I was extremely excited about G5, but the more I think about it, the lower my hopes get. And not because of the entitled “the new generation of My Little Pony caters to a new generation of people rather than to bronies again, because obviously a full decade’s worth of content wasn’t enough, and that is a crime” spiel that apparently makes up 95% of complaints about it. (I mean that as a whole, not this thread specifically.)
G5 actually cavorts in G4’s shadow pretty damn much as it is; and that’s exactly why I’m worried. Because just what did Friendship is Magic bring us?
Lots of self-indulgence on the creative team’s part, it turns out. This is the show that gave us an entire episode devoted to buttering up popular fanons, then an entire episode starring Weird Al Yankovic’s self-insert—who ended up marrying his waifu, too—then an entire episode about Patton Oswalt’s self-insert, then an entire episode about his self-insert again, but those of his family as well…
And then there’s the whole deal with Discord, who apparently was brought back because DHX loved John de Lancie just that much, and then transcended that precious little pet status into full self-insert: Karma Houdini Edition. What, you thought that it was a coincidence that he got the most adorable, most submissive little waifu in the world wrapped around his finger and willing to forgive him for absolutely everything?
Discord. That’s who I’m most worried about as far as G5 is concerned. I’m seeing him as MLP’s Joker; so popular to both the creative teams and the fans that he will have a big role in every generation from now to forever. And since I see nothing more than a character even more self-indulgent than Least I Could Do’s protagonist when I look at him… I’m not looking forward to G5 being brought down again, like he made G4 a genuine pain to watch.
There were other reasons Friendship is Magic turned sour for me, and I’m the opposite of thrilled that their shadows are influencing G5 so much, but he’s the one that makes me the most nervous for the new generation.