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Well, this came almost out of nowhere, apart from a couple of very vague hints in the last few days. My Little Pony: Pony Life is on the way for 2020! According to the Hasbro press release quoted on EqD, the new character designs (also shown in the EqD post) are chibi-inspired, while the show "looks at the funny side of friendship". The series will centre on Sugarcube Corner and will feature mysterious potions. The recently-redesigned toys are associated with the new series, and they will apparently be available in "select retailers" in December, at least in North America.
Okay, before I go any further, I want to mention that I have never watched Teen Titans Go! Why am I saying this? Because about every third comment I've seen thus far about Pony Life has included a TTG reference, usually unfavourable, and I'm getting just a bit frustrated with seeing it mentioned again and again and again. It means nothing to me and in all honesty, it's already boring me. Other cartoons exist, and I'd be much more interested if anyone had some thoughts about other shows that Pony Life may have taken some inspiration from.
Pony Life is very clearly not G5. That shouldn't even need saying, but apparently it does. The Mane Six and Spike are still present (and voiced by the same VAs), the world is apparently the same, and so on. I think there is a case for calling this G4.5, since it's based on a significantly redesigned toyline and it's a different approach for the series. Whether that will stick I don't know, since all we've seen so far are a few still drawings and this trailer – most of which features the toys rather than the cartoons.
The choice of music for the video is interesting: Lizzo's "Good as Hell". I'm fairly sure Friendship is Magic would never have used the word "hell" in a trailer, especially repeatedly as this song does. Whether that's a deliberate hint of a change in direction, who knows? The song is the clean edit, unsurprisingly: for example, the line "Walk your fine self out the door" is actually "Walk your fine ass out the door" in Lizzo's original. Amusingly, the relevant word is at exactly the same point we see a close-up of Applejack's flank. Coincidence? Yeah, sure it is.
So, will I watch Pony Life? Well, yes – at least at first. It's not going to replace FiM in my affections, I'm certain of that, but then FiM was a once-in-a-blue-moon show for me. But as some cute, funny stuff to fill the gap between now and the movie in autumn 2021, I think it could be fine. If they start filling it with toilet humour or something, then I'll switch off, but I will at least give it a fair chance. And even if it's appalling, My Little Pony has survived all kinds of stuff since the 1980s. It will survive this. I'd like it to do a little more and actually be entertaining, of course!
Edit: an interesting point made by Inkan1969 on EqD: in the pictures released there, the title card shows the ponies with coloured outlines. Every other picture, and the video, shows them with black outlines. Now I've had it pointed out, I can't unsee it. (For what it's worth, I think black outlines work better, perhaps because they remind me of what most of the IDW comic artists used.)
The TTG comparisons (whichoI'm now adding to, sorry!) aren't because of the style per se, it's because the situation is directly analogous - a beloved and carefully crafted animated show comes to an end, and a few months later a reboot is announced with the same voice cast (including Tara Strong, amusingly) as a zany cartoon comedy - the parallels are inescapable. I guess more points of comparison with other things will emerge when we've seen more than this trailer?
ReplyDeleteFor the record I loved TTG, finding its sense of humour admirably daft, andiI hope I'll enjoy this too.
it's because the situation is directly analogous
DeleteI know. I've read hundreds -- and I mean literally hundreds -- of comments on the TTG parallels already. I was hoping for something beyond those.
I am glad to hear a view from a pro-TTG perspective, though! That makes a change from the EqD standard of "Argh, it's like TTG = it's bound to be awful!"
I get where you're coming from (and apologise for adding to the pile there!), but there isn't really a huge amount go on at the moment, so when there's an immediate and obvious comparison point, and pretty much nothing else, then I don't think there'll be much substantial commentary for now beyond "I like the visuals and think it's gonna be great!" or "I hate the visuals and I think it's gonna be awful!", or variations thereupon. So you're probably stuck with the TTG similarities until we get a proper episode trailer at least...
DeleteI would say, in defence of the three people who've commented 'yes but TTG though', your original post did *kind of* make it sound as if you didn't know why everyone was talking about it - 'stop comparing this to a show I haven't seen and don't care about', rather than 'yes I see now change the bloody record' :)
Fair points all. :)
DeleteYou've probably heard the whole 'Pony Life = Teen Titans Go' comparison to death clearly, so I'm going to do my best not to bring it up... Intentionally. But I think you do, however, need to understand 'why' many fans feel concerned with this direction. I want to like 'Pony Life', I really do. If anything I will admit if I have to pick-and-choose, I'd choose the designs over the ponies over any other chibi-style show that follows a highly acclaimed successful show. To me, all those reboots that the cartoon industry comes up that focuses more on the quantity of humor they can dish out and not the 'quality' of character development, story-telling and clever comedy is just doomed to receive the hate treatment no matter how much they try to enjoy their work (Even 'Thundercats' received some hate when they announced a new show in that style).
ReplyDeleteThere's one thing you need to know about me: I HATE forced-comedy with a passion (Especially the kind that uses toilet humor for cheap, easy laughs). I grew up watching programs where the comedy was clever, that even when it was dialogue they'd add some slap humor that wasn't overly graphic, the timing and execution of the joke was just at the right moment, even the classic elements like 'pie in the face' or a simple 'chase' scene makes me chuckle because of the reactions they do that make it fun to watch. And the thing is... How do we know that a show like this is even going to last? If anything it's just another 15 minute segment, two of them in one episode, going on for maybe a season but how much can they really work with to make this as ongoing as... Well, I promised not to bring that up so I don't need to say it. All I'm saying is that unless this is meant to be a kid version of 'Cheers' that mostly takes place in one setting but they can still make clever humor with unforgettable characters, I just feel like this program can easily be skipped and no one would really miss anything.
I'd prefer to watch 'Steven Universe Future' even if it's more of a limited series than 'Pony Life' will be, but at least the former has a lot of heart... Or at least I hope it will because I was already hooked by the opening alone.
But I think you do, however, need to understand 'why' many fans feel concerned with this direction.
DeleteI don't for a moment think you meant that line as such, but it does come across as a tiny bit patronising. As I said in my post, I have seen loads of comments on that issue. Even though I haven't seen TTG myself, I am capable of understanding the general points.
Especially the kind that uses toilet humor
I'm with you there. If Pony Life goes down that road, I'm switching it off.
I just feel like this program can easily be skipped and no one would really miss anything.
I think you're probably right -- and I think it's intended as filler to tide people through 2020, so I don't imagine Hasbro will worry about that.
Yeah... That was probably the wrong choice of words that first part. You won't believe how many times people assumed I was being 'patronizing'... Bit of a habit actually. I merely meant to imply an understanding as to where everyone is coming from. No one needs to actually see the show to get this idea as to how people react to it. Granted, some folks enjoy this show more than others for reasons I admit I'll never understand no matter how many counter arguments I receive on my overall thoughts I just had to make sure you knew what I actually meant to say.
DeleteNo worries. I probably overreacted a bit on account of getting frustrated by the EqD comments. Apologies for that.
DeleteRight now, I'm just salty that my declaration of the movie and seasons 8 and 9 being G4.5 so I could ignore their canonicity is null and void. >:B
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, it's Pony Go. And I say this as someone who liked the few TTG episodes I saw. Granted, I've also never seen the original Teen Titans, so...
That's three comments out of three that have either referenced TTG or made a show of not doing so... oh well, not a big deal, I suppose...
DeleteRight now, I'm just salty that my declaration of the movie and seasons 8 and 9 being G4.5 so I could ignore their canonicity is null and void. >:B
Well, G3 had three subgens: the original, G3.5 and Newborn Cuties. You could call this new cartoon G4.6 if you wanted! :P
That's just making up gens, you can't do that! D:
DeleteTo add one more note to the deluge of TTG comments, I did a little research.
The time between Teen Titans ending and Teen Titans Go airing was 7 years, though the original series was still in reruns for a year after TTG aired.
Thundercats Roar -- which has not actually aired yet! -- will be coming out 8 years after the anime reboot and 21 years after the original series went off the air.
It's been literally a month since season 9 ended and we're getting this announcement. <.< It'll be less than a year before Pony Life becomes an actual thing. I am dismayed because they're using the same characters and giving us, not something more or less new like what the G5 leaks suggested, but something only slightly different when the show's corpse isn't even fully cooled.
That's just making up gens, you can't do that! D:
DeleteSure I can! I've seen Newborn Cuties described as G3.6 more than once. Okay, and as G3.75. And as an abomination from the deepest depths of hell, yea, where there was wailing and gnashing of teeth, or at least would have been if they'd been able to animate that properly.
I am dismayed because they're using the same characters and giving us, not something more or less new like what the G5 leaks suggested, but something only slightly different when the show's corpse isn't even fully cooled.
I don't mind that, actually. Now I know the same VAs are involved, I might quite like sticking with the characters for a little while longer. Of course, the episodes will have to be better than late-era Equestria Girls shorts.
Not that tall an order, all things considered. It remains to be seen.
DeleteThe freeing thing, of course, is realizing this is a completely different show and nothing says any of us have to like or even watch it.
Maybe all the TTG comments are from people who haven't watched much anime? Because the chibi thing is a big deal in anime, and seeing distorted tiny versions of the main characters is a commonplace thing for many, many shows.
ReplyDeleteMy initial strong negative reaction was because I mistakenly assumed this was the look of G5. (The press release wasn't all that clear.) But for generation crack spackle? Easy to ignore if I don't like it, I suppose.
I actually do have a little (note the word!) experience with chibi spin-offs, since Miraculous Ladybug has one. I can take it or leave it, really.
DeleteMy initial strong negative reaction was because I mistakenly assumed this was the look of G5.
You're certainly not alone there! I might have done too, at least initially, had I not only seen the preview several hours in, by which time the press release was already out there.