What exactly was it about season 1 (and maybe the second half

>>28160067
better times

>>28160077
WISH I COULD TURN BACK TIME
TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP0f5rvVkAU

Honestly, I enjoyed those days better because I had hopes that this show could be good.
But when they confirmed Twilight for alicorn and the metal gear love theme played in the board, all my hopes were destroyed right there.
I just stayed for the drama after that.

>>28160077
>>28160088


Dubs Confirm

>>28160143
Reminder that /s4s/ was good only for a day and that moot himself it was a mistake.

>>28160067
The show was something new, and fans had tons of creative content.
The writing also was more lighthearted and they had room to make new ideas.
Now they're shifting to more realistic topics for some episodes, and new writers are coming in.
I personally don't mind any changes, but some just want comfy episodes with no mistakes and nothing but that.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viTkj0eu-fk

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I hate the new castle

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THE STARS
THE MOOON
THEY HAVE ALL BEEN BLOWN OUUUTTTT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV_0n5gp1fE

>>28160067
There was no toxicity and malice as constant theme between the characters.

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>>28160224
Twilight was sarcastic and stuff.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKeMCXKSk5c

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And the first pmv ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg0-RBlMHoE

>>28160067
The simplicity
Simpler animation, simpler characters that back then didn't each have a baggage of ruined characterization moments, no overly complex lore shit, small ponies in a big world, simpler background music, more catchy songs and simpler conflicts
everything was so simple back then
nowadays it's just bullshit

Objectively, Season 1 is the best season of the show to recommend for a family to watch with their kids.
It was special compared to other cartoons in a sense it didn't went "we put adult jokes in so only adults can get it, while kids will be fine with whatever if it's animated".
It was a dedicated kids' show, that was written decent enough for an adult if not to enjoy - not to suffer over it.

However, as episodes went on, ponies moved from "a kids' show that an adult can endure" to "a show that kids supposed to watch with adults". I think the most explicit starting point of that change was "Party of One", which I would assume might rise some questions for a child, and having an adult near to explain what's going on would be near essential.

The further the show kept going, the more vivid these situations have became.
Even up to the point adults are starting to fail at understanding the moral correctly themselves (I'm looking at you, Newbie Dash).

And while the reason for my initial affection towards ponies was the outstanding quality it had as a dedicated kids' show. It was exactly stuff like "Party of One" what make me fall in love with it personally.
I had my doubts of how should I treat the slow but constant change as the show progressed and I ended up with a conclusion that it was for the best. Hence, I love the show. I was interested when I just started, fell in love when I've returned to the Season 2 and am in love with it right now.

One thing to consider is that ponies might be a show that clings to its target audience as people, not as an age group.
So despite it had started as a cartoon for like 5~10 year old kids - these kids are 5 years older now. They need another lessons. And the show might just be guiding them as they grow.

>>28160501
If I had kids I wouldn't let Hasbro educate them though.
The target audience is irresponsible parents that let them watch tv because they are wage slaves too tired to take their kids to the park or to give a shit when they have free time.
It is blunt, but that's the truth.

It was new.

>>28160067
Was more simple and down to earth. Something that the later seasons don't know how to do

Reason 1: It was new...the world was new , the characters were new, there was a sense of wonder and whimsy about everything, and up until it and maybe even after it we never had a modern fantasy show that was full of likable characrers in a cute setting

Reason 2: The music and animation, in the old episodes the music is much more subdued and the animation was before they found a signature style, so lots of it was kind of choppy but cute and endearing and also there was more focus on the characters being horses rather than otherwise

Other than that, people are morons, the writing quality hasn't changed in quality and technically the animation quality has improved, music quality has largely stayed the same because Daniel Ingram rules

>>28160067
The ponies were more children than adults. They had adult jobs and adult responsibilities, but the premise and lesson of each episode were purely of adolescent nature.

>>28160623
This. Like classic spongebob in a way. He was a goofy adult in an adult world and then post movie became a dumb kid in an adult world.

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>>28160615
>Other than that, people are morons, the writing quality hasn't changed in quality

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>>28160615
>Other than that, people are morons, the writing quality hasn't changed in quality

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>>28160067
Nothing.
The first two seasons were just as cringy and poorly written as the last 4...you're just looking back on them more favorably than they deserve.

The show was never good.
Now post something we can clop to.

Simplicity.
Plus Faust knew how to tell a story.

>>28160067
it was new

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>>28160717
Are you a fellow /b/read poster?

>>28160067
Back then it was cute ponies doing cute things. Now it's obnoxious ponies doing obnoxious things with over the top action.

>no memes
>Pinkie Pie knew how to talk without screaming
>Twilight's foalhood not inexplicably retconned
>actual hope for a Celestia episode one day
>instead of fart jokes, tea parties and sleepovers
>Twilight episodes that don't revolve around royal duties
>No cars or electricity, firefly lamps and knights and spears and shit
Even in season 2 it was starting to degrade

>>28160897
>actual hope for a Celestia episode one day
feels.jpg

>>28160897
>Instead of memes we had subtle things like Twilight standing on a literal soap box when giving some long winded rant
I miss those the most

it was set in a wide-open world; not yet polluted by sad sack weirdos wanting worldbuilding Worldbuilding WORLDBUILDING

i earnestly, unironically believe this show has been co-opted by brain-broken Fandom Forever types, to the point where there's no /need/ for the show because there's always a con to go to (a fucking convention), always an artist to throw Patreon neetbux at, always someone on Youtube making PMVs or 'this is my Fruity Loops mix set to a Donut Steel slideshow.flv'

some big lumbering brony in his super-meta-ironic Daring Do t-shirt pushing aside the eight-year-old to eagerly name their new waifu every Saturday. burn it all to ashes

>>28160739
>Faust knew how to tell a story.
Are you on bath salts?

Faust was supposed to be in charge at the beginning and she did a chickenshit job.
Characterization, history, backgrounds, lore...all of that should have been sorted out and locked down before the first episode was even written.
It wasn't...which is why things are so fucked now.

Faust does not deserve a tenth of the praise you people heap on her. Hasbro/DHX hired her because she worked cheap, the same reason they hired all their third-tier writers.

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>>28161121
If fans view Faust with rose-colored glasses, it's because she inspired them, which is what earned their praise more than anything else she did.

lorefags decided they wanted some Marvel Expanded Cinematic Universe shit and welp, here we are recycling and redeeming villains (discord, trixie, glimmer, the -fucking- changelings) because of course it turns out the hack writers are creatively bankrupt and hasbro - can't blame 'em - want to sell comics and trading cards and books and bobbleheads

thus i prefer the 'ei' cartoon shit myself

>>28160067
Cozy atmosphere full of wonder, a cozy world clearly designed for ponies (pony doors, pony tools, horse-like behaviour) and a creator working behind the scenes to get sure the crew followed her vision instead of trying to cheapen things by doing everything their way.

The characters were simplistic but very likeable, with very definite strenghts and flaws that were used to write good stories where they fucued things up, or saved the day, or learned a new viiew point that made them grown as characters.

Canterlot and Celestia were the summum of mystery and wonder, with a capital literally built on magic and a benevolent ruler loved by everyone and always willing to help her subjects, either directly or indirectly so they could learn how to handle things by themselves.

Then Faust left, McCarthy and Jim Miller took over and crapped all over the original concept to make it trendier or easier to animate. Human poses, human tech, memes, references, character flanderization, retarded plots, character REGRESSION and episodes where they were more intersted to give cameos to their friends rather than paying attention to the story itself.

McCarty worked awesomely well when Faust was still holding her hand, but Jim Miller is a guy who's only previous experience was Ed, Edd n' Eddy, so he should have never been hired to direct a show with a style he had absolutely no idea how to handle or develop.

That's what happened, anon.

David The Pony @davidthepony
[neon green unicorn avatar]

@showstaff @showwriter @hasbroPR WHAT HAPPENED TO [background pony model 37] DURING THE CHANGELING ATTACK. & HOW FAR FROM CANTERLOT IS PONYVILL ??

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>>28161168
> ei cartoon
It had a more simple and honest quality to it, but I don't know that that makes it "better" in any way

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>>28161181

>>28161206
the point was explicitly to make the show educational and or informative

i liked that about the show. it did that in an enjoyable way.

>>28160615
>focus on the characters being horses
I miss that. S1 may have had some weak moments, but it was horsey as fuck in a way the show no longer is.

>>28161181
>Then Faust left, McCarthy and Jim Miller took over and crapped all over the original concept to make it trendier or easier to animate. Human poses, human tech, memes, references, character flanderization, retarded plots, character REGRESSION and episodes where they were more intersted to give cameos to their friends rather than paying attention to the story itself.
You weren't watching the show during Season 1, were you?

>>28161297
Here comes the damage control force again

>>28161291
this

>>28161189
Chaotic Flame @cha0tic_flame02
[Sonic recolor hugging Rainbow Dash recolor avatar]

@showwriter Hello showwriter I want to be in cartoons one day, anyway it's my birthday next week can you say happy birthday?? also do you like my fanchar :)

>>28161312
is bullshit

>>28161312
IS
SPARTA!

ha ha the joke is you're not allowed to make that joke because it's a meme and we never liked it or found it funny at all SO THERE anyway let me talk to you about how Zionists are conspiring against God-Emperor The Donald

>>28161297
I have been watching the series since it's first episode and also followed Faust's comments after an episode aired.

She used to comment about how she was always struggling to keep anything human-like out or at least modify it to make it look "magic" like for example, adding little glowing gems to mechanical gizmos, or using fireflies-poweerd lanterns, etc.
She also lamented the ocassions she couldn't get Hasbro out from meddling the show, like for example, the ridiculous pony-drawn TRAIN from Over a Barrel. (She was opposed to add the engine, Hasbro forced it in anyway)

The current team has included telephones, digital music players, modern ships, modern cities, motorized cars that looked like fucking CARS and not carts, etc.

It's just a matter of time before they include Tvs and robots while still claiming they try to keep tech levels at it's lowest.

fucking Manehattan

>>28161364
Jim Miller loves it so that city is here to stay.

Deal with it.

>>28161350
>She used to comment about how she was always struggling to keep anything human-like out
You do know, that it was her idea to make ponies hug each other, while Hasbro suggested incomparably more horse-like snuggling, don't you?
I am pretty sure, you're being a prejudiced selective faggot here.

>>28161350
This has a lot to do with the change in feel. Not on;ly did it used to be more horsey, but it had more of a fairytale feel because it seemed set in the past - the technology shown most of the time was of 18th and 19th Century vintage, not 20th or 21st. Equestria was not just horse world, but it was horse world from another time.

That shit has definitely been lost.

>>28161404
You got it backwars.
She was all up for neck hugs and fucking hated the hugs with forelegs.

In fact, "AAAARGH! HUMAN POSES!" was a funny short meme back during 2011-12.

>>28160067
Character establishment.

>>28161482
>You got it backwars.
Yeah, I went a retard there.

My opinion is still the same though. Hugs work good, and they are human-like behavior. As ponies holding stuff in their hooves since Season 1. As ponies standing on their rear hooves, since Season 1.
It's not an Animal Planet show.

Female Trixie also works. Really good, if I say so.

>>28160952
I miss too when they were subtele instead of shoving things in your face and saying "LOOK, IS JOKE. LAUGH!"

>>28161604
So... you admit to got your argument wrong but still claim you are right?

OK, you can go back to Twitter now.

>>28161604
But the horsey feel has diminished. I used to find it disturbing that the show made me want to fuck horses, now I watch and sometimes forget they're even supposed to be horses.

>>28161618
Dear, did you forgot how to process information?

I withdraw the "selective" part of my previous claim. This still leaves you a "prejudiced faggot".

As she "lamented occasions where she couldn't", she also admitted that some of that "meddling" was good for the show.

TRAINS and CARS (in upper case, not least!) shouldn't be your problem with the show, but you desperately want them to. You want to have a justification that show went bad - something to prove that you're not just being a nostalgiafag there.
Why?
>>28161627
This "horsey" buzz makes as much sense as "comfy" in every episode that isn't "Look Before You Sleep" to be honest with you. As in "it makes no sense".
Characters didn't became less "horsey". You've just got used to them.
They used to have human-ish behavior all the time.
As they still do horse stuff currently.

>>28161780
>Characters didn't became less "horsey". You've just got used to them.
I'd like to think that, but when was the last time you saw a character grappling to use their mouth to pick something up? That doesn't happen much anymore, they just use their nonexistent fingers.

I still like the show more now than it was back in S1...

Nostalgia thread? Nostalgia thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5YfYtZ32d4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKeMCXKSk5c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijzMnFr-8Tc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d1WceA7D40

Golden Age fanfiction:

Background Pony
Anthropology
It's A Dangerous Business
Antipodes
Off the Edge of the Map
The Moonstone Cup
Night's Favored Child
Shipping And Handling
The Games We Play
Vinyl Scratch Tapes
Allegrezza
Yours Truly
Somewhere Only We Know
Pony Psychology Series
Bubbles
Progress
Simply Rarity
Earth & Sky
Eternal
Transcendence
To Be An Alicorn
The Best Night Ever
The Immortal Game
Reading Rainbow
Fallout Equestria
It Takes A Village
My Little Dashie

>>28162222
>fandom nostalgia
>le epic ancient fanfiction
>missing the point of this entire thread
smdh

>>28162159
>but when was the last time you saw a character grappling to use their mouth to pick something up
Trixie episode is the first thing I remember.

>they just use their nonexistent fingers
As they did in Season 1

>>28162310
I can't remember the last time we saw a character using a door made for horses.

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The show can do whatever the fuck it wants now I stopped caring a long time ago. I'm just waiting for TFH to release.

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>comfy

There he goes again

>>28162543
What is this? Those character designs are both good and diverse. I truly like this.

>>28163296
Them's Fighting Herds. It's the fighting game that Fighting is Magic turned into after they got a cease and desist from Hasjew. Looks pretty good so far.

>>28160088
I remember listening to all of the fan songs from season 1 and 2 people made while doing medial tasks in Minecraft. I've associated that song with carefully traversing lava for diamonds.

Thank you for the memories. Someone should make a comp of the best songs and moments from the Brony fandom.

>>28163296
Them's Fightin' Herds.
It came from the cease & desist that was placed on fighting is magic.
The devs are cool, and Lauren Faust is working on it with them.

>>28163317
>>28163327
Heh, oops.

>>28163317
I actually wondered if they would do something like this after the C&D. I'm so glad they went in this direction.
Someone should create a detailed backstory for all of these characters. If at least as much as most fighting games like Guilty Gear has.

>>28163322
I already posted some more songs
>>28160174
>>28160197
>>28160262
>>28160317
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OcLX8zCApI

>>28160067
>such a comfy feel?
Fun times in Ponyville. It felt like a community.

>>28162543
yeah, your ""mom"" would be proud

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>>28160067
S1 felt like its own quasi-medieval universe with some fantasy influences.

Now it feels like America but with horses instead of humans.

That's where the comfiness died.

>>28163757
S01 had Vinyl scratch, but she still was playing vinyl records as opposed as the MP4 music player she's wearing on S05 and S06.

Other episodes included a fucking TELEPHONE and the previous one had racing cars.

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>>28163392
>Someone should create a detailed backstory for all of these characters.
Well there is this thing called the Book of Lore which acts as a prologue to the main story telling the story of each of the characters before the events of the main game.
https://www.mane6.com/?cat=56
And this too https://youtu.be/nv7sTTWRA7Y

>>28160067
It was a new thing. Our brains felt so many great things, but have since gotten used to it so it doesn't give that same feeling.

It's no coincidence why there's always this trend where people like a series when it starts off and then don't like the later seasons because it's much of the same + ideas are running out/getting worse.

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Because it was still young and all those who worked on it were full of new and creative ideas. The fandom was in or entering into it's Golden Ages and all (Well, most.) were united against all who would destroy us.

We might never experience it again.

>>28163942
Thank you!

>>28164041
There is too much in fighting for the fandom to be good

People who stopped watching want to be superior to people who are still fans, and vice versa

This fandom can only be good if people forget their egos and remember that this is just a show about cute horses, but since everyone want's to be the cynical or try to be the next horse famous person it sucks

It's still not as bad as the SU fandom though

>>28164000
Pretty well. Also nice trips.

I believe the point of which the show can be seen to have gone down in quality is The Last Roundup, so a little passed midway S2. Sure there have been other lousy episodes before that, and in itself Last Roundup is not a bad episode, but I think what can be pointed to as a decline in the series is the whole Derpy issue. It showed there was a difference between the fans, and what they wanted, with Hasbro worrying about what mothers of the target audience wanted. It showed a division. And after that point, it felt like the show went back and forth between trying to please fans and please the target audience, rather than just make a show. It made the whole thing one big seesaw. And I'm not saying all fan things are bad and all "traditional" things are good, or vice versa, but ruining a balance creates such lousy things like last episode, where "Wow let's have zombie references because that's totally in spirit with the show!" At this point, I think they're working too hard to cater to fan desires "Big fights and explosions, we want badass stuff in this show!" rather than keep with what originally drew people to it.

>>28160067
Friendship letters to Celestia.

>>28164862
I don't blame them for stopping with those. The shit would've gotten old by like season 4.

>>28164697
>At this point, I think they're working too hard to cater to fan desires
if that were true we would have watched a decent set of Spike episodes, then a Celestia set and finally Luna and her bat pony guards, aka castor and Pollux if I remember correctly.

Faust, AKR and Larson were the only ones who saw the show as something that was more than just a paycheck or an ego boost.

And with McCarty busy with the movie we are stuck with Jim Miller, who's only previous experience directing a cartoon was Ed, Edd N' Eddy, which was a comedy show about retarded kids scamming other retarded kids and everyone getting hurt and never learning their lesson because well, they were retarded kids. That formula worked because E,E n'E was that kind of show, but Miller is clearly trying to recycle it on FiM, and it shows.

>>28160067
Because it was built more as a fantasy world instead of 'our world but instead ponies'.

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>>28160067
Pretty much every show hits the shitter once they start getting more complex and don't feel as comfortable.
>I'm one of those people who thinks SpongeBob started declining as far back as Season 3 instead of 4-5.
>The Simpsons was good before it became too dark for it's own good, then too light and boring for it's own good after that.
>Family Guy and South Park's black comedy going over the edge.
>Rugrats just became about immature babies doing immature things and not much else.
>Like I said, any show that has at least 3 seasons will feel like complete shit by the end with this mindset.

>>28166855
>SpongeBob Season 3 is worst pre-movie season.
Heretic on the wrong board, son.

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>>28160140
All my hopes for the show were destroyed once Faust announced that she had left the show. I knew from that moment on the show would never be as I thought it would be. I only stayed because my terminal autism prevents me from leaving!

tbqh I think the show was fine until S5 finale. Though there were S3 and some ups and downs, the show managed to provide us hype for the next season.
What bothers me is S6 which is not only killing the hopes we had when S5 was finished but also not providing hype for the next season we might get. Right now, I do not want to see another season after season 6 unless Jayson or original writers return.

>>28160067
The show was lighthearded and innocent during the first couple seasons.

Then, the morals of later episode started to morph into "BE A DICK AND EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT!"

The show became cynical and sarcastic, with a hint of the same irony found on 4chan.

Then it started setting up strawmen as standins for subsets of real people, just to shit all over them.

Regardless of whether you actually like characters like characters like the breezies, Flutter's brother or Dash's equally spergy twin brother (by Daring Do, who boned their father and gave them away), it's hard to say that switching the tagline from "friendship is magic" to "FUCK THESE ASSHOLES" didn't effectively change the the tone of the show in a negative way.

When muh idealistic talking technicolor horse-shaped marshmallows started acting as petty as real people, that was pretty much the beginning of the end.

I wouldn't be surprised if the movie turned out to be nothing but the mane six scoffing at peasants while acting smug and superior.

After all, friendship is magic...so long as you're a mary sue donut steel alicorn who was Princess Celestia's disciple, only to become an alicorn yourself and get your own castle right befote acquiring your own student who just happens to have her own godly magic and time traveling abilities.

Yeah, that really sounds like sonething everyone from all walks of life can relate to.

Ugh, seriously?

>>28160088
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd6e_ZfTyqI

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Out of all the threads I've read here -- where people try to explain the difference between MLP: FiM S1 and S2 versus the later seasons -- this thread discussion explains it best.

I still enjoy the program, but it is definitely different from the earlier seasons of G4.

>>28160067
cuz we knew nothing about the world and its characters. Now we know almost everything and it sucks

>>28164913
I dunno, at this point I really miss them. Beside the summary of the moral, it was also nice to feel that respect towards Celestia. Made the show more unique, plus it allowed for a more natural way to summarize the moral than just having the character repeat it to others (such as in the latest ep).

>>28166855
>South Park
>Gone to shit
The 3 part finale was lousy, but there were several god-tier episodes this season.
>Garrison Trump
>Safe Space
>The kids accidently join ISIS

>>28168161
Yeah pretty much this.

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> The butkissing and backstabbing...