Equestria Girls: A MLP:FiM Spin Off

It's because of just that - IT'S. BEEN. DONE. TO. DEATH.

And the only shows I follow in this setting are shows I surprisingly like that everyone else hates, anyway, hence my opinion on good efforts in this setting being rare - mixed reception to near negative reception, overall - specifically if it's NOT anime.

edited 13th May '13 5:48:24 AM by TheShopSoldier

I think one of the main differences between the reception of the original series and this spin-off is that while the two shows were based on stereotypical "girly" stuff (My Little Pony, a teen comedy), what it gave the edge to Fi M is some sort of "ironic self-awareness"; the show made jokes about their own suggary, colourful world (Pinkie's songs presented from either being incredible corny to godamm awful, "namby pamby" stories, etc...) and had no fear to make jabs at itself.

If EG wants to keep some of the essence that made FIM so big and beloved, it should have some sense of ironic self-awareness: there are plenty of oportunities to make fun and parody High School tropes; on the other hand, if this movie play those tropes straight...well...it can still be good, but I can't imagine being something better than just a cute, if mediocre teen comedy.

edited 13th May '13 6:00:33 AM by Anthony_H

Umm, I'm not. It's also never really crossed my mind because it's not going to conform to anime high school cliches, but american high school cliches which despite being similar are different.

I also don't think that only little girls would like it, that would be stupid. I don't think it is calculated to appeal primarily to a young pre-teen and early teen audience of females, which is kind of exasperating when you know that pretty much every show aimed at that audience has the same overall premise and development and does not appeal to me in the least.

I think you are overestimating how self-aware Fi M actually was. Sure it was at times and that helped the original reception, but it played it self pretty straight plenty of other times.

edited 13th May '13 6:01:49 AM by Mio

If twilight (speaking with adult experience) was to say that high school problems are largely insignificant in the long run, would that help matters? Might be the wrong message though.

HA HA HA HA HA!

You are listing basic archetypes. Stepping beyond anime, you know what else also had all these tropes that you listed? Mean Girls. That's what.

Not to mention the reaction to the love interest who might also be Shining, wasn't even that "in this case he isn't a love interest after all", but that in this case there must be INCEST! You know, 'cause they were hugging. And they are siblings.

It's like people are making the most negative assumptions possible for every trope they can identify. Yeah shows sometimes have love interests. Some of them work, others don't. And what was Trixie herself if not a "bitchy rival"? Except, you know, well-written.

Except that the reception of the original series happened after the original series was airing, and we could actually watch it. Almost every criticism of this show so far, is aimed at the possibility that it MIGHT POSSIBLY be badly executed.

Besides, I was always on the opinion that Fi M's strong point was it's proper dosage of irony and sincerity. There have been plenty of adult-friendly shows in the past decade, from Spongebob to Adventure Time, that are mercilessly mocking anything and everything. Compared to that, Fi M had straightforward aesops, plenty of feelgood songs, genuinely nice friendships, and while it had it's own twists and bends, in the end, it is playing things straight.

Honestly, can anyone name ANY examples of GOOD, non-Japanese cartoons out there that has done this concept of slice-of-life comedy in the High School setting right? I'm curious to hear the answer to that much...

I would list some, but nobody likes my suggestions... That, and the reason I'd like some GOOD western examples is because I don't like anime all that much (95% of it doesn't appeal to me and I barely support the 5% that does...).

edited 13th May '13 6:13:20 AM by TheShopSoldier

It would certainly help if they actually tried to move out of the standard things cause drama in a high school show. Try to actually reflect a broad cross-section of experiences then the standard stuff that I don't think many people actually relate too (at least I don't).

I like Daria...Freds Head is unfairly understimated too

The only one who "collected Halloween Candy" was pinkie Pie, who Twilight flat out asks "Aren't you a little old for that?" The "Pajama party" wasn't some planned event just Twilight figuring, "Hey while your all trapped here, why not fo something I've always wanted to do?"

Vague age doesn't remove the fact that they are self-sufficient, have careers of their own, live by themselves and are clearly adults. The actual numerical number of years they've lived is inconsequential compared to what it is they do. So of course lets regress them to freaking teenagers.

Oh and while we're at it, My Little Pony.. nah we don't need the "pony" part at all.

Again I'm sure the writers will do a good job, my issue is with the fucking idiots marketing execs that came up with the original idea.

Whether anyone agrees wit me or answers my responses or otherwise; even if this turns out remotely decent... Unfair underestimation will ALWAYS EXIST for shows of this setting, especially thee actually decent-to-good ones.

edited 13th May '13 6:35:28 AM by TheShopSoldier

They are having careers when the plot demands an aesop about work, or something. And they have slumber parties, and babysitting jobs, and a childish grasp of relationships, when the plot demands that.

If age is not about the number of years, then there is no way of knowing whether they have been mentally "regressed" to anything, just by being high scool age this time. The whole Parental Abandonment trope is about kids andteenagers who are implausiby self-reliant and do much more than their number of years would justify. And plenty of these examples are from high school cartoons. It's a common trope.

We likely won't see their characters still living with their parents, or explicitly acting more immature than in the main series. So what, exactly, is being regressed?

Plenty of bronies have been drawing humanized art and writing humanized fics until now. If anything, the only obvious problem with Equestria Girls would be the huge brony-pandering in that direction. Except that recently everyone just ignores that, and goes full "Four legs good, Two legs bad" mode.

"carers when the plot demands it" no, it is part of their character, it is who they are. Yes it's only addressed when needed, but it something always in play for them.

nothing they do is at all something only a child/teen would do.

It's explicit that NONE of them bar AJ live with their family but rather on their own, not because of Parental Abandonment but because they are adults and support themselves.

They all have jobs, they all, again bar AJ, live on their own. They are adults in every sense of the words.

Twilight is essentially a grad student.

They are young yes, but not High School young.

EVERY episode that features the main six is tied to their careers in some way. They aren't just a convenience for any episodic plot.

Just want to point out:

Hasn't it been confirmed that a number of people from FIM proper are working on it? I can't recall exactly who, but I'm pretty sure EG was being directed and written by some of the same people.

As for the High School setting, all I really have to say about it is that like every other plot in existence, it can be one well, and it can be done badly. We'll have to wait until it comes out to see which it is. Personally, I think it's the degree of self-awareness that will make or break it. If it plays everything straight and plows headlong into cliches it'll be mediocre. If it plays with them more and subverts expectations, it could be pretty good. Trying to figure out which it's doing just from a trailer isn't really possible at this point.

Saw the first trailer. It looks like it could be sort of amusing at best...cliche and stupid at worst.

Parental Abandonment doesn't just refer to dead and missing parents, but generally to teenagers living without their parents. The only reason why we could gauge Twilight's level as a grad student(even though what she is actually studying is never elaborated), is because she is living alone to begin with, which is a form of circular reasoning. If Pokemon would have been made with ponies, you would have as well argued that Ash is obiously an adult since he is wandering around the world alone, with his parents' approval.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, in particular, make more sense as teenagers than as adults. Both of their current "careers" seems to be more of a hobby/community work than an actual career, and for Rainbow, wanting to join the Woderbolts is her planned future career, with the implication that it would happen as she grows up. An athlete at the apex of her physical abilities should already be able to fill any positions she is able to.

Rarity is pretty much the only one whose career is explicitly incompatible with a high school age, and she is such a Lovable Libby that her personality would otherwise fit perfectly into the situation.

If you are doing humanized ponies, a high school setting makes as much sense as anything else.

edited 13th May '13 7:24:36 AM by Ever9

Pretty sure the head writer is Megan Mccarthy so shouldn't be to bad, plus they know the audience they will be writing for, not just the one the marketing department wants to shill toys to. The addition of DJ-Pon-3 is a nice touch and makes it a bit more likely to me that they'll be keeping it something they know adults can tolerate.

Again no, nothing, not one single thing hints at them being anything but fully self sufficient adults. They live on their own, have jobs, take care of themselves. No they are adults in every sense of the word.

Slumber parties are the only thing that adults would really not do. Other adults do in fact babysit others kids (in fact it's probably preferable to a teenager), and lets face it, you don't have to look very far to see that there are plenty of adults who have a childish grasp of relationships.

Why would we assume Parental Abandonment is in effect? Most of the Mane Six in the show have or have had parents that have shown up. I don't see why they wouldn't show up and/or serve the same function as they do in other high school shows.

Regardless of whether they actually are more immature in this show or not, the perception of them being more mature or older in Fi M then in EG is probably important anyway. If they do come across as being more like teenagers then they do in the show, then a lot of people will dislike it/ find them less repeatable.

It may not be very logical, but it is something that is/will happen.

Sweardown this guys's speaking the truth, the characters of Fi M are WELL past the need to go to.... what's the UK equivalent of High School? Sixth Form?. So trying to say that these are the same characters we all know and love is just fucking pointless. OH WAIT THEY'RE NOT EVEN THE PONIES IN HUMAN FORM Have you seen the freaking names Mc Carthy has given these anthro abominations?

And there are plenty of high school shows with protagonists who live on their own and take care of themselves. Does that also make them adults?

For example, if high-school!Human!Applejack would be living with her granny and brother, and help them out on the farm, would that also make her "an adult in every sense of the word?" If high-school!Human!Twilight would be living in a dorm while her parents are back in Human!Canterlot, would that make her a an adult in every sense of the word?

Yes, but watching that episode, it make as much if not more sense to imagine the scenes as the Cakes hiring the immature girl who helps out at their shop in part-time, than as trusting a responsible young woman. Pinkie Pie is NOT "an adult in every sense of the word", unless every sense of the word that you can come up with revolves around not living with one's parents.

Again, Parental Abandonment isn't just about explicitly missing parents, but also about the suspiciously rarely-appearing parents common in other high school shows. I'm saying that if they would show up as much as in other shows, including the main FIM series, that in itself would make them unrealistically independent and there would be no reason to say that they have been regressed.

edited 13th May '13 8:15:30 AM by Ever9

@Hugo: Dude, cool down slightly.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

The cast is by-and-large self sufficient:

Twilight lives on her own in the library, Rainbow Dash has her own house and job (and it should be noted she's the head of the weather team, which implies that she's fairly high on the totem pole), Fluttershy has her own cottage and Rarity runs her own business. All of them are pretty obviously adults and have never implied to be anything else. Of the other two ponies, AJ only lives on the farm out of choice. Out of the whole cast, the only one who I'd doubt could live on her own is Pinkie; she's immature enough that I could see the Cakes having to handle some stuff for her.

That said, this is irrelevant to EG because EG takes place in a separate universe. Whether or not canon Rainbow Dash is a self-sufficient adult is irrelevant because in the EG-verse she isn't. Whether or not the EG Dash is in high school or not doesn't have any bearing on the relative maturity level of the pony Rainbow Dash.

Dude, no one's going to listen to you if you just mash your keyboard. Calm down and lets discuss this like mature human beings.

edited 13th May '13 8:28:20 AM by JapaneseTeeth

He was joking, dude.