TheMisterManGuy

I don't get it. Is Fluttershy roleplaying?

Its been implied in the series before, that Fluttershy has some serious repressed anger issues. Which may lead to a possible split-personality of sorts. But how do you think Fluttershy vents her anger in order to maintain her kind reputation? I personaly would like to think she keeps her true emotions recorded in a secret journal nopony knows about. Where she records her thoughts about her friends, family, and the world around her. This could explain how she is usually able to control her inner demon.

It really shouldn't matter if its for girls or not. This is the same show that proved little girls can like fight scenes and action sequences.

Since Friendship is Magic is an adaptation of a toy line, its natural for additions in the show to be related to the toys. However, I don't think toy ploys are bad if they're relevant to the plot. So what kind of toy ploys are you expecting in Season 5? I personaly would like to see the mane 6 to have a sort of flying pirate-esque ship powered by Alicorn magic, especially since Twilight can now spread Friendship across Equestria. I could also imagine the mane 6 getting sort of accessory weapons in Season 5. Like Rainbow has a retractable sword on her hoof, Rarity has a whip scarf, Applejack upgrades her lasso, Pinkie gets a party crossbow, and Twilight gets an "Alicorn Amplifier" of sorts. Still haven't figured out Fluttershy though.

I think a sad episode can work. Girls can appreciate sad moments just as much as boys. Besides, a sad episode doesn't have to be about death. It could be something like, say.... Fluttershy's family? Also, Transformers Prime can kill off characters, be violent and have serious moments, and parents have no problem with it. And no, don't use the "Its for girls excuse" because that's just using your target audience as a cheap cop out. Yes, MLP is a kids show, but other kids shows have tackled death and sad moments before. So FiM has no excuse.

The show doesn't have to give up its lighthearted episodes, but I would like to see some darker themes explored.

To be honest, Adventure Time began as wacky and lighthearted, it didn't start getting darker untill after season 2.

Sometimes, a cartoon has an episode so emotionaly tearjerking that it makes you want to buy tissues. For Adventure Time, It's Simon & Marcy. For Teen Titans, it's How Long is Forever?. For Hey Arnold, its Pigeon Man. While there are emotional moments in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I don't think any of them were necessarily tearjerking. Considering FiM has continuity, story, and character development like the 3 shows I mentioned, how long do you think we'll wait untill we see a genuinely tearjerking (as in, no emotionally manipulative garbage Family Guy's Life of Brian pulled) episode of MLP? I think we may see it around Season 5, particularly when it comes to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. While the rest of the Mane 6's background and family were established in Season 1, we still don't know much about Rainbow and Flutters aside from going to flight school together. Considering how in the dark we are about their background, I feel like there's something deeper going on with these two. Why does Rainbow want to be the best flyer in Equestria? Why does Fluttershy have a crazy side? Obviously, this is still a children's cartoon, so there's going to be hoops the writers have to jump through. But if they can pull it off, then it could make Season 5 my favorite season.

Yes, MLP is still a kids show, so there needs to be some boundaries put in place. But, If higher fantasy, more adventure, mature stories, and Heavier morals are the direction the show is going to take, then I'm all for it.

In the Crystal Empire part 1, Fluttershy was fed up with the Crystal Ponies that she was about to smack them before stopping herself. And she used her manipulative tactics to reform Discord. Plus, where did The Stare come from? Is it powered by Anger? We also see her threaten Twilight in Magic Duel. And there are subtle cues in Griffon the Brush Off and Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 to show what she may really be feeling. And Power Ponies had her litteraly Hulk out. With all this, I think its pretty obvious the writers are foreshadowing something about her.

Again look at Adventure Time. It can go from Maceline and Bubblegum travelling to the Sky Witch's dimension, to Finn and Jake Sitting around the house being silent for an entire day almost seemlessly. There is no excuse as to why MLP can't do the same. As a matter of fact, Season 4 had the best balance of Slice of Life and Adventure in the series yet, and it proved the show can bounce from Daring Do quests, to Rainbow Dash studying, and back again.

Despite taking place in a fantasy world, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has mostly been known for its slice of life episodes. But Season 4, and Season 3 to a lesser extent have ramped up the Action/Adventure aspects of the show considerably. Some fans insist that slice of life episodes should always be dominant. I however, always believed in a balance, a mix of slice of life episodes, and a mix of mystical element/action/adventure episodes. Kind of like what Adventure Time does, there are just as many episodes of Finn and Jake going on adventures as there are about them goofing off. I sometimes put Adventure Time and My Little Pony in the same sentence, but I feel MLP can learn a lot from Adventure Time without trying to copy it, and vice versa. With that being said, which would you rather have? Almost all Slice of life with the occasional adventure, almost all adventure with the occasional slice of life, or an equal balance of both, even have adventure elements blend with slice of life elements.

Cerebrus Syndrome isn't something that happens overnight, I think were just seeing early signs of the future.

I doubt it, I feel these are early signs of the show going through Cerebrus Syndrome. Becoming a Darker, more complex show, while not giving up the things that made it great to begin with.

Actually, I've noticed that Fluttershy has been mostly less shy than in previous seasons. But you have a point. Going from Bats! to Filli Vanilli was just a step down for her. FV just felt like a generic Fluttershy episode, not something creative, unique, or something that revealed more about her Character. I would really like to see Fluttershy's "inner demon" be explored more in Season 5. Putting Your Hoof Down showed us what she's capable of in her crazy state, so it would be a perfect way to learn more about why she has this repressed attitude. Hell, if they can, they could throw in a reference to one of Noire's catchphrases in Fire Emblem: Awakening and have Fluttershy shout "BLOOD AND THUNDER!"

I seem to get the feeling that Fluttershy used to work for a villain when she was younger. Like, her possibily misserable fillyhood caused by a dysfunctional family may have driven her to a life of evil when she got a little older. Lets say, a Cloudsdale rescue squad comes and returns Fluttershy to Cloudsdale, Fluttershy, whose family in my head cannon are a bunch of cloudsdale circus preformers, wanted to stay as far away from her family as she could, as the animals were the closest she ever had to one. Having that brief moment of happiness taken away from her could've really hurt her emotionaly. Eventually, her family gets a job offer from Fillydelphia, and thus she and her family move there. Knowing she'll probably never see animals again, Fluttershy begins to doubt the importance of her cutie mark, the destiny she would prepare her entire life for. Untill a strange shadowy figure tells her that she doesn't have to listen to what some 2-sided flank tattoo tells her, and that she can do whatever she wants. Fluttershy makes a contract with this shadowy being as it gives her supernatural powers (which would explain Fluttershy's Stare) and teaches her combat. Fluttershy then joins 4 other teenage ponies who doubt the importance of their cutie marks. As they rebel against their special talents and Fluttershy becomes the leader of a gang of thieving punks known as the Mare 5. As Fluttershy spends more time with her shadowy master, and the Mare 5, she becomes increasingly defiant, and cynical, slowly losing her soft spoken voice and ignoring her cutie mark. As the Mare 5 quickly falls appart, Fluttershy becomes even more corrupted by her powers, seeming almost possessed. Her and her master then take it to Canterlot where they would kill Celestia, steal the Elements of Harmony, wipe out all life of the entire world, and rebuild it in their own image. Fluttershy's master quickly betrays her and tosses her to the Everfree forest. Celestia reveals to be alive and takes back the EoH. Enraged, Fluttershy snaps at the animals, including a rabbit who would later be known as Angel, as they hide in fear. Suddenly, Fluttershy realized where she went wrong, and remembered what it was like to have happiness, and to keep that happiness, she needed to change, so she moved to Ponyville where she could be comfortable with the animals, and makes a vow to not use her powers and avoid as much social contract as possible to keep others safe. But the personality of the pony she used to be never left her psyche. This would explain why Fluttershy called Pinkie and Rarity's life goals "pointless persuits". Come to think of it, it would also explain why she was the only one willing to reform Discord, because she was once a villain herself. I also feel that Iron Will was hired by Fluttershy's old shadowy master to subtly re-awaken the heartless monster inside of her. But Fluttershy realized she was reverting to her old ways, and stood up to Iron Will, unaware of what was going on behind the scenes. If they can do something like this, then it could add some incredible depth to Fluttershy's character.

True, but AT is still a kids show. And telling more mature stories in addition to light-hearted ones shouldn't stop Hasbro from selling toys. They can still sell the shinny pony toy to 8 year old fan Missy. Besides, The Hub's target audience is 6-11 year olds and their families. Plus, I've seen a few fans with younger daughters who said their girls loved the Tirek vs. Twilight fight. Girls can handle intense fights and complex story telling, This was said by Lauren herself.

This is exactly what I want. I want FiM to focus more on its Drama and Adventure IN ADDITION to its comedy and slice-of-life. I'm not asking for 100% serious and dark, but I don't want sugar coated nonsense either. If Adventure Time can balance silly and serious with its cerebrus syndrome, so can MLP. While Adventure Time targets a slightly broader audience compared to FiM (2-14 year olds, compared to 2-11 year olds FiM targets), Its still a kids show. Look at most of the commercials during it, its mostly toys, candy, happy meals, Dreamworks movies, cereal, or CN itself. It even had a Happy Meal tie in. Also, I don't want FiM to give up its colorful, light-hearted aspects, but I don't want it to be the only thing. I feel it should have an equal mix of both. The show has the potential to rival, and possibily outdo Adventure Time in complexity and world building, and Hasbro can STILL sell toys. Little girls like darker moments, Action, and Adventure too you know.

I understand its a kids show. But I don't think that's an excuse to not tackle more complex themes. And like I said, the show can still keep its lighthearted slice-of-life episodes, songs, lessons, and comic relief WHILE taking a more mature tone simultaneously. Adventure Time does it all the time.

One thing I noticed about Season 4 of Friendship is Magic is that most of the plots were more.... Intense than previous seasons. Whether it be throwing the mane 6 into a comic book, sending them on a quest with Daring Do, turning Fluttershy into a bat, or Having Twilight beat the crap out of Tirek. This Season (and Season 3 to an extent) has definitely ramped up the fantasy/adventure aspect much more than before. They also introduced a season long story arc for the first time. With all of this in mind, could the show be preparing to take a darker, more complex turn? Now just because a show is going through cerebrus syndrome, doesn't mean it has to give up what made it special. Adventure Time got darker and more sophisticated, and more serious as the show went on, but it still has the child-like surrealism that made it so great to begin with. I'm not asking FiM to forgo morals, slice of life, or fun. But it will be interesting to see how they handle a tone shift.

Fluttershy is a shy pegasus who is kind, cute, soft-spoken, and has a lot of fears...... At least her default persona is. Since the very 1st season, it's been hinted that Fluttershy has a split-personality, a darker side of her who's more aggressive, cynical, and manipulative. A side of her nopony wants to trigger. So which is more fun to watch, normal Fluttershy, or crazy Fluttershy?