I'm still as hardcore a FiM fan as ever, but it's more due to an attachment to the characters. Long after the show, I'll be making art and stories for the characters, but the show itself has suffered seasonal rot. Seasons 4 and 1 were my favorites, and the more recent seasons are placing pretty low on my rankings. I do want to see how the show will end, so I'll be along for the rest of the ride, however lonely that ride gets.I kinda feel this too. Even if I find some of the characters annoying, I'm still attached to them. And I will definitely stick through till the end, even if I don't watch the episodes between now and the end.
Many of the fans of the earlier seasons seemed to drop off around seasons 4 and 5.
Half the time I think part of what killed the show for me is some of the fan base, not everyone in the fan base but some lolThis is actually a big reason as to why people stop watching. I see a lot of people who have had the show soured due to bigoted or rabid fans, it's sad that such a community has risen out of a show about friendship and understanding.
Half the time I think part of what killed the show for me is some of the fan base, not everyone in the fan base but some lolThis is actually a big reason as to why people stop watching. I see a lot of people who have had the show soured due to bigoted or rabid fans, it's sad that such a community has risen out of a show about friendship and understanding.
If it's not the core reason, it only motivates people tired with the repetitiveness of the show to drop it.
Yeah. I was watching some Tales episodes, and one of them was "Sweetheart's Birthday" where the solution was Lancer locking Bright Eyes, Melody, Patch, and Clover in the same with Teddy and essentially saying "You don't need to like each other, but you need to at least get along with each other for Sweetheart's sake." When it was over, I thought to myself "We'd never get that kind of nuance from Friendship is Magic. No one is ever allowed to be friends with anyone who isn't pro-Mane 6 and those that aren't converted must be ridden out of town on a rail."
Also the fact that every villain either disappeared completely, or if they returned had to be stripped down and remade into a friend rather than an antagonist. Like you can't exist if you oppose the majority... :rolleyes:
I've been feeling "meh" lately about the toys and merch. So I'll enjoy the parts I do enjoy, and move on from the parts I don't.
The show didn't create the rabid fans, the rabid fans attached their identities and egos onto the show because apparently it's impossible to like (or dislike) a kids product without justifying it to hell and back , which can happen to any piece of entertainment but when it's about kids cartoons it becomes extra weird because we are not the target audience.
I wonder if Starlight Glimmer was introduced to try and change that a bit, but it didn't work? I haven't seen any episodes with her in so I can't be sure...
The thing that bugged me most about season 7 is they brought back Iron Will, which is something I've been worried about since his first episode way back in season 2. His episode would have been better served with the Flim Flam brothers as the villains, in all honesty. I like Iron Will - he was a motivational speaker who believed in himself just a little too much. And when Fluttershy said 'no' he left. No scheming to get revenge. No 'I'll get you next time, Gadget!' He just left. Now he's another money-grubbing get-rich-quick schemer like the already existing Flim Flam brothers. Sigh.Ironically Iron Will was probably one of the more nuanced antagonists of the show, which made him very refreshing to watch. He may seem like just a tough brute who always gets his way, but he is willing to be reasonable when Fluttershy explained herself. The direction they took him with Once Upon a Zeppelin may have not been the wisest decision, but I'll take that over Flim and Flam any day! :pout:
I got to the beginning of s5, I think, and stopped watching. I haven't seen anything for about two/three years, and I'm not fussed. It's gotten very meh.
If you want other cartoon recommendations, I hear Guillermo del Toro's Trollhunters is really good.
The relationship between the Mane 6 is unhealthy. The Mane 6 as individuals are unhealthy. If this a random cartoon, we'd just chalk it up to being random cartoon fun. However, this show continues to present itself as the instruction manual on friendship and these six are guides for little kids.
Quote from: TaffetaI wonder if Starlight Glimmer was introduced to try and change that a bit, but it didn't work? I haven't seen any episodes with her in so I can't be sure...
As someone who has seen most of the episodes and is biased towards Starlight: Starlight is a reformed antagonist who in my opinion works in favor of the show.
When it was over, I thought to myself "We'd never get that kind of nuance from Friendship is Magic. No one is ever allowed to be friends with anyone who isn't pro-Mane 6 and those that aren't converted must be ridden out of town on a rail."
I totally agree, i'd say it does it even better because Teddy is not here (seriously, Tales trying to redeem him while showing him only being a total jerk just because he has a teddy bear is on par with FiM's tendancy to reform every bad guy.It bothers me even more tbh).The message is good in both episodes, but the context makes it work better for me in FiM
The thing about a show that is seven seasons long, is that you're going to be able to find plenty of examples that support a sweeping generalization like this, but also that there's plenty of examples that prove the opposite, if you bother to look. For example, did you forget about the episode where Twilight sent Starlight out to make her own friend and she makes friends with Trixie, whom Twilight doesn't like (and the feeling is mutual?). The entire point of that episode is that your friends are sometimes going to be friends with people who you don't like, and that you have to accept that. That's just as nuanced as the lesson you cited in the Tales ep.
Tales did handle the situation of more ponies than tickets better than FiM though.I totally agree, i'd say it does it even better because Teddy is not here (seriously, Tales trying to redeem him while showing him only being a total jerk just because he has a teddy bear is on par with FiM's tendancy to reform every bad guy.It bothers me even more tbh).The message is good in both episodes, but the context makes it work better for me in FiM
The thing about a show that is seven seasons long, is that you're going to be able to find plenty of examples that support a sweeping generalization like this, but also that there's plenty of examples that prove the opposite, if you bother to look. For example, did you forget about the episode where Twilight sent Starlight out to make her own friend and she makes friends with Trixie, whom Twilight doesn't like (and the feeling is mutual?). The entire point of that episode is that your friends are sometimes going to be friends with people who you don't like, and that you have to accept that. That's just as nuanced as the lesson you cited in the Tales ep.
Tales also didn't need to bring in a new character to serve as the conflicted friend. Starlight seems to be a crutch to do things they can't do with the Mane 6.
I think you quoted the wrong person, I'm not comparing anything with The Ticket Master.If you want to compare both, I don't think FIM in its 7 seasons and a movie had a worse morale than Tales in Shop Talk, and that was in its only season . Both have good aspects and bad ones.
We'll never know is Tales or Friends would have been in this position because they were never given the chance. We have the bodies of work we have. Tales might have only lasted one season, but in that one season it was willing to do something it took Friendship is Magic six seasons to, and didn't feel the need to add a new character to facilitate it. Which kind of deadens the message.
Trixie had appeared twice. Once as a showman the Mane 6 decided to antagonize and the village idiots unwittingly humiliated. Then she came back possessed by a magic trinket she originally intended to use to show up Twilight but made her power mad. Now she's back in town (for whatever reason) and Starlight decides to befriend her not knowing her past.
Teddy was a known commodity to the seven characters, and their antagonism to each other was well established. Them agreeing to stay in their own corners was also for the benefit of their mutual friend instead of learning The Lesson of the Episode.
However, I'm picking things apart at this point.
I think you quoted the wrong person, I'm not comparing anything with The Ticket Master.
We'll never know is Tales or Friends would have been in this position because they were never given the chance. We have the bodies of work we have. Tales might have only lasted one season, but in that one season it was willing to do something it took Friendship is Magic six seasons to, and didn't feel the need to add a new character to facilitate it. Which kind of deadens the message.
Trixie had appeared twice. Once as a showman the Mane 6 decided to antagonize and the village idiots unwittingly humiliated. Then she came back possessed by a magic trinket she originally intended to use to show up Twilight but made her power mad. Now she's back in town (for whatever reason) and Starlight decides to befriend her not knowing her past.
Teddy was a known commodity to the seven characters, and their antagonism to each other was well established. Them agreeing to stay in their own corners was also for the benefit of their mutual friend instead of learning The Lesson of the Episode.
However, I'm picking things apart at this point.
(seriously, Tales trying to redeem him while showing him only being a total jerk just because he has a teddy bear is on par with FiM's tendancy to reform every bad guy.It bothers me even more tbh).
I totally agree, i'd say it does it even better because Teddy is not here (seriously, Tales trying to redeem him while showing him only being a total jerk just because he has a teddy bear is on par with FiM's tendancy to reform every bad guy.It bothers me even more tbh).The message is good in both episodes, but the context makes it work better for me in FiM
The thing about a show that is seven seasons long, is that you're going to be able to find plenty of examples that support a sweeping generalization like this, but also that there's plenty of examples that prove the opposite, if you bother to look. For example, did you forget about the episode where Twilight sent Starlight out to make her own friend and she makes friends with Trixie, whom Twilight doesn't like (and the feeling is mutual?). The entire point of that episode is that your friends are sometimes going to be friends with people who you don't like, and that you have to accept that. That's just as nuanced as the lesson you cited in the Tales ep.
Like when she stole the balloon and almost got her and Bon-Bon killed?What episode tried to do anti-bullying? I can't remember an episode like that from the top of my head
Trying too hard is probably the best way to sum up Friendship is Magic. It tries too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool, too hard to be dramatic, too hard to be topical, too hard to be clever, too hard to be deep, etc. This staff has bought into the hype they're working on the greatest animated series ever, and act accordingly. Only it isn't and they're trying to punch far above their weight. This is a show that can't even get an anti-bullying message right.
One Bad Apple.Like when she stole the balloon and almost got her and Bon-Bon killed?What episode tried to do anti-bullying? I can't remember an episode like that from the top of my head
Trying too hard is probably the best way to sum up Friendship is Magic. It tries too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool, too hard to be dramatic, too hard to be topical, too hard to be clever, too hard to be deep, etc. This staff has bought into the hype they're working on the greatest animated series ever, and act accordingly. Only it isn't and they're trying to punch far above their weight. This is a show that can't even get an anti-bullying message right.
Ah yes,i see what you mean.Still wonder if it's worse than "blackmailing is the solution" in Tales but it's clearly not the best message to send.One Bad Apple.Like when she stole the balloon and almost got her and Bon-Bon killed?What episode tried to do anti-bullying? I can't remember an episode like that from the top of my head
Trying too hard is probably the best way to sum up Friendship is Magic. It tries too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool, too hard to be dramatic, too hard to be topical, too hard to be clever, too hard to be deep, etc. This staff has bought into the hype they're working on the greatest animated series ever, and act accordingly. Only it isn't and they're trying to punch far above their weight. This is a show that can't even get an anti-bullying message right.
Trying too hard is probably the best way to sum up Friendship is Magic. It tries too hard to be funny, too hard to be cool, too hard to be dramatic, too hard to be topical, too hard to be clever, too hard to be deep, etc.This is actually one of the main issues I have with the season four-onwards episodes; it tries too hard, but not only that, it tries to hard on things that it was actually already good at when it didn't try too hard.
This is a show that can't even get an anti-bullying message right."One Bad Apple" gets the short end of the stick in my opinion; I get that it can be interpreted as "I can get away with bullying, if I say that I was bullied", but I can tell that wasn't the intention (and I think by having Applejack reveal it and not Babs Seed, they should have avoided this take away). I personally think it was good to show that sometimes bullying does come from something, rather than just wanting to be jerk, so I was actually positive about the episode, really.