So what happened with "The Golden Horseshoes"

[Sunset]

So even though I am an eighties child and have owned all of the G1 episodes on DVD for a while, I never got around to watching all of the shows until recently. It's always been more about the toys than the show for me plus, as a child, I didn't have access to the show and could only checkout RAMC and the movie on vhs.   Lately, I have been having an MLP marathon and working my way all the way through MLP & Friends.  So last night, I finally got to "The Golden Horseshoes."  I was shocked!  It seems clear to me that there were different animators, the style is so different.  And the quality is atrocious and way below the rest of the series (which wasn't high art to begin with.)

Does anyone know why the sudden change for these two episodes and why it is only these two episodes?

[LadyMoondancer]

"The Golden Horseshoes" definitely has some funky and weird animation, especially the scenes at the Moochick's cottage!  I have no idea why, though.  It's too bad, because I really liked the "All Through the Night" song from it.

[katrine2309]

That is interesting, and I have no idea - but stalking this thread to find out. I never liked the later animations of the MLP show ( I only really liked Rescue at Midnight Castle).

[kittybethy]

I had the book, but never saw that show.

[Dragonflitter]

I'm pretty sure The Golden Horseshoes was toward the end or maybe the middle of the second season--meaning the end of the series, since it never went past season 2. The art quality went really bad toward the end.

[Shenanigans]

Huh, I didn't even notice The animation is pretty bad through the whole series and I just giggle at it

[Teddy]

I often wondered about this myself. The animation styles change frequently in that episode, it makes no sense! All I can think of is maybe one animator left for some reason before the episode was finished and someone else finished it? Or multiple people changed out? Not sure, but it really is kind of bizarre.

[Ivy]

The animation was definitely worse in the second season - which is where The Golden Horseshoes was placed. Although the whole series was consistent with animation errors the second season was riddled with them - Watch Quest of the Princess Ponies - that one's just funny at one point Windwhistler and Locket swap voices. Princess Primrose has a red tail in another scene.

[Sunset]

The animation was definitely worse in the second season - which is where The Golden Horseshoes was placed. Although the whole series was consistent with animation errors the second season was riddled with them - Watch Quest of the Princess Ponies - that one's just funny at one point Windwhistler and Locket swap voices. Princess Primrose has a red tail in another scene.

Yes, I noticed that and it was pretty funny.  But still "The Golden Horseshoes" looks different from even the other episodes in the 2nd season.  I just find it very strange.  As Teddy said, maybe they lost one or more animators?  But why do the episodes after that look like normal (more or less)?  Maybe "The Golden Horseshoes" was actually the last one animated even though it wasn't shown last?

[hathorcat]

I agree there is a general slip in quality through season 2 and I would guess you could find that some episodes were produced out of order of their actual televised order. And in addition all it takes is a couple of animators switching or perhaps there being a rush to complete the series and different animators being brought on board in order to finish things up.

[LadyMoondancer]

Oh, you know what else is weird?  The way the bushwoolies have non-furry fabric(??) arms in some episodes.  And also in the series intro, I believe.  What was THAT about?

[Pangel]

The Glass Princess has the most notable terrible quality in animation for me.

I'd never seen the later parts of it in my childhood - the VHS I had didn't have all of it on In my childhood I actually thought that it didn't exist, and used to imagine how it ended. When I was about 15 (before Youtube was popular!) I found a VHS tape at a car boot with the full thing on. I was SO excited to watch it... and my God, I was so disappointed!

I'm sure it was mostly because I didn't have my childhood rose-tinted glasses on, but the voices all just sounded off, and the animation seriously dropped.

[Teddy]

Oh, you know what else is weird?  The way the bushwoolies have non-furry fabric(??) arms in some episodes.  And also in the series intro, I believe.  What was THAT about?

You mean the rainbow sleeves? Yeah, those were just weird. o.O

[KarentheUnicorn]

It's not just G1 MLP, other cartoons were the same way. Another Hasbro property, the 80's transformers cartoon, that also had some variety in quality depending on episodes and season.

I sort of remember other series also having the same issue, one episode would be really good animation, then another episode would not be as nicely drawn, etc.

But then again, it wasn't exactly done the same way animation is now.

[Tirac]

Maybe they had an off day?
Or else the quality control of animation cells was handled by one person who happened to quit.