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Post by Tross on May 30, 2022 20:48:22 GMT -5
I am near the end of Omnibus Vol. 6, in the middle of the Cosmos arc. Celestia's basement is a delightful treasure trove of easter eggs (including an actual car). I liked the issue where Applejack recreates her mother's pie recipe, and the halloween issue was also a ton of fun. My favorite parts were the little doodles in the margins. Awesome! You're almost caught up to where I'm at (I've actually fallen behind on the GNs). So...I've finally watched the pilot for Make Your Mark, and let's just say...there's still enough happening to keep me watching for now, but it doubles down on tying itself to FiM, which does mean that it finally actually has a reason to be a continuation of the old Equestria, but it also means this new series really is on life support. By the way, apparently pony magic isn't really back in the same way, as it's now linked to the artifact from the movie, which, much like with the Crystal Empire's Crystal Heart, is finicky as heck. I'm sorry, but for everything that's actually engaging about this series, much of it is linked back to the old Equestria, and regardless of whether it's linked to FiM or not, I find that the majority of what this series actually does well has been done better in FiM. Moreover, the writing quality just isn't here to back this new series up. I hope it will improve, but for now it's seeming unlikely.
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Post by OttselHero on Jun 10, 2022 19:33:06 GMT -5
I just watched the first episode of Make Your Mark. I don't think I'm on board with this. I feel like the writing's just not there. Even if it were, there are other things I struggle to be okay with, like the inclusion of modern technology. Unless I hear better things later down the line, I think I'm content with letting it be and just sticking with G4's continuation in the comics.
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Post by Tross on Jun 13, 2022 3:08:33 GMT -5
I just watched the first episode of Make Your Mark. I don't think I'm on board with this. I feel like the writing's just not there. Even if it were, there are other things I struggle to be okay with, like the inclusion of modern technology. Unless I hear better things later down the line, I think I'm content with letting it be and just sticking with G4's continuation in the comics. I've seen a comment on the MLP forums saying the writing in G5 so far is like bad fanfic. Harsh words, but I can't say I don't see where they're coming from. Even the evil Alicorn at the end seems like some FiMFiction BS. I don't think modern technology is the problem, because I like Equestria Girls just fine. Maybe it's that nothing meaningful is being done with the modern setting. I think there's great potential for a story where a fantasy world full of magic and wonder has modern technology. The magic and wonder part is barely there though, and is tied to a crystal that's finicky as heck. As for the modern technology part, I suppose that's there, but...I don't know, I just wish something about that could be used for some kind of story element that stands out in some way, shape or form. Don't worry, you're not missing a ton, unless you like seeing Izzy turn psycho and then glorify dumpster diving: And let's not forget this exists: What would we ever do without this series?/s To sum up the Izzy episode, let's just say that Posey's mistrust of Izzy doesn't seem all that misplaced. I'm on board with the message that racism is bad, but maybe it wasn't the best plan to have Maretime Bay's equivalent to an ethnic minority actively attack another pony to try and steal one of her earrings, as that makes it really difficult not to see Posey's side of things. Of course she thinks Unicorns are a menace because one is literally being a menace! We don't talk about that Pipp episode. I keep posting it because it is a perfect example of just how vapid and shallow G5 is to me, because who needs quality writing when we can have memes instead? /s
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Post by OttselHero on Aug 18, 2022 6:18:34 GMT -5
I happened to notice Omnibus Vol. 7 was on sale, so I had that delivered recently. I enjoyed what was in it, but it was much thinner than previous omnibuses. I'm guessing this was where the initial run of the comics ended before Season 10 began. I'll be looking forward to that, but I don't know if I would continue buying physical books due to my limited shelf space. A Comixology subscription is one option I might go for.
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Post by Tross on Aug 19, 2022 14:10:30 GMT -5
Well, it's worth noting you don't have much further to go. There are Season 10 comics and a few spinoffs, but other than that you're nearing the end. Apparently the G5 comics are quite good, but I'm not going to invest in anything G5 related until I'm sold on the series. If I go to Vanhoover this coming year, it's sure to be interesting, as I'm pretty sure by that point I will have officially decided I'm exclusively a G4 Brony.
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Post by Tross on Oct 18, 2022 15:18:05 GMT -5
As someone who has seen all of Make Your Mark Chapter 2, I think they pulled a Justice League and included the best joke in the trailer: Yes, maniacal laughter does indeed sound better in proper sync. Those two are not awful per se, but they're in every episode, and the "chapter" did not conclude with the resolution of their arc, which has spilled over into Tell Your Tale, so it's pretty much the Opaline and Misty show now. I remember people citing G5 being more slice of life as a strength, even though the majority of FiM was too, with mostly the season premiers and finales, and maybe select episodes in between being more action-oriented. Well, now G5 isn't even that, as imagine if FiM had a season where there were literally no episodes that didn't somehow tie directly into the overarching plot.
No, I do not think Sparky improves the series. He's basically the Flurry Heart of this series, but where we at least only saw her once in a while, effectively preventing her from overstaying her welcome, imagine if she went to live permanently with Twilight and was almost always present whenever Twilight was. That's pretty much the dynamic with Sparky and Hitch. Sure, the writers seem to try and add some variety to his antics. Sometimes he's getting into stuff and wreaking havoc, sometimes he's missing and everypony has to try and find him. However, it's all getting old. As someone who loves the dynamic with Fluttershy and Angel, I'm very much glad it's possible to have Fluttershy without Angel. Having Sparky around is not doing Hitch any favours IMHO.
Don't worry, the whole Twilight reveal has been flubbed up so badly that it can't possibly be in the same universe as FiM, which relieves me to no end. At best, we're looking at an offshoot universe. Also, why is Zipp the only pony who cares about plot related things? All of the characters are starting to get old IMHO, including her, but she's most certainly the closest this series has to a decent character. It says a lot when my distant second favourite pony is social media Pony, who is now responsible for almost every song.
I can say, I'm interested enough to see where this series is going, but I doubt it will be anything more than a show I watch once and mostly forget about. What we have here is certainly not the next FiM.
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Post by Tross on Jan 18, 2023 3:46:01 GMT -5
Holy ****! "] So, I took my time deciding whether to go to Vanhoover this year, so much so that I had to pay for my pass at the convention. My reason for taking so long to come to a decision is that I wasn't actually sure whether it would be as good as conventions past, due not only to it being the first in-person one since COVID, and due to where I perceived the fandom to be at this point in time. Also, the guest list wasn't released until the week of the con. Well, I sure as heck wasn't expecting both Tabitha and Ashleigh to show up. Ashleigh Ball in particular has a history of rarely going to cons. Of course, I've been waiting years to meet fair Rarity, so that was a dream come true. Even Elley-Ray and Mark Acheson were great, with Elley bringing a lot of energy (even though she's apparently 72). I also wasn't sure if I would be in some kind of minority as a G4 Brony, but I would say that the con was 80-85% focused on G4. There was certainly G5 merch, along with a tendency of people to say "bing-bong" when the word "magic" is used, which was further encouraged by Elley. Also, there were a few people sporting G5 related attire and merch. To my pleasant surprise though, G4 was still very much the focus. I will say that there are a couple of things that weren't as good as cons during the height of FiM. There were certainly more panels in past cons, whereas there were gaps of time where there wasn't much happening, and if I wasn't interested in the current panel, I had to kill some time. At least there was still the retro game room. Also, that did leave time for meals without having to miss something I wanted to see or do. Still, that was a drawback. Also, merch-wise, there weren't the usual card game stalls, which were my favourite. There was still the usual guy selling blind bags (only one type though) and the trading cards (the less exciting cousin of the CCG). Still, there was no Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder, Buck Legacy or stalls dedicated to fan games. That said, I still managed to spend my con budget, most of which was on artwork and such, along with a fan comic and a Rarity piggy bank, and four keychains that are essentially finger-sized versions of body pillows depicting Pony characters. I did play in a free CCG Cube Draft tournament, and actually won 1/3 games, so I got two free card packs. I also got second place in a trivia panel, and won a free comic (issue 75) with a con variant cover that was signed by Katie Cook, Andy Price and Amy Mebberson. I of course got artwork from the signatures I made sure to get (I actually got a signing and picture from each of the four guests). So, all in all, I did pretty well regardless, and the guest list this year was an 11/10! I figured this year would determine whether I'll go again next year. Well, I'm going again next year!
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Post by OttselHero on Jan 22, 2023 19:49:32 GMT -5
Sounds like you had a great time! It's also good to know brony conventions are still going strong, especially since the pandemic put a stop to them altogether for a while. I'm not surprised the love for G4 remains dominant since G5 is lacking the same level of narrative polish (at least for now). Though I will say the "bing-bong" thing is better than the constant Shia LaBeouf "DO IT!" heard once per minute at virtually every panel at BronyCon 2015. I enjoy the meme myself and still quote it often, but it was a biiit much at the con. Glad to hear you enjoyed it enough to go back next year!
It appears Omnibus Vol. 8 of the comic has been listed for an August 2023 release. -glances nervously at shrinking shelf space-
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Post by Tross on Jan 28, 2023 22:53:47 GMT -5
Sounds like you had a great time! It's also good to know brony conventions are still going strong, especially since the pandemic put a stop to them altogether for a while. I'm not surprised the love for G4 remains dominant since G5 is lacking the same level of narrative polish (at least for now). Though I will say the "bing-bong" thing is better than the constant Shia LaBeouf "DO IT!" heard once per minute at virtually every panel at BronyCon 2015. I enjoy the meme myself and still quote it often, but it was a biiit much at the con. Glad to hear you enjoyed it enough to go back next year! It appears Omnibus Vol. 8 of the comic has been listed for an August 2023 release. -glances nervously at shrinking shelf space- True about the "Do it" meme. I recall it being quoted quite a bit at my local convention too, which is curious, as it has no relation to the fandom. I think it was just so far into the mainstream at that point that everyone had to reference it. Yeah, G5 has its work cut out for it. I don't even think it's necessarily a problem with writers. It may very well be that there are too many limits imposed by Hasbro for it to be anything to write home about. I hope I'm wrong, but so far, it's not only less exciting, but it just isn't as clever or funny. I definitely had a great time! I do kind of wish Twilight Sparkle's Secret Shipfic Folder was still around though. G5 could easily be incorporated into that by virtue of it being an anything goes type of game. Oh well, things like that are likely in the past, but at least the VAs and other great people are still around. I've nearly completed my MLP comic collection. I kind of want to get the Legends of Magic omnibus at some point, as even though I own both of the smaller GNs and have a digital copy of the Annual, I would kind of like to have the latter physically. Other than that and the new GN coming out, I have everything comics-wise that I want. As big as I was into the comics for G4, I highly doubt I'll be diving into G5 comics unless I become more invested in the series. Sadly, it seems that all the G4 chapter books have been pulled from production as they seem to all be be only available second-hand now, or in digital form. Thankfully I got all of them when I did.
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Post by Tross on Oct 9, 2023 0:27:40 GMT -5
Wow...ok, hear me out, but I actually think Chapter 5 of Make Your Mark (the 3D G5 show) is actually decent...for the most part. It mostly avoids referencing G4, and when it does it's often a subtle enough reference that it's not necessarily referring to the same thing. The episodes starring the new Mane Six pony are better than I was expecting, for the most part, though it says a lot that she's considerably more developed than the rest of them. There are a couple of mostly off-episodes with morals that actually work. It's almost as though it's a completely different show. Of course, said show is allegedly ending soon, and it still requires one to slog through Chapters 1-4, plus a ton of Tell Your Tale (the 2D show), so it might be too little too late, and I'm not sure if I would recommend it. With that said, credit where it is due, and I have to acknowledge that there is a stretch of G5 that doesn't suck. It's not perfect by any means, but...I'll let Rarity take care of this one:
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Post by Tross on Nov 7, 2023 2:33:56 GMT -5
It seems there are still decent fan vids being made that I've missed over the past few years:
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Post by OttselHero on Nov 8, 2023 19:03:46 GMT -5
Same, I haven't sought fan content in so long. I may have to have a look this weekend.
It's only been out for a couple months, but I need to get around to checking out Omnibus Vol. 8. I'm under the impression it's the last of the G4 comics since it's been more than a year since anything from Season 10 was released as a volume.
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Post by Tross on Jan 21, 2024 16:17:06 GMT -5
Vanhoover was good as always. Cathy came, so I got to meet her. I finally got Peter New's signature too. Tabitha just kind of showed up on the last day for signing, so I got her to sign my Rarity plushie. I also had lots of fun playing various Pony games, mostly of the card game variety, but I did play in a Buckball tournament, and my team placed third (out of five, but still). Much like with last year, the con was at least a good 85% G4. Yes, I know the con was a good week ago, but I've been busy. I was literally back to work the day after it ended.
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Post by OttselHero on Jan 23, 2024 21:29:57 GMT -5
Vanhoover was good as always. Cathy came, so I got to meet her. I finally got Peter New's signature too. Tabitha just kind of showed up on the last day for signing, so I got her to sign my Rarity plushie. I also had lots of fun playing various Pony games, mostly of the card game variety, but I did play in a Buckball tournament, and my team placed third (out of five, but still). Much like with last year, the con was at least a good 85% G4. Yes, I know the con was a good week ago, but I've been busy. I was literally back to work the day after it ended. I'm glad you had fun! It's also heartening to know plenty of people are still attending conventions all these years after G4 ended.
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Post by Tross on Jan 26, 2024 1:59:31 GMT -5
Vanhoover was good as always. Cathy came, so I got to meet her. I finally got Peter New's signature too. Tabitha just kind of showed up on the last day for signing, so I got her to sign my Rarity plushie. I also had lots of fun playing various Pony games, mostly of the card game variety, but I did play in a Buckball tournament, and my team placed third (out of five, but still). Much like with last year, the con was at least a good 85% G4. Yes, I know the con was a good week ago, but I've been busy. I was literally back to work the day after it ended. I'm glad you had fun! It's also heartening to know plenty of people are still attending conventions all these years after G4 ended. I will say, there are certain things that were better when FiM was in its prime. There were more variety in the booths in the vender hall, that included games and plushies, and I miss those. There were often more panels running concurrently, and I had to choose which one to attend, while cons now often leave me with a lot of downtime, or only one real choice, so I'll often go to a panel I would probably have passed up in 2014-2019. Still, I'm glad we still have a con, and there are still great times to be had! It certainly beats the alternative. The guests are always great, and I get to see my con friends that I only meet once a year, plus I often make new ones.
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