So it only just hit me how expressive the characters used to be, compared to how they are now.
In the newer seasons they just make the same expressions and only exaggerate to get a laugh.
Fuck.
>>26978200
>the show had more authentic character when it was produced by people with personal interests in the show
Who could've guessed?
>>26978200
This is probably the biggest lie anybody's ever told about the show thus far.
If anything, the character's have gotten MORE expressive. Yes, that means exaggerating as well. Did you even watch today's episode? Rarity fucking carried it with her emotions and reactions.
Don't let nostalgia skew your view. The animations and expressiveness have only gotten better as the show goes on.
>>26978269
I haven't seen anything about season 6 yet, is it actually more expressive than it's usually been for the past few seasons?
>>26978200
The later seasons are more expressive, anon. It's just that the older seasons' expressions were more on model and less exaggerated than they are now.
But there's still some good stuff like >pic related
>>26978302
>its a nostalgiafag talks shit about a show he doesn't actually watch thread
Short answer, it's on par with the expressiveness of every fucking season ever. To me, even if the writing has lacked in a few areas, the animation and voicework has always shone through. Take off those nostalgia-goggles anon.
>>26978200
The animation has gotten better since back then; they didn't have a huge budget or time to do it all. Just wish they'd stop make ponies use human gestures but you can't have it all.
>>26978200
In all honesty, it's both yes and no.
On the one hand, facial expressions are miles more complicated now than they used to be; they have many times more possible expressive elements to choose from, which lets them do more subtle and expressive movements of the faces without resorting to super-exaggerated features all the time. This is undeniably a good thing.
On the other, ponies' body language basically doesn't exist in more recent seasons. Barring also super-exaggerated poses and scenes, things like ear position or tail gestures (let alone wing movements or hoof positions being used to indicate emotions) are basically non-existent. This makes them feel rather more static and unmoving compared to early-season ponies.
>>26978269
WAY TO SAVE THE THUMBNAIL YA BIG DUMMY
>>26978200
>In the newer seasons they just make the same expressions and only exaggerate to get a laugh.
nigga did you even see the pic you posted?
>>26978768
Sounds about right
>>26978768
Them acting like actual ponies (with wing/ear/etc movement) was one of the best things about this show.
>>26978269
You're insane, hang yourself and go to hell already. I haven't so much idiotic denial since 2012. And for love of the fucking god you degenerate, stop caps locking just 1 word, that's not how you use caps lock you mongoloid.
>>26978377
That looks like tweened flash and 5 unrelated expressions trying to fit into 1 second. It reminds me of Double Rainboom's starting scene in which twilight is making faces while shaking the potion.
>>26980271
Well yeah, it's a hyperactive pony talking quickly in excitement. Of course it's going to have lots of expression changes.
>>26978768
Pretty much this
>>26978200
shush man, don't say those things out loud just like that our you'll get a horde of newfags telling you to kill yourself without giving any proof against you
Also, a mess of goofy and wacky silly faces is not facial expression
>>26981106
Been here since S1. In fact I liked the show before it even took off on 4chan. OP is just a doomsayer looking for >yous.
>>26978768
Is pretty much the closest to truth ITT, the faces have not become less expressive but the overall animation style has changed in some ways, body language MUCH more than facial expressions
But you know, I watch the show not just post here to troll and throw around ad hominems.
>>26981137
Quit lying you douche.
>>26981137
It is the closest to truth, yes. The problem is, facial expressions used to be better, not what >>26981106 said
>26981164
I can't into england. I'll make my own point
They used to look better and be more realistic, specially in S1. Now they're overdone, impossible faces from a cheap cartoon show
>>26981175
>from a cheap cartoon show
Only the budget for animation has only gone up and it's quite obvious? The faces in S1 and 2 were different, but claiming the animation has become "cheaper" is pretty asinine of you and only proves you don't watch the show, the animation has pretty much improved and gotten more expensive looking with each season.
>>26978302
>hasn't actually watched new episodes
>talks shit about them
This is literally the cancer killing /mlp/
>>26981196
Not cheaper in budget, but in the final result and animators attitude. As in, like I said, the animators just making exaggerates faces for any expression
>older season thread
this is more of a request linked with older seasons but would someone catch me up?
I watched up to the coco chanel rarity episode of season 4 and i want to just to s6. Could someone give me a cap of significant event / details that happen in the end of s4 and the enierty of s5? Cheers
>>26981196
I think what anon's trying to say is that the faces the ponies make are more zany and cartoony than they were earlier on i.e. overdone and impossible, like what you'd find in a forgettable wacky kids show.
>>26981196
Finay I found one example. What the hell is this? Not even the cartoonish character would be physically able to do this, plus it looks awful
>>26981224
Idk familia...I mean, s1 never used zany exaggerated faces lol, it's not like that was something Lauren actually prided herself in forcing the animators to do, like make over the top cartoonish faces, totally wasn't something she said lol
>>26981222
No, just watch it you lazy fuck, NOBODY HELP THIS ANON
>>26981234
Pinkie Pie don't count bruh
>>26981245
Alright, compare fluttershy's face (made out of character desperation) and >>26981234
>>26980263
You seem upset
>>26980263
>provides no counter argument
>calls him insane
>Mongoloid
Yes, I can see your infallible logic quite well
>>26981267
The reason you had to "finally" find an example is simple, it isn't that common, and it's usually Pinkie Pie.
>>26981317
Or rainbow dash last season. First example that I can think of
And it being just pinkie isn't a excuse, she didn't have to turn into the stupid random comical relief. And her face is like any other character's
>>26978269
>that means exaggerating as well
Wrong
theres a point where Rarity's reactions felt forced, even more than Twilight's on Feeling Pinkie Keen
They are doing epic faces for image macros on purpose
>>26981245
S1 had a few zany exaggerations, like that face Twilight made at the end of Feeling Pinkie Keen (when she escapes the Hydra). They just weren't as common or as overt as later on.
>>26981360
>image macros by little girls
Are you implying that they intend for the target demographic to make these macros? Or are you implying that they actually want the adult fandom to do so?
The reason S1 had less "wacky" faces was because they had to do everything from the start. Later seasons already have the flash puppets built, and a set of expressions, so they have more time to make new faces and expressions. In S1 they just had to deal with the basics because that's all they could afford to have.
>>26981222
Nothing
s4 finale is an epic DBZ fight with Tirek as Discord is a shit character as usual since its reformation
s5 premiere is a gommunist bitch leading a town by stealing cutiemarks from ponies and then the mane6 defeat her
skip episodes from 5 to 12 if you wanna have a good time
s5 finale is the same bitch seeking revenge, but its revealed that her backstory is total trash which makes the finale utter shit
Lots of funny AUs tho
>>26981376
they expect people to cap the show and use it as reaction images because whatever.
The show and plot is irrelevant, the popularity of the show is based of pony images where they do weird faces.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say most people here just treat watching the show as a chore. Oh wait, that's actually the case.
Seriously, just leave if you don't like fun.
>>26981234
I think the running joke since S1 has been that Pinkie Pie is the only character that acts "like a cartoon character" and the mane 6 are always pointing out on that shit
>>26981376
Not even after episode 100 you realise they want the milk the fandom dry?
>>26981388
>The latter seasons build on the first seasons
This same tired broken logical fallacy. No you're wrong, end of discussion.
>>26981416
Well according to all of the positive vibes in this thread, Hasbro is just doing fantastic at catering to the adult fans. They're liking appealing to the autism, so we can either acknowledge that and move on, or all you faggots can just stop watching the show and eventually take your cancer elsewhere.
>>26981487
>pandering is good
cmon now, you can try better than this for (you)s
>>26980271
>not understanding what tweens are
her blink-cycles are traditionally animated with simple vectors and her movements are done manually, typically using tweens as rough animations, converted into arcs and more believable motions
DRB was just shitty animation
>check out the catalog to see what are people talking about
>there's two threads about expressions next to each other
wew lads
I sort of agree with the sentiment itt. From the first season up to the current S6 they are always improving the animation, making new angles, new faces, etc.
Now some of them are nice, it's great to see more detail and some cuter smiles. However every now and then I cannot shake the feeling that they went too far, especially on Pinkie. I get that Ponka is the quirky comic relief 4th wall breaker and crazy faces are a part of that package, but I'm wary of this eventually rubbing off to other ponies.
I also have the feeling that body language and horse-like reactions are a bit more toned down nowadays, but there's no real research behind that statement so I might be completely wrong.
The one thing I miss from S1 are the smirks. Instead of pulling off crazy smiles, they just changed the outline of their mouth/snout a little to convey the expression, and that is completely gone from the show nowadays.
>>26982094
>I also have the feeling that body language and horse-like reactions are a bit more toned down nowadays, but there's no real research behind that statement so I might be completely wrong.
You're right - they actually said that it was Lauren's wish to keep everything as horselike as possible in s1. After she was gone in s2, Meghan took them in a more humanlike direction, which is why ponies in s1 wrote almost everything either with magic or their mouths, while from s2 onwards the preferred to use their hooves (only rarely their mouths) and had a lot more humanlike reactions in general.
It's not something that bothers me in general, but I slightly preferred them being more like horses.
>>26982163
>that Apple Bloom scene
This was actually storyboarded by Sibsy. I remember her stating that her first draft had Apple Bloom write with her hooves, butLauren didn't want that, so they ended up with AB using her mouth.
>>26982163
Yeah, glad to hear I'm not the only one..
I know that the ponies since episode one sometimes did a humanlike pose because there's no other way to do certain things, but overall it felt like they were horses if possible. Unless it's a pose that makes me question whether it breaks some bones in pony's anatomy I don't really mind, but every time they behaved like a horse, even if it's just a snort or a whinny, makes it sooo much cuter.
>>26978200
>so it only just hit me now
>>26981412
If you want me to leave then you'll have to find me a hasbro-free zone where S2+ is considered Steven Universe shit-tier
>>26981196
YOU'RE CRAZY.
>>26982228
>>26982447
Season 1 and 2 will always feel quite special to me but since Lauren Faust left I can't really tell how the show lost its appeal
what made those first seasons so good?
>>26982163
>>26982200
You two aren't the only ones at all. As >>26978768 said, horse gestures and body language are a lot more absent in recent times.
In fact, I'd argue that's part of why we're more aware of both the increased complexity of their facial expressions and the seeming increase in "zany" faces: In S1 and early S2, we were getting emotional information from their entire bodies.
Now we look almost entirely at their faces, which makes us very aware of all the "zany" faces they do we might not have otherwise seen.
>>26982464
>Season 1 and 2
>since Lauren Faust left
uhh
>>26982464
Uhhhh maybe because every character(and writer) is acting genuinely autistic in their behaviour and actions as opposed to just dumb cartoon character playing his role to be funny(Peter Griffin, Cheese, Homer Simpson)
It's been like this since season 2's Return Of Harmony, Lesson Zero, Luna Eclipsed, those are the episodes that stuck the most out with how retarded the characters could get.
As for the first season ever being good? The directing for the characters and voice acting was excellent for being a shitty toy commercial, but the writing was still horrendously hypocritical, cowardly and terribly autistic.
Still I'd love to see Gendy Tartavosky's take on My Little Pony.
>>26982561
>Still I'd love to see Gendy Tartavosky's take on My Little Pony.
Too many sharp edges
>>26980263
>New episode literally has more facial expressions than any other in season 1 & 2
>People actually agree with OP
>>26982561
>Gendy Tartavosky's
Overrated shit , Samurai Jack was one of the worst shows ever to get a retarded fanbase. MLP is leagues above it, fuck off to /co/ circle jerk threads for shows we knew were bad when they first came out sissy
>>26978768
>>26978200
>>26982094
>>26982163
>>26982200
Actually, I just went through a couple S1 and S5 episodes randomly, disabled the sound, and just watched the expressions and body language. I recommend everyone else to do the same.
My observations:
– Facial expressions have definitely become more diverse over the seasons and the animators now have a wide range to choose from, making use of them a bit more often. That said, even in S1 facial expressions were fairly diverse.
– Emotive ears have always been used mostly to convey sadness and fear, at which point the ears will be lowered. This has always happened relatively rarely, and continues to do so. From the episodes I sampled, the rate was about the same both in S1 and in S5.
– Other body language, like wing movement or hoof positions, is most definitely still being used regularly in S5, but I'd say there may be a little less full-body emotive displays than in S1.
– Horse-like poses/actions vs human-like poses/actions: There doesn't seem to be much of a difference in the ratio honestly. There were quite a few human or anatomically awkward poses in S1, I never noticed how many of them there are in the early parts of Fall Weather Friends. I'd almost be inclined to say it's more conspicuous nowadays because it happens less often or because the animation is generally more consistent so what would maybe be dismissed as a product of the animators getting used to the style back then now stands out more, but I think the ratio is fairly similar and people are just looking for reasons to be annoyed (Especially when the complain about things that are actually perfectly possible, I've seen that happen).
>>26982094
>they just changed the outline of their mouth/snout a little to convey the expression, and that is completely gone from the show nowadays
This one is blatantly false. First of all, they still do that, and second, even in S1 they would sometimes also have them have an open mouth.
(cont.)
>>26984589
In the end, every episode is different and requires a different amount of expressions or poses, some have lots of emotion, some have few, some have lots of ponies, some have few, so usage of facial expressions and body language will vary. But overall, I'd say that from my observation, the animators are maybe using a little more facial expressions and close-up shots and put a little less emphasis on body language and full-body expressions. However, I only looked at a few episodes, and not entirely either, and even if those changes are accurate, both ways of expression are still regularly used, so saying that one or the other is "basically non-existent" (like >>26978768) or similar is simply not true.
Pic semi-related, it shows a bunch of facial expressions, some of which include "just changing the outline of the mouth a little" or full-body expressions/body language. As far as I know, all of these are from S4.
>>26978200
I agree, older seasons expressions were much funnier.
>>26980140
^So much this
>>26980140
>>26985826
It still is
>>26984607
wow tht image
>>26984589
>blatantly false
What I meant was in the pic that I posted with it, those kinda weird lips positions to show smirks etc., I would really appreciate if you showed me an example of these being used in any episode past S2, or hell, maybe even S1, because I sure don't recall them using it. I don't want to sound hostile, I'm genuinely curious, because not a single occasion of these being used comes to mind.
I'm also not saying they used exclusively that, just that they were present in S1 and they're nonexistent in the newer seasons, mostly because they got better, probably more readable expressions to replace them with.
On the other points I admitted that it's just my baseless feeling so it might as well be that the ratio on horse/human is the same, I can't argue with that, though I still feel that the various horse noises were heard more often back then.
I agree with you on that the horse behaviour/body language definitely isn't gone, but it's probably used less.
>>26987405
>those kinda weird lips positions to show smirks etc
>I would really appreciate if you showed me an example of these being used in any episode past S2, or hell, maybe even S1, because I sure don't recall them using it
Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly, but from the expressions that your picture shows, I'd say that my picture in >>26984607 has a couple of those, look at the lower half, specifically timid, bitter/callous, studenty, and especially condescending/scornful (by the way, I don't agree with all of the labels in that image, but I think it's a good one to show the range of expressions in S4). Otherwise, have a bunch of caps from the intro of The Mane Attraction, i.e. S5E24 (Note especially the changing expressions with closed mouth on Applejack in the three caps from the same shot).
I have a feeling you mean something else than I understood, because this kind of closed-mouth expression is extremely common in every episode.
>I still feel that the various horse noises were heard more often back then
I'm not sure about this one either, however I think that the horse noises were very rare in S4 and maybe S3, but became more common again in S5 and, if it keeps up, even more in S6. I think S5 still had less than S1/S2, but I don't really know because I really don't remember how common they were back then (I'm fairly sure that even in the early seasons not every episode had horse noises, but I might be wrong. I really need to rewatch the early seasons for this kind of stuff).
>>26987405
Have this one from The Hooffields and McColts (S5E23), too.
![My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic - S05 E21 - Scare-Master.mkv_snapshot_18.59_[2016.03.28_20.32.19].png](https://i.imgur.com/9dtgQUp.jpg "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic - S05 E21 - Scare-Master.mkv_snapshot_18.59_[2016.03.28_20.32.19].png")
Just an example from S5
S5 was by far the most detailed.
They took the most time making it (how long was the hiatus. Like, half a year?.)
I remember threads talking about things in the background and little details.
Last episode is when the difference showed the most, because the animation and still frames looked weird a lot of the times.
>>26987405
Oh, I think I got it now. You specifically mean the position, not just the closed mouth, right? Well, as you said, that probably got reduced once they had more unique expressions, but as you can see in the caps I posted, it does still happen.
