Fandom after the end- what then?

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I'm sure there will be fewer Bronies around as time passes, but if there are enough fans of some cartoons that ended in the 90s and spanned for only one or two seasons to sustain forums that are still around and often semi-active, then I'm sure this fandom can easily sustain itself for quite some time. What often happens is new fans come across the existing material, and they make up a significant portion of those who keep the fandom alive. Of course, there are also those fans who will never leave the fanbase no matter how much time passes. This is all based on observation in regards to series that haven't even come close to the success of FiM, so I'm sure the show will be remembered well after it ends.

 

Also, I'm sure Hasbro won't wait too long to try to replicate the success of FiM, and will follow it up with a G5 series. Whether that series will be as good as FiM is another thing entirely, but Hasbro would be fools not to at least take a stab at it. If the G5 series is good, then this fanbase will move on over to that series, but FiM will likely gain a second boost due to fans comparing the two series, and we may see a split fanbase over which series is better, which is good for Hasbro's bottom line either way. It's worth noting that FiM gave the G1 series a boost in popularity that probably hasn't been seen since the 90s, so I'm sure a good follow-up series will be a good thing for FiM, which will still be a relatively recent series at that point. If the follow-up series is bad, some fans will stick to FiM and I doubt this fanbase will just up and evaporate either way.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Tross

[Toaster Bot 183]

I'm putting my cards on the show collapsing into rubbish before it ends, so I can get out on my own terms.

It's also possible that the franchise will stretch on for ages, it's been going on since the 80's after all. Hasbro is so reliant on it that at this rate the only thing that will truly kill MLP is the heat death of the universe.

Shows like Invader ZIM have been dead for ages and people don't seem keen on abandoning them yet, so MLP has pretty good chances. ohnoiwasjustoptimistic.

[Starlighty 960]

I don't think mlp fans will just die out like other shows have.. Its huge and mostly big shows like this just don't that quickly.

 

I will be a brony forever and continue to support it till I die.. It has brought so much joy not only in my life but other people lives to.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Starlighty

[Nightfall Gloam 18,259]

As others have said, I'm pretty sure the majority of Bronies will just move on to another show but a minority of fans will still exist. Although, considering how big we are, we may end up like the Whovians or the Trekkies.

 

I personally hope that Hasbro can pull a Pokemon and make a G5 series that introduces us to a whole bunch of new characters and such but, still keeps the charm that made the show so great in the first place.

Edited December 3, 2014 by shoyrumaster11

[ShinkoNetCavy 10]

I remember when the classic Doctor Who was done for. The magazine for it kept doing issues for such a long time, even when new content wasn't there. Hah, when it rebooted it was still running. (I think it even got a Guinness World Record for something.)

 

I wonder if that would be the same for our fandom. Keep doing stuff with it until it is rebooted. Even if it takes 30 years.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

I remember when the classic Doctor Who was done for. The magazine for it kept doing issues for such a long time, even when new content wasn't there. Hah, when it rebooted it was still running. (I think it even got a Guinness World Record for something.)

 

I wonder if that would be the same for our fandom. Keep doing stuff with it until it is rebooted. Even if it takes 30 years.

That's a good point. The magazines I've seen for FiM are pretty much exclusively for the target demographic of little girls(meaning they definitely aren't Brony material), but there are the IDW comics, the novels and the Gameloft game, among other things such as the Japan exclusive manga I recently invested in. It's doubtful all these things will up and vanish right away. I'm sure most will fall by the wayside not long after the show ends, but from what little I know of comics, it's possible for them to keep going for decades or more if the market for them is there. That is of course a highly optimistic scenario to say the least, but one that exists in the realm of possibility. I'm sure fan works will also keep coming, so I think FiM will remain a popular enough series for at least half a decade after it ends. I'm more concerned about whether FiM will end up past its prime if it carries on for a number of additional seasons.

[Osiria 142]

G4 will have at least 10 seasons, considering The Simpsons is airing season 26, I will say MLP:FiM is going to have 30 seasons.

 

And then what?

G5!!!My Little Pony: Friendship is Technology! (3D animation with motion capture).

You can watch it by your Google glass on Mars. Also Ponydroid (Powered by Sony and IBM) will be available for purchase.

G5 canon: Mane six have all become Alicorn Princess. CMC is the new Mane six (Plus some new ponies).

 

oh sweet apple sauce, I wish I could live that long *sigh

Edited December 3, 2014 by Osiria

[AlbaTross 1,586]

G4 will have at least 10 seasons, considering The Simpsons is airing season 26, I will say MLP:FiM is going to have 30 seasons.

 

And then what?

G5!!!My Little Pony: Friendship is Technology! (3D animation with motion capture).

You can watch it by your Google glass on Mars. Also Ponydroid (Powered by Sony and IBM) will be available for purchase.

G5 canon: Mane six have all become Alicorn Princess. CMC is the new Mane six (Plus some new ponies).

 

oh sweet apple sauce, I wish I could live that long *sigh

From what I've heard 9 seasons are more or less confirmed, though that information isn't exactly current. I don't know how I'd feel about FiM going on for as long as The Simpsons. Keep in mind most people think the series passed its prime after season 6 or so(I think), and The Simpsons has reached the point where a voice actor died and the show's writers had to write out a character because the voice actor became very much a part of the character, and I think that's the case with FiM as well. If something were to happen to one of the voice actors now, even if they just have to retire for some reason or move on to other projects, the character's voice actor will be replaced(hopefully by someone similar sounding unlike when Venus Terzo was replaced as Rainbowdash in G3). If FiM keeps going for years and years it will become that much more difficult to just up and replace someone, particularly if it's Ashley Ball or Andrea Libman who voice two major characters each.

 

Family Guy is another example of series that has gone on for far too long. What happened there is dumb plot points and the removal of characters from the main series, probably as part of an attempt to keep things fresh or something. Most people think the first few seasons of that show are the best, so in Family Guy's case it passed its prime much sooner according to popular opinion. I do want FiM to keep going for the foreseeable future, but I do think there comes a point when it should end. When it does end we will have had more than enough seasons and hopefully it will end with its quality intact. We have already had one season that wasn't so well received, but the show's staff managed to get past that and make the following season one of the better ones. Hopefully a degree of quality will be maintained next season and in seasons to come.

[Anadu Kune 668]

The fandom will be well and fine. Sure it may shrink a bit during the gap between generations but it will be fine. This has happened with other fandoms in the past and they are still around. Heck the star trek fanbase has had to weather a bunch of gaps between products, but its still thriving. The Star wars fanbase had to weather some of the worst movies a respected franchise has ever had. 

MLP is still bringing in the bucks so I don't think it will end with season 5, especially with a movie being made. Im thinking it will go on for some time. Seeing as how the mlp brand is stronger than its ever been I very seriously doubt they will just leave the brand with gen 4. Gen 5 will happen and it has a better foundation to start with than any gen before it. Gen 5 can and I think probably will use the world of Equestria. There's a lot they can do and most of the stuff that comes into my head is pretty exciting. Unless the heads at Hasbro smash their brains in and pull a gen 2 or 3 again I don't think there's much to worry about. 

From what I've heard 9 seasons are more or less confirmed, though that information isn't exactly current. I don't know how I'd feel about FiM going on for as long as The Simpsons. Keep in mind most people think the series passed its prime after season 6 or so(I think), and The Simpsons has reached the point where a voice actor died and the show's writers had to write out a character because the voice actor became very much a part of the character, and I think that's the case with FiM as well. If something were to happen to one of the voice actors now, even if they just have to retire for some reason or move on to other projects, the character's voice actor will be replaced(hopefully by someone similar sounding unlike when Venus Terzo was replaced as Rainbowdash in G3). If FiM keeps going for years and years it will become that much more difficult to just up and replace someone, particularly if it's Ashley Ball or Andrea Libman who voice two major characters each.

Family Guy is another example of series that has gone on for far too long. What happened there is dumb plot points and the removal of characters from the main series, probably as part of an attempt to keep things fresh or something. Most people think the first few seasons of that show are the best, so in Family Guy's case it passed its prime much sooner according to popular opinion. I do want FiM to keep going for the foreseeable future, but I do think there comes a point when it should end. When it does end we will have had more than enough seasons and hopefully it will end with its quality intact. We have already had one season that wasn't so well received, but the show's staff managed to get past that and make the following season one of the better ones. Hopefully a degree of quality will be maintained next season and in seasons to come.

Wait nine seasons somewhat confirmed!? Where are you hearing this news good sir/madam? I would be most enraptured if I were to read it myself. 

[AlbaTross 1,586]

The fandom will be well and fine. Sure it may shrink a bit during the gap between generations but it will be fine. This has happened with other fandoms in the past and they are still around. Heck the star trek fanbase has had to weather a bunch of gaps between products, but its still thriving. The Star wars fanbase had to weather some of the worst movies a respected franchise has ever had. 

MLP is still bringing in the bucks so I don't think it will end with season 5, especially with a movie being made. Im thinking it will go on for some time. Seeing as how the mlp brand is stronger than its ever been I very seriously doubt they will just leave the brand with gen 4. Gen 5 will happen and it has a better foundation to start with than any gen before it. Gen 5 can and I think probably will use the world of Equestria. There's a lot they can do and most of the stuff that comes into my head is pretty exciting. Unless the heads at Hasbro smash their brains in and pull a gen 2 or 3 again I don't think there's much to worry about. 

 

Wait nine seasons somewhat confirmed!? Where are you hearing this news good sir/madam? I would be most enraptured if I were to read it myself.

 

I believe a friend of mine passed that information on to me, so I can't tell you where to find it. From the sounds of things it wasn't anything concrete, but just an IP renewal for five more years. Of course we were also operating on the assumption that FiM would be airing once a year, since that had been the case up until now, so maybe we'll get up to season 8 out of it. While it may be a big assumption, it's doubtful Hasbro won't fill the space of that 5 years with some seasons of the show.

[Leonard Smix 421]

This fandom does not completely live because of the show, it came into existence because of it though. However, if the show were to end, bronies will still live on, because for one, we are ALREADY IMMORTAL.

-Through fan-work and other things, this fandom can thrive by animations, art, fan-fics, and even re-runs of the show.

[Lord Bradley 1,319]

Well, when that happens they'll be a lot of sadness and cry-Liquid Happy-Memories.

[RainbowTashie 378]

Depends what kind of conclusion the show ends on if all questions are answered i think the fandom may start to die out but if they leave loose ends that justs begs for more fan speculation and fanfic long after the show has passed.