Season 9 Officially the Last Season of FiM (SPOILERS!)

[Lilja]

I still haven't finished season 7, but I'll get there! It's great that the show managed to last so long though. Even if it has started to feel a bit "tired" in later seasons, every once in a while they still put out some really good episodes.

I really appreciate FIM. The lore and characters have always been an important part of MLP ever since I was a child. So it was sad to realize as an adult how joyless and low effort the G1 show was. But hey, it's what can be expected of a show whose primary function was to sell toys. I know a lot of kids back then didn't pay much attention to the cartoons or story books and just made up their own world/characters with their ponies, so I can understand those people being a bit underwhelmed with the FIM marketing strategy of today.

I'm glad FIM was helmed by someone who not only wanted to tell engaging stories with fun characters, but also had a strong affinity for MLP since childhood. And Faust was surely one of the kids who completely made up their own adventures with their ponies. It's really cool how her childhood vision became part of official MLP lore. Part of me thinks we'll probably never see a MLP show as good as FIM was, but who knows. Hasbro seems to at least have understood the value of quality stories/characters and not just putting whatever out there because "eh, if the kids like the toys they'll watch anything". Maybe someone who grew up loving FIM will get to create an even better MLP show in the future.

But yeah, the show needs to come to an end. Some plot points are beyond contrived at this point. It's a testament to the writers' ability that they can write around these and still put out good episodes. Starting over with a blank slate will be good for everyone.

[Taffeta]

G1 had multiple canons, whereas G4 had only one.

I was never a fan of the G1 cartoons to any great degree, but FIM gave me a new appreciation for the G1 show. FIM has made me realise we were lucky in the 1980s not to have a forced theme underpinning the entirety of the animation that was produced. The forced and largely unbelievable messages about 'friendship' are frankly chilling on occasion, and the behaviour of the wider fandom that supported it has kind of borne that out.

The comics will always be better for me for G1. I think G1 was about selling toys, and the toys themselves carried the canon on their cards, so the animation was kind of secondary. That said, I still like the G1 animation much more now for having seen FIM. Thank goodness I grew up with Ice Cream Wars and Revolt of PE...

I am not at all sad to see the end of this show, it's gone on too long and has preached really disturbing themes on occasion. But I also hope that the not scary bronies will come more into the central community and be part of that as well. I don't hate G4 as a concept. I dislike the overspill of M6 toys, and I think the series is morally irresponsible with its messages far too often - but it's deserved its run and its popularity. It's just time to move on to something new. Something where imposing superiority is not the main goal.

[Lilja]

G1 had multiple canons, whereas G4 had only one.

Actually I already had this in mind as a child. I didn't get to see the movie until I was 10 (but had seen basically everything else), so before that I considered the two specials and the TV series to be different continuities. The "Dream Castle series" and the "Paradise Estate series". The comics were obviously part of the Dream Castle series. Not until I saw the movie did I learn the connection. But even then, with the way characters changed around it was hard to consider it all part of the same universe. And that's before Tales came around!

(In other words, I've always been thinking way too much about these things )

Yeah, the constant need to push "friendship lessons" was definitely one of the things that made FIM feel increasingly contrived. I guess they felt they had to since it's in the title. Most of the episodes have been about the relationships between the characters anyway, so I think it was fine like that. They didn't need to be so overt about it. Especially since the writers didn't seem think too deeply of the implications in some cases.

The Brony cultural phenomenon sure is due for a deep critical analysis. There's been positive and negative aspects, but since society at large mocked them for being guys enjoying a girls' thing, I've found it hard to bring up the negative aspects. But there sure is a lot more to it than that.

So, I hope the next generation can move forward without the aggressive pushing of friendship lessons. And that people can feel more free to enjoy it on their own terms without needing the support of an internet movement.

[MJNSEIFER]

I'm glad FIM was helmed by someone who not only wanted to tell engaging stories with fun characters, but also had a strong affinity for MLP since childhood. And Faust was surely one of the kids who completely made up their own adventures with their ponies. It's really cool how her childhood vision became part of official MLP lore.

She was.  That was actually the main reason I ended up respecting her, and finding her relatable at least in that place - she was a fan who got to do her version of things professionally.  I'm sure that happens a lot, but I love it when it does.

G1 had multiple canons, whereas G4 had only one.

G4 has at least two canons - the comics are their own thing.  It could be seen as an alternative canon, though, so that could be what you meant?  I have no idea if the toyline really has a canon (doubtful, as G1 got the most detailed backcards.)

Yeah, the constant need to push "friendship lessons" was definitely one of the things that made FIM feel increasingly contrived.

Yeah, I feel they should have stopped the "friendship lessons" after a point, and stopped it being a "moral show" - it worked when the Mane Six were just starting to make friends (I know they probably all knew each other before Twilight Sparkle, but we didn't know that for sure back then, apart from Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy), but now they're all long term friends, it doesn't.  Realistically, the Mane Six wouldn't do the things they do at this point - a lot of things seem really forced just to include a moral, and many episodes would benefit with no moral at all.

[Al-1701]

Let us toast FiM's long postponed demise.

I'm with Taffeta on this show.  I think as it went along the need to tie everything into friendship made this show rather macabre at times with its lessons.  Starlight is a cult leader and terrorist, but Twilight made her her student?  What?  I think it was allowed to go on for too long.

I don't know how it will end, but I really don't care.  It's just coming to an end.

Now I'm worried about G5 because I fear the only lesson Hasbro learned from Transformers Generation 2 was not packaging the old series with stupid CGI transitions.

[Leave a Whisper]

So long, farewell, don't bother to write! The show is average and pushy with its friendship messages, the animation is flat and ugly and the toyline repetetive mess. I will not miss it.

At Lilja. Its not about them being guys that like girly things. There are older MLP fans, Sailor Moon fans, Powerpuff Girl fans, Care Bear fans, Rainbowbrite fans and Jem fans who are guys. It was about the toxic majoritys being allowed to run amok and  harass people, pushing the show like it was a religion and crying foul when people told them off for their appalling behaviour.

I hope the end takes all the nasties down with it. We'll keep the kind, decent ones though.

Anywho the Mane Six needs to Be Gone and Stay Gone! No. More. I'm sooo tired of them.

[Lilja]

Now I'm worried about G5 because I fear the only lesson Hasbro learned from Transformers Generation 2 was not packaging the old series with stupid CGI transitions.

TBH, I will find it a little bit funny if the next show is just FIM again but with 3D scene transitions.

At Lilja. Its not about them being guys that like girly things. There are older MLP fans, Sailor Moon fans, Powerpuff Girl fans, Care Bear fans, Rainbowbrite fans and Jem fans who are guys. It was about the toxic majoritys being allowed to run amok and  harass people, pushing the show like it was a religion and crying foul when people told them off for their appalling behaviour.

Yes, but most people outside the MLP community were not aware of these behaviors. The reason bronies were despised outside the MLP community was because people are generally appalled by guys liking girl things. Which is why it was so important to bronies to always stress that "G4 is DIFFERENT! It's not like the other bad girly MLP!!". Of course, to anyone not into MLP it's still all the same. I remember talking to someone at a convention about how despite being a MLP fan, I tend to distance myself from the brony label because of their behavior online. And I could tell they interpreted my words as if I just thought male MLP fans were creepy. So it's hard to talk about with someone "not in the know".

All in all, I'm not sure I can say whether the brony phenomenon was a good or bad thing. It did highlight something bad in our culture, but maybe it's helped us move beyond it a little bit? We'll see.

[Leave a Whisper]

They dragged their appalling behavior out and annoyed other geeky communities too. When people who aren't into mlp speak of them, the bulk of the complaints are:  "They're really rude and pushy" "The fans are really toxic." "The fans are creepy." And that's some of the tamer comments.
So yes, they are known outside of the mlp community for their bad behaviour.

That's my last word on the subject as I don't wish to derail the thread further and get it locked.

My apologies.


Back OT: How many episodes are left and have you guys enjoyed some of the new stuff?

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

Back OT: How many episodes are left and have you guys enjoyed some of the new stuff?

I don't think season 9's started yet, so there's still a full 26 left.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I just really hope they wrap up Chrysalis. I wouldn't be surprised with a reformation at this point but I don't want them to leave her thread untied.
And maybe confront Cozy Glow being in Tartarus? She's a child. Why wasn't Cozy Glow Chrysalis?

[Leave a Whisper]

Back OT: How many episodes are left and have you guys enjoyed some of the new stuff?

I don't think season 9's started yet, so there's still a full 26 left.

Ahh. Well I hope you guys get some enjoyable episodes.

[MJNSEIFER]

I just really hope they wrap up Chrysalis. I wouldn't be surprised with a reformation at this point but I don't want them to leave her thread untied.
And maybe confront Cozy Glow being in Tartarus? She's a child. Why wasn't Cozy Glow Chrysalis?

I'm actually hoping they don't wrap up Chrysalis's storyline - I don't want her reformed, and I don't want her dead.  I know I'm being childish, but I want my favorite villain unresolved (even thought I know I can do what I want with her in fanon anyway.)

I feel they over did her though - I wish they'd kept her at one or two appearances in the show, and maybe her comic book appearance.

The Cozy Glow thing was just stupid - is there no juvenile centers in Equestria?  Why send a foal to somewhere that could be comparable to Hell, much less so close to an actual villain that she could easily work together with?

[Lilja]

They dragged their appalling behavior out and annoyed other geeky communities too. When people who aren't into mlp speak of them, the bulk of the complaints are:  "They're really rude and pushy" "The fans are really toxic." "The fans are creepy." And that's some of the tamer comments.
So yes, they are known outside of the mlp community for their bad behaviour.

There's been a bit of that for sure. I guess with "outside the MLP community" I meant the general public, rather than other geek communities. But it's a complicated topic that's difficult to sum up in a few words. Insecure young men seem especially prone to toxic behavior, no matter the context. What I would like to work towards, is that they won't have to feel so insecure about what they enjoy. But I think we might've made some progress in that regard since 2010, or at least so I hope.

One thing I'm wondering is if we'll get another full series after FIM, or if they'll go back to just having movies once in a while. I don't think we'll get a series as long-running as FIM (probably never again). Also, if we do get episodes I'm thinking they might be shorter. It seems few cartoons these days have episodes that run longer than 10 minutes. And some FIM episodes did feel drawn out at times to fill the runtime (like with the five minute musical numbers, as enjoyable as they can be ).

[Leave a Whisper]

Yeah I've noticed that about the ten minute trend too Lilja. Its even struck Hasbro in their recent transformers cartoon. 

[lonewolf]

Knew this moment was coming since last year thanks to the leaks, but it still hurts to see it.  It's been a big part of my life for the last 9 years (WAY more than any of the previous generations of MLP have been).
Most fans on that side are accepting it (really it's a mixed bag of opinions), but there's some causing drama about it (including one person I saw saying they'll end themselves after S9.), of course this type of drama will continue for awhile (there's still some ranting about Twilight becoming an alicorn in S3).
With Bronycon ending this year also I think there will be a fairly sharp drop in the fandom, especially if G5 doesn't hold a candle to G4. Some of those fans will continue to make fanmade stories, art, etc long after the end, and ultimately conventions may disappear in favor of small 1 day meetups.
 As for me: It's a wait and see thing. If G5 reverts back to G3/3.5 style stories or they change the characters of the main 6 (like Applejack no longer being from the country, which was hinted at in the leak), then I probably won't be interested. Same with the toys if they don't look that good (the reason I don't get G4.5 ones).

As for what I want to see in S9: I'd like to see the comics and EqG firmly tied into the show (like Sunset or the portal appearing, and Luna's pet opossum Tiberius showing up). And of course more Maud, kirin, Luna, and bat ponies. Have all loose end stories tied up, and see Scootaloo fly.

And maybe have Glimmy become an alicorn (the salt that would cause would be awesome  ).