@Background Pony #0D2A  
Yep, that too. TVtropes calls that Early Installment Weirdness (and it even uses Batman using a gun to kill a guy from the early Batman comics as its page image).

@mjangelvortex
 
And with tv shows that continues happening even after the final product is made. That’s why for better or worse when you go back to the early episodes, sometimes even the entire first season, the characters are often very different from what they become in later seasons (and not necessarily because of character development).

@Background Pony #5CEE  
Yeah, that’s my opinion on them as well. They look good as still images and very cute but I can imagine that when animated, it could become an eyesore.

@mjangelvortex  
To be honest, the more detailed designs were very cute but also kind of an eyesore.

@Background Pony #5CEE  
Yeah, those trends will probably stick in the final product. They didn’t like some of the more detailed designs (probably because they’re both not animation friendly or easy to make toys out of). So the designs in G5 will probably be a bit more simple compared to the overly complicated designs in the concept art.

@mjangelvortex  
Yeah. But judging by how most designs looked, we probably will get Applejack with braids and very long-maned Rarity and Fluttershy in the final product. If I’m not wrong, that’s what one of the folks in the production staff wanted.

@Background Pony #0D2A  
Oh yeah. This happens with nearly everything fictional that comes out, especially with animated works. Rewrites and redesigns with characters happen frequently because the people working on the project are still more or less trying to figure out the characters and the world they’re in. So in early production, a lot of it is basically experimenting to see what fits best.

@mjangelvortex
 
Toy Story was quite different at first.
 
And even the reworked version of Woody after that was quite different from the final version.

@Background Pony #5CEE  
I also looked at the leaks and this BP is correct. Both studios put in concept art for G5.
 
@Background Pony #0D2A  
That being said, you do make a good point too. A lot of times with movies and TV shows, the early concept art ends up looking different from the final product. Sometimes the differences are minor but many times the changes can be pretty drastic.
 
This is why I really don’t understand half the drama some people in the fanbase is having over leaked early concept art. When G5 comes in 2022, it’s bound to be different from what we saw in the leaks. No doubt in my mind. So making a fuss over it now, when the designs aren’t even finalized yet, just seems a bit unnecessary to me.
 
Just look at this concept art for G4 and finalized art of these characters as an example of it in action.
 
G4 Concept art:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Finalized designs of the G4 Characters:
 

 

 

@Background Pony #0D2A  

 
Boulder Media already was in the production team back then. I checked the emails and they were mentioned lots of times! Folks from both DHX and Boulder submitted concept arts.

It’s unlikely that G5 will be anything like the concept art. The concept art was from a time when DHX was going to make G5 but now Boulder Media will be making it instead.

@Background Pony #5CEE  
I wonder too. G5 is probably still in development (it was pushed back to 2022 from what I’ve heard) so it could possibly change in the future.

@mjangelvortex  
Yes. I wonder if the production staff is actually going to follow this idea in the final product.

@Background Pony #4014  
You do. She’s a very smol AJ.

Do I sense a SMOL AJ??

I’m so used to seeing people draw Applejack super large that I was taken off guard by how small she was here.
 
 
Not that mind. I actually kinda like it. It’s cute. (Plus the leaks did say they were experimenting with the idea of a smaller Applejack for G5 anyways.)