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Things you want & don't want in G5!


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I'm still trying to resist it; the next My Little Pony cartoon is gonna have to win me over all over again. I have no attachment to the brand, and I generally avoid cartoons for little kids. But a year without the show has made me miss the cute ponies, even if I don't miss what Friendship is Magic turned out to be. So I'll spitball about what I might be looking for in my cute cartoon escapism.

What I would want: 

  • A focus on slice-of-life, character-driven situations. I think I liked Friendship is Magic best when it told stories about social anxiety - that is, stories where the mane six acted out because they were afraid of being judged or felt they needed to compensate for something. That made it so they were sympathetic and relatable while still making us hope they learn their lesson. I'd hope for similar themes in the next show, but even if it were about something different, I still think that smaller scale is what works best for this format. 
  • A relatively restrained art style. In Friendship is Magic, all of the crazier cartoon faces of the later seasons just broke the show's charm for me. Meanwhile, the movie and Rainbow Roadtrip had awkward lighting effects and weird details that I found distracting. It would be nice if the next cartoon was more fluid and had more detail than Friendship is Magic, but its charm came in large part from the fact that it didn't stretch or contort in the same way that some other cartoons do. 
  • A bit more clarity about the characters' ages. This was a maddening part of Friendship is Magic - I think the mane six are all adults, but the CMC are not, which added to the inconsistencies in their character arcs. It also might be useful to have a younger main cast, because the main six being adults felt like a limitation in the later seasons; the show couldn't really explore their adult lives in the way I wanted it to. 
  • If there are sentient species other than ponies, I think it would be cool to see them mingle with ponies more often. I find most of the talking creatures in Friendship is Magic equally cute. 

I don't have strong opinions about the next show being different from Friendship is Magic. At that point I just have to judge whether it's something I would want to watch. But if the G5 show is similar to its predecessor, then I don't want these mistakes repeated:

  • Biting off more than it can chew. I was always incredibly frustrated when Friendship is Magic tried to tell stories about subjects it couldn't address directly. Too often it used really clumsy metaphors that seemed condescending at best and nonsensical at worst. Honestly, Friendship is Magic was already starting to improve on that front in the last couple of seasons, so if a new show can continue that trend but combine it with stronger character work, it might have potential. Otherwise, maybe don't approach heavy topics like death or mental illness or inequality. 
  • Overly moralistic storytelling. I don't mean this in terms of "forced wokeness" but more regarding the awkward story structure of the later seasons, where episodes were often structured around one character acting rudely and only learning their lesson at the end, when someone else forces them to see the light. Having a decent moral doesn't automatically make your story interesting. 
  • Similarly, I don't want to see characters prevailing over purely external conflicts that serve only to showcase their virtues. You want to show me a character's development? Have them prevail over anxieties that would have crippled them earlier in the show. That's way more satisfying in a show like Friendship is Magic. 
  • I'm gonna be a contrarian here and say that I don't want a greater focus on action and adventure. The mythology in Friendship is Magic worked best as fairy-tale background fluff, when it was just there to complement the ponies' journies. The contrivances introduced to let the ponies go on so many adventures in the later seasons frustrated me, and I found a lot of the Equestrian history we learned pretty generic and dull. It's not what I'm here for. And frankly, the bizarre epic fantasy ideas often posted here seem like the opposite of what I go to the cute pony cartoon for. 
  • To be honest, if I see tall princess Twilight in the new series, I might opt out by default even if that show does everything else right. But that would be my problem, not the show's. 

 

7 hours ago, HedonismBot said:

Likewise, absolutely no trying to make things relatable to real-world issues in a manner that screws up the "lighthearted without being pure diabetes fuel" tone that G4 has been known for, or otherwise doesn't fit the setting.

I kinda liked when Friendship is Magic tried taking on serious issues with the friendship school, though; watching these characters I care about successfully fight against xenophobia and prevail is optimistic in a way that seems to me like it fits. 

 

Edited by AlexanderThrond
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21 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:
  • Overly moralistic storytelling. I don't mean this in terms of "forced wokeness" but more regarding the awkward story structure of the later seasons, where episodes were often structured around one character acting rudely and only learning their lesson at the end, when someone else forces them to see the light. Having a decent moral doesn't automatically make your story interesting. 

My big problem there was that there were multiple episodes ("Non-Compete Clause", "2, 4, 6, Great!", "Growing Up is Hard to Do") which subjected the main characters to cringe-worthy regression to serve the episode's moral. Though that might be partly due to the writing staff being a revolving door, with the episodes being written by people with only a superficial understanding of the characters - hopefully G5 won't have that problem.

 

24 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:

I kinda liked when Friendship is Magic tried taking on serious issues with the friendship school, though; watching these characters I care about successfully fight against xenophobia and prevail is optimistic in a way that seems to me like it fits. 

I guess you might have a point there - that is, provided they actually do succeed in fighting xenophobia over the course of the movie. If I'd have to put up with dystopian Jim Crow nonsense in the series proper (or we get any other examples of them trying to get "woke" in a manner that doesn't feel organic), I'll likely steer clear and hope the comic lasts until G6.

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The issue with the friendship school wasn't addressing diversity and discrimination. It was the idea of a School revolving around friendship itself, it's just completely nonsensical and something you'd expect from the very worst of little girl's cartoons and something the show literally chastised in the very first episode

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2 minutes ago, Megas said:

The issue with the friendship school wasn't addressing diversity and discrimination. It was the idea of a School revolving around friendship itself, it's just completely nonsensical and something you'd expect from the very worst of little girl's cartoons and something the show literally chastised in the very first episode

I wish that never happened.

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1 hour ago, HedonismBot said:

My big problem there was that there were multiple episodes ("Non-Compete Clause", "2, 4, 6, Great!", "Growing Up is Hard to Do") which subjected the main characters to cringe-worthy regression to serve the episode's moral.

The character inconsistency in the last two seasons was really bizarre, but I might have tolerated some of those episodes if they had some degree of depth. That's how I felt about "Growing Up is Hard to Do," honestly. "Non-Compete Clause" and "2, 4, 6, Greaaat!" annoyed me more for their shallowness, which is what I'm complaining about here. 

2 hours ago, HedonismBot said:

I guess you might have a point there - that is, provided they actually do succeed in fighting xenophobia over the course of the movie.

I mean, I'm just thinking about the season 8 premiere, where Twilight triumphs over the racist chancellor to keep her school open. That seems like a good way to do it. 

2 hours ago, HedonismBot said:

If I'd have to put up with dystopian Jim Crow nonsense in the series proper (or we get any other examples of them trying to get "woke" in a manner that doesn't feel organic), I'll likely steer clear and hope the comic lasts until G6.

Well, no, I don't think a darker approach would fit, but I don't see that as particularly likely. 

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47 minutes ago, Megas said:

The issue with the friendship school wasn't addressing diversity and discrimination. It was the idea of a School revolving around friendship itself, it's just completely nonsensical and something you'd expect from the very worst of little girl's cartoons and something the show literally chastised in the very first episode

Sure but it wouldn't have to be a "friendship school" in the new series, it could be anything. I'm just using that as an example of the show addressing serious real-world issues while staying upbeat and optimistic. 

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1 hour ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Sure but it wouldn't have to be a "friendship school" in the new series, it could be anything. I'm just using that as an example of the show addressing serious real-world issues while staying upbeat and optimistic. 

I never liked the idea of the school, I wanted to see more adventures and world building.

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I'd like it if G5 was more adventure and world-building focused than G4, the world of FiM (even before it was super complex) was always one of my favorite aspects of the show, so I'd like it if they either expanded the world of G4 or started from scratch with a world that's equally as interesting (preferably they should start from scratch but I'm fine with them doing either).

What I wouldn't want; anything modern or "hello fellow kids", an art style like Pony Life (ick), anything directly relating to real-world politics, the friendship school or any school for that matter.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Am l allowed to say this. I want them to add is an alicorn boy. Like its sad that l made my own ruler who is a male alicorn by customizing a celestia and made my own story with it. I wish to have a new male alicorn in G5.

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8 hours ago, Shigaraki said:

 

Am l allowed to say this. I want them to add is an alicorn boy. Like its sad that l made my own ruler who is a male alicorn by customizing a celestia and made my own story with it. I wish to have a new male alicorn in G5.

That would be very tricky to pull off in the show itself. But in character I am friends with several male alicorns OCs. Such as Loyal Defender, Emperor Azurailo, and Techno Universal.

If they do feature other races beside ponies please let us get to know their species histories and how they interact with others. Because I felt they could have had the non pony races interact better but they didn't take advantage of it in the last few seasons with the School of Friendship. I actually expected there to be more non-pony characters to work with since the School was open to all races, but we've only seen one small group of just one Changeling, Dragon Yak, Hippogriff and Griffin

When I don't want out of generation five is overzealous fans who overanalyze everything and act their opinion is the only thing that matters.

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Something I definitely don't want: I don't want MLP to become all dark and serious with the plot synopsis I saw: Ponies divided up by species, a dictatorship with the rulers...

This is still MLP and it needs something to balance out this!

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I'd like more exploration beyond Equestria, it would be really awesome to see other places and continents. 

The one thing I don't want are cliche villains or weak backstories. I'd actually like to see a villain with a fully fleshed out backstory that one could believe. I'd say the worst backstory has to be Tempest. The writers completely blew it on that backstory. I also don't want misleading episodes like Newbie Dash. That episode, just no. That was torture. The writers failed to address the Wonderbolts' ignorance and instead made Rainbow accept that dreaded name and then try to cover up the major mistake with a lesson on "Learning to fit in".

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What I want: a good story, that's like the most important thing.

What I don't want: character learns a lesson, character forgets immediately what they've learned, character is being forced to repeat this lesson many times over.

Edited by RDDash
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I don’t want the mlp world to be too modernize. It’s has to be a world where it’s unlike ours without technology and such. And still mythical and magical. Everything else I’m an open door for.

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To be honest, I don't mind any modern tech being in the movie, just not to the extent to where it matches up with Pony Life. And also, no millennial talk, such as "yeet" or worse, "ok boomer".

One more: PLEASE BRING DERPY BACK!!! :derp:

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On 2021-01-31 at 1:32 PM, Califorum said:

I want Celestia as the main villain in this, too.

You looking to start something, bro? :unamused:

*hugs Celestia*

Actually, I don’t want ANY Gen 4 characters physically showing up. References, sure, but let them Rest In Peace for the most part.

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3 minutes ago, ShadOBabe said:

Actually, I don’t want ANY Gen 4 characters physically showing up. References, sure, but let them Rest In Peace for the most part.

 

I would like Twilight Sparkle to show up in the Gen 5 movie to "pass the torch" to the new ponies. 

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I want to see a generation five take on Equestria Girls though maybe focus more on the adventuring side and less on the slice-of-life for it.

Yes... I'm certain many suspected I'd go this route.

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1 hour ago, Ganondorf8 said:

I want to see a generation five take on Equestria Girls though maybe focus more on the adventuring side and less on the slice-of-life for it.

Yes... I'm certain many suspected I'd go this route.

 

I'd like to see some type of Equestria Girls return as well. I don't know how it would work or how it could be different enough from Gen 4, though. 

Edited by Sparklefan1234
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Not happy about politics forcing it's way in. The diversity between the three pony types would have made more sense if this was set before MLP FIM. As it would be a good way to explain how the three types came together. I will watch it but I'm afraid that today's wokeness might ruin it and the show.

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On 2021-02-08 at 5:14 PM, AlexanderThrond said:

Similarly, I don't want to see characters prevailing over purely external conflicts that serve only to showcase their virtues. You want to show me a character's development? Have them prevail over anxieties that would have crippled them earlier in the show. That's way more satisfying in a show like Friendship is Magic. 

Thinking back over the premieres and finales I think that only two showcased this well. Return of Harmony and From Where and Back Again. The former played on Discord slowly taking away Twilights friendships finally causing Twilight to succumb to her discorded version only to be brought back by her lessons from Season 1. 
 

Starlight was anxious about her past deeds and was extremely resistant to be in an leadership role, or in charge. Yet when she did take charge she was able to come up with a plan. I don’t mind epic episodes but I agree that they work better when the conflict isn’t just overcoming the big bad, but also an internal challenge 

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I've been seeing a lot of speculation saying Discord will be here and honestly after how I feel about his return in FiM, I really wouldn't look forward to him ever coming back

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I don't want it to be really preachy about its message of diversity or recycling old plot lines and character conflicts from G4. I also want them to finally introduce Grogar for real and bring the four unreformed villains back. Three of them are stoned, the other is Dracula, they wouldn't be affected by the future setting. Don't want them to just get banished again though, because that would make the entire thing pointless. The heroes, the Mane 6, however, I hope that outside of homages, they will be left at peace...

...or appear as ghosts. :fluttershy:

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