iridescent
Not Quite...
rainbow monstrous nightmare!
Posts: 13
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Post by iridescent on Dec 2, 2012 0:36:25 GMT -5
Riders of Berk so far... What do you think? Hi, I'm a long-time lurker of this forum. I've never felt the need to post before, but I've noticed that, although there is a discussion for each episode aired so far, there is no thread for any comments or opinions on Riders of Berk in general. I hope this thread will stimulate discussion about any feelings or opinions of Riders of Berk as a whole. So, what do you think of Riders of Berk as a TV show so far? Any comments, thoughts, opinions, suggestions, or criticisms are welcome. My thoughts: I think it's pretty awesome so far. I can't compare the show to others as I haven't watched any other TV shows for a long time, but I really do enjoy watching it. However, upon reflection, I believe that Riders of Berk as a whole has not lived up to my expectations. Of course, How to Train Your Dragon and Gift of the Night Fury have raised my expectations for this TV show to the extreme, but I still feel that Riders of Berk could be improved to be even more spectacular. I will list what I feel are the weak points of Riders of Berk in comparison with the movie and Gift of the Night Fury, the best short episode in my opinion. Warning: if you haven't watched the episodes up to Alvin and the Outcasts, there are spoilers below. - Amazing scenes: What made HtTYD stand out to me was not the plot - many movies have good plots - but the scenes, most notably the Forbidden Friendship, Test Drive, and Romantic Flight scenes. They're not typical scenes marked by witty humor or intense battle, but beautiful scenes accompanied by marvelous music. GotNF has two wonderful, albeit short, flight scenes at the beginning and the end. This made me anticipate for one such scene per episode in the TV show, but the only beautiful scenes I've come across in RoB are Hiccup and Toothless' flight at the beginning of How to Start A Dragon Academy, the dragons' gathering at the end of Animal House, Hiccup and Toothless' separation at the end of In Dragons We Trust, and maybe one or two more. - Amazing music: I believe that part of what makes HtTYD scenes great is the music. I hope I don't have to go at length about HtTYD's amazing soundtracks, but what's even more amazing is that GotNF, in 21 minutes, has ALMOST EVERY awesome soundtrack from the movie! Watch the short one more time if you don't believe me. I don't feel as if DreamWorks are implementing the amazing soundtracks as frequently in RoB, and if they are, the music is not as conspicuous. I do, however, admire two scenes from the show in which the music really caught my emotions, namely Hiccup's farewell to Toothless - recognizing the music that played there almost made me cry - and the classic HtTYD theme that played at the end of Alvin and the Outcasts, which just made me feel so elated. - More Toothless...: I've seen a few complaints about this on this forum and on other sites, and I do agree: there's not enough Hiccup-Toothless moments in RoB. I've even seen people say they don't really like the other characters and would rather just see Hiccup and Toothless go on adventures. My feelings aren't so extreme, but I do wish there were more Toothless scenes. There were plenty in GotNF. That's all I have to say in terms of areas of improvement. Despite the length of my suggestions above, I still believe Riders of Berk is a great show; I just hope that DreamWorks can make it even better in the future. And if they can make each episode as amazing as GotNF, then I will be ecstatic beyond words... Well, that ends my thoughts. What about yours? Of course, you don't have to write as much as I did, but if you could, that would be great!
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Post by Dorano on Dec 4, 2012 0:59:15 GMT -5
I, for one, love Riders of Berk. I discovered it shortly after Heather Report part 1 when I was watching SWTCW and am now almost as much a dragon nerd as I am a Star Wars nerd. Blame Fishlegs. I wish there was more Toothless and more Astrid, but I also find the twins hilarious (who doesn't?). Alvin is a great long-term villan, and of course Mildew is a great filler for when Alvin's plotting his next move. My thoughts in a large nutshell.
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Post by toothless11 on Dec 4, 2012 1:21:14 GMT -5
I totally agree with most, or maybe all of your thoughts.
I personally think that the show's great, but they're not doing an excellent job at it. They're ignoring lots of things established in the film.
The main one that I, and many others complain about is that in the series, they're making the dragons seem like dumb animals, just responding to the teens actions where as in the movie and GoTNF, they're intelligent.
They COMPLETELY forgot that Hiccup was already SAVED by a dragon in the movie. In Animal House, they act as if it's the first time that happened. And they said it was "their instincts". This I almost hate. Thats almost like saying that they're just dumb animals.
I don't have muc time right now to post all of my thoughts, both positive and negative...But here's some. I'll post more later. But overall, the shows great. But not completely.
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Post by Berk on Dec 5, 2012 23:56:54 GMT -5
Hi, I'm new (see my intro thread).
I've only seen a grand total of... 4 Riders of Berk episodes. They're the only ones I've been able to access since becoming a fan.
I'll agree that Riders of Berk is not quite as awesome as the movie... but I still love it no less. I think in part there are a few things that can't be helped. We can only really have one Toothless-Hiccup meeting scene, for instance, because, well... they only meet once. Even though I'd like to relive that magic over and over... there's only really one time. Because these are short (~22 mins), they can only fit so much stuff and sometimes there isn't enough time for epic flight scenes.
But... yeah. I agree with most of your thoughts. More epic scenes, music, Toothless...
As for what I'd like to see specifically:
Characters- One central part of why I like "Dragons" is because of it's characters. I suppose my triumvirate would be Hiccup, Toothless and Astrid. These three are undoubtedly my favorite and I would like to see more of them, their development and their relations with each other. I also like the others... the other kids, Stoick, Gobber... and I definately want them to come in where appropriate.
But back to my main point, I do love the characters. I want to see more of Hiccup and his personal development. His relationship with his father, and the other villagers, kids. Most importantly, I want to see the relationship and adventures between Toothless and Hiccup, boy and his dragon, best friends. I also want to see the relationship and adventures between Hiccup and Astrid, best friends of a different sort and also the romance (which me being a sucker for romance between characters I like, want to see more of... but not in a mushy way. In the way that suits their personalities as they currently are).
But overall, I think it comes down to the fact that I want all subsequent--- the show, the next movies... all to maintain that same magic that the first movie had.
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iridescent
Not Quite...
rainbow monstrous nightmare!
Posts: 13
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Post by iridescent on Dec 8, 2012 14:55:29 GMT -5
Hi, I'm new (see my intro thread). I'll agree that Riders of Berk is not quite as awesome as the movie... but I still love it no less. I think in part there are a few things that can't be helped. We can only really have one Toothless-Hiccup meeting scene, for instance, because, well... they only meet once. Even though I'd like to relive that magic over and over... there's only really one time. Because these are short (~22 mins), they can only fit so much stuff and sometimes there isn't enough time for epic flight scenes. I completely agree with you that it's much harder to introduce beautiful scenes now that the storyline has progressed. I feel like this is the reason why sequels to movie or book series are usually not as good as the first. But still, given this hindrance, DreamWorks has still managed to create several marvelous scenes throughout the TV show (I won't spoil them here), so I do believe that DreamWorks has the potential to make more. BTW, you can watch the TV series online at www.watchcartoononline.com/anime/dragons-riders-of-berkOn another note, the most recent episode, When Lightning Strikes, was really amazing. Hopefully this is the start of a streak of awesome episodes!
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Post by Dorano on Dec 8, 2012 18:05:10 GMT -5
I know. Total flashback to the movie, with a mix of new material. Like it being Hiccup's own stupid fault (well, not entirely, (MILDEW) but he could have been faster with that speech) that he almost died.
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Post by Berk on Dec 8, 2012 22:16:00 GMT -5
Well, it was in large part that they didn't quite... know. Hiccup couldn't possibly have forseen those consequences, in full, at least, because he doesn't quite know the science behind it.
But let's discuss that in the right thread. __________
The tough part of sequels/TV shows is, indeed, to hold onto the magic. The thing about the TV show is that it isn't about a particularly monumental occasion, such as Hiccup's taming of the Toothless/end of the "Dragon War". This time, while there are adventures, it is largely about everyday Berk life.
They can (and have, I do believe) do their best to recreate the greatness in the movie (although they could do with more of the soundtrack).
There is still a ton of amazing potential for the story in sequels and TV, as well as more awesome scenes. There's still so much they can do. New adventures, yes, but also new developments of the village and of the characters themselves. You want to add in this new stuff, but you also want to keep the original magic. Hiccup must still be mildly sarcastic and intelligent. Stoick must still be someone stubborn but also caring. Astrid must still pull Hiccup in every time she gives him a kiss (although as part of Hiccup's own development I'd like to see him pull her in for a change).
Me being crazy.. I'm attempting to send mail to the creators (of the show, the movie, etc.) sharing my views and assuring that they can keep the magic. For with a story like this, there's nothing worse than losing it.
But yeah... I would like to see the episode more deep. Going more in depth to characters and their relations. A good mix between plot development and filler which just gives you the HTTYD...feeling (Hiccup and Toothless' epic flight, for instance in the movie. Not necessarily something that needs to be expanded upon for several minutes plot-wise, but it just gives you that feeling.) And the epicness.
I'm fiercely protective of stories I love.
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Post by Dorano on Dec 9, 2012 0:16:43 GMT -5
I can see that. Of course, with vikings, the trouble is never over...and the producers of the show have introduced a new villain into the series, in the form of Alvin the Treacherous. I, of course, am veeeeery interested to see where this goes!
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iridescent
Not Quite...
rainbow monstrous nightmare!
Posts: 13
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Post by iridescent on Dec 9, 2012 1:01:25 GMT -5
Me being crazy.. I'm attempting to send mail to the creators (of the show, the movie, etc.) sharing my views and assuring that they can keep the magic. For with a story like this, there's nothing worse than losing it. How is that crazy? I think it's absolutely the right thing to do in this situation. I think more of the HTTYD fandom should voice their opinions to the creators of the TV show - as long as any criticism is constructive. I'm actually planning on doing the same once I'm done with my final exams. Together, we might make a difference!
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Post by Berk on Dec 9, 2012 2:47:18 GMT -5
Me being crazy.. I'm attempting to send mail to the creators (of the show, the movie, etc.) sharing my views and assuring that they can keep the magic. For with a story like this, there's nothing worse than losing it. How is that crazy? I think it's absolutely the right thing to do in this situation. I think more of the HTTYD fandom should voice their opinions to the creators of the TV show - as long as any criticism is constructive. I'm actually planning on doing the same once I'm done with my final exams. Together, we might make a difference! Yes! We shall work together. Well, honestly, half of me is gushing in very ellegant writing about how much I love it. The second half is me imploring them to keep the original "feel" even as they expand out into the world. And of course, for me, the characters. Trouble being I need to track down where to... send these letters.
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Post by barracuda on Dec 9, 2012 7:59:30 GMT -5
Yeah, that generally seems to be a problem... there doesn't seem to be a "recommended" way for fans to share their opinions and ideas for the movies. And don't come with Facebook or Twitter, they're merely marketing tools from what I've seen so far.
Valve, for example, is much more communicative with their fans. Just send a mail to their CEO, Gabe Newell, or any other employee and chances are great that it will be read at least. Sometimes, you even get a reply. Can you say the same for Dreamworks? I'm not sure about that...
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Post by sthefano on Dec 9, 2012 15:38:01 GMT -5
I think sairen wrote something about Hiccup's profile while ago, if I'm not mistaken she said that he was getting arrogant. My impression is that he's not getting any better during the episodes, if it wasn't for Astrid, he'd be even worse by now. Also, as someone noted,in most of the episodes toothless is being shown more as a boy's pet, than a friend that changed/saved his life(with exceptions, like the last episode). BTW, you should talk to icelandceel, i think he got contact with HTTYD developers
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Post by Capricorn-PsyGal on Dec 9, 2012 19:35:00 GMT -5
I am going to admit I like this show more then I like FiM right now(mainly cause season 3 isn't as good as the other two imo, not to offend fans of FiM out there anyway) I personally love the fact that they have an actual villain now.
Plus sending letters to the show's developers sounds like a really good idea at this point to at least try and prevent it from going bad. I think that's pretty much the problem with FiM, I think when season 1 was long since over is when the show started to get popular and hasbro/show's creators didn't pay attention to the fandom until much later around when season 2 was about to start. geting our thoughts in now will hopefully give them good ideas to help make the show better.
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Post by Berk on Dec 9, 2012 23:20:42 GMT -5
I'm going to create a new topic for getting-in-touch, methinks. Just so as not to derail this one.
Anyways, yeah. I want to contact both CN and the show-makers, and also Dreamworks and the filmmakers, because both are doing important things. My main target has been Dean DeBlois, as to me it appears he's the big force behind HTTYD in terms of plot and development (although I think he's developing the movie while overseeing others who are directing the show), and also because I want to praise the heck out of him for his work on the first movie.
Anyways... yeah. I'll create a new topic.
Back to the Riders of Berk....
Yeah, I do agree that they need to win back some of that movie deepness. Toothless needs to become more of best friend, their co-dependence highlighted and yet stunning strength highlighted. Hiccup needs to not be as arrogant as, say, Thawfest (although I can see this being a legitimate plot point--Hiccup getting some arrogancy now that he's well-recognized/a hero-- but also plotwise they need to knock it out out of him at some point).
I mean, there's just so much to be done here. And they should do it.
On another tangent, I'm of the firm belief that CN doesn't air this show/repeats of episodes nearly often enough in comparison with everything else they show. That's another point I want to bring up. It should be on more.
Also, just as a question, it seems as if they won't be airing new episodes for the next few weeks on Wednesdays like normal. Anyone have any idea why?
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Post by Dorano on Dec 10, 2012 0:17:50 GMT -5
Probably because of Christmas. Which makes no sense to me (money-wise, if the main target is kids, who have Christmas Break...)...but it probably makes sense for the people who work on the show to get a Christmas break. They deserve it.
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