A Few Ideas I have for MLP Generation 5

[YoungJustice12334 53]

Now there's A Lot of different ways MLP Generation 5 can be written, but The best advice I can give for Generation 5's writing staff is to stick to FIM's strengths & improve upon where the Generation 4 show sometimes failed at. For starers, the writers should keep the The Main Characters vs evil genre that each season opened with and make it the whole series, Maybe keep the idea of humans traveling back and fourth to dimensions where everyone exists as a pony or dragon, and maybe have the main cast reside in the human world and cross dimensions into the pony world where they become ponies and save it from evil. One main thing I think Generation 5 Should do is to not reserve plot devices for the final episodes, but build on them throughout each season of the series. Also, I would love it if G5 would give us an EQUAL amount of Slice-Of-Life episodes and Main characters Vs Evil themed episodes.

So my first idea for how MLP G5 Can play out is that it takes place in the future after the events of Friendship is Magic. Since Celestia and Luna most likely won't be around, Flurry Heart could be The next Nightmare Moon, and be the sympathetic season 1 villain turned minor hero. As for how Flurry Heart would turn evil, maybe Cadence and Shining Armor Passed Away/Died sometime after the events of Generation 4, leading to Flurry researching dark magic in order to try to bring them back or something. Maybe there could also be an overarching Villain of the show that manipulates others throughout the first 3 seasons. It could set the tone of Generation 5 as A little bit more darker than Generation 4 but still good for kids, kind of like the show Gravity Falls which did it well. I feel like Generation 5 should be more action-packed, while still having slice of life episodes on occasion.

The older main 6 from Generation 4 could make small but special appearances at times, and we should get to know more about their lives after FiM. For example: Rainbow Dash becomes the leader of the Wonderbolts after Spitfire retires, Applejack acquires more land for Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie takes her parties worldwide with the help of her daughter Cheese Sandwich, Fluttershy travels to different dimensions with Discord by her side To see the different wildlife and flora of the multiverse or something sweet like that. These Small details could help link Generation 5 to Generation 4, and maybe add A lot more world-building. As for The CMC, Who i feel could take their crusading across Equestria, in a similar manner to those educational guest speakers that appear sometimes at school events, should have a special series of episodes, kinda like Daring Do, where a fan of them helps them with their problems, and helps them remember what its like to be a filly again, or something like that. As for Twilight Soarkle since she was crowned the New ruler of Equestria towards the end of the series, I think she could be Generation 5's new replacement for Princess Celestia.

Edited May 12, 2020 by YoungJustice12334

[Latecomer 439]

4 hours ago, YoungJustice12334 said:

 For starers, the writers should keep the The Main Characters vs evil genre that each season opened with and make it the whole series,

Also, I would love it if G5 would give us an EQUAL amount of Slice-Of-Life episodes and Main characters Vs Evil themed episodes.

Which? Because I'm against the first - second could work with the right balance. Although I suppose something like the first worked for G1... Really, the problem which that sort of balance (as I've seen in Steven Universe fandom) is that iv very much lends itself to calls of "filler!" whenever an episode doesn't serve the greater plot.

4 hours ago, YoungJustice12334 said:

 Maybe keep the idea of humans traveling back and fourth to dimensions where everyone exists as a pony or dragon, and maybe have the main cast reside in the human world and cross dimensions into the pony world where they become ponies and save it from evil.

Could be interesting, but would also require balancing between showing the two worlds, which of the cast would be human and so on.

4 hours ago, YoungJustice12334 said:

So my first idea for how MLP G5 Can play out is that it takes place in the future after the events of Friendship is Magic.

NO.

4 hours ago, YoungJustice12334 said:

I feel like Generation 5 should be more action-packed, while still having slice of life episodes on occasion.

 

Is action what's really needed?Is it what will draw in the target audience and sell toys?

[Pentium100 2,122]

I like the slice-of-life episodes. If the series was more like the various season endings it would probably be less interesting to me.

OTOH, I would like some bigger plot (like, say, Chrysalis was loose for a couple of seasons and the main characters had to deal with some results of her plots now and then before the final confrontation).

But the slice-of-life part is more interesting to me.

[Jane 123]

What is the reason for making a new generation if it takes place in the same world as the previous one?

[Splashee 28,564]

1 minute ago, Jane said:

What is the reason for making a new generation if it takes place in the same world as the previous one?

Making a reboot of course.

You have to think it terms of new children every 10 years. They need a chance to watch MLP, like we did 10 years ago. The fastest and cheapest way is to just redesign the toys/characters to fit modern time (if rap is in, give them baggy clothes, etc), and then let them do a similar story as the precious generation.

 

The new kids won't complain. They have never seen MLP before, or will think the old are "old", and the new is "cool".

[Latecomer 439]

20 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

Making a reboot of course.

You have to think it terms of new children every 10 years. They need a chance to watch MLP, like we did 10 years ago. The fastest and cheapest way is to just redesign the toys/characters to fit modern time (if rap is in, give them baggy clothes, etc), and then let them do a similar story as the precious generation.

 

The new kids won't complain. They have never seen MLP before, or will think the old are "old", and the new is "cool".

Which is exactlu whi the settig should be renewed as well.

[Pentium100 2,122]

I just thought of something remembering a discussion in one of the other threads.

Since we have a normalization story in G4, how about an anti-normalization story in G5?

For example - the main character is a girl who is almost stereotypical because her parents basically raised her to do what was expected of her. However, she meets a new friend who is a nerd (maybe that pony was bullied a bit by her current friends and she started talking with her out of pity etc) and because of some event discovers that she loves studying a lot despite what she though before, because before her parents said that "studying is not cool, only boring ponies study". The story then would progress showing how she learns to not care that her parents are disappointed because she is not "standard" anymore and so on. Of course, because of her change she and her new friends manages to defeat some evil etc (because we need some action), but that is also more because she manages to think up a solution than just having a lot of raw power. Her friends would be another nerd (the one who "converts" her) and some different characters so that other viewers could identify with them. 

I am not a writer, so I'm pretty sure I made lots of mistakes here, but you should get the general idea.

[Splashee 28,564]

59 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

the main character is a girl who is almost stereotypical

What would she look like? How would you design a stereotypical girl pony that is about to change and become someone relatable to, but to not look stereotypical?

I am thinking about Diamond Tiara or Silverspoon, and how their designs are made kinda stereotypical. But would they be good for hero designs, you know mane 6 material?

 

 

The story idea is good. I am thinking about how powerful those transitions can be for a character, such as Sunset Shimmer and Princess Luna.

[Pentium100 2,122]

7 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

What would she look like? How would you design a stereotypical girl pony that is about to change and become someone relatable to, but to not look stereotypical?

I don't really know. Though, come to think of it, her design could start with fancy hairstyle (like Rarity for example), but later change to a simpler one (but still nice, Starlight maybe? or Luster Dawn?) because studying a lot leaves less time to do your hair and also you can sell an updated toy.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Pentium100

[HereComesTom 2,267]

Some things I'd been hoping for in G4 that never happened, which I think could make G5 surpass G4:

1)  A season where a majority of the episodes have either their main plots or their B-plots driven by the plans and actions of the season's arc villain.  I don't have anything against slice-of-life episodes, but I felt like more adventure-ish episodes, or at least episodes driven by a villain, would be cooler.  And I have "or their B-plots" in italics because I think a B-plot would be sufficient to keep a villain front and center---I believe that slice of life episodes could successfully incorporate villains without losing their slice-of-life-ness.

2)  Male main characters, preferably with comparable diversity to the female main characters.  They'd be much more relatable to the male demographic, and if they succeed in getting boys as well as grown men to watch their cartoons, it could increase their toy sales by branching into new demographics.

 

...Say...if switching worlds were a common theme, then how would pony->human Transformer toys sound to Hasbro, I wonder...?

[Latecomer 439]

3 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

I just thought of something remembering a discussion in one of the other threads.

Since we have a normalization story in G4, how about an anti-normalization story in G5?

For example - the main character is a girl who is almost stereotypical because her parents basically raised her to do what was expected of her. However, she meets a new friend who is a nerd (maybe that pony was bullied a bit by her current friends and she started talking with her out of pity etc) and because of some event discovers that she loves studying a lot despite what she though before, because before her parents said that "studying is not cool, only boring ponies study". The story then would progress showing how she learns to not care that her parents are disappointed because she is not "standard" anymore and so on. Of course, because of her change she and her new friends manages to defeat some evil etc (because we need some action), but that is also more because she manages to think up a solution than just having a lot of raw power. Her friends would be another nerd (the one who "converts" her) and some different characters so that other viewers could identify with them. 

I am not a writer, so I'm pretty sure I made lots of mistakes here, but you should get the general idea.

Friendship via unconventonalitu, eh? A group who came together like that might have more of a resemblance to Starlight's bunch of misfits to the Mane 6 - but with perhpas more of a focus on how societytu doesn't fit them rather than the other way round. Could work well with representation/diversitu stuff...

[Singe 2,111]

While FIM is more black and white, G5 could go more shades of grey for everyone. Characters are given more leeway to swing between being nice and naughty. The Mane 6 doesn't always have to be the paragons of their element or have to answer the beckon call of Twilight's new cause, for example.

Failure is an option to further extend a conflict, like not being able to make a friend on the first try.

Edited May 13, 2020 by Singe

[Pentium100 2,122]

15 hours ago, Latecomer said:

Could work well with representation/diversitu stuff...

Yeah, as long as it was about nerds and other non-standard goals etc instead of trying to equalize the outcome.

For example - I hear complaints that "there are not enough women in management positions in companies" and similar, because management seems to be the "standard" goal and I guess being the President is the ultimate goal. But what about someone who would only accept a management position at gunpoint? Because she is happy with her job that does not require a lot of interaction with people.

Or someone who manages to achieve happiness in life doing her own thing despite people having vastly different expectations/destiny/plans for her.

The "diversity" is most shows is usually of the gender/sexual orientation/race variety, which is obviously not bad, but a bit overused. The goals of all of those people seem to be the same and the differences are only superficial (gender/race) or something that the society should not be concerned about (sexual orientation). But the gay black woman still dreams of becoming a CEO or President or something like that, has standard hobbies and so on.

 

For example, imagine Twilight, after getting her wings, realizes that Celestia wants her to become more of a politician than a scientist and decides to defy Celestia's plans (but does not tell Celestia in her face where to shove those plans because maybe she is afraid of what would happen). She continues studying, still has fun with her friends (and defeats the occasional evil), but dedicates more of her time to studying and, say, creating different spells that would help her defeat evil better and so on. That would be interesting to watch - there would be some conflicts with Celestia, who would try to force Twilight back "on the path to her destiny" more and more, with Twilight resisting with the help of her friends.

Now, take that and make the main character not a nerd from the beginning, but someone who initially starts "on the path", finally realizes that "the path" only makes her miserable and decides to embrace her actual interests despite (almost) everyone initially being disappointed in her. But she does not become someone bad and still uses her powers occasionally to defeat evil (maybe while complaining about having to do it and yet, still doing it because otherwise ponies would die).

The idea is that the character is not merely OK with her position in life (and does not want to move "up"), but actually resists the plans/etc. "I have thought about it and I understand that you want what's best for me, but your 'better' is actually worse for me".

Edited May 13, 2020 by Pentium100

[Splashee 28,564]

@Pentium100 Politics only worked for Phantom Menace (worked, ha!)

 

Also, "the nerd" stereotype maybe pleases us nerds, but Hasbro has to think about pleasing the toy buyers more. There are a lot of nerds in this world, but not enough to buy all the children toys. G5 needs to target the main audience more than the special cases.

[Pentium100 2,122]

9 minutes ago, Super Splashee said:

Also, "the nerd" stereotype maybe pleases us nerds, but Hasbro has to think about pleasing the toy buyers more.

I think there should be a role model for girls who are nerds, one which does not come off as "your nerdiness is just a phase, it will pass and you will be just like everyone else" or "stop being a nerd" or similar. 

[Splashee 28,564]

6 minutes ago, Pentium100 said:

I think there should be a role model for girls who are nerds, one which does not come off as "your nerdiness is just a phase, it will pass and you will be just like everyone else" or "stop being a nerd" or similar. 

Absolutely! Cannot agree more!

But G5, if to be more successful than G4, needs to allow girls and boys to believe in themselves, to be whatever they want to be without society or stupid parents being in the way. Nerds are already kinda outdated, especially with smartphones being a normal thing for normal people nowadays.

[Pentium100 2,122]

Just now, Super Splashee said:

allow girls and boys to believe in themselves, to be whatever they want to be without society or stupid parents being in the way.

I agree, there should be a place for non-standard dreams.

Just now, Super Splashee said:

Nerds are already kinda outdated, especially with smartphones being a normal thing for normal people nowadays.

I don't think so. While smartphones are common, using one does not make you a nerd, just like using a computer does not make you a nerd. It's what you use it for.

If you use a smartphone, pc or something else to communicate with people etc, that does not make you a nerd, it just means that you are using a different tool to interact with people. On the other hand, tinkering with your pc or smartphone, using them for learning etc (something that does not involve other people that much) means you are still a nerd.

[Latecomer 439]

9 hours ago, Pentium100 said:

Yeah, as long as it was about nerds and other non-standard goals etc instead of trying to equalize the outcome.

For example - I hear complaints that "there are not enough women in management positions in companies" and similar, because management seems to be the "standard" goal and I guess being the President is the ultimate goal. But what about someone who would only accept a management position at gunpoint? Because she is happy with her job that does not require a lot of interaction with people.

Or someone who manages to achieve happiness in life doing her own thing despite people having vastly different expectations/destiny/plans for her.

The "diversity" is most shows is usually of the gender/sexual orientation/race variety, which is obviously not bad, but a bit overused. The goals of all of those people seem to be the same and the differences are only superficial (gender/race) or something that the society should not be concerned about (sexual orientation). But the gay black woman still dreams of becoming a CEO or President or something like that, has standard hobbies and so on.

 

For example, imagine Twilight, after getting her wings, realizes that Celestia wants her to become more of a politician than a scientist and decides to defy Celestia's plans (but does not tell Celestia in her face where to shove those plans because maybe she is afraid of what would happen). She continues studying, still has fun with her friends (and defeats the occasional evil), but dedicates more of her time to studying and, say, creating different spells that would help her defeat evil better and so on. That would be interesting to watch - there would be some conflicts with Celestia, who would try to force Twilight back "on the path to her destiny" more and more, with Twilight resisting with the help of her friends.

Now, take that and make the main character not a nerd from the beginning, but someone who initially starts "on the path", finally realizes that "the path" only makes her miserable and decides to embrace her actual interests despite (almost) everyone initially being disappointed in her. But she does not become someone bad and still uses her powers occasionally to defeat evil (maybe while complaining about having to do it and yet, still doing it because otherwise ponies would die).

The idea is that the character is not merely OK with her position in life (and does not want to move "up"), but actually resists the plans/etc. "I have thought about it and I understand that you want what's best for me, but your 'better' is actually worse for me".

Indeed - Season 9 could have used some of that.  And G5 could have a whole jumble of goals, amibtions and tipes.