had enough. Izzy and Sunny must embark on an epic adventure that will include a daring jewel heist, outrageous conspiracy theories, elaborate musical numbers, and the world’s cutest flying Pomeranian. Their adventures will take them to faraway lands and force them to challenge the status quo by facing their fears and making new friends out of old enemies. The world Sunny has dreamed of her entire life could finally become a reality as Sunny and her newfound friends fight to prove that even little ponies can make a big difference.

(source)

 

Again, not psyched about how this being the same world as G4 (as it really does imply that nothing from that series mattered in the end as ponies still become even more segregated somehow). Not to mention them leaning... heavily on this overall division theme. Like don't get me wrong here, I like meaning behind it but I just don't trust Hasbro to get it right. It takes a bit of work to get right and half-assing it just gives ammo to the idiots out there. But hey, we'll see I guess.

[AdventChild]

2 hours ago, Strickerx5 said:

So... eh

'

Been hearing mixed reactions. But yeah, information is starting to come out. It's probably a safe bet that we'll get a trailer or something later today but for now, a synopsis.

(source)

 

Again, not psyched about how this being the same world as G4 (as it really does imply that nothing from that series mattered in the end as ponies still become even more segregated somehow). Not to mention them leaning... heavily on this overall division theme. Like don't get me wrong here, I like meaning behind it but I just don't trust Hasbro to get it right. It takes a bit of work to get right and half-assing it just gives ammo to the idiots out there. But hey, we'll see I guess.

Yeah, with CG, it feels like I'm watching a Filly Funtasia spinoff, barely feels MLP related if not for the Mane 6 figurines in the background. And as said before, I would rather have it set in a new world as I'm not too keen of it being in the same world as G4 where Twilight and her friends' influence has become null and void with greater chances of Equestria being rewritten for the sake of plot. Not to mention the whole diversity angle being the focus is iffy and can easily backfire with poor execution, esp, when G4 done it already.

[AdventChild]

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/02/my-little-pony-franchise-gallops-to.html#disqus_thread

So some news coming along with the investor meeting. So its confirmed that the movie and series are gonna be on Netflix, not surprised, but unfortunate for those who don't have it.

Also got ourselves a male Mane character from the get go this time around and he....not gonna lie looks a tad generic like the rest as if they retooled and recolored Flash Sentry's design. Again, not really sold on the designs as if I'm watching something Filly Funtasia than MLP related. It's also giving me some Dreamworks vibes too a bit (probably the brows). Not to mention the logo is still the same as G4, and well I've already said about how I feel about G5 set in G4 world that gives me worry.

[Strickerx5]

New shot came in too. Though, I think the stream just ended so I guess this is all the news we're getting for now. A tad disappointing since I would've had at least expected a trailer or something but eh.

From that gif though I will say that the models at least move decently well enough. Pretty standard overall but still verily expressive. I'd say a lot of my worries in that department have been slightly put on hold in all honesty.

But yeah, I've pretty much given my two cents on the rest of the new information. This can be good. I don't believe there's a real problem here yet. But with all that said, there are a number of things to keep an eye on. It's all going to come down to execution as to whether this hits like G4 did or just becomes another one of the many forgotten kid shows on Netflix.

That all being said, I can't say I'm too engaged with either outcome at the moment. I never hope for bad content, obviously, but at the same time I had my fun with G4 if that makes sense lol.

[AdventChild]

Even though I don't care much for EQG as a whole, but the fans of it seemed to be screwed over with no new content, let alone a finale. But recently, one of the writers revealed that there have been one in the works.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/03/an-hour-long-special-for-end-of.html#disqus_thread

So the hour long special would've finally revealed the whereabouts of the human Sunset Shimmer all this time and what she had been doing while the pony one took her place. Also, with the whole imbalance of magic effecting both worlds I'm guessing pony Sunset is going to have conflict to choose between human or pony world (and which would explain her presence in the S9 epilogue episode).

So instead of this, what did Hasbro gave us? Pony Life...bleh and Hasbro rushing into G5 too if you can count that.

[MetalSkulkBane]

Huh, that does sound sweet. Oh well.

But one thing is complete joke

Spoiler

magic will find them wherever they go (...) why this keeps happening? Many shows ignore this question completely to detriment of their storytelling

BUAHAHAHHAHAHA. SERIOUSLY?

1) Not every magic needs explanation. My Hero Academia starts with people getting powers for no reason, and that's fine. Frozen didn't need explanation why Elsa has ice powers.
Okay, it's a little funny how magic events keep happening so often, but it's called "Suspension of disbelief". I never questioned why not a single powerful villain attack Equstria when mane 6 were fillies.

2) They thing that matters is that rules of magic remain consistent, and that's a thing EQ sucked badly. First magic comes from magical artifacts, then it works when Mane 7 do stuff, but in Camp Everfree they need magical artifacts again, etc. It's a mess.

3) I guess it wasn't meant to go public, but just talking about "hundreds of dead bodies" in comparison to My Little Pony is hilarious.

[AdventChild]

So some G5 news to bring up. First off, a new MLP book on Amazon's book listing has popped up that is a tie-in to the upcoming movie entitled MLP: A New Adventure:

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/03/my-little-pony-new-adventure-book.html

That title... wow how...utterly generic. What's next? MLP: An Upcoming Journey? Heck, better just call it MLP: The Next Generation instead.

Also, we have an executive producer confirmed for G5 and it's Cort Lane, mainly known for working on a lot of Marvel animated series in the last decade:

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/03/executive-producer-for-my-little-pony.html#disqus_thread

*Looks at his IMDB page ( https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3201920/ )

Yeah, this guy seems to be hit-or-miss with his projects, borderline average from the ratings. Also, going from superheroes to cartoon horses is a great deal of difference, not mention the possible executive meddling that could be involved behind the scenes too. So I kinda remain skeptical overall, not really giving me much confidence for G5.

[AdventChild]

I forgot that Pony Life is still happening and now there's a trailer for S2 starting in April.

Those Wild Siders designs look... pretty garish with those horns and just because G1 did something similar doesn't mean you have to do it.

Also, in other Pony Life news, S2 is just getting 14 episodes, less than S1's 26.

https://www.equestriadaily.com/2021/03/pony-life-season-2-only-has-14-episodes.html

Not surprising honestly. Seems Hasbro is putting all their weight onto the upcoming G5 and probably audience's mixed reactions to PL might have some diminishing effect as well.