May the muffins be forever in your favour.[Analysis] Equestria is Magic: The First, Concrete Generation 5 News and Equestria's Dystopian Future · 4:43am Feb 22nd, 2021
For almost a month now, we have the first, concrete news about Generation 5 from the Kidscreen article and now it's time for me to look at all the information in detail.
This blog entry is a follow-up to my analysis of the leaked Generation 5 Storyboard Animatic and partially builds on it, so reading the previous analysis first will give you an advantage.
What the news article makes undoubtedly clear and what also the leaked animatic already implied, is that Generation 5 will be a sequel to Friendship is Magic, which I quote below as a starting point of and foundation for this analysis:
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“With the movie, we started development and made the decision to expand the world of My Little Pony, rather than starting from scratch with a total brand reinvention,” Thompson says. “We found ourselves with this whole decade of storytelling and really rich lore, and it felt wrong to walk away from all of that.”
From here, I will go through the interesting statements from the news in chronological order.
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The introduction of new characters and a departure from designs featured in Friendship is Magic and Pony Life is intended to shift the brand’s focus to more modern themes like diversity and inclusion.
The first interesting thing we learn about is that Generation 5 will be about diversity and inclusion. The article cites two aspects that shift the focus to these themes: The introduction of new characters and a new design for the Generation 5 sequel show. How the new characters shift the focus is obvious and also outright said later in the article, that they are mentioned in connection to diversity and inclusion means that they care about these values which in turns means that at least one of them is an activist who fights for diversity and inclusion. How the design of the new Generation 5 show is supposed to do that shift is complex and more interesting to think about.
How can the theme of a show be represented by its art or animation style? There are examples to explain that, like when a show that is about a main character with heavy depression features a dreary, stale art style to make the audience feel their depression. Or when dark and gloomy colors are used to set the mood in a horror or mystery show. It even happens in live-action, such as in the Film Noir genre, entire movies that are shot in black and white to symbolize their dark settings and the crimes they are about.
So, how can diversity and inclusion be represented by Generation 5's animation style? "Diversity" means "the condition of having many different elements" or "variety". One should be careful to associate "diversity" with only race or gender diversity, because it also means diversity of religious beliefs, diversity of political views, diversity of art styles, of story genres, of art in general, of nature, of plants, of animals, of architectural styles, of world views, of lifestyles, of fashion, of food recipes..... "Diversity" is the term for everything that comes in a wide range of different manifestations. So, how would a diverse animation style look like?
As the definition of "diversity" goes, an animation style with many different elements. That can mean many different colors. We already have that in Generation 4, ponies are very colorful, so that will not be anything new. It can mean ponies being animated with different mane and tail styles and with varying body sizes, instead of mostly the same ones like it's done in Generation 4. It can mean the same kind of trees in the same forest being animated in different shapes and sizes instead of copy/pasting them and have them be animated with the exact same look as it is also common in Generation 4. It can mean many different flowers animated on a grassy field that we will see in Generation 5, instead of the same flower over and over again. And a ton of things more.
Some things seen in the leaked Generation 5 Storyboard Animatic also seem to confirm that. A lot can change from a storyboard to a finished animation, but the two flowers and the two trees here don't have the same shape:
The representation of "inclusion" in the animation style is simple then, like the meaning of inclusion is that people of different backgrounds are equally accepted, respected and welcomed, or included, it means that all the different elements I just mentioned will be included in Generation 5's animation style and that they will be consistently present throughout all of Generation 5.
What the shift towards diversity and inclusion by a new design means, is that we will see a lot more animation variety in Generation 5:
Ponies with varying mane and tail styles and animated with a more detailed coat that shows individual hairs. Pegasi, griffons and hippogriffs animated with detailed feathers. Ponies and creatures of varying sizes and shapes. Differently-shaped trees in forests. Different cloud formations in the sky. Different looks of the same objects, like cupcakes or muffins that didn't all come out in the same shape. Many different flowers animated on patches of grass.
Or in short, Generation 5 will have a more detailed and more realistic animation style to show how everything is diverse and to reflect its theme of diversity and inclusion that way.
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“The final season [of Friendship is Magic] brought that storytelling to a satisfying conclusion, and it felt like the right time to close that chapter of Pony history,” says Emily Thompson, VP of global brand management for eOne (previously VP of entertainment production and development for Hasbro).
Here we have a simple sentence in marketing jargon that symbolically refers to the end of Generation 4..... but what if it's meant literally?
She says that the storytelling of Generation 4 has been brought to a satisfying conclusion, referring to the peace between ponies and other species that Twilight's friendship school has brought, and that it's time to close that chapter of pony history.
But it was also said that Generation 5 will be about diversity and inclusion, while the main character of the movie that will start Generation 5 was described as an "activist working to make the pony world a better place". But why would an activist have to fight for diversity and inclusion, to make the world a better place, when Twilight's friendship school brought such peace between ponies and other species?
There is a startling conclusion here if we combine the first statement I quoted with the second one, specifically the part about closing a chapter of pony history, and if we add to this the fact that the father of the filly seen in the leaked Generation 5 Storyboard Animatic taught his daughter about the heroic deeds of the Elements of Harmony.
Equestria will become a dystopia in the future. For some reason, ponies and other species are hostile to each other again and fight, because of an event that happened sometime after Twilight ascended the throne of Equestria, and everything the Elements of Harmony have achieved has become smashed. And, maybe, it is even worse than that and the ponies of the future don't see the Elements of Harmony as heroes anymore, but as villains instead, and think that they didn't make Equestria a better place, but a worse one instead, with a completely warped perception of their history. And our activist, the stallion we see in the leaked animatic, and his daughter, who still admire the Elements of Harmony and see them as the heroes they were, try to fix everything and to reinstate the old Equestria.
The first sentence about diversity and inclusion and the sentence about the activist make sense if Equestria has a dystopian future when ponies and other species fight and wage war against each other and if each species sees members of the other species as enemies. The phrase "to close that chapter of pony history" gets a completely new meaning with that. A future like this would deliver a solid explanation for it why the father in the animatic is teaching his filly about the Elements of Harmony and why they dream of meeting them:
In a dire, war-torn world where friendship between species has become a relic of the past, ponies who are still sane wish for the heroes of the old times to return.
I am firmly predicting this now: Equestria is not the same anymore in the future. It has become a dystopia, the peace between ponies and other species that Twilight's friendship school brought does not exist anymore and ponies and other species constantly fight each other, all of it caused by an event that happened sometime after Twilight ascended the throne, while the father and his filly from the leaked animatic try to bring back the past and to re-unite the individual species of Equestria once again.
Or, in other words, it will be like Disney's "Star Wars" trilogy, but in good and without contradicting and ignoring previously established canon.
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The movie’s main character, for example, is an activist working to make the pony world a better place.
Will those dystopian conflicts only happen in Equestria or affect the entire planet, though? Species that aren't ponies live all over Equus so it is a given that the entire planet will be affected by it all. The phrase "the pony world" can be understood as both a paraphrase of Equestria, since it's inhabited by mostly ponies, and as the whole world, the whole planet, on which Equestria is located. But if we take the other hints that led me to the conclusion of Equestria's dystopian future, this phrase also seems to be meant literal and serves as a support for my prediction.
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Upcoming toys will be informed by the feature’s updated animation style, and in addition to launching classic offerings like toys and apparel, Hasbro will focus its consumer products program on categories that saw significant growth in recent months, including food, health and wellness, puzzles and games, publishing, personal care and home goods.
The relevant part here is the beginning of the sentence. It speaks about an updated animation style for Generation 5 and the term "update" usually refers to an upgrade or an improvement. This brings in more weight and support for the aforementioned diverse animation style of the Generation 5 sequel show.
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Instead of abandoning the franchise’s characters and stories, the movie will take place in the same world featured in Friendship is Magic and Pony Life, but jump ahead in time to focus on a new generation of ponies and unexplored corners of Equestria. This creates opportunities to include nods to the property’s previous iterations, both in upcoming content and consumer products offerings.
This paragraph does not only make mention of the world, but also of characters from Generation 4. It seems we will definitely meet a couple ponies/creatures we know from Generation 4 again in Generation 5. It's, however, not clear who these ponies are and whether it will be just the Mane Six in flashbacks (something that the leaked Generation 5 Storyboard Animatic pretty much confirmed will be happening) or other ponies/creatures, as well.
But either way, we are also being promised "nods" to Generation 4, so even if Generation 5 should show us a very distant future of Equestria, we will be able to see how the ponies and creatures we know and love have left their marks on Equestria's history, giving us bittersweet things to discover. In any case, flashbacks with the Mane Six also bring a little more support for my dystopian future prediction.
And judging by the very end of the sentence, we will also still get toys and merchandise for the Mane Six and possibly other ponies we know from Generation 4.
Unfortunately for me, this sentence also denies the Crystal Empire as the new main location of Generation 5. Since it speaks about a focus on unexplored corners of Equestria, and the Crystal Empire has already been explored in Generation 4, we will have a different, never before seen place as the main location of Generation 5. Which is still welcome with me, exploring new places in Equestria is something I always desire.
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“If you’re brand-new to the franchise, I think it will grab you and pull you in,” says Thompson. “And existing fans are going to be picking out Easter Eggs for months and years to come.”
Lastly, we have an interesting statement here. Both new fans and long-term fans will be pleased by the new Generation 5 sequel show and be able to understand it and enjoy it. This is further indicative of it that there will be many flashbacks, so that new fans who didn't watch Generation 4 will understand the plot. The last sentence confirms that we will see a lot that we know from Generation 4.
And that concludes the juicy bits of information. After the infos we could already draw from the leaked Generation 5 Storyboard Animatic, we learn a few new, exciting things about Generation 5:
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- An upgraded, improved animation style that shows individual mane and tail styles of ponies, detailed coats of ponies and other haired creatures, detailed feathers of pegasi/griffons/hippogriffs, the different sizes of individual ponies and creatures, trees, flowers, clouds, objects, food, ect. in more realistic ways to represent the themes of diversity and inclusion in Generation 5.
. - A dystopian future Equestria in which the peace between ponies and other species got destroyed and the father and his filly from the leaked animatic try to fix everything and to bring the species together again as activists who fight for the same things the Elements of Harmony once established.
. - A possible return of ponies and creatures we know from Generation 4.
. - A completely new and unexplored main location where most of the show takes place, like Ponyville in Generation 4.
. - Many references and nods to things we have seen in Generation 4.
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I think what I look forward to the most here is the upgraded animation style. It never bothered me during Generation 4 to see most ponies with the same manestyle or copy/pasted trees, but with these updates, it will feel so much more realistic and immersive to look at Equestria and I can't wait to get drawn in by all that.
The prospect of a dystopian future Equestria leaves me divided; it would be exciting, but also tragic to see Equestria in a state like this and I would be concerned for ponies and creatures who I care for (which are most) then. So I can't really say how that makes me feel.
The Crystal Empire is out for Generation 5's main location, which I find sad, but I am also excited for a completely new place, as there are many in Equestria that we haven't seen yet.
And a return of ponies and creatures we know and references to Generation 4 are of course obligatory welcome. There are too many ponies/creatures who I hope to see again to name them all, but I definitely hope to see Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Derpy, Dinky, Sparkler, Silverstream, Flurry Heart and Starlight again, just to name a few.
And with these final thoughts, this analysis is finished, too. We are only a few days away from Hasbro's virtual Toy Fair presentation anymore and we will most likely get a lot more information about Generation 5 there. I am more than ready to dig into all of this.
Stay easy as a filly!
~ Fluttercheer
Me: No, wait. The Crystal Empire might still be used as an important location. My brain immediately associates dystopian Equestria with powerful villains
actuallywinningfor once. In my mind, that could either be a completely new villain that we get introduced to, or some of the villains from G4. If it's the latter, take your pick from Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy Glow, resurrected Sombraagain, perhaps Daybreaker and NMM, or even Midnight Sparkle. Now, if it focuses on Sombra-King Sombra: That would be King Sombra, since I am the rightful heir to the Crystal Empire throne-
Me: Then it would be rude not to have the Crystal Empire as the main location. Just because we're going to see some extra world-building and new corners of the map, it doesn't mean that G5 won't be focused heavily around the locations we already know and love. Think of the 2017 MLP Movie.
King Sombra: That pile of rubbish. The Storm King could have done so much with his power and he was defeated with a unicorn who had no horn. Typical.
Me: Like you did any better, your highness. Oh, I forgot. Why even look at the G4 villains? We have an alicorn foal born with an appetite for destruction. Do your worst, Flurry Heart. We're ready for you to cause chaos on a level Discord would be proud of.
King Sombra: That foal was so pathetic, she was actually sweet. How I would love to see her again, especially if she turns to the darkness.
Me: She would never team up with you.
King Sombra: You don't know that, and that is what makes me so optimistic about the future. There will always be darkness, and I will always be the one to usher it in. We will always return.
Me: Probably, but we'll always fight back. Here's to G5 being awesome!
I like this interpretation a bit more, cause this wouldn't cause the show to die as fans rage over wokeness and politics
also we might see locations from G1, which would expand the world even further~
I think Hasbro has shot themselves in the foot by telling us all that everything Twilight and her friends fought and struggled for over the course of ten years was ultimately pointless, and the happy world they helped make was all for nothing. Everything they fought and struggled for is ultimately undone and invalidated.
With that one synopsis, Hasbro has killed any enthusiasm I have for this franchise's future. Every time I rewatch an episode, or watch a song, I'll know, in the back of my head, that Equestria will inevitably become a dystopia.
Thanks, Hasbro.
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You are right, the Crystal Empire having an important role in Generation 5 is still a possibility even after this reveal and with, now, zero appearance of it in the Generation 5 Movie. I was only saying that the Crystal Empire will not be Generation 5's main location, what Ponyville was for Generation 4. But an appearance of it, even as an important location, like what Canterlot or Cloudsdale were for Generation 4, is definitely possible. I, for one, can't wait to find out if the Crystal Empire still exists!
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I am also glad that diversity, inclusion and activism in Generation 5 mean that the three pony tribes have become separated again and are hostile to each other and that Sunny tries to fix this and to make the three tribes become friends once more. There won't be anything like lore contradictions or making Generation 5 fit to "the modern world of today" to appease woke culture, as it is done so often in movies and TV shows these days to fulfill the politically correct quota, especially in a certain, recent example.
It already feels like that "My Little Pony" will be once more the only show that does it right with Generation 5, like Generation 4 has done before.
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Are you still feeling that way? If so, let me see if I can't resolve your concerns.
Last year when I wrote this analysis, it looked like ponies and other species are fighting each other again and like everything Twilight's friendship school accomplished got undone. A little later, when the synopsis of the Generation 5 Movie released, it was revealed that it's actually the three pony tribes who are fighting each other again, while the fate of other creatures like hippogriffs and griffons is completely unknown to us. But despite that, there are now many like you who say that the accomplishments of the Mane Six have been for nothing in the end, because of the renewed hostility between the three pony tribes.
I explained in detail why that isn't the case here, but in short, the reason why the work of Twilight and her friends wasn't for nothing comes down to three key points:
1. The Mane Six weren't the ones who united the three pony tribes in peace and friendship, this was done by their ancestors over a thousand years before they lived. So nothing they accomplished was undone by the separation of the three pony tribes.
2. A few thousand years have passed since the Mane Six lived (as indicated by several, evolutionary changes ponies went through since then) and, while we still don't know when exactly the three pony tribes separated again, we can tell that there has been a very long time of peace before that. Even if that period lasted "only" for exactly 1,000 years, this would still be a very long time during which all ponies could live happily without fear of getting conquered or enslaved, which makes for countless lives the Mane Six have saved with their heroic deeds and hard work.
"It was all for nothing" looks different.
3. Even in Generation 5's era, the heroic legacy of the Mane Six still lives on. Most ponies seem to have forgotten about them, but Sunny knows about them, her dad did as well, and it's because of that knowledge that Sunny could do what she did. Without knowing what the Mane Six have done in the past, Sunny would have never become inspired to reunite the three pony tribes. It is thanks to them that Sunny chose to bring the tribes back together.
It's explained better in the analysis I linked, which I recommend reading, but those are the basics of it. Nothing the Mane Six accomplished has become undone and everything they did still takes an effect even thousands of years later.
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At this point I'm indifferent to G5. I don't care about the characters, the world, or any stories that take place in it, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Still, thank you for making a case that Twilight and her friends did made a difference; it's a good one.
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With the points of the analysis I've made in mind, you should go back and give the Generation 5 Movie another watch. If one sees something under the different light that new facts and realizations bring, viewpoints often change and we can see things that we couldn't see before.
P.S.: Also, I am hearing whispers that the new, official Generation 5 comics also show why the actions of the past still matter.
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I'm sorry, but no. I just have no desire to try G5 again; Hasbro would have to do something enormous to get my interest back, such as doing a two-parter where the Mane Six team up with the G5 cast via time travel to save the world, or something similar. But until then, I'll stay with G4.