Being a Brony Post-Show Finale

[AlbaTross 1,515]

Hi, long time no see everyone.  How is life treating you?  I figured we were overdue for a thread about our experiences being a Brony in this day and age.  I will openly admit that not only have I been busy with other things such as work, school, etc (in spite of COVID), but I have found that while I'm still a fan of this series, it's certainly not the obsession it once was for me.  That said, I still occasionally enjoy Pony-related media, and I did enjoy my pre-COVID time at Vanhoover.  It seems that as far as spinoff media goes, it's pretty much down to the mainline comics and the occasional mini-series, with the OEL manga tie-in providing additional material.  I suppose that's just as well, as I'm mostly focused on other things, even in my spare time, and there's just enough coming out to keep me coming back just often enough. 

I mean, I would love to see more EQG (I'm not so sure about this Pony Life series that I haven't checked out yet), and it would be nice if those two half-completed book mini-series could be finished, but I doubt that's going to happen.  I don't know if there's any word on there being a DVD release of seasons 8 and 9. 

Otherwise though, I think I'm satisfied with the release of new pony media slowing down, but staying steady.  So, perhaps the franchise is simply where I'm at right now anyways, and that suits me just fine.  I'm kind of curious where everyone else is at though, hence why I started this discussion.  

[Tom Gallagher 33,408]

I became a brony in May last year, so it was pretty close to when the show finale aired. But ever since then, my life hasn't been the same and my love for the show grows more and more by the day. As far as I'm concerned, I think it will stay with me for as long as I live.

Will there still be as many of us in ten years? I think so and I hope so. Do I think FiM will come back? I think so two actually. No matter how final things seem, they always Find A Way (pun intended) to come back. Futurama, Evil Dead, Scrubs, etc. As long as we can stay together and carry on the message that these six flawless ponies have given us then I think the magic will keep going forevermore. 

[LionPonyNerd 50]

MLP for me in this current day and age is really that nice little nostalgic area I can come back to. Watching the show, reading the comics, looking at all my pony merch I’ve gathered over the years and looking over all the fan created content I’ve enjoyed over the years gives me such a nice feeling and reconnects me to when I was younger I suppose. I do occasionally get sad and miss when this fandom was at its peak, so I’m hoping G5 can help freshen things up and spark new beginnings!

[Fluttershyfan94 5,719]

I always said this then and do so now, the true fans will stay until the end. That is, our fandom is more then the show although I watched the show since its beginning I always felt like the true magic of the show is the fact it has this fandom so many people from all walks of life. 

Yet I can not say that the fandom still takes as much of my time as it did I still cherish the show and love it. Of course I have a lot of interests and as such the fandom and the show has been more like a second family to me in a sense. Something that'll always be there for me.

[Kujamih 10,582]

I became a brony when it ended

[dead account 2,689]

1 hour ago, TomDaBombMLP said:

I became a brony in May last year, so it was pretty close to when the show finale aired. But ever since then, my life hasn't been the same and my love for the show grows more and more by the day. As far as I'm concerned, I think it will stay with me for as long as I live.

I'm in a similar situation, I became a brony immediately after I started watching the show in November 2019. After some months, I completed watching all seasons, the movie and the Equestria Girls movies. Of course, it's not a long time since then, but I honestly can't imagine to stop caring about all the things Generation 4 gave me and not being a fan anymore someday.

Now, that the show is over, what does it mean to be a brony for me now? Most importantly: just rewatching the episodes! On my worst days, I just need to watch 1 or 2 episodes to feel happy again. And other than that, just working on my collection, drawing some art or looking for some fan content. What I feel towards MLP:FIM can be explained with a single word: love. And I really don't think this will ever change.

[Tom Gallagher 33,408]

21 hours ago, Cloudy Heart said:

I'm in a similar situation, I became a brony immediately after I started watching the show in November 2019. After some months, I completed watching all seasons, the movie and the Equestria Girls movies. Of course, it's not a long time since then, but I honestly can't imagine to stop caring about all the things Generation 4 gave me and not being a fan anymore someday.

Now, that the show is over, what does it mean to be a brony for me now? Most importantly: just rewatching the episodes! On my worst days, I just need to watch 1 or 2 episodes to feel happy again. And other than that, just working on my collection, drawing some art or looking for some fan content. What I feel towards MLP:FIM can be explained with a single word: love. And I really don't think this will ever change.

Welcome to the forums by the way! You should introduce yourself in the Welcome Plaza and tell us your story. 

[Splashee 28,471]

Thankfully I managed to join this forum before Season 9 had ended, so I wouldn't need to defend myself for being a post-show finale brony. If that were to happen that is.

 

But it looks like Pony Life will air soon, and that will be the true test of how many of us actually stays Brony.

 

[Handsome Changeling 1,851]

I don't mind it either, ain't nothing wrong with sticking by a fandom you enjoy right? I actually appreciate how they ended things too and didn't abuse the whole 'everyone must reform' aspect of things. That's all I will say on that to avoid spoilers.

Also I assume like many people the fandom, OCs, Discord servers, friends etc have kept them tied down to a fandom that was "supposed to die" after the show. As if that is possible. For me honestly its the fan-fics, roleplays, even my OCs I would almost feel bad for literal pieces of art to be forgotten, I really love the creativity the fandom has for that kind of thing, hell I became a Brony years and years ago around the end of 2012 cus I remember Black Ops 2 was the catalyst to me being a brony cus I joined an MLP Achievement Hunter clan on Xbox.

[TotallyNotNyx 15,549]

I actually don;t watch much mlp lolllll, I probably spend more time on forums than I spend watching mlp.

I would have loved to see EQG be continued, at least with a finale special or film, but for now it doesn't seem like it would continue.

I hope there's more shows after Pony Life, but for now we really just don;t know.

 

[AlbaTross 1,515]

It's good to know there are some new faces even now.  I guess it really is just one series out of many, hence why I've more or less moved on, albeit with the occasional desire for a quick visit to Equestria.  MLP material is certainly a much easier read than that Lovecraft collection I'm currently roughly 1/7 of the way into.  Also, pony material is relaxing and nostalgic for me, so I'll definitely keep up with it.  

[The Wife of Law 18,772]

Even though it’s over, I still consider myself a massive fan of the generation 4 series but definitely not obsessed. I love rewatching episodes, I still collect merchandise, and more. I know that the fandom has died down tremendously but I am happy to say that I didn’t depart. I don’t see myself losing interest in the fandom anytime soon. If/when I do, I’m sure I will only have fond memories.

[Ganondorf8 10,835]

I see myself as more of a casual fan who still maintains an interest in the show (Equestria Girls especially), but not to the point of sheer obsession where I would go out of my way and purchase every last MLP themed item imaginable. I prefer to stick with things like comics and trading cards because that's my preference. I'm not going to be leaving this fandom any time soon. In fact, my cosplaying pretty much guarantees my being here for a long time to come.

[Splashee 28,471]

On 6/8/2020 at 12:15 PM, Princess of Luck 🍀⚡🔥 said:

I actually don;t watch much mlp lolllll, I probably spend more time on forums than I spend watching mlp.

And you are still not the extreme case. @Stone Cold Steve Tuna is here on the forum for years, and still probably haven't seen a full episode yet!

[Stone Cold Steve Jobs 22,352]

2 hours ago, Splashee said:

And you are still not the extreme case. @Stone Cold Steve Tuna is here on the forum for years, and still probably haven't seen a full episode yet!

I saw a few full episodes. But they never really clicked for me. 

[Kevin Tang 2,420]

I started being a brony since season 8

I couldnt experience the pony craze back in like 2012 or something, so it's kinda sad that I joined really late

But hey, like they always say, better late than never

I made new friendships I would otherwise not get, had I didnt join this fandom

I learnt how to draw, vector and now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Im learning how to move the ponies or animate...

I hace watched a lot of cartoons during my childhood, but this one is just different

Seeing that the show had to come to an end before I could experience the whole thing of being a brony made me a bit sad, but I definitely wont ever regret being a part of this wonderful community.

[Steve Piranha 25,971]

I’m at a constant state of mourning over the show, and G4 horses being disappeared . But it’s fine. That means I love my G4 horses, and they’ve given me memories I will treasure 

[CypherHoof 26,443]

I think its fine to be a G4 fan, even after the formal canon has closed. Shows like Star Trek (TOS) and books like Lord of the Rings had dedicated fan bases for decades without any new material (and still do, although any new material for LotR is gonna be fanfic by definition)

I fully expect the G4 fandom (and the "extended universe" of G4 that contains characters like Nix) to continue even as Hasbro moves on to their vision of G5

[TransitPony 211]

It's been a hard time since the show ended. I am one of the people who missed out on the glory years of the show. I am still enjoying FiM though via watching clips from past seasons or viewing new fan art and buying comics/merchandise (especially with PonyFest Online and other virtual conventions during this pandemic) even though I've been into this for just two years now. It's great to see the community still going strong despite of what's been happening over the past few months. 

[MasterofChaos 120]

2 minutes ago, TransitPony said:

It's been a hard time since the show ended. I am one of the people who missed out on the glory years of the show. I am still enjoying FiM though via watching clips from past seasons or viewing new fan art and buying comics/merchandise (especially with PonyFest Online and other virtual conventions during this pandemic) even though I've been into this for just two years now. It's great to see the community still going strong despite of what's been happening over the past few months. 

I try to get any dose of Ponyville I can. Whether it be through the forums, or the internet searching up episodes or even Netflix I just need it!!!!!! 

[EpicEnergy 21,448]

The show's ending didn't change me, I'm still a brony no matter if the show ended or not.

[Megas 26,006]

I'm still reading the comics and watching the pony life. Also decided to up my toy and merch collecting.

And all of this despite the fact that I regularly call S9, among other things, steaming piles of garbage

[Splashee 28,471]

It is tough. Wandering the streets at night. Looking for colorful ponies.

 

Pony Life is not much to sustain a brony's need.

[NavelColt 22,853]

Some of the creative websites created for ponies are still some of the best and most active of thier kind. Namely Fimfiction, which will still net you more feedback than unfocused dinosaurs like fanfiction.net or Wattpad. As such, I'm still writing horse words, not just because I still have stories to tell with certain characters, but because for my fanfiction hobby there's no greater feedback for me than Fimfiction.

Outside fanfiction I'm also involved in a fandom project or two on Discord. That's about the extent of it.