Ficta_Scriptor

Here's my current plushie collection! It might get even bigger depending on whether I can get hold of certain plushies in the future. (I really want Braeburn, Sombra, and Button's Mum, and possibly Spitfire and Soarin.) I do also have the first 3 volumes of the comic series, but I didn't think to take a photo of those.

Okay, that's fair enough. I guess I'm not exactly qualified to give an informed opinion on the subject. Like I said, I've never been a fan of Digibrony and have only watched a couple of his videos. I was mainly drawn to discussions such as this because of someone who said they were annoyed at how Digibrony had been really negative recently (something that I found hard to take seriously since I always thought of Digi as not being harsh enough with his reviews) and then I stumble across this thread and find out that many other people feel the same way about him. I don't know, maybe I'm just going off the wrong information. Digi had always been a revered member of the fandom and to me it sounded like people were just kicking up a fuss because a well known reviewer didn't like season 4 and the fans couldn't handle their sacred show being criticised. I'm still really surprised that all this is even happening. Digibrony? Losing interest in the show? Leaving the fandom? Being called out for being too negative? He's the last person I expected this from. His most popular video (the Twilicorn one) instilled bronies with hope about the future of the show, prompting people to trust the writers. And yet he himself has lost faith in the writers and lost interest in the show. I'm not sure what lesson to take away from that.

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that so many people have criticised Digibrony for being too nostalgic or holding older episodes in higher regard, only to then wail "I liked his older style better!" I think Digibrony is totally free to do whatever he wants to do. Honestly, I think he feels like he's been put on the spot too much, thanks in part to his overwhelming popularity. He went to great lengths to defend the writers and the show on multiple occasions, garnered applause from bronies and even some of the show writers for doing so, and now he's come to the conclusion that he doesn't think the show is all that great anymore and all that praise has fizzled out. I don't quite get why there's been so much fuss over his new OC smoking and looking depressed. Maybe it's because I always hated his old OC and prefer his new one, but I fail to see why people get so hung up on it. And you now, it's weird. I've never liked Digibrony because I always thought he was way too kind and overlooked flaws far too much. Now I hear he's gotten a lot harsher and I feel like I'd actually want to watch his videos, It's a shame, I guess.

Here is a picture of all my plushies! As for which is my favourite... It's a really difficult choice. Applejack is my favourite pony, so she gets a mention. Derpy is big and fluffy; perfect for a cuddle! Luna (season 2) is beautiful and intricate. But then again, Fluttershy is so soft and adorable. I love stroking her tail... Honestly, I love them ALL, and I've given each and every one of them plenty of hugs. I even fell asleep once with Applejack and Pinkie nestled against my chest. I don't think I could pick a favourite. If I do get any more plushies, I'd love to get Applebloom, Big Mac, Braeburn and Celestia. I'd also love to have Button's Mum and a badass Nightmare Moon plush to have all three versions of Luna, but the ones I've seen are custom made and ridiculously expensive. Oh well!

I didn't mean to sound insulting, and I'm sure you don't genuinely treat your opinion as fact and look down upon other views as insignificant. It's just the way it was represented here that made it seem like it. I'll admit it would be a humongous task to collate a bunch of criticisms from across the board. (especially since you're trying to compare three entire seasons) An easier task would be to question whether it's the changes in season 3 that people call out as criticisms. Heck, you could even just focus on the 3 episodes that had significant character changes. (MMC, Keep Calm and Flutter On, Wonderbolt Academy) Giving each season a score out of five and listing the 'great' and 'bad' episodes was easily your biggest downfall. Reviewing stuff is absolutely fine, but trying to use those reviews as a basis to explain the way others think is going a little too far. You did make a couple of good points about the risk/reward of change and how you would like MLP to be more than just a 'good' show. It just felt like a startling conclusion to lampoon all season 3 hate as a dislike of change/progression. People don't like being told why they have the opinions they have, especially if it's less than flattering. Perhaps if you looked at other possible reasons it wouldn't have been so bad. If you're making more videos, then good for you. Everybody's gotta start somewhere. Heck, when I started out as a fanfic writer I was borderline terrible, and look at me now! I'm... a notch above mediocre... .-__- As far as your video-editing skills go, you did a good job with transitions etc. And hey, maybe I'll even enjoy the next video you put out.

Okay, I see what you've tried to do here, but this video relies far, far too much on using your own personal opinions as fact, and then makes an already tired claim because 'people think differently, therefore their brains can't handle change! Gosh, I'm so smart!' You simply cannot list a bunch of your most and least favourite episodes and then say, "Wow, season 2 is the best and season 1 is the worst! I know, right? I judged them fairly and everything!" I pretty much wanted to stop watching the video at that point, but I stayed with it. There were some episodes you said were good that I didn't like, and some you said you hated that I did like. I'm not going to say your opinions on those episodes are wrong, but the way you talk in this video it makes it seem like you're saying anyone who disagrees with you is wrong. You didn't even give a 'this is just my opinion' disclaimer. "My Little Pony is not as good as we make it out to be." Ah, yes. The old 'I don't think this incredibly popular show/game/movie is amazing therefore everyone who does think that is wrong! They're just caught up in the hype!' Do I personally think MLP is the best show ever? No. But considering how popular it is, there are certain to be some people out there who have that opinion, and that's fine. Heck, I know a guy in his late thirties who says it's his favourite show of all time. I guess his opinion is wrong, huh? If you want to take a look at why people weren't fans of season 3, actually get some opinions on each episode. (You had a couple of pictures of episode reviews in there so you obviously know how to get them) Don't scour over the season saying "It had lots of great episodes! But it also had changes!" without actually delving into peoples' criticisms. Automatically falling back on "well people just don't like change" makes you look stupid. You gave some reasons as to why a lack of change can lead to stagnation, but that was it. Talk about the changes. Talk about what they might mean for the show. Talk about their execution, and whether there were any problems. Talk about what different people took away from these episodes. Talk about alternative changes that people have suggested. Talk about the pros and cons that would come with each change, and indeed with not having each change. Comment on the fact that a con in one person's eyes is a pro in another person's eyes. You sure as hell won't come to a definitive conclusion, but you'll certainly do a more convincing job of being an analyst.

I didn't like it when it was first announced and I still don't like it to this day. And after I was hugely disappointed in season 3 and EQG, the writers need to pull off something miraculous for me to continue to watch the show.

In your first post on this thread you said, and I quote: The people bitching are just suffering form a huge case of nostalgia-goggles, aka "the old way is always better and any major change is always bad" That sounds like lumping people into one category to me. You've never seen me refer to all pro-Twilicorn supporters as a bunch of delusional hasdrones refusing to criticise the show in a warped display of 'love and tolerance.' What you posted is practically the equivalent. And saying "I specifically said people bitching about it," doesn't change that. And I did not 'ignore' the line: "That's my issue, it's the not the disagreement but the absurd over-reacting." I made note of the fact that you did not discern between haters and obnoxious haters; you merely said that the overreacting was your problem. You gave the impression that you considered absurd overreacting to merely be an annoying byproduct of Twilicorn hate, NOT a separate issue coming from a particular group of Twilicorn haters. If that was the point you were trying to make, it didn't come off in that way. Though I guess if I came off as egotistical, then I'm obviously coming off in the wrong way too. The impression I got from your posts is akin to someone saying "I hate black people who commit crimes!" and then when people take issue with it, you say "What? I never said I hated black people, just the ones who commit crimes." It's difficult to take claims like that seriously. At least, that's the impression I got from your comments. I get that in your past experience you've had to deal with a lot of obnoxious jerks who wail about 'the end of the fandom.' I get it. I think it's stupid too. But when I get lumped into the same category it pisses me off. In my experience, I've seen a hell of a lot of people from BOTH sides of the argument make ridiculous claims and spout crap. Saying "People should be proud of Twilight" is just as stupid as saying "Twilight is now a Mary Sue." Though in my personally experience I've had to put up with a lot more of the former, mostly because of my opinion. Best post in this thread so far.

You're lumping everyone who has issues with Twilicorn into one big group. I completely agree with you that some people were overreacting and spouting crap. I've spoken to a few Twilicorn haters on this site who I thought were utter morons. But what you're doing is taking one look at anyone who dislikes Twilicorn and instantly assuming them to be the same as those egotistical, arrogant, closed-minded people from your darkest memories. If you want to reference people like that, fine.Hell, I'll gladly make fun of them with you. But when you attribute that sort of behavior to anyone who criticises the show, then like I said before, you're making misguided assumptions. Funnily enough, when David Tenant left the show to be replaced by Matt Smith I genuinely didn't care one bit. But at the same time, I could completely understand that some people didn't like it. Just because someone dislikes one particular change in one particular show doesn't make someone a simpleton who can't handle change. Everything is case-by-case, and different people have different ideals. Hell, Red Dwarf is one of my favourite shows of all time and that saw some enormous changes, especially concerning Cat's personality and Kryten's integration into the main cast. Then there's Blackadder, (incredible show) that had the entire time period change with each new season. And I loved that aspect of it. I guess my message is, I'm tired of being mislabelled as someone who clings to status quo just because I'm willing to criticise and show apprehension towards something that (in my eyes) is flawed. When Matt Smith took over I didn't go around berating everyone who hated the change. And yet, that's what I hear from virtually every Pro-Twilicorn supporter that I speak to. And it does my head in. It reminds me of the shift in opinion of Resident Evil fans. When Resi 4 came out it was a huge hit, but some people hated that the series had taken a more action-oriented route. These people were often made fun of as being adverse to change because Resi 4 was such a well-loved game. Cut to Resi 6, and suddenly everyone (well, almost) complained that the series has gotten too action-oriented. But this time, because that opinion happened to be a majority opinion, it's accepted, whereas before it was made fun of simply because (and this is key) only a minority had that opinion.

Different people want different things, and I don't think it's fair to say that 'everyone has done a 180.' There are still many bronies who don't like Twilicorn who want as little change as possible. Different people have different ideals for how they want Twilicorn to be handled. I don't think it's fair to lump every single person with Twilicorn issues into one group of the exact same mindset. Different people have different feelings about it, and some things bother some people more than others. Some people have no problem with the wings, but have a problem with her title, while for some it is the other way around. The writers can take any direction they want with it, and some people will happen to not like it because it's not how they'd have wanted it handled. It's impossible for the writers to please everyone. When I first saw MMC I wasn't sure what I wanted from the series as I was pretty disappointed with Twilicorn's execution, but not too long after that I concluded that I wouldn't be too happy with season 4 being the same but with a winged Twilight, and considered that I would be more excited if the writers fully embraced the change and broke new ground. That's not an opinion everyone holds, but it's the one I've had for pretty much the last six months, so I've not 'done a 180' in that sense. As for Dark Quivit's mention of personality... You got me. -_____- I apologise for getting snooty about that topic. As for your final paragraph, I personally can't put my faith in the writers. For me (and I must stress, this is from my personal experience) it would be like trusting a convicted burglar to look after my house for a week while I go on holiday. I was underwhelmed with season 3 as a whole, (except for Sleepless in Ponyville which was amazing) I thought the finale handled Twilight's ascension horribly and played out like a bad fanfic, and I was thoroughly disappointed in Equestria Girls. I'm all for keeping my chin up, but it's hard for me to trust the writers at this point. (Though I can hardly wait for the Apple Family episode. LOVE THAT SONG!) I think at the end of the day, you're annoyed with people bashing the show and I'm annoyed with people delivering unneeded put-downs to people who aren't happy about Twilicorn. One mention that I'm not a fan of the change and it's like I've shouted the N-word in the middle of a crowded church. I'm not angry. I'm scared. Joining this fandom was one of the best experiences of my life. The last thing I want is to stop liking it altogether, but the last thing I'll do to try and stop that from happening is lie to myself. Whew... I actually feel better getting all this stuff off my chest.

But the main character from Chuck didn't become chairman of the FBI. That's the issue most of us have. If Twilight attaining the highest known rank in all of Equestria doesn't change much then it'll feel like there was no point in even giving her that title in the first place. Of course, none of us have seen season 4, so I could very well be missing something, but right now I can only go off quotes from writers and others involved. I kind of disagree on many points. I can personally say that my personality has changed greatly over the course of my life, and if I became one of the most powerful men in Britain you can bet that my personality would change even more. In terms of the show, it would make sense to keep her personality very similar. Though Dark Quivit never even made a comment about Twilight's personality in the first place, so I have no idea why you brought that up in argument against him. Secondly, Dark Quivit is giving it a chance. He's still here, isn't he? Reading up on season 4 info? If he wasn't giving it a chance he'd have waved goodbye to the fandom long ago. The truth is he's waiting for season 4, but he's nervous about the outcome based on what we've seen so far and what we've heard about the script. That seems like a pretty understandable reaction. Your comments about "I truly do not understand how you could possibly enjoy anything" and "No matter what is done, you probably will never be satisfied" just make it sound like you're a naive child trying to insult him for not liking the things you like. As for calling genuine constructive criticism 'nitpicking', I'm left too baffled to even argue. Okay, so far so good. The message that while things may change, friendship stays the same is a great lesson. I'd definitely like to see that. As for the writing taking risks, that's fine too. You know, you've actually... ...and now I realise that you've just ignored everything that's been said in lieu of your own misguided assumptions. Damn. You were doing so well! People don't change instantly at the turn of a new accomplishment, but over time, people can change significantly. I would actually like to see Twilight's personality change because it would make sense. But if it didn't, I wouldn't mind too much. That's never been the real issue, personally. Now, you do make it sound like you're saying nobody is allowed to comment on Twilicorn until season 4. Really? The seven months that've gone by so far, and people aren't allowed to express concerns just because the S4 premiere is considered a 3 parter with MMC? People should just zip their mouths shut and wait? Seriously?

Every time I hear more about season 4 I deflate a little bit. "We're not changing anything." "Twilight will be the same." "Just a couple of new responsibilities." No. I for one want some significant changes. My interest in the show has waned somewhat since I joined the fandom, whether it's due to a drop in writing quality (debatable) or just stagnation, a once awe-inspiring show that's lost some of its charm over the years. When Twilicorn was announced, I wasn't too happy. It wasn't the direction that I'd hoped for. But after thinking about it for a while, I considered that this change could really shake things up and inject the show with a new lease of life. When all I hear is "not much will change" it reinforces the whole idea of Hasbro forcing the idea upon the writers. I would've preferred if the writers said, "Yeah, big things are going to go down and we're taking the show in some exciting new directions." I really, really hope it's not just the same show with an extra pair of wing and obligatory predictable flying lesson episode. As far as the comic goes, they have more leeway, so let's hope the comic writers can throw us something we won't expect! (Have only read the first arc, getting the next trade paperbacks) I find it baffling that so many people pat themselves on the back for 'supporting story progression' when describing Twilicorn, but then leap with joy at the news that change will be minimal. I just find it really counter-intuitive. Also, concerning some of the comments made in this thread, the idea that someone isn't a true fan of something if they lose interest is a really stupid thing to say. It's like saying to a recently divorced couple, "I guess you never loved each other to begin with!" I was a huge Tekken fan (even went to a few national tournaments) right from Tekken 1 on the PS1 and played every single other Tekken game ever made. I spent over 800 hours on Tekken 6 ALONE, and it practically ruled my life. About a year ago, I gave up playing because Tekken Tag 2 wasn't what I expected, and I wanted to move on and do other things. If you were to try and tell me that I 'was never a true fan', you'd be so wrong it wouldn't even be funny. Also, being a fan of something doesn't mean liking everything about it. Red Dwarf is one of my favourite shows of all time but I still think seasons 7-9 suck balls. And Metal Gear is my favourite game series, but I still agree that the story is batsh** crazy.

Yes, this is a big part of it for me too. Watching over The Crystal Empire, Magical Mystery Cure and Equestria Grils again, Celestia really does come across as manipulative and disrespectful. In The Crystal Empire she gives the task of defeating Sombra specifically to Twilight, (no pressure. You just might get killed) and then backtracks when Spike is the hero and makes up some on-the-spot moral so that Twilight can pass the test. Yeah, nice one Celestia. In Magical Mystery Cure, she sets up an almost 'Mouse Trap'-esque series of events with a tacked on explanation about why this makes Twilight a princess, all while never revealing to Twilight about her true intentions. In Equestria Girls, it's revealed that Twilight hasn't seen the other princesses in a long time. So what? After her coronation Celestia just sends Twilight back home saying, "I'll call you when I need you," without any explanation as to what's expected of her now that she's a princess. And Twilight does nothing! She effectively sits and waits for Celestia to tell her what to do, happily screaming "Please control my life! Please!" Not to mention that Celestia only sends Twilight into the other world because 'it might mess with things'. In the early days I used to love Celestia's character. She was the ruler of an entire continent, but did so with kindness and respect to those who looked up to her. She even showed that she knew how to have fun! But now... looking back on everything that's happened thus far, it could be argued that Celestia has been a manipulative b***h this whole time, right from when Twilight had her power surge at a young age. Twilight's destiny? Yeah... More like Celestia hoof-picked her and decided to create her destiny for her. (And the whole "But the magic came from Twilight's body!" argument is crap. It's like seeing a hot dog vendor take out a blood bag and cover your hot dog in very real blood that smells exactly like blood, and thinking that it must be ketchup, because ketchup belongs on hot dogs, not blood! i.e. overlooking insurmountable evidence just to conform to one flawed assumption.) I honestly hope that season 4 can re-instill the boundless love that I once felt for the show, especially since season 3 and Equestria Girls were huge disappointments in my eyes. So yeah, of course I'm giving the show a chance, Twilicorn or not. I will accept that Twilight is a princess and see what the writers can do with this change. But if they disappoint me again then I'm done. No point watching an 'alright' show when I could be watching a 'great' show.

But is it really a 'reward'? She got wings which has caused her nothing but trouble so far and q whole heap of new responsibilities. It's like if my boss congratulated me on my hard work and then said, "guess what! You're CEO! Congratulations!" I would tell them to f*** off.

This was an extremely passionate hate rant that I actually enjoyed reading. I don't necessarily agree with your points, but I say you're more than entitled to your opinion. If you wanna rage, then rage! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

It's been such a long time since I've been here! How you all doing? Still arguing? D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Time for me to comment on some stuff! I find comments like this confusing. Twilight becoming an alicorn princess shows perfect progression... but at the same time you think that it won't change anything and really like that idea. I'm sorry, but... what? The idea of progression is that something must change. My viewpoint is that if Twilight's ascension has virtually no bearing on the show besides a throwaway Rainbow flying lesson and a premiere with her princess woes, then the single biggest event in the show's history will have been for nothing. And that... doesn't sit right with me at all whatsoever. Personally, I think the writers should go wild with this new change and really shake things up. If I don't like the direction they choose, fine. But I will still respect their creative integrity for doing such things. But if they really don't change anything, (which seems most likely given MA Larson's tweets on the subject) then I'll be a bit underwhelmed. I guess what I'm saying is if you're going to come out and say, "I love Twilicorn because I support progression!" then it's really counter-intuitive to praise a lack of change. It's because it's more difficult to criticise love than it is hatred, regardless of said person's comments. Still, I do think that haters are often inappropriately labelled as whiny man children who can't handle change. My guess is that the general self-important smugness of the brony community (which has pretty much always existed, but has truly reared its ugly head over the past few months) means people get a kick out of supporting the show, and sees those who don't like it as lesser beings. So many members of this fandom pat themselves on the back for being so 'awesomely open-minded' for watching a show outside their demographic. Take the brony documentary, which was basically a film for bronies to show other bronies how awesome bronies are, while sneering at the haters. And so, that mindset carries over to show direction, where people congratulate themselves on supporting changes to the show and sneer at those who dislike said changes. Love and tolerance would mean a case of 'OK, I like Twilicorn but you don't, that's fair enough. I don't agree with your opinion but it's not my place to say you're wrong.' What we actually see is Love and Ignorance. Also, I'm finding it ridiculous that for all the cries of 'reserve judgement' (mainly for MMC and EQG) negative opinions are still frowned upon even after people watch it. "I guess you just convinced yourself that it was going to suck!" the morons cry. Kind of reminds me of when I played Demon's Souls for the first time. I saw gameplay videos and thought the hype was completely unjustified, that this game was just a generic piece of crap. When I actually played it it became my favourite RPG of all time. Then there's Super Mario Galaxy, which I wasn't even interested in, and expected just some boring kiddy platformer. BOOM. I'd go so far as to call it closer to perfection than any other game in existence. Oh, where was I? Ah, yes. Speaking mostly of MMC and EQG, it seems that you're still not allowed to dislike them even after watching them. This is utterly ridiculous. Even the Sonic fandom isn't as bad. (Yes, I went there) I find it more confusing when it comes to EQG, though. The whole 'humanised ponies in high school' concept was never that well received. And yet, people aren't allowed to dislike that concept. Nope. Not allowed. You're just not open-minded enough. It was Hasbro anyway. Nope. You must like it. Interestingly enough, I actually never hated the concept. High school prom drama? Fine. I just hated the script. It was as if Meghan McPlothole gorged on whiskey and crayons while writing it IMO. Anyway, getting onto Twilicorn and my opinions. Um... I'm basically in the "I'm waiting for season 4" camp. I'm still not keen on the idea, but that's mostly because I've found myself disappointed with season 3 and EQG, so it feels like a downward spiral right now. The concept isn't inherently bad, (though I do have a few reservations) but it needs to be executed well. Which... I really don't think it has. Maybe if EQG actually explained what the princess summit was and why Twilight was even there in the first place, (That's right kids! Twilight and co's reason for being there is never explained! And since it's non-canon we won't get an explanation in season 4! And yet Sunset Shimmer knew the exact day to search for the crown, which was lucky considering that the portal only opens every 30 moons or something!) I would be saying otherwise, but no. They did have her somewhat getting over her fears of being a princess, but really not in a good way IMO. Saying "Well I dealt with being a human, I guess I can tackle anything!" just wasn't enough. We needed information on her role as princess for this to hold any weight. Anyway... end of post! Probably won't come back here for a while!

OK, it looks like I've got an unpopular opinion. When I first saw the Equestria Girls trailers I didn't really think much of it. It didn't interest me that much so I just kind of ignored it. Then all these sparkling reviews came pouring in and I got really excited. And so, I spent ages searching for a place to watch it online. (It's not playing in theatres nearby) And so I did. And... I was disappointed beyond belief. I don't want to spoil too much for anyone who hasn't watched it, but my main gripes are as follows. Firstly, I very quickly got sick of all the references to previous episodes and fandom 'shoutouts'. It's not funny, it's not clever, and it stinks of lazy writing. And sticking as many humanized ponies in at various points isn't entertaining. Are bronies really expected to 'squee' when Trixie shows up and starts spouting her 'great and powerful' line for absolutely no reason, or when Granny Smith is shown to be working at the school? Seriously!? Anyway, my next problem is the plot. Any and all whiffs of confrontation and struggle are solved so quickly and so easily, (and that deus ex machina... Someone needs to educate McCarthy on that issue) that it ends up playing out as predictably as you'd expect. As for the jokes, I laughed maybe twice in the entire movie. Once during a little Spike/Rarity moment and again at a scene where the CMC were in the library. In fact, the CMC scene is pretty much an example of how the movie should have played out IMO. They didn't reference anything from the show. They didn't call Scoots a chicken. They didn't call Applebloom a dictionary. There was no mention of cutie marks or equivalent. Just the CMC acting adorably funny. I wish we saw more of that, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. As for the rest, I thought the songs were pretty forgettable, and I was left confused by how little spotlight time the Twilight/Flash romance thing had. Nothing really happened, and the movie made no effort to spell out any real reasons why they may have liked each other other than 'ERMAHGERD CUTE'. At least the animation was OK. And now I feel kind of sad. I see a lot of comments from people saying "So now those people who hated on it will see how wrong they were," and yet, I feel the complete opposite, and I'm left wondering what it feels like to have enjoyed it. I wanted Equestria girls to be good. The glowing reviews got me excited, got me ready to have my expectations shattered. But in the end, my opinion is that the movie was awful. Not 'good but not great', not 'OK I guess', but just plain awful. And given just how many people out there loved it, saying that makes me feel alone. And to make things clear, I'm not trying to insult anyone who actually enjoyed it, neither am I posting for flame-bait, or trying to make any kind of comment about either Hasbro or DHX. I'm just posting my opinion, just like you all have.

Hmmm... That's kind of what I was afraid of. Just slapping some wings on her and calling it a day really would hit home the 'Hasbro merch' feeling. I may not like the idea of Twilicorn, but I'd much rather the writers go wild with it and give us stories that they couldn't have done before. If everything's the same except she has wings now, that's not exactly going to convince people that this decision was worth defending. I'd have preferred it if Larson's response was: "You will understand why we made this change once season 4 hits. We've got tons of awesome new storylines that just wouldn't have been possible before, so prepare to be surprised and amazed." It seems counter-intuitive to argue in Twilicorn's favor because it shows meaningful progression and brave character development, only to then argue in its favor for keeping everything the same. I've seen too much of that over the past few months...

I've been looking for that video! I knew someone (possibly even you) mentioned Larson not having an answer for the 'new magic' thing but I didn't know where the proof was. And now I have it! I know I read somewhere that MMC was written way back in November 2011 and was planned all along, but if that's the case then I consider that to be worse than if they were forced to do it at the last moment. I disliked MMC enough as it is, but when the writer can't even explain something that (according to Celestia) was the reason she ascended, then that's just pathetic. Hell, I wouldn't even accept that from an amateur fanfic writer. I think a lot of the theories about it being temporary consider scenarios where Twilight becomes distressed by princess life, or of being privileged over her friends and decides to forge her own destiny, something different from what Celestia wants for her. I think it'd be a really interesting concept since we haven't really seen Twilight turn against her mentor, and it would lead to some emotional scenes where both Celestia and Twilight have a serious dilemma, and are torn between their own personal feelings and their desire to make the other one happy. Still, I don't believe that would ever happen, especially since Faust's original plan was for Twilight to become Celestia's successor. (I personally dislike Faust's idea but whatever, it's practically inevitable)

I think when I say that I sometimes wish the fandom never existed is just because of personal experience. My best MLP memories have to be when I first discovered the show and spent every evening for about 2 weeks watching episode after episode. (This was somewhere in the middle of season 2 at the time) While I do love many aspects of the fandom (especially fanfiction, of which I am an avid reader and writer) I've also had my share of grief and annoyance, and have come to dislike certain aspects of it. What I mean is... my best time with anything pony related had nothing to do with the fandom itself. I just sat and watched episodes like an excitable child, laughing and singing along. It reflects my experience with the Tekken fandom, which I left about 6 months ago despite having played Tekken for nearly 18 years. Though to be fair, I went through a lot more grief in that fandom than I have in this one. I'm not saying that I actively wish for the fandom to burn, but some days I do have to wonder if things would've been better if I'd never joined the fandom in the first place.

I find it interesting that you say you never wanted it to happen in the first place, and yet you have a Princess Twilight avatar. "Let's enjoy the ride for what it's worth." Hmm... you know what? I wish people were saying that instead of "trust the writers." I feel like there's this pressure within the fandom to act a certain way about things and to follow everything MLP-related to the ends of the earth. People who leave the fandom are seen as heretics and people who criticize things are treated as if they've just called holy scripture into question. In a weird way I wish that this fandom never existed, that I just watched MLP on occasion as a kind of guilty pleasure. No EQD, no fimfiction, no rants on youtube, no twitter feeds from writers and VAs, no drama... Just me, watching a cartoon about cute little ponies.

Lauren Faust previously stated that her plan was for Twilight to eventually supplant Celestia as the ruler of Equestria, so there's that. I really don't like that idea, but it seems inevitable. I do understand what you mean, though. It's a lot easier to relate to and be interested by someone working towards their goal rather than someone who's already reached it. One series that actually had its main character reach their goal (being a famous actor) early on was Extras by Ricky Gervais. (One of my favourite comedy series of all time) The thing is, the series ended with him coming to the realization that he doesn't want to be famous, that he was happier when he was a nobody without the responsibilities. Personally, I would consider this a much more fitting scenario for Twilight but I sincerely doubt that the writers would take that route. I think at this point the writers will have a hard time keeping everyone happy because everyone has different ideals regarding Twilight's role as princess and the changes to the show as a whole. Given the Twilicorn backlash and the recent drama over Equestria Girls, a lot of bronies are going to need some real convincing once season 4 hits.