My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

[Giest118]

She kinda did go through hell for it by saving all of Equestria, like, four times. Her promotion wasn't JUST because of what happened in that single episode; we kind of, sorta, a little bit, had 65 episodes worth of stuff happen that contributed to it.

I will concede that you may have a point about what it means for the future character dynamics in the show though. I hope it gets handled in a way that's not stupid and dumb.

[Stormwatch]

Seeing this reaction, I'm wondering what people would do if Pokemon decided to evolve Ash's Pikachu.

Two differences: it is established early that pokémon can evolve, and a raichu isn't a friggin' legendary!

[The Coop]

Despite that I don't agree at the moment with the "THE END IS NEIGH!" outcry regarding Twilight's change, I do understand why some are throwing up their hands and walking away. The dynamics of the show stand the chance of being drastically altered. The "mane six" might not exist as they have been since the beginning of the show. All the fans came to enjoy the show because of the quirky characters that fill it, and the idea that they'll be given different roles is something that they can't stomach. However, here are a few things to consider before anyone walks away and swears off the show...

- Faust has flat out admitted, that she envisioned Twilight as being Celestia's successor. That Rarity would get her shop in Canterlot. That Rainbow Dash would become a Wonderbolt. We saw Rarity get a taste of that destiny in "Sweet and Elite," and RD get a glimpse of hers in "Wonderbolts Academy." As abrupt as the finale was in ways, this could be the next step in bringing another of those things Faust had in mind a bit closer. Perhaps not as Faust had planned exactly, but going in that same general direction.

- Just because Twilight is a Princess (again, for the moment), there's nothing that says she won't still be the same geeky bookworm everyone came to love. Her awkwardness, her insecurity, her OCD, her mental instabilities... they could all still be there in full force. Becoming a Princess doesn't change your personality quirks after all. In fact, I'd wager that all those quirks of hers are going to be firmly in place as she tries to come to grips with her new station. Twilight is basically a nerd who has odd and beloved friends, and things she enjoys doing. I really doubt all of that is going to go away or be drastically altered.

- Twilight has accomplished quite a bit. New spells being steadily learned, helping her friends overcome obstacles, and helping Equestria be safe from the likes of Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrystalis, and even the dull King Sombra. Her friends helped her grow, and she helped them grow as well. Not only that, she's the link that joins the other five Elements of Harmony. All of this being thrown out, or not added to, isn't likely to happen IMHO, as these kinds of things have been a part of the show from the beginning.


So yeah, a few thoughts on what's gone on, and what might happen. I know some of the folks here won't agree with me at all, and are likely rolling their eyes at my wall of text. And, as I've said before, I could very well be wrong in the assumptions I'm putting forth. Season 4 could kick off with something that makes even the target audience cringe. Writers could quit, the show's sense of humor and wit could vanish, and the show could fall into a tailspin of mindnumbingly insipid nonsense that goes against everything Faust tried to accomplish with it. Or, Season 4 could bring the change in via a creative fashion, and make it work; keeping the dynamics of the show intact, while adding some interesting new ones. We don't know, and it's a fair bet that no one working on the show's going to drop even one hint until the season premier is about to air.

I understand the resentment, the worry and so forth. I honestly do, as I too have watched shows I enjoyed get shoved down the shitter in startling fashion, so I'm familiar with that feeling. But for me, I'm not ready to walk away from MLP:FiM yet. I don't think Season 3 offered as much as the two seasons before it, but it still gave me at some enjoyment and laughs. As such, I'm willing to wait and see what the writers come up with in terms of stories, and how the people behind the show continue things. I'm also a bit surprised that others are so quick to just give up on it. The show's has its bad moments with the likes of "Over a Barrel," "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well," and "Spike At Your Service." There have been rushed endings, or overused plot points, and even some questionable voice acting at times. But the show's usually come back from those moments, and gave us episodes like "Applebuck Season," "Sisterhooves Social" and "Sleepless in Ponyville," as well as stories that played out smoothly from start to finish, and great lines we still remember. Which way the show goes is up in the air, but I'll wait and see what the staff does with a cautious bit of hope for the future.

[Lord Satori]

I'd like to say the whole "trying to eliminate bronies" thing is a myth. FiM was eliminated because of trademark infringement, which works differently from copyright infringement. In trademark infringement, the company MUST act, or they lose their trademark. Maybe they could've worked something out, of course, but I think they were just trying to be on the safe side.

[Stormwatch]

It's not hard. When Linden Lab heard of a Second Life spoof, they simply gave the author a license to use the logo.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Hasbro giving away licenses for free. To fans! Good one.

[Specineff]

She kinda did go through hell for it by saving all of Equestria, like, four times. Her promotion wasn't JUST because of what happened in that single episode; we kind of, sorta, a little bit, had 65 episodes worth of stuff happen that contributed to it.

I will concede that you may have a point about what it means for the future character dynamics in the show though. I hope it gets handled in a way that's not stupid and dumb.

At the risk of adding fuel to the fire, what did Twilight go through that the other five didn't, or wouldn't be willing to suffer through for the sake of doing the right thing?

[The Coop]

At the risk of adding fuel to the fire, what did Twilight go through that the other five didn't, or wouldn't be willing to suffer through for the sake of doing the right thing?

It's not a matter of every character being given a chance to be a princess or what have you. It's about Twilight's actions reaching the point where Celestia feels the young unicorn is ready to take another step of growth.

As for some of those actions, Twilight had to bring her friends back to their normal selves due to Discord's trickery, she had to escape with the real Cadance from the caves to stop Queen Crystalis, and she was willing to sacrifice her potential well being to ensure the Crystal Heart got returned to stop King Sombra (sending Spike away while she was trapped). The other five may have been willing/able to do these things as well (though they couldn't have done what was done against Discord), but again, it's Twilight that seems to have the greater destiny that Celestia keep dropping knowing hints about. And those things Twilight did against the big villains, plus some of what went on against smaller villains (like distracting the Hydra, battling the Ursa Minor, fixing the magical fuck up in the Season 3 finale, etc.), made Celestia believe Twilight was ready for the next step toward that mysterious, big destiny.

Again, that's my take on it.

[Specineff]

I will not dispute that. It's just that if she is *destined* to be a princess, what she does is then irrelevant. And if what she does is what made her worthy of being elevated, AJ and Rarity would be just as worthy of the honor. My two credits.

EDIT: But hey. Fsck logic.

[The Coop]

I will not dispute that. It's just that if she is *destined* to be a princess, what she does is then irrelevant. And if what she does is what made her worthy of being elevated, AJ and Rarity would be just as worthy of the honor. My two credits.

EDIT: But hey. Fsck logic.

Oh, the other characters have done quite a bit too. They've earned props, but I think Twilight's always had that "really big future" vibe going for her.

Regarding the idea of Twilight's actions being irrelevant, if Twilight started being a real prick to her friends, I don't think she'd have been given any "upgrades." From what the show's shown regarding Celestia's personality, she wouldn't have seen Twilight as being ready, and would have held off on making Twilight 2.0. It's because of Twilight's actions being what they were, that made Celestia think Twilight was good to go for the next step and get her pilot's wings. It showed that Twilight earned them, and wasn't just given them willy-nilly like they were a birthday present.

Oh, and for those who wondered why Twilight would become a princess; since the other three princesses in Equestria all have important jobs (raising the sun, raising the moon/guarding dreams, and guarding the Crystal Empire's magic), it seems fitting that before Twilight could get to that big unknown destiny, she too would become a princess. I mean, Cadance was one before she took over ruling the Crystal Empire, right?

[Edmond Dantes]

Just a random thing I thought of. If her name is Twilight Sparkle and her special ability is magic... does that make her Magical Twilight? (Gah, I can't believe I'm drawing a connection like that)

And yes, I've read that Tara Strong says Twilight hasn't changed... that's what worries me. It makes me think that the wings are gonna become an Elephant in the Room proposition. They'll still treat her like she's the local librarian, pretend they're not giving her special favors, and Twilight pretending she's not better when she clearly is... just, you can't ignore the wings, but I suspect they're gonna try.

[drunkninja24]

Wow.....so apparently the Las Pegasus Unicon this weekend totally imploded on it's last day. Con didn't meet the amount of attendees they anticipated, and apparently (stupidly) budgeted counting on more people attending than pre-registered. The con was essentially booted out of the hotel, the hotel withdrew most (if not all) of the comped rooms, leaving guests staying in them with the bill. It seems several community members have stepped up to help remedy the situation for those affected, but holy shit was this a badly managed con.

[Specineff]

Damn. I hope the con we'll have here in Phoenix will learn from those mistakes. Damn.

[njiska]

I can't say I'm surprised. Frankly with the amount of cons launched after Bronycon, it doesn't surprise me that the market is over saturated. I'd be very surprised to see any become mainstays in NA aside from Bronycon and Everfree NW. Buck and Galacon are all Europe really needs.

[Edmond Dantes]

So how much longer do you guys think the whole "Brony" thing is gonna last? It almost feels to me like the fad has ended and now its winding down.

[The Coop]

I think it's just a matter of there being no new episodes coming for a good while, so the fans don't have as much to talk about. That, and the butthurt over Twilight 2.0 making some storm off. It'll recover in time and get more active, like it did after Derpygate, and the break between Seasons 2 and 3.

[drunkninja24]

I think it's just a matter of there being no new episodes coming for a good while, so the fans don't have as much to talk about. That, and the butthurt over Twilight 2.0 making some storm off. It'll recover in time and get more active, like it did after Derpygate, and the break between Seasons 2 and 3.

Pretty much this.

I mean, it'll die off for sure eventually, but I still don't see it happening anytime soon.

[Edmond Dantes]

I may just be speaking for myself here, but it feels like there was a time when Ponies were THE THANG. Like a secret society where people were glad to make others into converts or discover the guy next to them was a fellow brony.

Now it kinda feels like its just another cartoon. I'm not sure if its just me or if its some larger thing. Also I do feel like Princess Twilight split the fandom irrevocably, even if I myself am more wait-and-see about it.

[Lord Satori]

I kinda see what you mean.

The whole Alicorn thing would've gone better if they hadn't randomly made her a princess as well.

[Specineff]

"Irrevocably" is not the word that I would use, but I can see and feel how and where the damage has been done. The show jumped the shark, plain and simple. This is where the fans should be "attacking" IMHO: by making better content than the original creators'.

On a happier note, Happy Derpy Day. Enjoy some muffins, if you can.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

Looks like this Equestria girls really is a thing. Will they be in scale with TFs?

[Edmond Dantes]

Looks like this Equestria girls really is a thing. Will they be in scale with TFs?

Hey, they could probably do some cross-promotion with Transformers.

Maybe they could call it "Kiss Players."

[KennyMan666]

So, remember this picture of the rumored Equestria Girls character design that you weren't sure what to think of?

Come back, old character design, all is forgiven

[Stormwatch]

This image is a good visual metaphor for my opinion about this character design and the direction the whole franchise is headed.

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

So is this like Bratz or Monster High or something? Makes sense - as the 8 year olds who started out with FIM should just be growing into their "whore" phase now. Personally, I'm extremely angry that this franchise no longer caters specifically to my tastes.

[undamned]

For those who were interested in the Fighting is Magic game that just got a C&D, the team is continuing the project with different characters and [drum roll] the help of Lauren Faust, one of the actual FIM animators. Sounds cool to me, though some bronies will cry that these aren't the same characters as in the show.
-ud

[Sly Cherry Chunks]

In b4 Galaxy Girls fighting game. Actually that would be interesting to see.

[Stormwatch]

the help of Lauren Faust, one of the actual FIM animators.

Nnnope. She is an animator, but she was this show's creator/developer/writer/executive producer.

(No, not the creator of the original MLP, that's Bonnie Zacherle.)

[KennyMan666]

Personally, I'm extremely angry that this franchise no longer caters specifically to my tastes.

The part that scares me is that there's probably a bunch of people who say this without being sarcastic.

[Stormwatch]

Did the previous seasons "cater specifically to our tastes"?