The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: YasuSuga on January 27, 2018, 02:58:26 PM
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Hi!
Well, what I wanted to discuss is about G4 changes In toy designs, quality, and the molds too.
I personally think that they did the best ponies and accessories around 2010-2013, I've noticed that the accesories in 2014 toys onwards are way less detailed and original (Even recycled) and one thing that reeeeaaaaaallly but really bothers me is the new eyes. Some have a little shine to them but I think that from the line Explore Equestria onwards they stopped doing that little shine they had. I still ask myself why did they decided to change Fluttershy's eye shape, the original one was perfect :/, I think the new Fluttershy eye shape matches Coco Pommel way better.
About the new molds, actually I think they're super cute but I still prefer the older ones, the only thing I would change from them are the barely detailed eyes and those teeny tiny legs they have that makes them have that super awkward gap, but other than that, they're awesome, and I really love the new unicorn horns they decided to go for!
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Overall, I'm most happy with both the earliest year of G4 and the reboot line as a whole.
The earlier lines had much more variety of characters, which to me is a big component of MLP. Once we sunk into the trend of re-releasing the Mane 6 with slight variations, I started to thirst for more pose variety. The new models allow for more dynamic poses to be had, which I'm very grateful for.
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I don't think I have a wide enough selection of them from various years to say! Like, I do have quite a few G4s, but they tend to be in clumps from years / sets I really like, like the pearly ponies.
The very first sets had some of my favorite designs, but really bad head-body mismatches.
I definitely like the newer molds better than the previous ones. They're way more dynamic. I do agree that the back legs look awkward, though. And yes, the new unicorn horns are GREAT. Finally, their horns are longer than their ears!!
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I think it's been doing alright. I do of course miss the toy exclusive characters we'd get in G4's first years, but I think later pre-reboot lines had more interesting gimmicks (IMO), such as Rainbow Power and the Pearlized Ponies (LOVE pearly ponies of all kinds). Granted, it also has gimmicks I can't find myself caring about, such as the ones with ribbons in their manes. That's a gimmick I can't see myself buying unless I find them while thrifting.
I really like the reboot G4s/G4.5s a lot! They feel much more expressive than the older G4s since they've given us a wider variety of poses. While we still have a lot of ponies in plain standing poses (particularly in sets), it's nice to finally have a bit more variety apart from the basic pose and the one hoof up pose that earlier G4 had.
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I'm not worried about the accessories although the change from actual boxish packaging to pony on card, while less environmentally unfriendly, suggests some cost cutting. I have more issues with bad quality hair. And I don't like the new poses pretty much at all.
I am fine with Fluttershy's eye change just because my pet Fluttershy is a newer version one and I don't care much about the show characterisation. But I like best the times when there's more diversity of character. Most of my brushable collection are not mane 6, but it does seem to be mane six and then a handful of other characters who are also getting run into the ground now (yes, Cheerilee. I am looking at you).
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The movie line has a semi-decent amount of variety, yet Hasbro's distribution see-saws.
I don't ever recall seeing a lot of variety character wise.
Design wise the reboots are awful. It's like Hasbro heard me say the g4s were beaky and they made them even beakier out of spite.
Maybe if I start chanting horsey, horsey, horsey! They'll make em horsier looking?
However, the movie ponies, or at least the ones I've owned have much nicer hair. It's fuller and ungreasy.
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The movie line has a semi-decent amount of variety, yet Hasbro's distribution see-saws.
Nothing new there.
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I just know that I never liked the general toy head shape, with the bulbous foreheads, but the shapes based on the cartoon are fine.
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I have to say that I am not to fond on the G4 ponies. I have tried to like them when they first came out. Then when it was the same thing over and over I was over it! I do have a few of the newer ones, but they still don't do much for me! :( Time for something new Hasbro and please go back to the G1 or G3 kind of ponies!
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Design wise the reboots are awful. It's like Hasbro heard me say the g4s were beaky and they made them even beakier out of spite.
Maybe if I start chanting horsey, horsey, horsey! They'll make em horsier looking?
However, the movie ponies, or at least the ones I've owned have much nicer hair. It's fuller and ungreasy.
"Beaky" is such a funny way to describe them. I totally see it! :silly:
The hair quality of the new ponies still kills me. The pearly ponies have such dreadful hair, and although it's improved since the reboot it still isn't going great.
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The hair quality of the new ponies still kills me. The pearly ponies have such dreadful hair, and although it's improved since the reboot it still isn't going great.
The quality of hair seems to be nicer with ponies that come in sets, for some reason. My TRU Friendship Festival set ponies have such lovely silky soft hair, but every 4.5/reboot pony I've got that's a single has very awful frizzy hair. Not sure why this is the case.
The hair on the new EqG dolls is wonderful, I wish they'd fix the hair of the single ponies. :huh:
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In a word, Disappointed.
I realize that there's no way they can be quality toys given their price compared to what a dollar is worth these days, but everything about G4 makes me less than thrilled with the direction Hasbro's taken. I have serious concerns about how bad the eventual problems are going to be given that so many G4's have had issues from day one - mismatch, stickiness, poor hair, etc.
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Design wise the reboots are awful. It's like Hasbro heard me say the g4s were beaky and they made them even beakier out of spite.
Maybe if I start chanting horsey, horsey, horsey! They'll make em horsier looking?
However, the movie ponies, or at least the ones I've owned have much nicer hair. It's fuller and ungreasy.
"Beaky" is such a funny way to describe them. I totally see it! :silly:
The hair quality of the new ponies still kills me. The pearly ponies have such dreadful hair, and although it's improved since the reboot it still isn't going great.
It's accurate is what it is. There isn't a single hooved animal on this earth past or present with a face like that. Makes me wanna whack Hasbro designers over the head with a breyer and say, This is what a horse looks like dummy!
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Wow, surprised to hear that people have been getting pearly ponies with bad hair. My pearly Starlight Glimmer has fantastic hair, one of the best heads of hair I've seen on a G4.
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Wow, surprised to hear that people have been getting pearly ponies with bad hair. My pearly Starlight Glimmer has fantastic hair, one of the best heads of hair I've seen on a G4.
My Pretzel's was oily. DD struck out with TS, Cherry Berry and Coloratura in that they have nice hair.
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Eh, even if I don't like the G4 design direction in general, I must admit the earlier toys were kinda cute (the benefit of a wide gap between the eyes!). And while I appreciate the more dynamic poses in the newer releases, I dislike their heads, they look like over-inflated balloons >_<
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Wow, surprised to hear that people have been getting pearly ponies with bad hair. My pearly Starlight Glimmer has fantastic hair, one of the best heads of hair I've seen on a G4.
My Pretzel's was oily. DD struck out with TS, Cherry Berry and Coloratura in that they have nice hair.
My pearly Cherry Berry has awful hair, easily the worst out of my (admittedly small, ~a dozen) selection of G4's. :(
Second worst is a zap-code Fluttershy with coarse tail that doesn't match colour wise to her perfectly normal quality mane.
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Wow, surprised to hear that people have been getting pearly ponies with bad hair. My pearly Starlight Glimmer has fantastic hair, one of the best heads of hair I've seen on a G4.
My Pretzel's was oily. DD struck out with TS, Cherry Berry and Coloratura in that they have nice hair.
My pearly Cherry Berry has awful hair, easily the worst out of my (admittedly small, ~a dozen) selection of G4's. :(
Second worst is a zap-code Fluttershy with coarse tail that doesn't match colour wise to her perfectly normal quality mane.
I had to shampoo a couple of my pearlies but they're all right now. Mostly the hair on those seems to be OK though.
I have a truly awful Pinkie Pie which lives on my Dad's PC as a joke between us, it's sort of his pony now as he keeps playing around with her - but she looks like she put her hair in a shredder. And that was what she was like from new.
My Fashion Style Photo Finish...has half of her tail cut halfway, so it's not a full length tail all round. This from box. She was on clearance so I am not so fussed but that's poor QC. Poor pony. Ribbon Wishes came up better. She actually has nice hair although her tail could probably use washing too...
It seems hit and miss.
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I've conditioned Cherry Berry twice since I got her - while it did help a little, you can still see how poor quality her hair is even on display. It just looks cheap - coarse and thin. It's peculiar how hit-and-miss the quality is.
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I've conditioned Cherry Berry twice since I got her - while it did help a little, you can still see how poor quality her hair is even on display. It just looks cheap - coarse and thin. It's peculiar how hit-and-miss the quality is.
Looking at mine it seems like Pretzel was the one I had most trouble with as her hair is tied back. They all have ok hair, though. My Cherry Berry is fine, Coloratura and Starlight Glimmer are very nice hairwise. I can't tell with the wave 3 ones as the ones I have here are on card. My loose ones back home have funky hairstyles but I think it's olny the blue one - Sapphire Joy? that has some hair quality issues. I just haven't dealt with them yet.
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Well well... Hard to say.
I've bought some as fandom item, because I do LOVE the cartoon.
But as toy, well... they aren't my thing, saddly. And don't speak of the accessories/playsets, they are awfull. Really cheap plastic, really cheap paint, really cheap design... they're lacking of charm. Simply.
For me, the G1 and G2 where the best gen, both for the beauty line of the ponies and the accessories. G3 did quite well. But actual ones sounds too plastic plastic. I'm quite happy with the new mold as FINALLY the ponies where doing somethin' else than standing and looking like clones.
Actually, the toys that I thinks haven't lost any quality, charm and care in the whole brand are the Sylvanians. They are so lovely, I would like the same kind of care given in MLP. Like in the G1 days.
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I have Coloratura and she has nice hair too . . . do not have Pretzel or Cherry Berry, I think. I wonder if hair color plays a part too . . .
Twist / Twistaloo has a tail that's a different color than her mane, and made of a different hair type. Once I noticed . . . she had to go . . .
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Twist / Twistaloo has a tail that's a different color than her mane, and made of a different hair type. Once I noticed . . . she had to go . . .
Because that's absolutely not a name that's going to get you bullied in school :P.
(I admit, I had to google her to find out who she was >.>)
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The sad thing is that I really liked her in the show (she had a lisp and I think maybe braces? I might be misremembering that though) and a cute symbol . . . But that mismatched tail and mane. I just couldn't unsee it once I noticed it.
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I can't tell with the wave 3 ones as the ones I have here are on card. My loose ones back home have funky hairstyles but I think it's olny the blue one - Sapphire Joy? that has some hair quality issues. I just haven't dealt with them yet.
Part of the reason I've kept my wave 3 pearlies on card is because of the hair quality. i don't wanna mess with a straightener to handle Meadow Flower's frizz.
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Wow, surprised to hear that people have been getting pearly ponies with bad hair. My pearly Starlight Glimmer has fantastic hair, one of the best heads of hair I've seen on a G4.
My pearly Starlight Glimmer's body is super oily, but her hair is nice. Seems like there is a huge mixed bag QC-wise.
I liked the colours, variety, and themes of the first few years of G4. (I'll overlook the head/body colour mismatch issue here.) After the Crystal Empire year (crystallized eyes), the themes got a bit weird. Tacky colours/tinsel added to the mane 6's hair, tacky decorations added to their bodies, transparent bodies with glitter/water in them... the gimmicks were creative but the creativity should have been spent on creating more non-mane 6/non-show pony designs instead.
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Oh the discussion about the Pearlies is interesting!
I have four of them... half of them have possibly the best hair out of any of my G4s (Coloratura and Pretzel). It is suuuper silky smooth and shiny and all around gorgeous.
The other two have hands down the worst, most disgusting hair I have ever seen! (Sapphire Joy and Meadow Flower). Rough, coarse, and even knotted, right out of the package. Even conditioning them several times has not helped one bit :(
That is definitely the saddest thing to me about the G4 line- the dodgy hair quality. I mean, isn't half the point of MLP.. the hair? If I didn't care about hair I'd just buy the Funkos or whatever. >(
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All of my pearlies had horribbly dry, frizzy hair. The factory ones more so than the packaged ones. But I had to give them all a conditioner/hot iron treatment. It took forever but the heat finally managed the fibres.
The earlier G4s had nice hair but some of them had head/body mismatch or two tailholes or the tailhole placed too low or not centered.
The Playskool ponies came dirty out of a sealed package and I had to treat them with nailpolish remover.
Just bad quality control all around. My G3s have the best quality out of all the ponies I own.
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My loose wave 3 pearlies are probably from factory as my sister got them for me for my birthday last year when it was practically impossible to get them any other way. I haven't messed with their hair too much but it doesn't seem too terrible. She got some herself in this same purchase and if any of them ever need hair styling she gives them to me to do - the hair of those seems ok too. I had to brush out her Pinkie Pie before Christmas and the hair looked rough but was actually fine, just messy. It's really only the wildness of Sapphire Joy that makes me think she might need some work, not so much rough or dry hair. One of the other two has a beautiful 1980s big hairdo so I've left her that way. It's not Meadow Flower, it's the other one whose name eludes me. Seaswirl?
When they were here before Christmas briefly I got the set of four on card (with AJ) and the hair LOOKS ok but I haven't been able to test it. My Redheart is also on card still. Otherwise I only have non-mane 6 ones that i mentioned before (store bought) and no major problems but I did also feel like the body was a bit oily on Pretzel and Cherry Berry I think it was. No problems at all with the 2 from wave 1.
I don't know what ratio of ponypeople have pearlies from factory/ebay loose rather than from store because the distribution of these was a bit wonky. That might have an influence on QC in some cases - but actually, the QC of all of mine seems pretty good, even the loose ones. As opposed to a couple of my store bought other ponies, whose QC is not so great. I actually have a couple of clearanced Fluttershies with the wings you can hang decorations on that not only look completely different but have issues in pack that ought to not have passed QC...
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My masquerade Sunset Shimmer has a terribly thin tail that looks like QC had the day. off the day she was made. It has very little of one color in it and what is there is just a few strands.
Ponyfan
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All of my G4's were locally bought, so the hair issues are not confined to factory 'seconds' / bootlegs.
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I don't have any pearly pony so I didn't know that pearly ponies had mostly bad quality hair D:, most of my ponies have a 8/10 quality hair but the problem of the most of them is the tail, especially on the 20cm ponies, their hair quality is nice but when you first take them out of the box their tail is awful, I had to shampoo all of the tails.
I also had a quite strange issue with the talking Princess Cadence, her hair and tail quality was nice except for the color pink, it was super frizzy and awful but the purple and the yellow were perfect.
Edit 31/01: So, today I bought a pearly Fluttershy, luckily her hair is soft and of a nice quality, but my only complain is her tail, her tail is from a nice quality too but it mismatches the hair.
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Evo of G4 summed up:
Bad quality control.
Mediocre to bad hair is the norm. Occasionally nice if your lucky.
Increasingly deformed moulds.
Farther and farther from horses.
Wonky distribution.
Lack of variety in characters, creative or classic gimmicks and poses.
Over reliance of main characters ad naseum to the point where they're forced if you want something new.
Seasonal Rot.
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Irony of this is that I caught the end of FIM today where a character said life isn't about the main characters around you but about everyone. Has Hasbro seen this episode recently???
Bad distribution is a chronic symptom of MLP from G1 though.
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Irony of this is that I caught the end of FIM today where a character said life isn't about the main characters around you but about everyone. Has Hasbro seen this episode recently???
Bad distribution is a chronic symptom of MLP from G1 though.
No but they need too.