Should This Be The End?

[Wardah]

I would have been fine if there had never been any other generations after gen 1.

And I say this while being fond of some aspects of G2, G3 and even G4. But at the end of the day, as others have said, it's not about me.

But if you were asking me personally, I'd say it should end with G4. But I couldn't vote in the poll because I didn't agree with the subjective postscript that that opinion must be because I think G4 is the best generation. G1 was the best generation for me personally, probably because I grew up with it. Best generation is entirely subjective.

I think it should end because for me G4 has destroyed the core of what MLP was in previous generations. It has pandered to the fanbase, it has encouraged subversive behaviour on and offline, and it has ruined a toyline for children with unnecessary adult interference. Plus, the impact of FIM means that there's very little likelihood of anything new with MLP ever again after this. Rehashing aspects of G4 to cling onto the success of FIM is highly likely at least for G5.

It's not that I think the concept of G4 was bad, or the toys were all bad until they stopped the diversity of character, or that the series should not have happened. But the impact it left is hard to follow without trying to connect to what went before. And for me a new generation shouldn't be about hanging on the coat tails of an old gen. It should be about looking at the demographic it's aimed at and creating something for the kids at that time.

If MLP is not aimed at the kids, then it should stop forever. If it is only going to pander to adult fans who use it to behave stupidly online, then I'm happy for it to be done. For all its success, only one generation did that to MLP. And so because of G4, I would say MLP should end - at least for a while, until all the impurities of the G4 fad phase have ended and the product can be focused entirely on the kids again.

In summary - I don't need ponies in stores or to be currently fashionable to care about MLP. I was here before G2, I'll be here after G4. I just don't like seeing something I loved as a kid turned into a monster because of online stupid, so if it were really up to me, I'd hit the pause button until all of that could be eradicated and it could start completely from scratch.

The good news is that G5 seems like it will be everything the bad bronies were against. I can't wait for them to get bent out of shape when the show starts portraying SJWs in a positive light.

[dragglereeka]

I think My Little Pony is so iconic I think there will be a need for colourful, magical fantasy creatures for a long, long time. Either the MLP brand by Hasbro, or a similar, new franchise may appear in the future.

Unicorns, Pegasi, magical mythical horses as a concept- there's just something about them!!!

I voted for "More gens but not too many" I'm excited to see MLP change as a franchise and I hope Hasbro make an incredible toyline with G5 that stands the test of time, and remains relevant in this ever changing world 

 

 

[brightberry]

I would love it if My Little Pony celebrated 500 years of pony... or more.  Imagine archeologists writing about My Little Pony thousands of years from now and companies putting out their own versions. 

[Leave a Whisper]

I would have been fine if there had never been any other generations after gen 1.

And I say this while being fond of some aspects of G2, G3 and even G4. But at the end of the day, as others have said, it's not about me.

But if you were asking me personally, I'd say it should end with G4. But I couldn't vote in the poll because I didn't agree with the subjective postscript that that opinion must be because I think G4 is the best generation. G1 was the best generation for me personally, probably because I grew up with it. Best generation is entirely subjective.

I think it should end because for me G4 has destroyed the core of what MLP was in previous generations. It has pandered to the fanbase, it has encouraged subversive behaviour on and offline, and it has ruined a toyline for children with unnecessary adult interference. Plus, the impact of FIM means that there's very little likelihood of anything new with MLP ever again after this. Rehashing aspects of G4 to cling onto the success of FIM is highly likely at least for G5.

It's not that I think the concept of G4 was bad, or the toys were all bad until they stopped the diversity of character, or that the series should not have happened. But the impact it left is hard to follow without trying to connect to what went before. And for me a new generation shouldn't be about hanging on the coat tails of an old gen. It should be about looking at the demographic it's aimed at and creating something for the kids at that time.

If MLP is not aimed at the kids, then it should stop forever. If it is only going to pander to adult fans who use it to behave stupidly online, then I'm happy for it to be done. For all its success, only one generation did that to MLP. And so because of G4, I would say MLP should end - at least for a while, until all the impurities of the G4 fad phase have ended and the product can be focused entirely on the kids again.

In summary - I don't need ponies in stores or to be currently fashionable to care about MLP. I was here before G2, I'll be here after G4. I just don't like seeing something I loved as a kid turned into a monster because of online stupid, so if it were really up to me, I'd hit the pause button until all of that could be eradicated and it could start completely from scratch.

The good news is that G5 seems like it will be everything the bad bronies were against. I can't wait for them to get bent out of shape when the show starts portraying SJWs in a positive light.

 Without going deep into it, SJWs can't even portray themselves in a positive light. Simply put, they're the PETA of equal rights and massive hypocrites.

[Ponybookworm]

As others have said. if it continues, IF it continues, I also want it to be something new. G1 had never been done before. G2 was new, with minimal pandering. G3 was new, with minimal pandering. G3.5 wasn't, & many dislike it because of that, plus it began the "make the same few characters ad nauseum" trope continued by G4, with their Core 7 & G4's Mane Six (both of which I've seen nicknamed in a derogatory fashion on many Pony places, & not without reason).
As Taff said, G4 pandered too much, & not just in the direction she indicates. How many of the G4 Ponies have repeated names or names slightly twisted from previous Ponies??? Tons. Windy Whistles??? Wind Whistler, & people call TS Twilight so often it's pretty much assumed she shares her name with the G1 unicorn. We did change some names over here, like G4 Cupcakie was Sugarcup, G4 Bon-Bon was Sweetie Drops, etc. And don't get me started on the G4 Blind Bags with G3 names...

Not only that, but the quality (not to mention size) of G4 decreased even compared to G3.5, & then grew worse still.

So if we do have new Ponies, I WANT them to be new, in a new world, with new & varied characters, & made to a decent quality.

[Leave a Whisper]

As others have said. if it continues, IF it continues, I also want it to be something new. G1 had never been done before. G2 was new, with minimal pandering. G3 was new, with minimal pandering. G3.5 wasn't, & many dislike it because of that, plus it began the "make the same few characters ad nauseum" trope continued by G4, with their Core 7 & G4's Mane Six (both of which I've seen nicknamed in a derogatory fashion on many Pony places, & not without reason).
As Taff said, G4 pandered too much, & not just in the direction she indicates. How many of the G4 Ponies have repeated names or names slightly twisted from previous Ponies??? Tons. Windy Whistles??? Wind Whistler, & people call TS Twilight so often it's pretty much assumed she shares her name with the G1 unicorn. We did change some names over here, like G4 Cupcakie was Sugarcup, G4 Bon-Bon was Sweetie Drops, etc. And don't get me started on the G4 Blind Bags with G3 names...

Not only that, but the quality (not to mention size) of G4 decreased even compared to G3.5, & then grew worse still.

So if we do have new Ponies, I WANT them to be new, in a new world, with new & varied characters, & made to a decent quality.

Yes, yes aaaaand YUS!

[starrynights]

No , MLP should be like things like Barbie, Mario, and Pokemon and go on forever in my opinion...someone will always like the new ones and you can still collect the old ones - and maybe one day a new one will come out you like too!

[Wardah]

Without going deep into it, SJWs can't even portray themselves in a positive light. Simply put, they're the PETA of equal rights and massive hypocrites.

I didn't mean like the actual kind of SJWs that take things too far. I meant more along the lines of what bronies would consider a "SJW" which is anyone who doesn't want to maintain the status quo.

No , MLP should be like things like Barbie, Mario, and Pokemon and go on forever in my opinion...someone will always like the new ones and you can still collect the old ones - and maybe one day a new one will come out you like too!

I honestly agree. Tbh Hasbro should have never put MLP to pasture in the first place. I mean Mattel never had a hiatus with Barbie.

[Taffeta]

As others have said. if it continues, IF it continues, I also want it to be something new. G1 had never been done before. G2 was new, with minimal pandering. G3 was new, with minimal pandering. G3.5 wasn't, & many dislike it because of that, plus it began the "make the same few characters ad nauseum" trope continued by G4, with their Core 7 & G4's Mane Six (both of which I've seen nicknamed in a derogatory fashion on many Pony places, & not without reason).
As Taff said, G4 pandered too much, & not just in the direction she indicates. How many of the G4 Ponies have repeated names or names slightly twisted from previous Ponies??? Tons. Windy Whistles??? Wind Whistler, & people call TS Twilight so often it's pretty much assumed she shares her name with the G1 unicorn. We did change some names over here, like G4 Cupcakie was Sugarcup, G4 Bon-Bon was Sweetie Drops, etc. And don't get me started on the G4 Blind Bags with G3 names...

Not only that, but the quality (not to mention size) of G4 decreased even compared to G3.5, & then grew worse still.

So if we do have new Ponies, I WANT them to be new, in a new world, with new & varied characters, & made to a decent quality.

Yes, yes aaaaand YUS!

I'm with this, too.

I also really want G4 to can its ludicrous nonsense about friendship. Not that I think there's anything wrong with promoting friendship, but having it thrust down people's throats as the core moral of a story is a problem. It's especially a problem when it means a narrative gets twisted and presents other, more disturbing ideas in order to reinforce the overall 'friendship is magic' theme. Like 'if you keep being nice to someone they will eventually be your friend'...could be seen as encouraging someone to stay in an abusive relationship. And the infamous "we've given you a better treasure than your heirloom, friendship' is colonialism 101.

...Not that I think those things were intended, but they are there and they weren't ironed out because the writing team were so stuck on this 'friendship at all costs' aspect. Rather than accepting there are people you can respect but not like, people you will never be friends with but who may not be bad people...etc...they just went gungho on reforming bad guys and making them 'friends'.

Even in the movie, you have Twilight basically wrecking the pirates' ship and lives for her own personal gain under the banner of 'friendship'. That's not what I think friendship is, and them being so happy about it irked me for ages after I saw that film.

The fact that the concept was toxic is kind of demonstrated by the unpleasant ways in which some of the fanbase treated not only people who liked other gens but also people within their own community that didn't agree with them. Whenever I go into a brony space I am always shocked at the level of psychological bullying that goes on against more vulnerable community members, who often end up apologising for who they are as though that will somehow make them 'friends' with the bullies.

...It just bothers me that that's the legacy of MLP, and if that isn't going to end, MLP should.

On the subject of borrowing from older gens - that's not so much an issue for me if the fans of that generation respect that connection. And if it's only a faint nod to that earlier generation, rather than a rewrite. It's irksome to see people talk about Posey as the G1 version of Fluttershy, when it's the other way around. A lot of bronies don't seem to know Fluttershy herself is a G4 pony first, and so was Rarity, not just Dash and Pinkie.

I never liked Pinkie Pie in G3, but I did like Dash. I despise both of them in G4. But Hasbro really loves them :/ So there we are.

Hasbro also blotted its copybook with me when it tried to jump in on the success of the retros (having already disdained the BF line as not theirs) by calling the collector ponies the original M6.

No they weren't.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I want it to take a short break so that we can get refreshed designs.  G1 looks nothing like G2, looks nothing like G3. 

normally a toyline has 1-10 seasons of the media, there may be some games, perhaps a movie, and then... it fades out or disappears.

The brony movement was an by-product of the internet and its many social platforms becoming more and more mainstream. 
One thing is for sure, since G4 was such a powerful mainstream force, whatever G5 looks like and plays out on screen like, there will be WAY MORE people who are open to just casually watching this animated series. It has more appeal with celebrity cameos and animation industry now than it ever did back in the '80's. 

 MLP and all its fantasy world worldbuilding is a classic, it comes and goes, but it's time to tell another set of stories! I will happily buy new ponies if I like the way they look. 
 Like many have echoed, I do not want to hear about Equestria, or Friendship anymore, thanks. 

[Mrs. Prospector]

My Little Pony is too iconic of a franchise to disappear forever. That being said, I personally wouldn't mind if they had a year or two as a gap before bringing the ponies back for a new generation. Since Hasbro has been pushing G4 and their associated universe for over a decade, I think they feel like they need to continue with the concepts introduced in that gen to avoid a sudden whiplash of switching over to a completely new world, characters, and branding, hence why G5 is a continuation of FIM despite the other generations having nothing to do with each other aside from a few character and place names. I think they should wait a year or two after a generation ends, maybe filling the gap with retro merchandise, and then make a big deal of promoting "MLP is back and better than ever!", when the brand new generation finally arrives, and allow for time to refresh the world of MLP in a brand new way.

[Taffeta]

Nobody ever had "whiplash" between G2 and G3 or G3 and G4. It's true G4 has a bigger hoofprint, for want of a better word, but that still doesn't mean kids can't move on. It's the adults who have trouble, and it's not about them.

I am not going to talk about what happened between G1 and G2. It's a bit of an exception as there was an actual gap and MLP's return was entirely unexpected.

[banditpony]

I want it to take a short break so that we can get refreshed designs.  G1 looks nothing like G2, looks nothing like G3. 

Then I hold my point of that's why the inbetweener gen exists currently. It's the "break" and the "shelfwarmer" so they don't lose their spot. MLP doesn't need to go away to have a drastic update.

I'd also like to point out, that G4 dragged on so long that they had to change their designs during it's run. It became that stale. Toy designs/trends change at a faster pace now... just like everything else.

Besides. As of now, we don't know what G5 looks like. And G4 is drastically different then G3-- and there was no break besides the inbetweener gen. 

And IIRC, internationally there wasn't much of a "break" between G2 and G3, right?



ETA:
I assume that keeping shelf space is pretty important to Hasbro. If they give that space up, and another company grabs it and gets a hit -- it's going to be hard for Hasbro to get that back. Even if they sell something at a loss, having that shelf space is important.

[Taffeta]

@Banditpony - yeah, that was what I was getting at. G2 flowed into G3, and G3 flowed into G4. And honestly, I could still buy end of line G1 ponies when G2 first came out, but that was a bit exceptional. I have a pricelist from a clearance store still from 1997 which lists G1 Sparkle Ponies and Secret Surprise Friends on the same document. I also found the Bed & Crib Set in TRU in 2000.

The biggest time MLP has been absent is probably between G1 and G2, but if you look at it from a global perspective, MLP was only not officially on shelves somewhere in the world in 1996. Every other year since 1982/3 there have been ponies of some kind.

There's never been 'whiplash' in the past. Albeit the reaction to G2 was hostile in some quarters, the situation was different because nobody expected there to be any ponies ever again, and then there were those. Now there's a weird expectation that MLP must continue - but it's never a for sure thing that it will.

[Carrehz]

Forgot to say before, but yeah, I prefer having a breather between gens, too. The .5 gens do seem to be good for that. After the powerhouses that were G3 and G4 it's nice to have a break with a "filler" gen that maybe isn't as nicely designed as its predecessor and less releases. I think the stopgap gens were a pretty good decision on Hasbro's part, they keep the line on the shelves while also letting us cool off and prepare our wallets for the next gen (or not ). Okay, Hasbro probably only care about the "keep the line on the shelves" part, but...