POP designs: Which do you like better?

[Agostinho]

I don't know. Both have good sides and downsides, but I though the toon did a better job of making it one universe with MOTU, while the figures made them seperate from He-Man, yet good and innovative in their own way. I also like the color choices better from the cartoon. So which do you like more?

[LadyAngora]

i have to say i love the toyline the best, but that is probably because i am a very tactile person, and you cannot pick up a cartoon....

anyway, i will say that i didn't like the animated version when they copied the toyline, such as: netossa and spinnerella and even flutterina... i'd like to have seen more versatility, since the original characters didn't look much like the toys.

i like the cartoon to have it's own look and the toys to have their own look... maybe i should've voted for 'both equally'!

[zodak74]

The cartoon dumbed down a lot of design aspects that I loved in PoP toys. I know this is because Filmation was kinda doing stuff on the cheap, but it resulted in characters just looking... kinda ugly. Glimmer the figure looks ultra-cool because she's got silver tights and a kinky 'fro and a neat headdress and a fancy-looking staff. What do we get in the cartoon? This bug-eyed woman with flat hair, no weapons, and grey tights and no frilly skirt or anything like that. Angella looks the most horrid in the cartoon, IMO. Not only did she have an awful voice, but the beautiful angellic guide we got as a toy looked as equally lame as Glimmer does in the 'toon. Something about the hair really didn't do it for me. Bow? Hate the moustache. I don't like Kowl being more brownish than yellow. And don't get me started on poor Catra! In the Story Of She-Ra mini-comic we are presented a Catra that looks like a barbaric beauty who wouldn't look too out of place in the original Alfred Alcala MOTU mini-comics. She really fits, with the wild loincloth, the cool shield, cat mask... she seems really wild and I dig that. The toy and mini-comic gave me a Catra I loved. The cartoon? I hated the cape, they made the structure of her face look more angular and villianous which just made her look like a hag to me. I didn't like the Horde batsymbol on her chest, and the mask didn't resemble the one on the figure. Not to mention I hated the cat that she transformed into. Silly, silly, silly.
And Entrapta is a kick-ass figure but looked sorely out of place in the Fright Zone.
Stuff I do like, however...
Castaspella. Both versions. But they made the cartoon version look very cool as well, I thought.
Frosta was spot-on in the cartoon.
Mermista was a bit of an improvement in the cartoon just because the fabric tail gimmick for the toy didn't work enough to disguise the feet poking out the bottom.
She-Ra and Adora herself is a tough call. When I think of She-Ra in my head, I have the Filmation version burned in my memory. But whenever I see the toy, I think... nah, this is better!
Swift Wind- did not like the orangy mane in the cartoon. I don't love pink, but it looks better as a toy than the toon.
Overall, I like the Filmation cartoon for the stories but always kinda cringe when I see what they did to some of the characters. The colors aren't right, they all look bland, and their outfits just seemed like they were wearing bad spandex or something instead of the more detailed frilly textured clothes.
I am happiest looking at the figures and art on the boxes.

[Agostinho]

Interesting thought Zodak74. I'm very pro-cartoon, but I see your point with Glimmer and Angella. BUt also remember than the MOTU toys, even though they matched well with the toon, were also MUCH more ornate in design than the cartoon and the shortcuts they used. Randor's toon and toy are different but both are cool.

But bar none, cartoon She-Ra whoops toy She-Ra. I'd love to see a mix of both. Kinda like this.







Though admittedly, I hate Swift Wind being pink. Gimme the toon anyday

[Rook]

I have to say I prefered the cartoon. I just don't like the frilly fashion doll look of the toys, simple as that. The look to Barbie-esque to me.
That's not to say that all the toys were bad. Frosta looked aces in both incarnations, and the Catra of the toyline was far superior to the cartoon Catra. Of course, I don't like the idea of Catra being in the Horde, period. Maybe allied, but I don't see her as following Hordak's orders, or leading a battalion of troops. I would have prefered Catra to have been like an evil queen type character, and given Scorpia the role of Force Captain.

[Lady Pamina]

I'm leaning more towards the cartoon though I voted for both. I love the cartoon best because 1.) I wasn't big into the toys (for some reason I missed out on those as a kid; I never knew they existed; maybe they were gone by the time I found out about She-Ra) 2.) some of the toys looked vastly different and very tacky. However as I recently realized there were toys, I took a slight interest in them. I like that there are different versions/levels of power for She-Ra (i.e. Classic, Bubble Power) that weren't shown in the show. I also think the toys had more vibrant and variety of colors than the cartoon. Not so keen on She-Ra the toy's tiara. That looks retarded to me; it looks like she's wearing some type of head gear. Despite some of the faults of the toyline, there were also some neat extra items that seldom or once debuted in the show. The Bubble Carriage for instance--kinda neat if you ask me. Catra looks too pretty in the toyline to be a villaness. I liked her in the cartoon. I always thought she was pretty bad-ass. I guess overall, I'm a cartoon fan since that what I know best and love. However, I figured there are plenty of pros to the toyline, so I ought to give it equal ranking instead of being biased. Why I think that, I don't know. How that makes any sense, I don't know.

[TOKYONEVER]

My vote is equally, i like 2.

[pH6]

Can't tell.

Some doll designs work, some don't.
But the army of cloned horsies I don't like.
Also: some cartoon designs work, some don't.

[Ivotas]

Actually I think a cross of both would work best. While I think that the toys had the better costumes (though I like some cartoon color´s more) the faces where really crappy. I mean seriously could you tell just by the toy face who´s who? I know I would have problems with it. Obviously the cartoon is better in this things. Every PoP character had a face unique face that could not have been mistaken with anyone else (though I wish Catra would have had a much prettier face since she was meant to be a 'jelous beauty').

That´s why I think a cross of both would work best.


Take care

[Scare_Glower]

here's my take...I voted for the cartoon, however it was a close call. If all the dolls were sculpted like the second series, then toys would have won! But alas, all the toys from the frist series looked like drag queens.

She-Ra: Cartoon version wins..hands down. Toy looked very silly. The tiara/mask was all wrong and she did not look "tough" like a warrior princess that she is. Although I am fond of Bubble Power She-Ra.

Catra: Cartoon version wins.Toy was too prissy to be a kick butt villianess. Cartoon had much better costume. And cartoon Catra can transform into that wicked jaguar!!!.. How can you NOT like the cartoon Catra?!?

Frosta: Cartoon wins again. I like the ultra fem Filmation Frosta. Toy has cool dress and wand, but sculpt looks kinda 'man-ish'.

Glimmer: Toy wins. Previous org-er is right, cartoon Glimm is just lame.

Angela: a toss. I like the color scheme and hair of the cartoon better. Doll was WAY WAAAY too pink for my taste. But the cartoon Angella had the WORST voice in animation history.

Peekablue: doll wins. wasn't featured enough in the cartoon anyways.

Mermista: a toss. i like them both very much.

Bow: cartoon definately wins. Bow doll has greasy skin and really retarded outfit.

Kowl: a toss. both versions are cute

Entrapta: doll wins...hair is cool and the gold enamel is a nice touch.

Sweet Bee: don't care. I think she's ugly in both the cartoon and the toy.

Double Trouble: no brainer. Toy wins by default. wasn't featured in the cartoon (same case -only reverse -with Shadow Weaver, Scorpia, Octavia and other 'cartoon only' characters)

Castaspella: Cartoon wins, DEFINATELY. Toy is hideous. Outfit and accessories are OK, but the the face/makeup is just awful.

Perfuma: toy wins. Toy is beautifully done.

Flutterina: again a toss. both version are very similar. But if I had to choose, I say toy because the cartoon did not feature her enough.

Netossa: Toy definately.

Spinnerella: Cartoon. Toy is rare and all that but pretty dumb if you think about it. The outfit is hideous, pink "Spinner" is pretty lame looking.

Animals: Toss. 1st series horse (especially 'all-PINK' Swifty) is kinda prissy, but 2nd wave horses (Royal SW, Silver Storm) rule! HOWEVER the lameness of 'Enchanta', 'SeaHarp' and waaay-too-pink 'Clawdeen' really affected my decision to vote for the cartoon animals.

Castles/Playsets/others: CARTOON. Whispering Woods and other Etherian places in the cartoon was freakin' awesome! Crystal Castle and other toys playsets are really really lame.

[rhea]

I picked the toys. The cartoon seemed to water down the designs into something the artists could draw. And often those watered down versions were ugly. Angella never looked like a queen and Glimmerlooked ridiculous as well. Catra was much too angular as well.

[Stratos]

I picked both equally, (though I kinda lean ever so slightly towards the toys), for many of the same reasons discussed in this thread.

[Agostinho]

Interesting choices, Scare Glower. I agreed with most of it (I prefer toon SweetBee). But your choices made a lot of sense.

Though I do like cartoon Glimmer. The toy was cool. I would just lose the blue in toon Glimmer and give her a color scheme closer to the toy (pink and silver) and the toon look would be salvagable.

Cartoon Angella I like way more than the too pink toy. I couldn't justify buying it as a kid. I though she was useless. The voice was just.... UGH.

[80'skid]

cartoon all the way. the cartoon she-ra was made to fight for truth and justice with a powerfull sword. doll she-ra was all frills, made so you could dress her up pretty, in case she needed to fight, they thoughtfully provided her with a gold toothpick.



the toys were still fun mind you, but most of them were modified, or de-frilled for actual play. i did my best to make them resemble the characters they were intended to be.

for the guy who didn't like the filmation catra, don't you find a big purple panther more threatening than a lady in a spandex suit with a mask? i did like that the mini-comic catra seemed able to turn into a domestic shorthair, and thought it would be fun if catra could become different kinds of cats depending on need. still the filmation catra was much much much mroe villainous. the toy catra was at best a nuisance.

p.s. AJ is cute

[preternia]

I prefer the original MATTEL's toy version of PRINCESS OF POWER.

Specially I fascinated of the artworks for the boxed toys (CRYSTAL FALLS, SEA HARP, BUTTERFLYER...)
The characters looks like alive - the designs of figures looks more pretty and have authentic women images.

CATRA's dress is more Cat-like and fit better as the Filmation-version!

That is my opinion...

[Surya]

I remember thinking as a kid, seeing the toys, and loving the show, how its a bit strange/confusing that some of the toys didnt really look too alike to their cartoon counterparts, which it kinda is to a kid u know? But either way i loved the toys i had, so im gonna go with the toy versions. I too love the box art, its beautiful, vibrant, and all the characters look gorgeous. But yeh the toys in gerenral are prettier, more detail to the outfits, thats the only prob i have with the show, the character designs were a little bland for some of them. Apart from that, its a close call.

[Caesar]

I presume the toy designs came first then the toon counterparts? I prefer the toon design over the toys, I was always disappointed that the toys looked nothing like the cartoon.

[Orko-78]

In my very own opinion: The cartoon.

[Angel-T]

I like both versions, but if given the choice I would prefer to see Filmation's POP designs used!

[Darkspecter]

I voted for the toyline. I feel the characters designs are best for everyone except She-Ra, Bow (his head is hideous on the toys) and maybe Glimmer. Catra is very awesome looking in both toys and cartoon.

The show versions which I did not enjoy at all: Castaspella, Kowl (why maroon with yellow eyes?) and Spinnerella.

[motu77]

This was close for me but I gave a slight edge to the toyline.

[radrcks]

This is a tough one for me because they're both great. I'd say Filmation as a whole, but I'm not even totally comfortable with picking that. It's kind of a grab bag for me.

Toy Catra is cool and all, but she's just not 'Catra' to me. But on the other hand I really liked the design of the toylines Angela over Filmations, the same with Entrapta. Casta I like them both equally. I liked Filmations Glimmer over the toyline's version of her and I have to say I liked Filmations Adora much more than the cape/headgearless 'She-Ra' as Adora.

[Predabot]

It's pick and chose for me, some are better on one side, others on the other side.

She-ra is better in the toon, while Entrapta is better as a toy.

[radrcks]

It's pick and chose for me, some are better on one side, others on the other side.

She-ra is better in the toon, while Entrapta is better as a toy.

I couldn't agree more even if I said a very long winded version of the same thing just moments earlier.

Some of them were much better in their own rights. Its funny how 'spoiled' we are with variants in toylines now-a-days. You just know we'd get something like:

Mattel Casta
Filmation Casta
Filmation Catra
Filmation Catra w/mask down
Filmation Catra w/mask up
then the 3 different Mattel Catra's

Of course then people would complain about short packing and the price to complete collections, and then like 3 years from now we'd all be going 'man I wish they made a version of so and so from episode 63' or something like that.

[hhhelmsley]

The Cartoon!!