Big big big step up from chapter 1 imo. The animation feels like it varies between scenes and hearing that it's made by a very new studio makes sense, albeit you do have to wonder why they'd choose a new studio with people inexperienced with 3D animation to make it?? I guess they have to start somewhere. Misty's hair appears to have weird physics in some scenes where the strands rotate or shake when they shouldn't?

I can actually believe that the mane 5 are friends with each other to start even though they're different they have good chemistry which I feel is kind of missing from G4's mane 6? The music seems to have stepped up a little when it's not just Pipp doing bland repetitive pop. Her statement "you don't have to make anything new, you just have to make the same but better" feels pretty accurate because I cannot tell the difference between the majority of her songs nor can I identify instruments or anything interesting so they all just kind of sound the exact same. The portrait day song is really nice imo

A running issue I'm having is they don't seem to know how to characterize Sunny or Zipp post-movie, Sunny just kind of winds up as optimistic the whole time which wasn't her personality in the movie (she definitely had moments where she wasn't hopeful besides the 'dark night of the soul' part) and Zipp's detective thing makes sense in chapter 1 when there's actually something happening but when she's being interrogative of Misty for acting awkward at the sleepover party it just comes across as being extremely rude and invasive. She has no reason to suspect Misty might be there to steal anything given she's just an awkward guest Izzy invited over. It makes more sense in my mind for Zipp to suspect Misty is lying about where she grew up because Izzy is being so forward and Misty is shy or was raised extremely sheltered (pretty much true).

My favourite character is shaping up to be Izzy, I get that people don't like that she's kind of similar to Pinkie Pie but I really couldn't stand Pinkie Pie in G4 most of the time and Izzy doesn't have any of her rough parts imo (annoying nonsequitors, only ever experiencing extremely loud happiness, flat personality) and I just like how Izzy is functional as a person but is still allowed to be not very smart. Misty is excellent too and I hope we see her more in the main cast down the line because she's very cute and her awkwardness is understandable and sweet