G5 Media News, movie is now out on Netflix!

[PrincessRoyalBlue]

Old can be new, too! In a way, but they'd be all new and different, with their personalities and colors each changed in their own way. Besides, what's so bad about G1?

Not really. Old is old, and I didn't say there was anything wrong with G1.

Its constant rehashing from 3.5 onward that started mlp on a downward spiral towards repetitive stagnation.

No offense, you sound kind of upset. I'm sorry if I made you upset, I'm not trying to be rude or mean or anything like that in any way. You're right. You never said anything way wrong with G1, and old is old, that's true. I just kinda wanted to see some of my favorite characters from G1 again. Sorry again.

[reanna-mator]

I actually like the idea of continuing on using Equestria. G4 built such a huge world and it's ripe for more exploration. I just hope we get to see a lot of new stuff, and just the occasional nod to the familiar. Though I wouldn't mind incorporating some more creatures and locations from G1 into the world.

[Wardah]

And if they do not have boys in any sort of advertisement, or whatever, then it's all a bunch of hooey to me.

G4 targeted boys pretty aggressively with Guardians of Harmony and - partially - cosigned the Brony craze.

I also think they have got it a tad wrong when saying Gen Alpha are the ones craving these activist type characters and stories. I think they have them confused for Gen Z, the oldest of which are now 22, 23 years old. Gen Alpha are babies and Kindergarteners.

I am wondering about the rumors that this gen will be for slightly older audiences than FiM? Did we get any confirmation on that? Because if this show is truly for Gen Alpha then this rumor is as good as debunked. Like I stated, Gen Alpha is super young.

Millennials are the ones who started the whole woke activist thing with the Occupy movement and many of them are the parents of Gen Alpha so it kinda makes sense.

[Shrojjy]

i've been more or less in the periphery of pony for the past couple of years, and while this is unlikely to pull me back in, i think it's an interesting take on a new generation. i'd totally be lying if a legend of korra-style continuation wasn't a guilty fantasy of mine for a while. i think "activist" can be interpreted very broadly and so i am going to choose to not dwell on that bit too much. twilight was 100% an "activist trying to make life better for ponykind" for most of the series.

i can say that i will not be visiting here when february 25th rolls around, at least until i've formed my own opinion, lol. i didn't have an account yet but i remember how absolutely brutal this place was when G4 was revealed!

[Leave a Whisper]

Old can be new, too! In a way, but they'd be all new and different, with their personalities and colors each changed in their own way. Besides, what's so bad about G1?

Not really. Old is old, and I didn't say there was anything wrong with G1.

Its constant rehashing from 3.5 onward that started mlp on a downward spiral towards repetitive stagnation.

No offense, you sound kind of upset. I'm sorry if I made you upset, I'm not trying to be rude or mean or anything like that in any way. You're right. You never said anything way wrong with G1, and old is old, that's true. I just kinda wanted to see some of my favorite characters from G1 again. Sorry again.

:
I'm not upset at all. I'm simply pointing out my issue with modern MLP and its insistence on not creating anything truly new, and the damage it has done. That's all. My apologies.

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

i can say that i will not be visiting here when february 25th rolls around, at least until i've formed my own opinion, lol. i didn't have an account yet but i remember how absolutely brutal this place was when G4 was revealed!

Wait what's happening on February 25th? Are Hasbro doing something to fill in the lack of Toy Fair that day?

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Wait what's happening on February 25th? Are Hasbro doing something to fill in the lack of Toy Fair that day?

Hasbro is holding an investors event! It sounds like it will replace the toy fair.

[Carrehz]

I think diversity + messages are super important for all ages. But I'm feeling iffy about the main character being an "activist". I think it's just should be something that's shown and not be preachy about it. And if they do not have boys in any sort of advertisement, or whatever, then it's all a bunch of hooey to me.

yeah pretty much this - "activism", diversity, etc aren't bad in and of themselves, but when it's the first thing they're telling us about the series, it does make me feel like they're just going for the "woke" points (or whatever the term of the day is, can't keep up with this stuff ) more than anything else. Hopefully I'm wrong!

Admittedly, I'm really just here for the toys though, so as long as they're good then idk that I really care if the accompanying cartoon sucks or not I'll probably only be watching from the sidelines like I was with G4/FiM so...

but i remember how absolutely brutal this place was when G4 was revealed!

Such is the way of any long-running, multi-generation series' fandom Same thing happened with G2, it happened with EQG, it happened much more mildly with G4.5, it'll almost certainly happen with G5, and I'm calling it now, if we get a G6, it'll happen with that, too.

[Taffeta]

@PrincessRoyalBlue - welcome to our fed-up-with-M6 club. Have a cookie We've been over them for years.

On the other subjects...

Activism.  Hrm.

The environmental theme was already done in Tales. It's a current important theme but I would worry about using a kid's cartoon as a political platform for anything beyond the level of one episode where they clean up their local area. That's kind of where kids begin with learning about bigger pictures - by what happens close to home. They're more likely to respond to something immediate and close by than talk about global issues.

Equality - what does that even mean any more, really? Not to be all Orwellian on you guys, but in the diversity discussion, some causes are more equal than others. The danger of taking up that as a specific storyline (as opposed to just having a really diverse cast of characters with different personalities, backgrounds, experiences and such like) is that by representing one group you push the others into the shade. Is MLP going to tackle transgender rights in a small kids' show? Gay rights? Women's rights? Race and religious rights? Disability rights? And if yes to any of the above, who will they isolate within these groups by representing just one face or facet of those populations? You can't make an issue into a character.

I don't know if I care about this show. I find FIM's world pretty insincere and fake, so I'm not too interested in any more skim-the-surface storylines set in Equestria. But I was able to appreciate the G4 figures I have without putting myself through all the series of FIM. So if the toyline is good I will still buy them. That matters more to me overall. I just worry about the theme of the show - given the damage it left the pony community from FIM and the bad bronies - being another opportunity to drag the rest of us into unwanted negativity.

On the subject of bringing cast from G1. I agree with LAW. I love G1 but don't need to see it replicated in G5. More importantly, maybe I don't want it tainted by whatever G5 brings. G5 may be fine and brilliant, but the G1 characters belong in a different time and should stay there. New characters for a new decade. It's just a shame that it's not also a new world. The fact that creativity has largely died within MLP is kind of proven by the staying with Equestria. But we'll see.

I don't want to see a single M6 toy, though, ever again. If they must be in the show, then they must. But no more M6 toys. Please Hasbro. Don't do it.

[Leave a Whisper]

This is true, Tales did try to tackle lessons with environmentalism,  judging others prematurely and typical social lessons about gossip, secrets and getting along.

And in fairness, the 80s and 90s were rife with PSAs, and cartoons tackling the issues of the day.

Captain Planet tackled environmental issues, AIDs, drugs and bigotry
The banned (but brilliantly handled) Gargoyles gun episode
JatH tackled drugs, dyslexia, and dysfunctional families
COPs
Fat Albert
Dot and the Kangaroo tackled fire and selling wild animals

 Granted, they didn't always do them well. Still, its nothing new for Hasbro, I just wish they didn't suck at it.

[Taffeta]

Jem also dealt with executive fraud, peer pressure, abuse, medical issues...Plus maybe in Jem herself the problems of overwork and how it can lead to mental ill health. By Midsummer Night Madness and THe Day the Music Died she has Problems to the point she makes Rio three-time herself and runs off on a boat with Riot.

But then again it also has a Yeti and time travel :/ So.

[Leave a Whisper]

Jem also dealt with executive fraud, peer pressure, abuse, medical issues...Plus maybe in Jem herself the problems of overwork and how it can lead to mental ill health. By Midsummer Night Madness and THe Day the Music Died she has Problems to the point she makes Rio three-time herself and runs off on a boat with Riot.

But then again it also has a Yeti and time travel :/ So.

Also good examples.

[MJNSEIFER]

This will end up sounding hypocritical of me when I post an article I'm working on, but terms of G5 apparently be a continuation or so of G4... I don't think it should be.  As much as I love My Little Pony in general and love the idea of generations being connected in fanon, I feel that this sort of thing should be left in fanon - we ourselves can decided if the generations connect in our own minds, and if we don't want them to, they don't have to.

The thing is, in canon, every new generation was exactly that, a new generation, so I feel G5 should be that, and G4 should step aside and allow G5 to take the spotlight, the same way the previous generations did for G4 and each other.  They didn't outright replace the previous generations, they were just "new generations" and nothing stopped us from going back to the old ones, the same as nothing will stop those of us who like G4 from going back to G4.  I think G5 should keep the tradition of being a completely new generation (barring recycled names and remakes of previous characters, because that happens) it doesn't to be even vaguely "FiM 2", it should be completely G5 in my opinion.

This may have been resolved, but in terms of being "woke"... that words has ultimately lost whatever meaning it ever had to be honest, in my opinion.  I'm sure there are some shows that do this, but ultimately I think people overuse the term for literally anything they can think of, and I really don't think TV is as woke as people say.

Maybe it's because I'm looking at it from a writer's perspective, but I do think the idea of things being woke is exaggerated - as what seems to have been previously discussed, morals and messages have been a thing in media for decades, regardless of whether it's political or not.  Also people act like a show is woke just for something simple like having the hero be female (which annoys me personally, because heroic, adventurous, and awesome females is one of my favorite things to write, and I have no intention of being "woke" at all - it is not woke for me, it is simply a character I enjoy writing.)

[Shrojjy]

Such is the way of any long-running, multi-generation series' fandom Same thing happened with G2, it happened with EQG, it happened much more mildly with G4.5, it'll almost certainly happen with G5, and I'm calling it now, if we get a G6, it'll happen with that, too.

oh, for sure haha. i think for a lot of us, collecting is an extension of childhood interest, so it is understandably difficult to watch a part of your childhood progressively get further away from what you remember. i'm certainly not immune to the feeling, i could not make myself enjoy EQG and i can't do it with pony life either. G5 will be bittersweet for me regardless of how good it looks. but i'm trying real hard to not be curmudgeonly about it! 

[Carrehz]

Hee, that's how I'm trying to go about things, too. Hated EQG at first but then the toys grew on me, and it took a long while for G4 to properly grow on me too... I try and keep an open mind.