MLP G5 Discussion and Speculation Thread

@ApplejackFan204  
What would G4.5 be like? Would it be a Luster Dawn continuation?

I am tentatively excited for G5. I think making a good cartoon is possible. It just has to hit the right notes to make it good. By “good” I mean:
 
I’d like to echo this. And by “good” I personally mean:
 
>>A different main cast. I suspect a “re-imagined” cast would be nitpicked to death.
 
>>Appealing & expressive character designs
 
>>Strongly relatable characters
 
>>Stories that don’t talk down to kids
 
>>Something fun & engaging for parents
 
>>Well-written & arranged songs
 
>>Most importantly, showing kids that “girly” DOES NOT equal “lame”
 
>>There are a lot of ways to be a girl. (Building on that, there’s a lot of ways to be a boy, too! There’s just a lot of ways to be, and people don’t fall into neat categories. However, gendered marketing is a real thing and moves more product, so I still am expecting it to heavily lean toward girls.)

@ArrJaySketch
 
Agree with all your points with one minor difference; I still hope the mane six are the stars.

Musing: I’d also like an over-arching adventure, like “A:TLA”. I think it’s easier to keep writing and characterization consistent when one is telling a story from episode-to-episode, rather than keeping each episode self-contained.
 
@Background Pony #171C  
I mean, it’s entirely possible, but being a fan of many Hasbro franchises since the 80s, I’m not entirely confident it would be done well. I mean, if they re-imagine the mane cast it’s not at all a deal-breaker for me.

@ArrJaySketch  
Yes to the overarching plot (shorts could do silly slice of life stuff), and as for keeping the mane six; they’ve kept the same core cast in transformers for decades and I don’t think that’s done it any harm lol

@MaresFillies  
More like a completely new cast of characters, but also incorporating the old ones a supporting characters (such as Luster Dawn). Instead of six (or seven if you count Spike) main characters, there will be seven. Instead of all of them be ponies, there will be one pony (a Unicorn) and the rest will be a dragon, a griffon, a changeling, a yak, a hippogriff, and a kirin.

Did they say when G5 is scheduled to start?

@Background Pony #171C  
CGI movie in 2021, 2D series (presumably) in 2022.

@Background Pony #EA45  
2020- season 10 comics  
2021- G5 movie  
2022- G5 show starts
 
I actually really like this schedule. It’d be awesome if G4 keeps continuing in the comics, with season 11 in 2021, season 12 in 2022, and so on.

@Deep!  
I think it’s a nice schedule too!

@Background Pony #EA45  
Oh cool!
 
@Deep!  
That would be sweet.
 
Only thing is, I have a feeling that the mane six are ‘on their way out’, and that’s hard. :(

@Background Pony #171C  
What do you mean by “on their way out?”

@Background Pony #EA45  
Hopefully I’m alive in 2100 for season 81 haha

@Deep!  
With their stories told in FIM, a lot of people seem to think that the mane six will either be fully retired come g5 or at best, relegated to supporting character roles. And personally I’d be sad to see either happen.
 
I keep trying to tell myself though that other characters in other franchises stick it out though. The transformers for example.

I would adore G5 being completely different, no generation of MLP has been the same and I like that. When the book closes I want it to remain closed.  
I do however hope they give some form of nods or tie ins to G4.  
It’d actually be really cool and good for the toyside if they made some kind of anthology, short stories (a few episodes a piece) that mostly tie together somehow that feature different characters (with some reoccurring or returning) and showcase the world of G5 it would give the generation its own unique identity

Some people in this thread are presuming that G5’s “Twilight Sparkle” will be the same person as G4’s “Twilight Sparkle” and that’s ridiculous. You are aware that like half of the G4 characters reuse G3 names and designs, right? In G3, Scootaloo and Cheerilee are sisters.
 
Hasbro will absolutely reuse the trademarks if at all possible, but that doesn’t guarantee that the characters using those names will be the same characters. Undoubtedly they’ve considered this option in the planning phase, but it carries drawbacks.

@Tirimsil  
The leaked emails suggest that, with the exception of Applejack, all of the Mane 6 will more or less keep their personality traits. Maybe that’s why most people are presuming it.

@Background Pony #EA45
 
Strange that Applejack is the odd one out - but then she was the least popular out of the six in G4, and had the least development over the show.

@Tirimsil  
Yes, they want to make her personality-wise like Sunset Shimmer and Tempest Shadow. I have no problem with it, I just dislike the fact her country roots probably will be completely erased.

I forgot about the trademark issues. Hasbro will not want to lose them. Plus there’s a thing called ‘brand values’. The mane six are so well known now, ditching them and trying to start over could be very risky.

@Tirimsil
 
@Background Pony #EA45  
I wonder how that’ll be recieved by fans. On one hand, we’ll be getting the characters we love again (except AJ if they indeed change her). On the other hand, it’s not really the same characters. I fear some might find them an imitation, which will turn them off from the show.

@Deep!  
I think most fans are going to dislike the changes at first, but eventually will tolerate it.

Maybe Applejack won’t be the only one to be changed.

I don’t mind a different Applejack, as much as G4 is my favorite one. There’s been an Applejack in basically every generation and they’re not the same personality lol
 
I may also be biased based on how Reverie Equestria treats Applejack, of course.

@Tirimsil  
Applejack is my favourite pony too! I hope she gets more focus episodes in G5.