Pony Life Episode Discussion (Spoilers)

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I don't think too many others are interested, but I thought I'd start a thread anyway. I thought it was very cute, about on par with most other cartoons on today which makes sense as to why I like it. I do feel like it's similar in vibe to Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own, but I wish future episodes wouldn't be just five minutes long!
Princess Probz was pretty cute! It was still a bit more sincere than I had expected for how Wild and Smug the trailers made the show seem. I think this one was a bit more meta than The Best of the Worst, like this was a pilot or an experimental episode. The potions seem like a fun way to get some neat sequences in, too, so I'm certainly excited for those. Also interesting idea to throw in a season-long thread!
The Best of the Worst was rather amusing, I loved Twilight's "Perfect Randomness!" bit. I think Twilight's character is coming off as a bit less put-together and more nerdy, which I like. Dishwater's design is gross but it accomplishes its task, and I don't think he'll be coming up much in the future. The baby pony doesn't strike me as having a cute design, though, which usually baby ponies are meant to do? I love the stylization but the baby pony design just doesn't seem to fit in quite as much.

[Mrs. Prospector]

All right, I survived the first episodes of Pony Life, and here are my thoughts:

First off, it's at least better than Newborn Cuties.
But it's still about what I expected. Just stupid, but ultimately harmless fluff. I wasn't turned off by the show at all, but it's not something I think I'd watch again unless there was a surprisingly good episode.
 I found the pace too fast, it was too loud with nonstop action and it was hard to tell what exactly was happening, especially in Princess Probz.
Also, there's something offputting about the animation that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not the character designs or expressions, I think it's maybe the simplified backgrounds combined with the thick black outlines of the characters? IDK. It seems too loud as well, with a lot of screaming and poppy background music overpowering the dialogue in some scenes.
 Also, I know many find them cute, but there's just no reason for these characters to be called "ponies" anymore. Not only do they look like cats, but they act like cats, with Twilight screeching and arching her back, and Dishwater Slog licking his hoof.

Princess Probz: It wasn't horrible, but I really wasn't a fan. I think this episode suffered from the quick pacing the most. The potions just came out of nowhere, with no explanation, and when the episode ended, I couldn't remember what exactly happened. The sincere scene surprised me, even if it wasn't as impactful as those in FIM. Really the only laughs I got were from AJ's 4th wall breaking.

Best of the Worst: First up, what the hay is with that foal design? He looks like a doll or pet rather than a child. This episode made a bit more sense, but it still suffered from the same problems the series as a whole seemed to have. While the episode's concept was a fun one, it didn't seem to deliver except during the "emotional failure" round, which made me chuckle. On a separate note, why can Fluttershy grow? Can someone please explain these new elements? They probably won't, considering how fast paced this show is. It seems like there will be a lot of running gags in this that will get old fast, like Rarity's fainting couch, which appeared in both episodes.

So that's my opinion. If you're into silly randomness like this, you might like it, and I definitely won't stop you or hate on you if you do. It just didn't keep me intrigued, and probably will rewatch the four other generations instead.

[kingluke]

I haven't seen them yet. They aren't on youtube here.
Can anybody please tell em where I can watch them?

[pawpatrolbab]

I haven't seen them yet. They aren't on youtube here.
Can anybody please tell em where I can watch them?

I'm wondering the same. I have no idea where to find the episodes : (

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I do actually have Google Drive links!
Princess Probz:
The Best of the Worst

[RoseNoire]

I've watched them. To me, they are boring and obnoxious. 

[kingluke]

I do actually have Google Drive links!
Princess Probz:
The Best of the Worst

Thank you.

[TJgamer]

So should we officially call this G4.5? Because it definitely is a ".5" generation.
That said, I do agree that it's got a lot more going for it than the Newborn Cuties.

Princess Probz was...weird. I understand they threw a ton of stuff in there to bring us all up to what this show is about, but I don't think I'm going to enjoy Pinkie Pie being the main character of this show. She already tested my patience at times in FiM; this is really going to stretch it. I'm oddly okay with this new version of Celestia, though. It's fine time for Nicole Oliver to be more lively with her Celestia voice. 

The Best of the Worst I enjoyed quite a bit. It's more straightforward with the plot, so the breakneck speed is more manageable. And while Rainbow Dash was often one my lesser favorite characters in FiM, I think she's fits much better in Pony Life. I didn't usually take her that seriously, so putting her in a show that's not meant to be taken seriously at all makes sense to me. 

Overall, I'm glad I saw this pilot. I don't love it, but it had just enough to keep me watching. It also helps that these episodes are shorter, so the obnoxiousness doesn't drag as much. If they play their cards right, I believe I can stomach maybe two or three seasons of this.   

[AvianWing]

So should we officially call this G4.5? Because it definitely is a ".5" generation.

In the video descriptions for the trailers on YT they call it a “new G4.5 show”.

So I guess this is officially G4.5.

[Wardah]

I haven't really watched them yet but did they explain any of the strange blind bag elements like the pets with horns or the hippo or the balloon ponies yet?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I haven't really watched them yet but did they explain any of the strange blind bag elements like the pets with horns or the hippo or the balloon ponies yet?

Nope, none of that has come up at all. Potions are gently touched upon but we've not seen any non-pony animals or balloons.

[Skandalous]

Oof. Not my thing. Princess Probz gave me a headache. The potions... why? I kind of need an explanation here... otherwise it looks like the ponies are just taking drugs for no reason xD

Also... did anyone notice the animation error with Twi's wings disappearing for more than a frame? Not really a criticism, since those kinds of mistakes are to be expected in the first episodes. Just an observation.

Spoiler

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Also, for all the folks saying the ponies look more like cats than equines...

Spoiler

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The show can't argue xD

The flanderization of the characters (especially Rarity) does not appeal to me 
I was surprised when there seemed to be hints of continuity in the second episode (with Pinkie Pie getting ready for another cooking show competition).

And can someone explain why Fluttershy suddenly had the ability to drastically alter her size in the second ep? If she'd had a potion beforehand, I wouldn't have said anything... but she didn't.

Curious about how Unicorn magic works/if it's even needed with these potions around...

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Also... did anyone notice the animation error with Twi's wings disappearing for more than a frame? Not really a criticism, since those kinds of mistakes are to be expected in the first episodes. Just an observation.

I didn't notice that error specifically but I did notice more than a few instances of tails missing, and what I think was a layering issue with Applejack's tears in a part of The Best of the Worst Part 2.

And can someone explain why Fluttershy suddenly had the ability to drastically alter her size in the second ep? If she'd had a potion beforehand, I wouldn't have said anything... but she didn't.

I thought it was a potion, but perhaps its just for fun!

[Pinkie21]

Oh...dear.  I'm not liking this.  I like that they kept the voice cast, so...that has it going for it.  But I'm not liking that style.  Not liking the really simple flank symbols.  Not liking the faces.  I'm just...not liking much about this series except the voice cast.  I've just got a big grudge against this whole "simple" style that almost every cartoon has these days.  Don't like it with the Care Bears, don't like it with the Ponies.

[Ragamuffin]

Hmm. I was really trying to stay optimistic...

Spoiler

Princess Probz was not good. No explanation for the potions at all. I was thinking the first episode would be introducing the potions, maybe we'd see Potion Nova or something. But no, Pinkie just brings them out for no reason, to drink them like drinks? What does this accomplish? "Potions for everybody!" or whatever, you're just going to give your friends random potions for the fun of it? For no reason? Okay...? Also when Pinkie Pie puffs up and explodes, and the ponies act like this is an average thing, and this is something that even we the viewers are supposed to understand...? That's also... obnoxious. When Applejack said something like "I missed this", this only makes sense for the already existing fans of MLP, who watched FiM and missed the cast, who came back to watch this. Out of context, for any other viewer, what is the joke? What exactly does she "miss"?

Very loud. The jokes were decent but I don't like the obnoxiousness of the characters. Celestia was probably the best part of the episode. Ponies are doing things over-the-top, as loudly as possible, for no reason. The concept of a silly comedy-based MLP show is fine I think, and like I said there are good jokes, but it's just so... obnoxious! There's no other word! Why did Rarity scream and faint after seeing her reflection in that pan (or pot or whatever)? Why did Twilight get so startled from landing in that batter? Just for the sake of the cat gag? Pinkie said "flan" was fun to say, but did she have to scream it? And maybe it's just me but the "haha the ponies have to eat a lot and now they're fat " joke is kinda... weird? If you know what I mean...?

The Best of the Worst was better. Kinda boring, but okay. The message of being a good sport is nice. Not as loud and obnoxious as Princes Probz. Hardly any potions here. There weren't any potions in Princess Probz either other than the telepathy one, which is useless since you could've just told the exposition normally? Again, I thought potions would be more like plot devices, here they just barely count as one-off jokes. I guess things can change in future episodes.

I saw two instances of Rainbow Dash's tail going missing in The Best of the Worst, didn't notice any others. No doubt they exist, though.

Onto the good things... uh... title cards! Pretty cool, huh? Kids like title cards, right? I do. Background music was alright.

The flanderization of the characters doesn't bother me so much since they weren't any deeper in FiM imo. Here they can have one personality trait and it works fine for the most part, it's a comedy, I don't have to take it so seriously. FiM, relatively, is more serious, I'm supposed to take the characters more seriously, and someone like Rainbow Dash just isn't likeable in a setting like that. Know what I mean?

Hope I've articulated myself correctly on my issues with it, I have a headache. Unrelated to the show, of course.

I'll try to watch as much as I can. Princess Probz was terrible, but The Best of the Worst was okay. Maybe there will be more "okay" episodes.

Maybe.