Soapbox time, where the fandom expresses its opinions! As always, we are open for submissions on these. If you'd like to submit your own soapbox, hit up this post for infos.
As always, these are the opinions of fandom members, not us here at EQD.
Have some headlines:
- My Little Pony at Renegade Game Studios
- Is My Little Pony becoming a Pokemon Mainline game?
- Trying to go back to 2010 won't save us
- Kirin Grove -- The Kirin Homeland?
And go read them below!
Kirin Grove -- The Kirin Homeland?
By Andrew Laubacher (Otaku-sempai)
Where did the Kirin come from? There's good evidence that they haven't always dwelt in Equestria, but might,sometime in the past, have emigrated from the East. Across the Celestial Sea, south of the Dragon Lands known as Dragon's Lair, there is a place known as Kirin Grove. This is quite far from the Kirin village with which we are familiar, located in the Peaks of Peril, seemingly within Arimaspi Territory according to the Friendship Map. It is likely that the Kirin came to Equestria from Kirin Grove, possibly driven out by bad Dragons who would have been immune to the flames of their Nirik forms. Who knows? Maybe the Kirin weren't even native to Kirin Grove, but first settled there from a place even farther east!
Trying to go back to 2010 won't save us
By: Peace
It's no secret that MLP as a franchise is not in a good place. We're weathering our longest hiatus in decades, the IP holder seems to have forgotten the brand exists, we're fresh off the shortest generation in MLP history, and the fandom is shrinking and divided. At the corporate and the fandom level, I see the Mane 6 floated around like they're some kind of Saviors. "Just reboot G4." "Make it a G4 sequel." "Just put Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie in there, and the bronies will love it." I've even seen fans suggest that Hasbro should try to get Lauren Faust back somehow to work on G6.
But G4 nostalgia won't save this franchise or this fandom. In fact, that kind of thinking is exactly what got us in this mess.
G4 wasn't lightning in a bottle. Okay, maybe it arrived at a serendipitously good time when both the TV industry and online communities were much healthier than they are now. But there is no magical, irreplicable secret to G4's success. The ingredients are right there in the open for everyone in the fandom and at Hasbro to see: a good story, compelling and consistent characters, quality music, and creators who care about their content and are given the freedom to pursue their vision. G6 doesn't need the Mane 6, Lauren Faust, Daniel Ingram, or huge anime eyes to be successful. It might never be as popular as G4; hell, if G4 were pitched now, it probably never even would have been greenlit. But it doesn't need to be a 2013-brony-fandom-level phenomenon to be successful.
The fear that MLP will never reach that peak has led to trepid decision making. Rather than risk something new, Hasbro made a G4 sequel. Rather than engage G5 for what it was worth, the fandom constantly compared it to G4. But most bronies (and probably a lot of people at Hasbro) don't realize that MLP has jumped through these hoops before. G1 was staggeringly popular. G3 was also a smashing hit. MLP is not a one-trick pony that can only be successful if Lauren Faust is heading it. MLP has a history of reinventing itself to stay on top of market trends and children's interests. But nostalgia has blinded the fandom and the corporation. The G4 references directly contributed to G5's failure.
MLP is at least five years past due for a rebirth. We know that Hasbro has at least one ear on fan reactions; that's why the G5 favorite, Misty, was in Camp Cutie Mark. That's why they put G4 references into G5 in the first place. Please, do us all a solid; stop begging Hasbro for a G4 reboot. There's a dangerous possibility that they might listen.
Is My Little Pony becoming a Pokemon Mainline game?
By: ManaMinori
I developed a love for My Little Pony at the early onset of g4’s popularity crazy- right around the time when there were videos being made and being posted on Youtube- you know the ones- when people started hearing about the show and deciding to see about it for themselves on why it was becoming so popular and why memes were being spread like wildfire as people started branching out from 4Chan and taking ponies with them to the furthest reaches of the internet.
I found myself browsing Youtube and wondering why all of a sudden more and more people were talking about these cute and colorful ponies- and sooner or later, I got fed up with seeing yet another pony video, clicked it, liked the subject matter, and decided to dip my toes into watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic for myself.
I say all this because my start into falling into g4 is not unlike the experience of many who have since joined and left the MPg4 fandom- however, upon growing to love what this iteration of pony had to offer, I ultimately found myself seeking out more, and going back into previous generations. Now, many g4 fans don’t seem to share the same admiration for the entirety of the pony franchise, and that’s fine- to each their own. But I did.
And now that g4 has concluded, along with g5 as well, we wait with baited breath for the next generation. In a moment born primarily out of boredom and disassociation, I found myself looking back on the generations and their primary themes- and I discovered something…..interesting. This revelation may in fact allow us a glimpse of future generations of pony to come. While this insight may be joyful for some fans to behold, personally, I feel like it may be more of a letdown. What am I talking about, I hear you ask? Well…..It’s not a subject that is entirely black or white…..Or rather- maybe it is.
I’m talking about racism. That’s right- the ugly subject that really no one wants to discuss until it’s pushed in front of their faces. This theme of racism (and tribal segregation) has been heavily presented in most, if not all of the My Little pony generations, I’ve observed. It of course was presented in g4 a number of times, from the ponies among their own species, toward zebras, dragons, Changelings, etc. Generation 5 started off with the tribes being segregated and in fear of each other. G3 even had it, with the tribes being separate at first. G1.5 Pony Tales was also no exception. If memory serves, I think only g2, which didn’t even have its own animated series, and g1 were lacking the elements of pony racism and segregation at all.
So why is this a repeating theme from my Little Pony Tales (g1.5) and onward? It might feel like the same formulaic routine that the Pokemon Company is doing with its games since Gen 1, Red, Blue, and Yellow- which is slapping the same “complete the pokedex/ battle 8 gym leaders/ and save the world from an evil organization” copy paste story with a fresh coat of paint and new gimmicks as each new game generation releases.
I’m not complaining, really. It’s just an observation. Either way, even if it is the same repackaged formula of ponies being racist and segregated, but then discovering friendship to save the world with friendship powers and rainbows, I cannot see myself being shaken from enjoying future generations to come. I’m nearing 40, and cannot ever see myself falling away from the love of these adorable little ponies. (no shame). I still draw fanart (with commissions open!!!), still make pony headcanons, watch whatever theory videos still trickle in, and enjoy the music- granted, not as often as I once did, but ponies are still dominating my brain. And if the new generation borrows the same beats from the generations before, then I guess it’s okay, because it’s clearly a lesson that we as humans still need to learn. And if we’re being schooled by cute cartoon ponies, then I guess that’s okay too. Clearly these ponies have proven that humans aren’t yet the superior species that we think we are.
My Little Pony at Renegade Game Studios
by Andrew Laubacher (Otaku-sempai)
Sadly, there were no new My Little Pony tabletop game reveals at the June 6 Renegade Con that streamed on YouTube, either for the role-playing game or the deck-building game. Nor were any expansions revealed for the My Little Pony: Festival of Lanterns tile-placement game. However, I have been assured through an official source that there's more stuff in the works. The next Renegade Con will stream on YouTube in October 2025; hopefully, we'll have better news then!
What expansions would you like to see, either for the RPG or the deck-building game? I'd love to see a campaign book for the My Little Pony Roleplaying Game exploring the Undiscovered West or the Eastern Continent past Griffonstone (hmmm, a My Little Pony: Season 10 Sourcebook?). Also, Renegade has yet to release their own sourcebook for the 2017 My Little Pony: The Movie. A School of Friendship Sourcebook might also be welcome!
