Sony HDR-AS15K Action Cam
(29/09/2013 update at end of article)
The HDRAS15 is a compact and ruggedised digital video camera designed to take video of action events from a POV perspective. It sits in the same category of other well known action camcorders such as the GoPro Hero line, the Drift Contour+ line, and the Drift HD line of cameras.
I recently picked one up on sale from DickSmith as I plan to do a bit of snowboarding in the near future. The K in the title represents the 'kit' version which comes with a dedicated battery charger, spare battery, a mount adapter (I'll explain later), and some other tidbits which I don't think you get in the regular AS15 package.
There are already a number of reviews of all the aforementioned cameras on YouTube but this review will touch on the aspects that I personally encountered within the first (half) day of using it.
NOTE: Please note that I don't own any of the other competing cameras so any statements about those that are incorrect I apologise up front, so please let me know in the comments below.
The camera itself is quite light and compact but it isn't rugged on its own. It needs to be placed within a waterproof housing to protect it from damage and the weather. Once in the housing it weighs quite a bit more and isn't so compact anymore. Still, it's smaller than most current point and shoot cameras and definitely inspires more confidence when mounted to the side of a car or a helmet.
There is a big button on the back, and two very small buttons on the side next to a non-lit LCD used for status and menu options.
The lens sits on the smaller edge of the device so in normal operation the camera looks like a standard handheld camcorder with the screen folded away. This is in contrast to way the GoPro is designed which looks more like a standard point and shoot with the lens on the largest side.
Immediately, this design lends itself to being mounted to the side of things, rather then above and central, which presents both pros and cons.
Being streamlined along the axis of view presents a much smaller area pointed at the action. As action cameras are usually meant to give a similar point of view that a person would have looking at the action, this equates to less chance of being hit by stones, debris, various sports balls, water splashes, etc.
Conversely it means mounting the camera in small tight corners such as along the A-pillar of a car's interior (as seen in shows like Top Gear) is trickier. Not to mention the main record start button is on the back (opposite side to the lens) which makes it hard to activate when the camera is pointed back at you.
The image processing path drops some pretty big names along the way. The lens is Carl Zeiss which should be familiar to anyone who has used a sony camera or other photographic equipment. The sensor is a custom version of Sony's recent Back Side Illuminated (BSI) Exmor R 1:2/3" CMOS sensor, which apparently only accesses 12MP of the 16MP area, of which I can't figure out if it even uses any more than 2.1MP in operation. More on this later. All the grunt work is done by Sony's Bionz image processing chip. I haven't been able to find out any more about what else is in the camera, as no-one has done a tear-down of the camera at this point in time, apart from the fact that it takes two different types of common Sony batteries and microSD cards up to 32GB. It also takes those tiny Memory Stick cards but I've never met anyone who owns any of those.
While most of the controls on the device are simple and intuitive (owing to there only being three buttons in total), one of the first things you notice is that once the camera is in the protective housing, functionality appears to be limited to the single button on the back of the case. It's basically a big on/off toggle for however you set the camera up before you seal it up.
This is probably the biggest drawback to this camera and housing setup, and while the AS15 version gets around this with wi-fi operation, the cheaper AS10 is out of luck. Even with wi-fi, I found the operation still limited, and constrained by the fact you need an Apple device or android based device handy to make setting changes when there isn't access to the other two buttons.
Other devices on the market seem to have been designed with this in mind and incorporate buttons on the outside of their weatherproofing.
The other thing you notice is that the standard tripod mount hole is only on the housing. There isn't one on the actual camera itself and the bottom of the camera is curved so you can't stand the camera up on it's own. This would probably be the next biggest drawback of the camera, but considering the target audience there isn't much need for use of the camera outside the housing.
This leads onto a third problem. One which isn't so apparent. To secure the device in the housing and protect the lens and make it water proof, requires the front door to be locked in place. The front door covers the built in stereo microphones and also adds another layer of medium the light needs to pass through before the lens. This results in muffled audio and major lens flaring when a bright light source is in the scene. This flaring can confuse the auto metering done by the camera.
Sony have a three piece front door package which resolves the audio issue and allows better image capture underwater, with two interchangeable front doors, and also includes a spare standard door for if (when) your original door gets damaged.
Image quality is better than average in this class of camera and a lot of people are of the opinion it is better 'straight out of the camera' than all but GoPro's latest Hero3 camera. Editing the footage on a PC is less flexible though due to all the upfront processing. You also get image stabilisation which none of the other camera's have but you sacrifice 50degrees of wideness in the viewing angle and there is also a small loss in image detail when it's turned on. You can record in 1080p/i @ 30fps, 720p/i @ 30/60/120fps, and VGA, although in anything other than 30fps you lose sound. 60/120fps is used for slow motion and you get this straight out of the camera again and doesn't require post processing like all the other cameras.
It appears Sony wanted the simplest operation with as little post processing needed as possible.
I had no issues getting the wi-fi working with my android phone (SGS2) running android 4.0.4 (ICS). The app is called PlayMemories mobile. With it you can change most of the shooting settings and also get a monitor style view so you can frame the shot and also start and stop the recording. When you set the camera to SEND mode, you can transfer everything to your phone wirelessly and it's quite fast.
Battery life is great, and doesn't appear to use any juice when not recording or using the wi-fi. The second battery and the charger in the kit is awesome.
The good:
- Sleek design. The profile and design of the camera and housing looks really good and also functional. It wouldn't look out of place snapped to the goggle straps of a snow skier, or suction-cupped to the side panel or a race-car. It's very light and small which is good.
- Interchangeable front door. This is great for when Sony brings out new door designs for different environments.
- Simple operation. One button. It can't get much simpler than that.
- Waterproofing. It is rated at 60m, which is probably deep enough for most underwater activities.
- The price. This camera kit cost me about $200 less than the top-end GoPro, and is (in my opinion) better than then competing GoPro at the same price bracket.
- Built-in Image processing features. Image Stabilisation, slow motion, auto-metering. These are all done very well on this camera and footage doesn't need post-processing.
- Stereo microphones. As far as I know and can tell, this camera has the best built-in microphone system of all current action cameras.
- Mount options. As it uses a standard tripod mount threat you can use the camera anywhere a normal camera can be mounted, and with the adapter I mentioned at the start of this review, it can also be fitted to any standard GoPro hinge. This (somewhat) gets around being restricted to a propretary mounting system.
- Battery life. I got some decent play time with the semi-charged battery that came in the box.
- Surprise port. There is an additional port on the botton of the camera that apparently allows an accessory to transform it into a sort of handy cam complete with LCD flipout display. Pretty cool.
The bad: (you might notice how these correlate to the good points above)
- Orientation. Being designed lengthwise along the view axis prevents some mounting and control option.
- Interchangeable front door. The standard door isn't bad. It just isn't as good as it could/should be. The kit should have come with all three door types. Currently you have to shell out AU$50 for this pack from the Sony store.
- Simple operation. Having only one button available when in the housing limits your in-field options. You can't even turn on the device to activate the wi-fi if it's gone to sleep. You actually have to record something (however small) just to wake it up.
- Waterproofing. Having the housing so thick and made of clear plastic adds to the weight and interferes with the camera operation (compared to the camera outside the case).
- No raw mode. You cannot change ANY of the image processing settings other than turning off IS.
- Accessory overload. There are so many accessories for this which should have been in the kit. An angle joint to adjust tilt. A suction cup for automobile mounting. A tube mount for attaching to bike handlebars or a ski-pole. As none of these are in the kit, you have to buy them and they aren't cheap (even though they should be). You could probably make your own metal versions or buy them off eBay for a lot less.
- Housing. The housing setup has some fundamental flaws in the way Sony have implemented it. Loss of button access, added weight, interference. There's also no access to any of the ports or extrenal mic jack while inside the housing and modding the housing to get access isn't really possible do to the amount of room to play with. You also cannot mount or even just stand the camera upright outside the case.
- Lack of features. There are some imaging options which should be possible on this camera but just aren't there. Image rotation, finer granularity with time lapse delays, higher resolution still images, an actual still image button or long press on the start button.
- Wi-fi controls. For some reason, the app doens't let you switch between capture and playback over wi-fi. I assume this is because it treats each as a separate connection type to the remote device but to me that is a software/firmware drawback and really should be addressed. Otherwise, as it is now you have to remove the camera from the housing to transfer files which can be tedious or risky while in the field.
- No sound in slow motion (60/120fps) modes. Other lesser cameras can do it. C'mon Sony. This should be fixable with a firmware update.
- Rattle and build quality. Under heavy vibrations such as on a mountain bike, there is a rattle. I think this is from the plastic rail the camera slides on when inserting into the housing. You can hear it if you shake the device vigorously and it gets picked up in the audio. A simple wad of tissue or sponge should fix this but this should have been picked up during testing.
- Battery charger should have a USB option. You have to plug the desktop charger into mains. There should be an option to charge by USB which doesn't involve the camera body. No doubt Sony will make something, but it will be expensive.
Overall:
There are a lot of negatives with this camera, but most are balanced out with positives or might just require a change in your approach to get the most out of the device. Some flaws are definitely insurmountable and probably have, and do, turn people to competing products.
You can get something with less flaws and more options for more money,
of something with other compromises and different advantages for similar
or less. But for the price I got mine, I don't think you can find a competing product which is overall better than the HDRAS15 at this time.
Suggestions to Sony for the followup device:
- Update the app and or firmware to allow the image to be rotated in 90degree steps.
- Allow switching from record and playback/transfer via wi-fi without having to take the camera out of the housing.
- Supply rubber o-rings for separate purchase. I don't want to have to purchase the three door pack just because the rubber ring on the original door developed a leak. While on the subject of the door pack, just include all three in the original or maybe combine the microphone fix into the other doors. There shouldn't be a need to compromise on one or the other.
- For the next iteration of this device, replace all buttons on the external housing with spring loaded magnetic actioning slide controls. What I mean by this is, on the external housing you have a spring loaded sliding 'button' with a magnet on the tip. When you slide the magnet over the internal 'button' it actions the function for that button, then springs back. That solves the issue of waterproofing while retaining functionality in-field. Put ridges on wide sliders and you can operate with gloves on.
- Make a dedicated 'wi-fi ON' switch to wake the wi-fi for remote operation or syncing but can turn it off when not needed without having to remove the camera from the housing. This would also save battery and stop forcing a movie capture just to turn the unit on.
- Set the mic socket on the camera on the side entering the housing first. Expose the external mic socket and have a male plug hard-set into the inside of the case, which is wired via a ribbon cable through the body of the housing to a corresponding socket on the exterior of the housing. If epoxied in place the ribbon wont interfere with weather-proofing and you get an external mic port which you can also use while the device is mounted on a tripod. Just slide the camera into the housing to complete the connection. Audio options via the sliders I mentioned above.
(I'm actually thinking of doing something similar to the above using a salvaged stereo plug, the wire end filed down and soldered/epoxied to a flat ribbon cable with a right angle turn found on most floppy disk drive PCBs from old computers. The audio will only need three traces at least and the ribbon is waterproof as far as I know. Being so thin it should be able to squeeze past the o-ring and connect to an external socket. If I can do it, I'll post something for others to copy.)
Score:
6.5/10 (score might increase if Sony take on my above suggestions with a software/firmware update)
Some footer notes: I live in Australia so this model or kit combination may not be available where you live. The camera kit was purchased for $318 down from $398. This is the cheapest I could find from a bricks and mortar store and the savings will offest the ridiculous Sony asking price of a goggle-strap mounting clip. The place where I am going to ski/snowboard will require some anti-fogging arrangement. I've decided to MacGuiver a solution rather than purchase the $20 anti-fog stips from Sony. This solution will also probably have the side-effect of fixing or at least muting the rattle noise. (UPDATE: I've been able to retrofit some chamois cloth strips into the housing to remove moisture and prevent fog, and I'll test this out somehow, however I haven't been able to remove the rattle. It's actually within the camera itself, somewhere behind the lens assembly. This needs to be addressed in the next version as I can foresee attaching to bicycle handlebars being really rattley.)
(UP-update: I've found this video:
http://youtu.be/Lm7rUsqQF8A
and managed to do a similar thing but using tiny adhesive cushion pads and some blu-tac for securing the screen. It works! I also added a pad in between the battery and the battery cradle. No more rattles, but there is still some low pitch muffled noise when vibrating, but now it's no more than any other cam.)
UPDATE (29/09/2013):
I've recently just updated the firmware on the camera to v3 from the original v1.2(?).
The update now removes the PLAY function that you had to select on the camera to switch between playback and record. The function is now taken care of in the mobile app for your smartphone. This addresses the 2nd gripe I listed above in the suggestions section. The update also adds 1080p@60fps in a non-slowmotion mode. This brings the shooting capabilities closer to what the GoPro H3BE is capable of. I have tested the 60fps and it works quite well but my smartphone (SGS2) and VLC (on mid spec PC from 2009) both stutter now with the increased bitrate requirements. The PlayMemoriesHome software on my PC doesn't stutter for some reason so it could just be VLC. Video movement is now a lot smoother and this will also translate to smoother end results downsampling to 30fps such as for youtube, or if you want to slow the video in post processing.
Sony also added a WATER whitebalance mode for when shooting underwater. The difference is subtle but noticeable for those who shoot lots of underwater.
The mobile app has also been updated for better response and WiFi connection performance. I can verify it is faster.
Since I made the initial review, Sony have refreshed the AS15 model as the AS30V and it now comes with an enclosure which is ~25% lighter and smaller than the original. I don't believe the actual camera has had any physical changes made to it. But now it sports GPS, NFC, more PAL compatible shooting modes, and options like 180degree rotate and the latest firmware. I really hope the new camera has fixed the rattle that was present in the original. The price stays about the same, while the outgoing model has dropeed to about $200.
The number of accessories have increased and the helmet mounts seems to have been updated for tilt adjustment. All in all, it looks like Sony have actually listened to a lot of the feedback users have been giving. While I'm not so keen on spending an additional $150 on the SmartRemote that overcomes some of the shortcomings of the device, I can understand the direction Sony have taken and the business model they have to follow.
I would really like to see a major revision to their action cam lineup with a completely revamped camera design, hopefully incorporating something along the lines of the suggestions I had above in terms of microphone jack placement and pairing it with an enclosure with electrically connected controls rather than physical interfaces to the camera inside, as this would address the biggest complaint I see from motorbike riders regarding access to the mic jack while retaining weather sealing. As of yet, I haven't attempted the I/O port hack I mentioned when I first wrote this review.
As I also mentioned in the first write up, after the firmware update, I'm updating my score to 7.5/10
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Wow, it's been a long time between reviews. So long in fact that I've forgotten the formatting I normally use for these reviews. Luckily Blogger lets me have multiple tabs open within the same session, so I can refer to an old post and look professional. I thought I'd get this one out of the way as it's been on the burner for a while, so without further ado, lets get to the review...
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series
First up, congratulations for making it this far into the review. Those first three words in the title are probably enough to send most people running away in fear and questioning why they ever came to this site in the first place. Knowing the pre-conceptions surrounding My Little Pony, this is understandable and not entirely baseless, but it's the last three words of the title that make all the difference.
A bit of background:
MLP: FIM (as I will refer to it from now on) is the fourth cartoon iteration of the MLP franchise which started way back in...I can't exactly remember, but I'll hazard a guess at 1986. Starting out as a line of toys from Hasbro, an accompanying TV special was created to try and increase sales. The animated feature was called 'Rescue from Midnight Castle' and saw the pony residents of Dream Castle in the MLP universe team up with a human girl, Megan, in an attemp to rescue their friends who were kidnapped by a winged demonoid called Scorpan for his master Tirek's evil plans.
I found the feature quite entertaining when I first saw it in ~1988 and apart from the shallow character development of the ponies, had quite a lot of good points.
Between the first airing of Rescue from Midnight Castle up until 2009, the franchise went through 3 progressive versions. In summary, all of these had one thing in common. They all pandered to their target audience of young, shallow, girls who were only interested in bright coloured things and looking pretty. I'm not saying all viewers who watched the shows were young, shallow, or even girls, but that was target Hasbro was going for.
Change (for the better):
Enter 2010 and the fourth re-boot saw a major shift in the way it treated its target audience. With an experienced and passionate crew on board behind the scenes, episodes weren't just a way to promote the product, they were a medium for conveying the core message of the show which, as the title suggests, is 'Friendship'. For the first time, the series became the main focus of the franchise rather than the toy line.
(A word of warning, there may be some spoilers below if you haven't seen any episodes.)
The show revolves around six main pony characters with a slew of supporting characters. The first two episodes are presented as a double-episode arc and introduce us to Twilight Sparkle, a bookish pony from the city tasked by the ruling alicorn (pegasus+unicorn) Princess Celestia to oversee the festivities in nearby neighbouring town of Ponyville, and while she's at it, perhaps taking some time off from studying to make some friends. While in Ponyville she and her longtime friend Spike, a baby dragon, encounter Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Together they make up the core group affectionately dubbed by fans as the 'Mane Six'.
Each has her own abilities and peculiar personality traits, along with strengths and weaknesses which the show portrays by the interactions between each of the ponies and against certain plot elements.
Pinkie Pie is a hyperactive, fast talking pony who loves to eat sugary treats and loves to party. Applejack is a down-to-earth pony who works on her family's local apple acreage. Rainbow Dash is a tomboyish pegasus with a fondness for excitement and a speed (the spacial kind, not the narcotic) addiction. Fluttershy is a very shy, softly spoken pegasus who loves animals, and Rarity is a self-made fashion designer with a penchant for all things classy, and can sometimes appear a bit snobbish.
The first two episodes see Twilight Sparkle uncover an astronomical event which will see the return of Nightmare Moon, an alicorn who was banished to the moon 1000 years ago. Acording to legend, the only way to defeat her is to summon the (very convenient) six Elements of Harmony: Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, and a sixth element of 'Magic'. (Hint: see the title of the show for what the sixth element really is).
I won't go into too much more detail as I think you should watch the show to find out more about the story, suffice to say that the above themes and plot elements play major roles in the way the rest of the season and subsequent season(s) episodes flow.
Noteworthy aspects of the show:
The animation is based on a Macromedia/Adobe Flash style, with vector lines and lots of flat solid colour objects. If you have seen any "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" then you know what I'm getting at. If you haven't, then all I can say is the animation is top-shelf and very much better than 99% of all flash based animation on the interwebs. It's more about the style showing through than about any efficiency gains to be had by going with this type of animation, and the care and attention to detail put in by the animators can be seen in each scene. Colours are vibrant, objects and backgrounds have a high level of detail, character movements and facial expressions are 'animated' and convey the feelings of the character extremely well.
The sound is another part of the show where a lot of effort has been put in, both in musical score and effects. Minute details such as hoof sounds being different on stone compared to wooden floorboards, to the 'whoosh' of objects moving fast around the scene. They're all there. The background music is also present in appropriate scenes and eccentuate the visuals without ever being overbearing. The show also contains many musical numbers which drive the plot and are also quite catchy. I put them on par with broadway productions (and also just as hammy sometimes).
Voice acting is great and the cast has been choser really well.
Character depth is probably one of the best parts of the show. As we follow the main characters from episode to episode, we find that they aren't just one dimensional and they aren't just a reflection of the Element of Harmany they associate with. They come across as being just as complex and interesting as any real life human you might meet. Twilight is very intelligent but suffers from performance anxiety and is slightly obsessive/compulsive. Pinkie Pie is erratic and always trying to put a smile on everyone's face, but that's because her childhood has its roots in the mundane. Applejack is a hard worker and has common sense but doesn't have much wordly experience and can be downright stubborn at times. Rainbow Dash is competitive, always trying to be seen as the best, but hates to lose and may be compensating for her shortcomings by bragging about her acheivements. Fluttershy has confidence issues and also has a scary side to her personality. Rarity is caught between appearing as the high class sophisticant that her job entails and letting her true personal feelings show through.
Some of the subject matter that is touched upon in some episodes is also quite relevant and viewers may be able to draw parallels with their own experiences. Topics such as segregation, racism, greed, superficiality, and pride, all get touched upon, usually alongside their opposites such as tolerance, acceptance, sharing, inner beauty, and humility, to name a few. The younger audience will get the general message trying to be conveyed but older viewers will be able to read the subtler grey areas which the writers have not left out.
The target audience of the show is initially young girls, but the writers and producers have been wise enough to realise that these days, young girls run the gamut of personalities with their own likes and preferences. They've therefore catered to a wide audience and included enough variety and depth of interest so as to hopefully not pidgeonhole their audience and definitely not patronise them. The unexpected offshoot of this is that the show hasn't just been popular with young girls, but both males and females across a large spectrum of ages. When you dissect the show to see what makes up the core of what MLP:FIM is, that fact isn't so suprising.
The good:
- The animation, the sound, the music, the story, the characters, the themes. Everything I mentioned in the section above.
- Pop culture references. There are a ton of references throughout the show but unlike shows like Family Guy and Southpark, they are subtle most of the time and only blatant when that is part of the joke.
- The fanbase. The fans of the shows are some of the nicest and most talented people around. People who associate themselves with the core themes of the show are by their nature, good people.
- The staff. The people who work on the show don't shun their fanbase or their reactions to the show. They take on this feedback and embrace it to produce something the fans, whatever demographic they belong to, will enjoy.
- The fan-produced art. OMG, there are some amazing visual and audible works of art out there which you wouldn't guess come from a single person working in their spare time on their lone PC at home. Search YouTube for 'PinkiePieSwear' and 'Swag' to get some good examples. A Google image search of 'MLP wallpaper' brings up lots of (literally(and literary)) fantastic images. Apologies for the nested braces.
The bad:
- Plot holes. There are some plot holes from time to time and you may be required to suspend belief on occasion. You're already watching a show about talking, flying, magic ponies, so this shouldn't be too hard.
- Newtonian physics is often ignored. Search for 'My Little Pony Physics Presentation' on YouTube. You can see that a number of examples where entertainment has been prioritised over portraying reality accurately. Some may argue this falls into the (The Good:) References section above but in a very remote way.
- The 'Fan' base. With every show, there are bound to be bad seeds (no S3Ep4 pun intended) out there. Some people take parts of the show and mix them with other seedier parts of the internet, or use imagery for their own selfish outlet, such as snapping frames from the animation and attaching demotivational words in a meme-like way. Personally, I don't have a problem with this and have actually used some choice images and fan-art to sarcastic effect. I see it as just another facet of a widely accepted show, and I rate these things on their merits. Others may not agree with my point of view on this and I just have to accept that as they have to accept my view.
- Political Correctness. There has been some debate about the sexual orientation of Rainbow Dash and the portrayal of Derpy Hooves as possibly mentally challenged. To my knowledge (which might be wrong), I believe Hasbro has revoiced the original talking part of Derpy. To that I say, those people kicking up a fuss are probably the same people who don't want to believe that homosexual and mentally challenged people exist. *(Just an update to this. I read somewhere that the re-voicing was done because the original voice work was intended to be a one off and not expected to make any appearance later. For continuity they had to realign the voice with that used in subsequent appearances, which is a shame because I really prefer the original voice work.)
- Pink Princess Celestia. In the show, Princess Celestia is white, so why are there toys of her which are pink? Princess Cadence (who appears later in the series) is pink and I'm not too certain about prior generations, but G4/MLP:FIM Celestia is white.
Overall:
I think MLP:FIM is great. If this were a different show and everything other than the fact it was about ponies was the same, I would still rate it a great show, and that is the best part about it. All the aspects that make the show so good are the transferable ones. It is the writers cleverly twisting the plot; the animators putting the subtle touches to a scene that no one will readily notice, but will subconciously absorb and make the scene so much better; the music setting the mood; the voice acting bringing the characters to life.
All these aspects come together to make the show what it is, which is a fun, clever, enjoyable show for anyone.
Score:
9.5/10.
PS: After watching the first season I didn't think of myself as a brony. Then I brohoofed someone, which apparently makes you a brony. I guess I'm a brony.
PPS: My favourite is Applejack, then Princess Celestia. Must be something about ponies with headgear...
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series
First up, congratulations for making it this far into the review. Those first three words in the title are probably enough to send most people running away in fear and questioning why they ever came to this site in the first place. Knowing the pre-conceptions surrounding My Little Pony, this is understandable and not entirely baseless, but it's the last three words of the title that make all the difference.
A bit of background:
MLP: FIM (as I will refer to it from now on) is the fourth cartoon iteration of the MLP franchise which started way back in...I can't exactly remember, but I'll hazard a guess at 1986. Starting out as a line of toys from Hasbro, an accompanying TV special was created to try and increase sales. The animated feature was called 'Rescue from Midnight Castle' and saw the pony residents of Dream Castle in the MLP universe team up with a human girl, Megan, in an attemp to rescue their friends who were kidnapped by a winged demonoid called Scorpan for his master Tirek's evil plans.
I found the feature quite entertaining when I first saw it in ~1988 and apart from the shallow character development of the ponies, had quite a lot of good points.
Between the first airing of Rescue from Midnight Castle up until 2009, the franchise went through 3 progressive versions. In summary, all of these had one thing in common. They all pandered to their target audience of young, shallow, girls who were only interested in bright coloured things and looking pretty. I'm not saying all viewers who watched the shows were young, shallow, or even girls, but that was target Hasbro was going for.
Change (for the better):
Enter 2010 and the fourth re-boot saw a major shift in the way it treated its target audience. With an experienced and passionate crew on board behind the scenes, episodes weren't just a way to promote the product, they were a medium for conveying the core message of the show which, as the title suggests, is 'Friendship'. For the first time, the series became the main focus of the franchise rather than the toy line.
(A word of warning, there may be some spoilers below if you haven't seen any episodes.)
The show revolves around six main pony characters with a slew of supporting characters. The first two episodes are presented as a double-episode arc and introduce us to Twilight Sparkle, a bookish pony from the city tasked by the ruling alicorn (pegasus+unicorn) Princess Celestia to oversee the festivities in nearby neighbouring town of Ponyville, and while she's at it, perhaps taking some time off from studying to make some friends. While in Ponyville she and her longtime friend Spike, a baby dragon, encounter Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. Together they make up the core group affectionately dubbed by fans as the 'Mane Six'.
Each has her own abilities and peculiar personality traits, along with strengths and weaknesses which the show portrays by the interactions between each of the ponies and against certain plot elements.
Pinkie Pie is a hyperactive, fast talking pony who loves to eat sugary treats and loves to party. Applejack is a down-to-earth pony who works on her family's local apple acreage. Rainbow Dash is a tomboyish pegasus with a fondness for excitement and a speed (the spacial kind, not the narcotic) addiction. Fluttershy is a very shy, softly spoken pegasus who loves animals, and Rarity is a self-made fashion designer with a penchant for all things classy, and can sometimes appear a bit snobbish.
The first two episodes see Twilight Sparkle uncover an astronomical event which will see the return of Nightmare Moon, an alicorn who was banished to the moon 1000 years ago. Acording to legend, the only way to defeat her is to summon the (very convenient) six Elements of Harmony: Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, and a sixth element of 'Magic'. (Hint: see the title of the show for what the sixth element really is).
I won't go into too much more detail as I think you should watch the show to find out more about the story, suffice to say that the above themes and plot elements play major roles in the way the rest of the season and subsequent season(s) episodes flow.
Noteworthy aspects of the show:
The animation is based on a Macromedia/Adobe Flash style, with vector lines and lots of flat solid colour objects. If you have seen any "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" then you know what I'm getting at. If you haven't, then all I can say is the animation is top-shelf and very much better than 99% of all flash based animation on the interwebs. It's more about the style showing through than about any efficiency gains to be had by going with this type of animation, and the care and attention to detail put in by the animators can be seen in each scene. Colours are vibrant, objects and backgrounds have a high level of detail, character movements and facial expressions are 'animated' and convey the feelings of the character extremely well.
The sound is another part of the show where a lot of effort has been put in, both in musical score and effects. Minute details such as hoof sounds being different on stone compared to wooden floorboards, to the 'whoosh' of objects moving fast around the scene. They're all there. The background music is also present in appropriate scenes and eccentuate the visuals without ever being overbearing. The show also contains many musical numbers which drive the plot and are also quite catchy. I put them on par with broadway productions (and also just as hammy sometimes).
Voice acting is great and the cast has been choser really well.
Character depth is probably one of the best parts of the show. As we follow the main characters from episode to episode, we find that they aren't just one dimensional and they aren't just a reflection of the Element of Harmany they associate with. They come across as being just as complex and interesting as any real life human you might meet. Twilight is very intelligent but suffers from performance anxiety and is slightly obsessive/compulsive. Pinkie Pie is erratic and always trying to put a smile on everyone's face, but that's because her childhood has its roots in the mundane. Applejack is a hard worker and has common sense but doesn't have much wordly experience and can be downright stubborn at times. Rainbow Dash is competitive, always trying to be seen as the best, but hates to lose and may be compensating for her shortcomings by bragging about her acheivements. Fluttershy has confidence issues and also has a scary side to her personality. Rarity is caught between appearing as the high class sophisticant that her job entails and letting her true personal feelings show through.
Some of the subject matter that is touched upon in some episodes is also quite relevant and viewers may be able to draw parallels with their own experiences. Topics such as segregation, racism, greed, superficiality, and pride, all get touched upon, usually alongside their opposites such as tolerance, acceptance, sharing, inner beauty, and humility, to name a few. The younger audience will get the general message trying to be conveyed but older viewers will be able to read the subtler grey areas which the writers have not left out.
The target audience of the show is initially young girls, but the writers and producers have been wise enough to realise that these days, young girls run the gamut of personalities with their own likes and preferences. They've therefore catered to a wide audience and included enough variety and depth of interest so as to hopefully not pidgeonhole their audience and definitely not patronise them. The unexpected offshoot of this is that the show hasn't just been popular with young girls, but both males and females across a large spectrum of ages. When you dissect the show to see what makes up the core of what MLP:FIM is, that fact isn't so suprising.
The good:
- The animation, the sound, the music, the story, the characters, the themes. Everything I mentioned in the section above.
- Pop culture references. There are a ton of references throughout the show but unlike shows like Family Guy and Southpark, they are subtle most of the time and only blatant when that is part of the joke.
- The fanbase. The fans of the shows are some of the nicest and most talented people around. People who associate themselves with the core themes of the show are by their nature, good people.
- The staff. The people who work on the show don't shun their fanbase or their reactions to the show. They take on this feedback and embrace it to produce something the fans, whatever demographic they belong to, will enjoy.
- The fan-produced art. OMG, there are some amazing visual and audible works of art out there which you wouldn't guess come from a single person working in their spare time on their lone PC at home. Search YouTube for 'PinkiePieSwear' and 'Swag' to get some good examples. A Google image search of 'MLP wallpaper' brings up lots of (literally(and literary)) fantastic images. Apologies for the nested braces.
The bad:
- Plot holes. There are some plot holes from time to time and you may be required to suspend belief on occasion. You're already watching a show about talking, flying, magic ponies, so this shouldn't be too hard.
- Newtonian physics is often ignored. Search for 'My Little Pony Physics Presentation' on YouTube. You can see that a number of examples where entertainment has been prioritised over portraying reality accurately. Some may argue this falls into the (The Good:) References section above but in a very remote way.
- The 'Fan' base. With every show, there are bound to be bad seeds (no S3Ep4 pun intended) out there. Some people take parts of the show and mix them with other seedier parts of the internet, or use imagery for their own selfish outlet, such as snapping frames from the animation and attaching demotivational words in a meme-like way. Personally, I don't have a problem with this and have actually used some choice images and fan-art to sarcastic effect. I see it as just another facet of a widely accepted show, and I rate these things on their merits. Others may not agree with my point of view on this and I just have to accept that as they have to accept my view.
- Political Correctness. There has been some debate about the sexual orientation of Rainbow Dash and the portrayal of Derpy Hooves as possibly mentally challenged. To my knowledge (which might be wrong), I believe Hasbro has revoiced the original talking part of Derpy. To that I say, those people kicking up a fuss are probably the same people who don't want to believe that homosexual and mentally challenged people exist. *(Just an update to this. I read somewhere that the re-voicing was done because the original voice work was intended to be a one off and not expected to make any appearance later. For continuity they had to realign the voice with that used in subsequent appearances, which is a shame because I really prefer the original voice work.)
- Pink Princess Celestia. In the show, Princess Celestia is white, so why are there toys of her which are pink? Princess Cadence (who appears later in the series) is pink and I'm not too certain about prior generations, but G4/MLP:FIM Celestia is white.
Overall:
I think MLP:FIM is great. If this were a different show and everything other than the fact it was about ponies was the same, I would still rate it a great show, and that is the best part about it. All the aspects that make the show so good are the transferable ones. It is the writers cleverly twisting the plot; the animators putting the subtle touches to a scene that no one will readily notice, but will subconciously absorb and make the scene so much better; the music setting the mood; the voice acting bringing the characters to life.
All these aspects come together to make the show what it is, which is a fun, clever, enjoyable show for anyone.
Score:
9.5/10.
PS: After watching the first season I didn't think of myself as a brony. Then I brohoofed someone, which apparently makes you a brony. I guess I'm a brony.
PPS: My favourite is Applejack, then Princess Celestia. Must be something about ponies with headgear...
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