Regarding the Final MLP:FIM Episode · 9:22am Oct 10th, 2019
There's something I wanted say about MLP, so feel free to skip this one if you're just looking for an update on DLE.
I got the chance to watch the french version of the last MLP:FIM episode with English subtitles. I ended up speeding through it at 2x speeds because I was just reading the dialogue. I'll avoid spoilers below.
I was disappointed. At first I thought it was because the series was ending, but then I realized the series had been dead to me since the first few episodes of seasons 3. In fact, I haven't watched a single episode of MLP since season 2, just snippets here and there. That's what, five years?
And I found that the same reason I lost interest in the show is the same reason I found the last episode to be disappointing. The dynamic of the show had changed in more than one negative way, it became painfully obvious that Twilight was regrettably destined to be Celestia's replacement - never destined to forge her own destiny which excelled beyond her predecessor's legacy - but relegated to one limited by it, and worst of all the characters never seem to grow in their wisdom on 'friendship.'
Finally, it was a missed opportunity. Other GOOD cartoons of the past spoke about transcendent truths. Despite my hopes, FIM never did. But I'll elaborate on that at another time.
Anyone else feel the same way?
Honestly? I may have lasted longer than you, but I still got burnt out after season 6. Like you said, the dynamics shifted, and the things that drew me in just weren't there anymore--or at least they were no longer the focus of the story.
The issue is that there really was no over reaching narrative except for maybe the season openers and finales. It felt disjointed (due to having too many different writers for episodes, it's very noticeable), with on top of that feeling too rushed and trying to appease everyone instead of creating a good send off.
To be fair, I never really cared as much about the show personally as I did the great fanfictions that I've been following since 2013 or so. So many unique ideas in a fun setting, g4 could have certainty been so much more, but it had too many cooks, and they couldn't decide on a recipe.
Twilicorn should had been the grand finale. I mean there were good filler episodes after it, but the story line was done there. After that it's just milking a franchise with stories that could had been done better in different universes with different characters.
I personally did the same thing I did with Harry Potter, and Artemis Fowl. Just stopped considering stuff past the end of the story I liked canon in my head (fun fact both stories were ruined by time travel and inconsistent personalities of MC). That way you are not disappointed with the story after they jump the shark. Just enjoy the first ark and ignore the story arks you don't like that come after. Especially if they are made by different author.
I stopped watching after Season 3, but kept up with fanfictions and the like. Main thing holding me back from writing my own(aside from general laziness) is me no longer being as familiar with the source material. I'm sure I could just slap AU on a fic and people would accept it, but... laziness.
Main thing I remember loving was the Slice of Life aspect of the show that was so prevalent in season 1, coupled with the memorable and great characters, which helped me actually care about the more serious/adventure focused episodes like Canterlot Wedding and Discord.
I got a general understanding of the ending, and it seemed fine. Twilight ended up where I expected her to be after getting wings. Never hated the idea, but this was inevitable in my mind once she got them.
However, I know there was growth that happened to the chatacters in the seasons you missed, like RD actually becoming a Wonderbolt, and Rarity running a fashion empire. And I'm not sure what you mean by "transcendent messages" It had quite a few of those to my knowledge. Care to elaborate what you mean?
After Tirek almost everything was kinda awful. Really didn't like twilicorn, the new changeling were abominations. There were good moments here and there (the movie with the broken horned unicorn was somewhat interesting, Luna and Celestia trading duties was interesting, finding out about Celestia's fears of becoming Daybreaker), but nothing worth getting excited about.
Honestly, I cant seem to remember when I lost interest with MLP or how but it was around the same time. I remember enjoying watching MLP with my sister up until season 3 and then I just stopped.
I lasted till season 5, still watched some episodes and constantly watching everything fandom, but the show just feels kinda bland these days.
Saying that, at the moment I'm actually watching a lot of the episodes I've missed on 4chan's 9th anniversary stream that's going 24/7 till the final eps release.
I mean, there was the occasional good episode, but I won't lie, everything after Twilight became an alicorn was kind of dull and lifeless compared to what came before. That isn't to say there were no good qualities in later seasons. For instance, I enjoyed what they did with Discord; I enjoyed how they started to really use and give character to Celestia and Luna. And as for season finales, the one for season 4 was pretty stellar. Specifically on season 9, I did like the 'friendship' they set up between Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. Grogar was also a rather interesting villain, though, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about how he turned out in the finale. I didn't hate it; I just don't know it I like it.
Seems a lot of us had stopped after season 3, and was honestly caught off guard that it was ending due to my recommendations on YT. Kinda went a bit of an existential reminisce on how much time as passed, and already three of the cartoon shows I’ve seen are over this year. I can’t believe it’s been 9 years since the first episode, wth Im a doing with my life?
The last straw for me in following the series proper, was around the time the changelings transformed.
To me that was a horrifying cop-out, in a series for a race that preached and idolized the "magic of friendship", it entailed that an entire species had to be transmogrified into something appealing in appearance to be accepted and reflect cooperation to foreign ideals. The fact that, besides accepting another species of their nature and helping them to seek a new way to feed that would bridge friendly relations, suddenly leading them to transforming into OC generator rejects. Made the feeling that "harmony" carried sinister and invasive tendencies, it was one of the reasons that your story appealed greatly with me, along with other stories that pointed out that, what stands for the light, isn't necessarily good.
So like what people say back in the main page of your story, screw canon, AU tags give so much leeway, any and all paths are open to you. An example of a story that derailed canon, Legionary's Prototype 2 X-over "Emerald Gleaner" series. By Vol.2, season 2 shifted dramatically, and it's 5 volumes strong with nothing even resembling the canon series. That is the kind of power an AU can have, nothing is sacred, canon isn't absolute, go crazy and show us what you envisioned for this story.
I enjoyed the show. Yeah, there were some lackluster episodes, and the show did have a bad tendency to reiterate the same lessons over and over. Like in season nine, Twilight loses faith in friendship, her friends restore that faith, they have a big speech and then they win. It's the same as when Twilight switched everyone's cutie marks or when discord first came on the scene. It would've been better if Twilight remained firm in her belief thanks to the lesson she and her friends learned. But I enjoyed the season finale for what it was: a decent ending to a decent series.
No not really because I didn't expected it the greatest thing in the universe I know it probably wasn't going to be everything I wanted but I still enjoyed it he'll I enjoyed every season even the last one because I didn't get pick up the little things I do like I'm sorry that you can enjoy the show just because it didn't turn out the way you wanted that's a little shallow you don't have to force yourself to watch it or like it you don't like it anymore nothing is ever going to please everybody and if you can't just shut off your brain and enjoy the show that used to bring you happiness then you got more issues you need to work out then just a show being bad for crying out loud the show was never made for adults yes we enjoyed it yes we loved it but we were not the target audience he'll add the time I don't think the show staff knew what to think about us this was made to inspire younger Generations not us not the old older cynical Generations the younger Generations they are going to have the same values wants or expectations add us that's why it's not going to ever have what you want it's not made for you you can enjoy it you can love it but at the end of the day it's not made for you my takeaway from this is as long as the younger generation took something from this loved it and entertained them that's all that really matters in the end as long as it is show made you happy and entertained you that's all it really needed to do it didn't need to speak the truth or push an an agenda or anything like that it just needed to make people happy and it did that
I stopped watching when starlight joined as a regular,
When is the next update
I wasn't introduced to the show until season 5...
So I don't understand a lot of people's complaints about the series.
In fact, I would say my least favorite season, is season 1.
I liked it when the seasons started having an overarching plot, and watching the characters mature and grow, while still occasionally falling to old habits. Because people do that in real life.
There are very few episodes I actively hated. And most of those have grown on me.
More power to all you guys who stuck with the fandom, even after losing interest in where the show was going, but as someone who got into the show AFTER the fan rage, I'm thrilled with what I got