Weimann
2012-11-20, 08:00 PM
Have you seen any episodes? What do you think?
I watched the first three episodes, and... well, you can see by my avatar where I'm coming from. It's hard to not make the comparison: it's a remake of an old Hasbro franchise, it premièred back to back with Season 3 of My Little Pony and it shares many of the voice actors (and Daniel Ingram on the music) with MLP:FiM as well.
Now, unlike with My Little Pony, which I had indeed managed to catch glimpses of in my younger years, I don't know squat about Littlest Pet Shop. So right from the start, it kind of starts out at a disadvantage compared to MLP; there's no chance for an "IT'S SO MUCH BETTER NOW!" reaction from me. So if we can't compare it to its past, let's look at what is actually there, because there is something there.
First of all, the music. I don't know how Daniel Ingram does it, but the thing that originally made MLP go 'blip' on my radar? Winter Wrap Up (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyrAkwJ6WsY) (and this is what made me decide that yes, I was a brony too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HZp4ClFXY)). The same can be said for LPS. The introduction song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nZowPYMfQQ) (no, not the intro, the one after, even if the intro isn't terrible either) was real enough to rekindle the same curiosity. It's only been that one song yet, but it's good.
So what about the characters? Well, the idea is good. I like the setup, and I think it's really interesting that they chose to make all the pets artists or performers. If we were to talk about examples for kids, it's very nice to see active, occupationally oriented character traits that you can do (such as painting or singing), and not just be (such as pretty or kind). It is a very good choice, and I applaud them for it. In fact, I'll have to say (forgive me while I don my flame-proof underwear) that in this way, I can regard this as superior to even MLP in terms of role models for kids. And since we're already in on that kind of subject, the girls have the boys beaten out numbers-wise, and that's not counting Blythe. This is high praise.
Even otherwise, I think the pets' personalities are rife with potential. In the right hands, they could be hilarious, as I think episode 3 hinted at. Unfortunately, so far they haven't been allowed to really shift into their respective roles. I think that if they were given free room to really interact and shift into their places, great things could come. The rest of the cast is weaker, in my opinion. They come closer to being stereotypes with a gloss of paint over them, and I've had a hard time really liking them so, even if I did find Whitney and Brittany's costumes in episode 2 great (meow... like, meow). I guess they need some time to develop.
Right! Great! So that's awesome! Yes, it is, but... it's still not quite enough.
So, like any show, it has flaws (yes, even MLP, in fact often on an episode-basis). Now, I know it's been three freaking episodes yet, and it's too early to make any real calls. But there are hints at what's to come, and more importantly, what's not to come.
What I don't see coming is the sheer depth that MLP has. I want make clear that I enjoy MLP mostly for the character interaction and humour that comes from that; that is my main source of enjoyment in that show. However, it's critically important that the other level is there too. MLP started with a myth arc of ancient legend. It started with a battle against an insane thousand-year-old moon-princess. The mane six saved Equestria. In a show everyone expected to be for little girls.
And I don't see that happening here. I don't think LPS will go to the effort, yes the effort of creating those kinds of interweaving layers. I'm not saying save-the-world type plots, that would obviously be out of place. But something that shakes things up, something that pushes the idea of what girls want to watch. Some progression.
I will probably catch a few more episodes. Got to give it a fair chance. But with MLP, I was pretty much hooked after the first three. Here, that is not so.
I watched the first three episodes, and... well, you can see by my avatar where I'm coming from. It's hard to not make the comparison: it's a remake of an old Hasbro franchise, it premièred back to back with Season 3 of My Little Pony and it shares many of the voice actors (and Daniel Ingram on the music) with MLP:FiM as well.
Now, unlike with My Little Pony, which I had indeed managed to catch glimpses of in my younger years, I don't know squat about Littlest Pet Shop. So right from the start, it kind of starts out at a disadvantage compared to MLP; there's no chance for an "IT'S SO MUCH BETTER NOW!" reaction from me. So if we can't compare it to its past, let's look at what is actually there, because there is something there.
First of all, the music. I don't know how Daniel Ingram does it, but the thing that originally made MLP go 'blip' on my radar? Winter Wrap Up (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyrAkwJ6WsY) (and this is what made me decide that yes, I was a brony too (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1HZp4ClFXY)). The same can be said for LPS. The introduction song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nZowPYMfQQ) (no, not the intro, the one after, even if the intro isn't terrible either) was real enough to rekindle the same curiosity. It's only been that one song yet, but it's good.
So what about the characters? Well, the idea is good. I like the setup, and I think it's really interesting that they chose to make all the pets artists or performers. If we were to talk about examples for kids, it's very nice to see active, occupationally oriented character traits that you can do (such as painting or singing), and not just be (such as pretty or kind). It is a very good choice, and I applaud them for it. In fact, I'll have to say (forgive me while I don my flame-proof underwear) that in this way, I can regard this as superior to even MLP in terms of role models for kids. And since we're already in on that kind of subject, the girls have the boys beaten out numbers-wise, and that's not counting Blythe. This is high praise.
Even otherwise, I think the pets' personalities are rife with potential. In the right hands, they could be hilarious, as I think episode 3 hinted at. Unfortunately, so far they haven't been allowed to really shift into their respective roles. I think that if they were given free room to really interact and shift into their places, great things could come. The rest of the cast is weaker, in my opinion. They come closer to being stereotypes with a gloss of paint over them, and I've had a hard time really liking them so, even if I did find Whitney and Brittany's costumes in episode 2 great (meow... like, meow). I guess they need some time to develop.
Right! Great! So that's awesome! Yes, it is, but... it's still not quite enough.
So, like any show, it has flaws (yes, even MLP, in fact often on an episode-basis). Now, I know it's been three freaking episodes yet, and it's too early to make any real calls. But there are hints at what's to come, and more importantly, what's not to come.
What I don't see coming is the sheer depth that MLP has. I want make clear that I enjoy MLP mostly for the character interaction and humour that comes from that; that is my main source of enjoyment in that show. However, it's critically important that the other level is there too. MLP started with a myth arc of ancient legend. It started with a battle against an insane thousand-year-old moon-princess. The mane six saved Equestria. In a show everyone expected to be for little girls.
And I don't see that happening here. I don't think LPS will go to the effort, yes the effort of creating those kinds of interweaving layers. I'm not saying save-the-world type plots, that would obviously be out of place. But something that shakes things up, something that pushes the idea of what girls want to watch. Some progression.
I will probably catch a few more episodes. Got to give it a fair chance. But with MLP, I was pretty much hooked after the first three. Here, that is not so.