@SeraphimDawn  
If they start with her being assertive then she isn’t either “flutter” or “shy”. Perhaps it would be better if they rename her and bring back original G1 Fluttershy’s name - Posey!
 
So far mane6 look too much like reboot of G4 rather than reboot of MLP as a whole. Twilight is the wierdest one. Her designs look just like G4 but without horn and wings. It look like she just gave them away to Pinkie and Flutters. If they going to change personality and voice actors, then they should change designs. Because it won’t bring familiarity to old fans, but instead will make it look like Hasbro just brainwashed our old heroes.

@SeraphimDawn  
Or at least the corporate heads at Hasbro(or whoever is responsible for this) who do all the focus groups and board room meetings think they don’t.

It’s almost like the values of honesty, integrity, and work ethics don’t seem to resonate with millenials.  
And I find that rather disturbing.

@SeraphimDawn  
TRUKK NOT MUNKEY?

@mjangelvortex
 
@PonyPon  
Pegasus Fluttershy, Unicorn/Alicorn Twilight and Cowgirl Applejack  
Or NO DEAL!

@PonyPon  
Less nice? She still comes off as nice to me. She’s just not as much of a doormat and fraidy cat that she used to be.

@SeraphimDawn  
I feel like over time, especially now, she’s come to embody her race’s ideal much more.
 
And that made her feel alot less nice.
 
Hopefully, as a unicorn, they can bring it back.
 
Though I suppose they will have to change her name.
 
Willowshy, maybe?

@SeraphimDawn  
Flutershy was an Earth Pony in G3 and was going to be an Earth Pony in earlier G4 concepts. Her being a unicorn doesn’t feel like a big deal to me. (Speaking of, one of the ponies from G2 that has the same color scheme and butterfly cutiemark as Fluttershy, Sky Skimmer, is also an Earth Pony despite having a name dealing with the skies.)

@PonyPon  
I just feel she wouldn’t be “Flutter” shy anymore if they’re going to make her a unicorn.  
Part of her appeal I find in G4 is that she is of a race that is normally known to be ferocious, tough, and valorous. Fluttershy’s personality bucks all that. Giving her the ability to fly evokes her “flutterness” like a butterfly.

@SeraphimDawn  
Then they better do a better job on her than now.

@PonyPon  
It seems Flutters is looking to be big in the next gen.

@SeraphimDawn  
I couldn’t even imagine.

@Spinny  
Judging from the art and how they’re trying to prop up the new AJ it seems like they’re going to sideline Twilight as a character for the upcoming gen.

@SeraphimDawn
 
Twilight damn well better not be voiced by Tara. In fact, none of the new mane six should be voiced by the same people. It would just defeat the purpose of the new generation.
 
I don’t mind if the same VAs stick around, after all, many of them have been voicing MLP characters for years like Kathleen Barr and Tabitha St. Germain. But they definitely shouldn’t be voicing the same characters.

@Esteban  

 
Now THIS will be fucking heresy!

@Esteban  
I know,that’s why the new gen makes no sense to me as it seems like an attempt to keep the popularity and concept of the mane six while deeply altering their characters,designs and world. It like their trying to make and eat their cake too and that spells nothing good for the new gen by me yet.

@Background Pony #EA8B  
I read the leaks and i also never saw any person refering to her as “hick”, just like you said it was mentioned in the way you written. I think Meghan agreed on changing her voice though, because she herself sent an email telling another woman what is her pick for Aj and linkin her to Tiffany Haddish on SNL

@Salamenace  
@SeraphimDawn  
@Esteban  
Regarding “hick”, AFAIK no one has specifically called Applejack a “hick” directly; in comments under another image, when someone expressed disbelief that they would have done so, another user pulled this quote from the emails:

I haven’t read the emails (and have no interest in trying to hunt down the contents of the leak) so it’s certainly possible that someone has labeled AJ a “hick” in another message, but if that were the case I think that user would have quoted that particular email.
 
Furthermore, as someone who grew up in a town of ~400 people and who’s currently living in basically an unincorporated area between three small towns, I don’t find the word “hick” necessarily offensive in and of itself; it depends a lot more on the context and the attitude of the person using it. The quote referenced above doesn’t strike me as the least bit offensive; it fits in with the characterization of this being a business decision regarding what’s viewed as an unpopular character, which saddens me deeply but doesn’t offend me. I have seen someone whose opinion I more or less trust characterize the tone of the conversation as dismissive and derogatory towards country folk/“hicks”/“flyover country”, though; I’d love to see someone else who’s read the emails say that’s not accurate (or at least that McCarthy and the other creatives didn’t agree with that smug self-superior attitude), but sadly I doubt that’ll happen.

@Antonyourknee  
It won’t be just Applejack who will change. Twilight won’t be a Canterlot student and probably not voiced by Tara Strong. The rules of AJ will apply to every of the mane6.

@SeraphimDawn  
I don’t think it was Meghan who referred to her as “hick”. It was one of the executives she was arguing with.

@SeraphimDawn  
I wouldn’t be surprised if a reason their getting rid of Applejacks personality is their afraid her southern accent might “trigger” some folk in our poltically charged world,so diffrent from from 2010 when she was created.
 
If fact if this is going to be a new generation,why even use the same characters? Sure their loved and held dear by their fans but in-universe they more or less accomplished their hopes and dreams,became Alicorns wonderbolts,fashionistas. A new generation could build new characters,perhaps related to the mane six in someway like descendents or ponys in a diffrent part of the world. That way they could keep the mane six intact and not make some shallow imitation that will always be compared to the originals.
 
For that matter why change the designs? One of MLP strengths in the early years and now is its simply drawn characters and world. The style is simple,smooth and unique (it’s easy to draw character bodies that share a template) allowing an ease of development and fan art,no doubt attracted to the relaxed style that was flexible and Maliable allowing so many artist and fans to make their own versions and interprations of the pony world. I haven’t seen much of the supposed new gen art style but from what I have seen it looks over complicated with overly designed manes and coat types albeit somewhat more realistic,such styles do not fit with the shows cartoony style that proved so fun to draw for so many artist.
 
Really it seems like their setting up something like the legend of Korra or the new Star Wars movies,something based on a great concept and taking new interesting ideas and concepts but then involking fundamental changes (not aways a bad thing) that will be poorly excuted and thus lack the fun of the originals. We can of course expect naturally the bunch of poltically correct elements that seem so present everywhere that will probaly drag the show down as well.
 
In the end I just don’t see why they need to start a new gen the way it seems to be starting now. None of it makes sense from what I see now. I hope some elements will appear to lead credence to a a better effort then what lays before us now.

We still don’t exactly know what the rest of the Mane 6 in G5 is going to be like either. Aside from the few race swaps.
 
Aside from AJ. Anyone else getting new voices?

@Esteban  
I hope so too.
 
 
@Salamenace  

 
That especially is the type of attitude towards her that I find rather disturbing coming out of McCarthy of all people. McCarthy, the same writer who pretty much wrote up the good side of AJ’s character. Judging from her past writings, it seemed she liked writing her. I dunno what could have caused this sudden change in attitude towards the character in question.
 
It almost smells like an agenda.  
Hasbro, we freaking TRUSTED you!
 
AJ is no way a poorly made character. In fact, she does resonate with quite a bit of people. Has a devoted fanbase with wide appeals. Honest responsible, and principled. What couldn’t you like about her?  
I know she has been stacked against by other “superior” characters within her own ranks. Generally earth ponies seem to be handicapped when compared to the others.

@Spinny  
“Dragonshy” was the first example that leapt to my mind, and it’s definitely a heck of a positive for Applejack. I don’t really remember her standing out from the rest of her friends in “A Canterlot Wedding” or “Princess Twilight Sparkle”, though. Personally, I’d add her story credit for “Where the Apple Lies” to the list as an example of fun AJ characterization, but I may be in the minority on that. (Heck, who am I kidding, I’m almost always in the minority.)
 
@Esteban: “‘friendship’ shtick”  
You mean the central idea of Friendship is Magic?
 
@wumbl3  
The problem is that there’s several strains, and pretty much everyone who’s fighting one strain is doing so in order to promote their own strain.

@Antonyourknee  
Society has an incurable cancer. Enjoy it while it lasts.