I'm Scared For The Future Of MLP: FIM · 1:21am May 21st, 2017
I am scared for the future of Friendship Is Magic but it isn't for the reason you might think. I do not think the show has declined in quality since season two. In fact, I tend to like seasons 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 a lot better than the first two seasons which looking back are a little too childish and had too low of stakes involved in each episode.
No, the reason I fear for the future of MLP: FIM is simply because the fans have collectively decided that the show now sucks just because Starlight Glimmer is a main character now. Famous Brony animators, musicians, authors, and other creators have left the fandom because they don't like the direction the show is going in.
People are already giving the MLP Movie (2017) bad reviews on movie review sites without even seeing it because they assume that the writers are going to ruin it as well.
This is a classic example how people can collectively tear something down that is beautiful. And as a fan, it is really hard for me too see.
If Brony creators continue to leave the fandom, people continue to complain about the show and give it bad ratings, and fans refuse to give support to the amazing things the MLP staff members create, there will no longer be a show. And we, as a fandom, will only have ourselves to blame.
The sad thing is that when fans look back at the canceled show, they will see high quality episodes that the creators worked hard to produce. It will be like all of the other great canceled shows such as Firefly. A show never really appreciated for the direction it took and only discovered and loved by fans later. This will sadly, most likely, be the fate of MLP: FIM.
I can predict what is going to happen and it makes me sad. But there's nothing I can do about it. I am one lone fan in an ocean of fans who have collectively decided to hate the show. And every day I feel like I am drowning in the hateful comments and reviews I see about what people feel is 'the end for MLP: FIM'.
So I am just going to enjoy what very well may be the final season of the show and the first and final movie. I will continue to enjoy this show before it is taken off the air due to the angry fans who could never move past liking anything after the first two seasons.
I feel that there are only sad days for this fandom ahead.
And the most tragic thing will be the regret many have when they realize the MLP staff DID try its best with everything they did. That the staff really cared about the fandom and gave the fans episodes they wanted to see.
Alas, this is the way of entertainment. If people collectively think something is bad, then people can't get the funding or attention that is necessary to make their creative projects. And they are scattered like dust by the winds of time only remembered by a choice few audience members while everyone else forgets.
I hope this won't be the fate of MLP: FIM. But right now I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it makes me sad.
Sorry for this depressing topic but this is kind of how I feel about this fandom right now. Thank you for taking the time to read this. It means a lot.
I don't think any of this is out of the ordinary. It's a natural progression, and I'd like to think the show is reaching equilibrium rather than dying. We got a bunch of new writers this season, the animation budget is clearly higher than ever, and it's not surprising that we're losing some big creators that were super fans early on. There's still new people coming into the fandom. Every show will have to end at some point, and MLP has had a really good run.
As for the movie, I doubt anyone's taking those "reviews" seriously. Equestria Girls turned out great, and everyone was expecting it to be the worst thing ever. I am a little worried that there's been almost no advertising for the movie and no real trailer, but I think it'll be great. If nothing else we'll have these big-name reviewers seriously considering MLP as a mainstream movie.
Well then good thing MLP depends on toy sales and not fan reactions. Let the whiners whine. As long as the toys are selling, there will still be MLP.
Don't worry about vocal minorities and don't let them ruin your enjoyment. And what you said about musicians and YouTubers? Nonsense. I listen to so many beautiful music from bronies, and wonderful PMV's and fan animations pop up very often nowadays (great example: Pony Girl. Watch it if you haven't already). If someone is leaving the fandom just because of one character, then good riddance.
I agree that there are more people bitching about the show than before, but those people will eventually leave, and only the fans will remain.
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4540838
Thank you for the nice comments. They actually made me feel a lot better. :)
Who left?
4540911 Many of the original famous Bronies (during the peak of the fandom hype) have left. There have been a lot of blogs floating around about the various creators who have left including a pretty popular animator who left the fandom (fairly recently).
I'm trying not to let all of this negativity get to me but sometimes it is hard. Especially what I dealt with in a recent forum post about a guy who is actually making a YouTube series about how Princess Twilight Sparkle ruined the show. <_<
I think the departures are a reaction to what has happened over the course of several centuries leading up to the show getting the longevity that it's getting. In a country such as this - matter of fact, in a PLANET such as this, we are very much spoiled children. We expect more than we get. And when we don't get what we want, sometimes we get scream, howl, scare each other out of our wits and then there's that question I've been wanting to ask for years: When was the last time in recent memory that we EVER acted to changes within our society, let alone our fandoms, in any manner other than that of a spoiled brat?
4540927 That's a good point. People don't respond to change well. Especially when it comes to things like entertainment.
A good example is Blue's Clues. People literally rage quit the show when Steve's brother (I think his name was Joe) took over as the host.
4540938 Yep, Joe was the name! He was played by soap opera star Donovan Patton.
And then we get Law & Order and people similarly rage-quit following the passing of the main program's star Jerry Orbach. (ratings for its spinoffs remained strong, and SVU, which is one of them, is still on the air).
So my point stands.
4540942 I never knew that the guy who played Joe was a soap opera star. That's very interesting!
4540920
I see... Their loss
4540946 I'm not that worried, some have left but new ones are coming around. Look at the Totally Legit series by DWK. He's fairly new and his series has to be if not the but one of the best series that has ever came from this fandom.
I don't think it's as bad as you think. People lose interest in things over time, and keep in mind, it's been nearly a decade since the show premiered. However, we are also getting new people into the fandom just as fast. I'm sure this happens in any other fandom.
As far as people hating MLP now, it'll blow over. The fandom lost their shit when Faust left, then they got over it. The fandom lost their shit when the whole fiasco with The Last Roundup happened, and they got over it. The fandom lost their shit when Twilight became a Princess, and then they got over it. The fandom went apeshit when Equestria Girls was announced, and it turned out to be better than people thought. The fandom lost their shit when Starlight Glimmer was added as a main character, and I'm sure they'll eventually get over it.
And besides, Hasbro confirmed that Season 8 is in production, and the Movie will probably be a success, and there could be more after that. As long as MLP makes money, it will continue. And look on the bright side, when Generation Four eventually does end, there will be a legacy behind it: The show became one of the most critically acclaimed children's shows of the decade, it raised the bar for Flash Animation, and gave rise to one of the most unexpected and active fandoms in recent memory. Plus, there'll be a brand new Generation to look forward to afterwards, right?
P.S. You shouldn't take the people who post negative reviews long before the film's released seriously. They're probably just salty.
That's sad, but as the others said, it won't be like that. Season 7 is going smoothly so far.
Why is it a bad thing to dislike the direction a show is going? The second you dislike some new thing the show does, the rest of the fandom crucifies you for it. One of the things I hate about it.
4540970 This is very true.
4540994 You are right. There are still new people coming to this fandom. I've seen a lot new musicians and animators lately.
4541002 Those are all excellent points. I am personally very much looking forward to season 8 and the new MLP movie. And I've loved season seven so far. :)
4541063 Good point. I am really enjoying season seven as well. :)
4541091 I tend to see more of an overall support for people who dislike the show than those who like it.
When you think about it, being a Brony is a niche thing to begin with. There is a lot of unnecessary hate towards Bronies and the show in general.
Then you have the fans who have grown tired of the show and become anti-Bronies as well.
You just have to read comments about MLP anywhere online too see how universally hated it is just for being good entertainment that is aimed towards a young female audience.
People who like the show are more targeted, bullied, and made to feel bad than those who don't. In fact, there have even been people who attempted suicide because they were bullied or had to change schools just because they happen to like a show about magical horses.
So to answer your question, people in the fandom usually aren't too keen about anti-Bronies in any form because of their own experiences being teased, bullied, harassed, and generally misunderstood for simply liking a cartoon that they find to be interesting.
I don't think they are mad at individuals per se. They have more of a general dislike for the anti-Brony movement for the reasons I stated before.
So many hatefull fans on this blig, cursing mlp and.... oh wait no they are all still defending it. Haters just happen to be easier to spot because human brain reacts more to someone hating. Easy to ignore the wast number of good. Many of those haters wanted to leave since season 5 and they are still here complaining.
Also like it was pointed out season 8 is confirmed, season 7 is awesome and bronies are minor part of the main demographic.
And you should really stop hanging out where the dark bronies are and apreciate us the lighthearted fans a bit more. For every masochist that watched the show that brings him rage there is.a brony that is happy.
4541146 Those are all excellent points. And I do appreciate the light-hearted fans. You guys are awesome. XD
We just have to be nosier than the cynical fans and keep creating great stuff. ;)
4541150 Exactly. There are still songs to be played, stories to be written, pictures to be drawn and opinions to be voiced. Don't dismiss so easily those that still love the show.
Anyway hope now you see that when ever haters make you feel down you can just pop to your watcher list and see how many people are wiling to listen to you and cheer you up.
4540867 Anytime
4540920 Are you talking about Due Cartoonist? Those guys didn't leave because they hated the show, they left for real life reasons and because they wanted to chase their career as animators.
4541164 I am happy to see all of the positive responses I got to this. It made me feel a lot better for sure. :)
4541167 No it was another one. I forgot the name and unfortunately I think it is lost in a sea of notifications. I wish there was a way of saving journal entries on the site, similar to how you can add stories to bookshelves.
4541002
I agree with everything you said except for that one. EQG was pretty bad, the others were much better
4541198 Why did they leave exactly?
4541262 I like the first EQG movie.
4541295 They don't like the direction of the show after season four. A lot of fans don't like Starlight Glimmer. Making Starlight Glimmer a main character has created a huge rift in the fandom. Probably the biggest one the fandom has ever seen.
4541307 So they left because of Starlight? Such petty.
4541316 Some also left after Twilight Sparkle became a princess. :I And others left after season two because Lauren Faust stopped working on the show.
4541305 That's it I'm out of the fandom.
4541329 Nuuuu.
Even there are People leaveing the fandom there are new People who are joining the fandom
just have hope okay
4541360 That's a very good point and an excellent way of looking at things. It is good to know that there will always be new fans. :)
4541321 They're all stupid reasons. I can't believe these issues actually exist in the fandom.
4541433 I don't really understand it either. But I encounter people like this online all of the time. :/
Stick to the old and fear the new, that's how you destroy what you love, this is the self-destructive people that almost everything has.
I have seen it in the MLP fandom and the Total War fandom (fans that despite the saga because of the new things it offers)
this is sad to watch because it divides the fandom and because the self-proclaimed fans are fighting against what they love, don't make a mistake their words have some truth behind them but it's not an absolute truth.
but as i said before you can see this kind of behavior everywhere in the fandoms and in real life, people just like to make the worst of a positive thing even at the risk of destroying that thing in the first place.
Whe can't actualy stop them, they will always exist, but the best thing we can do as fans, followers or supporters of something is to defend it from those that wish to destroy it.
4542205 Those are all excellent points. We just have to be louder than the people who are saying negative things about the direction of the show. If we all come together and just keep creating new fan content and supporting the show, soon we will be louder than the voices of the people who have negative things to say.
4542568
Being louder is just not enougth, we can be as loud as we want but that alone does not work, we have to be convincing show them how awesome the show is right now if they beliebe that the show ended after season two show them how wonderfull the rest of seasons are, if they continue to beliebe that ask them why they do beliebe that and use your best arguments against them.
There are endless reasons as to why someone leaves the fandom or hates it, for example i know of a famous writher that left the fandom because the characters where more "human-like" (AK: the characters are not perfect beings and that's why i am leving)
4543172 I've known people who have left for the most random reasons as well.
One person left because there weren't enough Spike or dragon episodes. :/
I mean, I like the dragons, griffons, and other creatures too. But I'm not going to leave the fandom just because they don't get episodes all of the time. :I
4543244
Well that sounds like a good idea the other species have a mostly untouched potential, and i can understand why someone would feel that way about that since i also felt disapointed by that, but leave because of THAT!? really?
What a crazy fandom.... and world
4543351 i know right? It is hard to understand why people do the things they do at times. :I
I'm not too worried about the fandom. What I am worried about is what people inside the fandom are doing to it.
4553305 That's my concern as well.
4553309 It's hard to stay hopeful. Esspecally with all the stuff I've seen from smaller writers.
4553326 What kind of things have you seen?
4553330 Too sum it up since most of the people behind the problems have left. There was a whole lot of group drama over people who were butt hurt over stories. It gets worse because the trouble makers were immune because of their connections. Their targets were always small people who had no one to turn to. If they did the people couldn't do much of anything about it.
Eventually people were forced to delete stories of their own or keep unwanted content in their groups. Thankfully this has all blown over. But it shows how far a few connections can get you.
"The brony fandom is all about connections. With the right friends you can get away with anything."
4553367 That really sucks. I am sorry that your friends had to go through that. :(