Whatever you feel about MLP:Fi M, you cannot deny its status as one of the most influential shows of the past decade. Lauren Faust successfully created a franchise that could be enjoyed by girls and, in contrast with previous generations, everyone else. Many factors played into this, including a charming sense of humor and theatrical musical numbers, but perhaps the biggest reason why people gravitated to this series was the roster of memorable characters, headlined by the Mane 6. These ponies, far from the stereotypes they could have been, accomplished a range of feats, but perhaps the greatest impact of all was their promotion of harmony, even beyond the equine species.
The key problem with G5 hinges on one aspect: how Equestria lost its magic. In the movie, this wasn't a dealbreaker because the events of G4 were implied to be ‘ancient’ & it could be assumed that the failure was outside of any introduced character’s control. However, in My M a backstory directly involving Twilight is revealed, and it is quite possibly the least satisfying explanation anyone could have come up with. Without going deep into spoilers, the backstory involves a scenario very similar to one that was resolved in the final two episodes of the series, but institutions that were in place to resolve that scenario are seemingly non-factors here. Not only is this backstory uninspired, it outright nullifies the Mane 6’s accomplishments. The final shot of the series is, in essence, a complete lie, as you can’t exactly declare a “Happily Ever After” if the ending is short-lived.
Even ignoring this, My M doesn’t look good next to Fi M. Yes, the animation has improved since Chapter 1, but it still has a fraction of the appeal of Fi M. The settings feel empty, as there are very few populating background ponies. The character animation still is off, with perhaps the biggest offender being blatantly off-rhythm hoof taps during a musical number. The music itself leans heavily towards the bubble-pop genre: when your most inspired song is a ripoff ‘Good 4 U’, you’re not exactly going to be compared favorably to Ingram’s accomplishments.
The only significant bright spot was that the Mane Five retained the good characterization they had in the movie as opposed to being shallow G4 knockoffs. Still, the plots they are placed in aren’t exactly mindblowing, and other characters have it even worse. Sprout essentially gets a meaningless cameo, and although I like Misty’s personality, her act with Opaline is repetitive (as of Chapter 2) and I can see her eventual fate a million miles away. Sparky and the Pippsqueaks have the dubious honor of being for kids, and kids alone.
Fi M can be enjoyed by virtually anyone, but My M will only inspire boredom (and possibly rage) in all but the least demanding children. My review was as of Chapter 2, so it is possible it could subvert my expectations in a good way: I'm just not counting on it.
WesternAnimation Misses the Mark, Especially as a G4 Continuation
Whatever you feel about MLP:Fi M, you cannot deny its status as one of the most influential shows of the past decade. Lauren Faust successfully created a franchise that could be enjoyed by girls and, in contrast with previous generations, everyone else. Many factors played into this, including a charming sense of humor and theatrical musical numbers, but perhaps the biggest reason why people gravitated to this series was the roster of memorable characters, headlined by the Mane 6. These ponies, far from the stereotypes they could have been, accomplished a range of feats, but perhaps the greatest impact of all was their promotion of harmony, even beyond the equine species.
The key problem with G5 hinges on one aspect: how Equestria lost its magic. In the movie, this wasn't a dealbreaker because the events of G4 were implied to be ‘ancient’ & it could be assumed that the failure was outside of any introduced character’s control. However, in My M a backstory directly involving Twilight is revealed, and it is quite possibly the least satisfying explanation anyone could have come up with. Without going deep into spoilers, the backstory involves a scenario very similar to one that was resolved in the final two episodes of the series, but institutions that were in place to resolve that scenario are seemingly non-factors here. Not only is this backstory uninspired, it outright nullifies the Mane 6’s accomplishments. The final shot of the series is, in essence, a complete lie, as you can’t exactly declare a “Happily Ever After” if the ending is short-lived.
Even ignoring this, My M doesn’t look good next to Fi M. Yes, the animation has improved since Chapter 1, but it still has a fraction of the appeal of Fi M. The settings feel empty, as there are very few populating background ponies. The character animation still is off, with perhaps the biggest offender being blatantly off-rhythm hoof taps during a musical number. The music itself leans heavily towards the bubble-pop genre: when your most inspired song is a ripoff ‘Good 4 U’, you’re not exactly going to be compared favorably to Ingram’s accomplishments.
The only significant bright spot was that the Mane Five retained the good characterization they had in the movie as opposed to being shallow G4 knockoffs. Still, the plots they are placed in aren’t exactly mindblowing, and other characters have it even worse. Sprout essentially gets a meaningless cameo, and although I like Misty’s personality, her act with Opaline is repetitive (as of Chapter 2) and I can see her eventual fate a million miles away. Sparky and the Pippsqueaks have the dubious honor of being for kids, and kids alone.
Fi M can be enjoyed by virtually anyone, but My M will only inspire boredom (and possibly rage) in all but the least demanding children. My review was as of Chapter 2, so it is possible it could subvert my expectations in a good way: I'm just not counting on it.