The Starlight Problem

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Another issue is that Starlight's arc seems to be written in reverse. As in, aside from the opening, Starlight's episodes in Season 7 should've been her Season 6 episodes. She's actually interacting with the Mane 6 to an extent, except it's far too late now. Her dodgy Season 6 run has broken the character, perhaps beyond repair. Due to the fact there's so many characters to focus on now, Starlight's main traits can still only be summed up as:
>muh magical fucks up
>muh magic
It's a shambles. But here's the thing: it's not impossible to make her an interesting, unique character. Hell, Maud is pretty interesting, despite only having a few episodes to herself. Thanks to her relationship with Pinkie, she feels a bit more fleshed out than Starlight does, despite revolving around only one type of humor. Yet Starlight is just a retread of Twilight's old arc, as I mentioned, but thanks to the huge cast, she doesn't get that focus and time Twilight had. Remember when Season one had Twilight in pretty much every episode? She needed that, she needed that time to grow into a character we could all love watching.
Starlight as a whole just feels really... haphazard and awkward. They want to slot her into the Mane 6 dynamic, yet at the same time they're giving her this new group of her own friends. As a result it's making the show itself feel really awkward and disjointed.

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>>29997126
>>29997113
Can't you just accept her fate already?

>>29997126
Whoops, I meant her second trait was
>muh evil past
But honestly that's a magical fuck up in itself.

>>29997113
>>29997126
This is so accurate it kinda hurts. Whether people like this new method or not, there's no denying this is a historical lookback on these events so far. It's officially in the past, and we can judge it for ourselves. If Glimmer has saved the show for you, then this may be the reason why. Same if you think she's ruined the show.

>>29997113
She's objectively a bad character.

>>29997113
>>29997126
>muh magical fucks up
>muh evil past
This is what ticks me off the most. It's like we're repeating the same thing over and over. I swear if this Royal Problem episode will really be about her trying to solve a problem with magic it just means she didn't learn anything for almost 2 seasons straight. Seeing her going away from that with Maud was a breath of fresh air and I wish they'd drop this shit completely. Let her actually learn a fucking lesson for once. She graduated without learning shit so at least now maybe it's time for her to progress? I'm not against her as a character but shoving her everywhere without actually showing more of her character just isn't fun.

>>29997126
On the bright side, we can now add
>muh kites

>>29997113
>>29999999
>>30000000

The problem is that the series is bankrupt morally. They've written too many episodes in too short a time while flanderising their characters to try and simplify the process.

That's why RD gets the same 'you are a cunt don't be a cunt oh wait it doesn't matter' turn out morality episode. Or FS has the issue she can't be morally divisive now since she solved her primary issue in the first season and is now there to be cute since she's been assertive since forever so now it's just running through the numbers.

Glimmer is an attempt to give a Twilight focused moral lesson without Twilight being the pony involved.

Glimmer has a much more realistic reason to do the shit she does. She's a socially retarded pony with a short temper who has a sordid past stemming from her 'sad' past with being lonely who solved all her issues using her insanely capable magic powers.

That means her going 'well if I switch their cutie marks then they'll witness each other's problems and mindset!' is more believable than Twilight doing something similar.

They can't really progress her yet because they have noone else they can write with progression in mind.

They can't change RD. Imagine RD suddenly not being a vapid cunt.

FS has been changed since season 1 and any extra change would be pointless.

Rarity and AJ are already established as being 'normal' and know their lessons and issues. They can't really do morality with them.

Twilight learned fuck all throughout her entire time in Ponyville and still got her morality proven correct by being made an alicorn. Anything that changes now just puts in question why she's the princess of friendship such as the recent Trixie episode where she judged Trixie and Glimmer on their pasts and not on their friendship.

Ponk is Ponk and can't change. I'd like them to tone her down a bit and go back to season 1 Ponk where she's less outright lolrandom but I doubt that'd happen.

They are basically trapped at the moment.

>>29997126
>Starlight as a whole just feels really... haphazard and awkward. They want to slot her into the Mane 6 dynamic, yet at the same time they're giving her this new group of her own friends. As a result it's making the show itself feel really awkward and disjointed.

>>30000336

This and that, desu. The mane 6 just feel too fulfilled already to have any sort of realistic episode. Starlight has the advantage of still having space for development, but when putting her along the main cast she feels out of place because her fuckups feel disproportionate with the amount of pre-established lessons and growth that everyone around her have.

If they kept her in her own B-team with a different dynamic it would be much better.

>>29997113
>These days, it's Twilight, her five friends
It is?

Starlight Glimmer to me is the writers admitting they fucked up Twilight Sparkle something fierce. However, they can't fix the past, so instead they add a new character and have her be Twilight Sparkle the way she should've been all along.

It pisses me off, because every time Starlight Glimmer steals another episode, it reminds of how badly and utterly they fucked up Twilight Sparkle.

>>30000336
>The problem is that the series is bankrupt morally.
I'm actually cool with this in principle, but it totally changes the flavor of the show, which is an issue for me. The point of the Mane 6 was that for all their character flaws their friendship was not just something that made them better ponies, it also made them a force for the greater good of Equestria. They almost always learned that their self-interest had to come second to the well being of their friends and Equestria in general. You don't see that with Glimmy, and certainly not with Trixie. Glimmer doesn't choose the greater good because she believes it's inherently of value, she just doesn't want to be despised for fucking shit up. That goes double for Trixie, who almost seems contemptuous toward the idea of the greater good, but values Glimmy's approval so much that she'd put her own life at risk to assure it. That's hardly virtue. These two characters run on pure self-interest.

One of the things that made the show so charming in the early days was that the characters were flawed but still virtuous. We've gone from a show where the mane characters were heroes fighting to protect a benevolent monarchy - a classic formula - to a show where the two characters we're focused on are self-serving. The magic of their friendship has nothing to do with service to the greater good and everything to do with resolving their own personal issues. That makes the tone far more modern (read: morally ambiguous) than the charmingly antique (or classic) feel of the first two seasons.

Part of the charm of FiM was that it managed to be evocative of the heroic tradition while still being girly and avoiding a preachy tone. That amazing tightrope walk was pure Faust, and it made FiM different from most of the cartoons I enjoyed, which wore their moral ambiguity on their sleeves. There was an overriding innocence and sincerity to the show that hasn't been lost entirely, but it's no longer the focus.

>>30000443
>they fucked up Twilight Sparkle something fierce
The fuckup wasn't ruining the character, but ending her arc way to early in the series. The show was about Book Hoers learning the magic of friendship in order to fulfill her destiny. Complete that arc at the end of S3 and you have a different show going forward. That was the fuckup - immediate gratification of a premise that was good enough to carry much further.

>>30000935
>but ending her arc way to early in the series.
The fact they had to come up with Starlight proves they never finished it.

>>29997113
KEKSHED LOL

>>30001292
They took what should have been the series finale and put it at the end of S3, which seriously fucked up the arc of the entire rest of the show.

>>30001365
Yes, but it wasn't even the end goal for Twilight they were working towards.

you're wrong and terrible at phrasing your arguments (hence all the fucking text) so i'm not gonna give you the time of day. your inability to be brief betrays deficiencies elsewhere.

>>30000935
hate to break it to you, but the show was supposed to have ended with her getting the wings

>>30001566

love it when people who don't know what they're talking about 'hate to break it'.

>>29997113
She's not like Twilight. Well, she kinda is, but also not really. Starlight is what Twilight would be like if she wouldn't have been saved by Celestia and her friendship program. She lived in her own head the entire life and got fucked up in the process.
Her arc isn't so much about growth, it's more about healing. Twilight is awkward and inept in social situations (and still is if pushed) and Starlight was outright evil (and still is if pushed).

>>29999891
People love it when Sunset does it.

>>30001582
I love it when faggots like you don't know jack shit

the show was literally to have ended with S3, dipshit
the show became so popular by the end of S2 (while they were finishing up S3 and EqG) that they renewed the show before it was finished with it's initial run
even lasron stated that it was written as a finale to the show

>>30001614
I don't really care about Sunset, she's not relevant to the show. Starlight is in a different situation anyway and she has to be handled differently.

>>30001627

i'm not gonna give you the attention if you're going to be hysterical, ma'am. put your husband on so that we may discuss ponies.

>>30001636
piss off, you know I'm right, you Vogel cock gobbler

>>30001627
I wouldn't think about it too hard because nobody really does. Shows don't really have a finale nowadays because if the cash rolls in you make another season. On the other hand, every season could also be the last if the cash flow stops.

>>30001417
I'm aware. But it nonetheless ended the arc the show began with. Everything since has been a different show.
>>30001566
The show was supposed to end with Twi's graduation from being the Princess' star pupil. Becoming an alicorn princess wasn't part of that deal from the start. If you remember the beginning of the show there were only two alicorns, and both were godlike figures who lived for millennia. Of course that got run off the rails in the S2 finale, which was a great episode, but it definitely fucked with the premise laid out at the start of the show.

>>30001652
>Of course that got run off the rails in the S2 finale

there's also hearts and hooves day -- a princess is mentioned in a book and her drawing is an alicorn

>>30001659
I think the idea was that princesses were alicorns, but because they were nearly godlike figures who lived far longer than average ponies only so many of them existed at one time. Cadance and the Twilicorn felt shoehorned in, and not entirely compatible with the world as laid out in S1. Fair enough, the show is a toy commercial and those were the toys Hasbro decided to sell. But part of the magic of S1 was that it didn't feel overtly like a toy commercial, which is why this shit was jarring when it happened.

>>30001644
regardless, stating that they finished Twilight's arc too early is fucking stupid
they finished right on time, they just didn't know how much of a phenomenon the show would become

>>30001909
True, but by ending Twi's arc in S3 and then bringing the show back for four more seasons we got put in the weird position of watching a different show than the one that got us watching in the first place. And at this point we've watched more of that show than the one we fell in love with. The issue is bigger than Glimmy. The problem is that the premise the show has been operating on since S4 isn't as good as the premise it started with. It feels like they're just tacking shit on because there's no coherent vision for what FiM is supposed to be and where the characters are supposed to be going.

>>30001909
No, it's fucking not. The only reason they made that episode with it being the final in mind was that it's a common practice for shows to have 65 episodes. Not because it was logically justified for Twilight to ascent to alicornhood. They just didn't know if there was going to be a continuation. Plus Twilight becoming an alicorn was Hasbro's idea in the first place, not that of writers.

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>>29997113
>>29997126
I'm not sure what interaction she could have with the Mane6 because, as you said, we've already had several seasons with the focus on them. The mane 6 and Starlight don't really have much to be pushed which is why it works much better when Starlight is interacting with a side character or, like the third episode, Starlight, a background character and one of the Mane 6.

It's really a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. The writers don't really have enough material left to write about the mane 6, but they can't just boot out the mane 6 entirely and make it the Starlight Glimmer show. I honestly think this balance is the best way of including her that they have available to them.

>>30002164
>Twilight becoming an alicorn was Hasbro's idea in the first place, not that of writers.
Again, it is a toy commercial, so that was hardly a crazy thing to do on Hasbro's part. It just threw a monkey wrench into a very successful IP, one the writers have been struggling to write their way out of (with varying degrees of success) for four seasons now.

>>30002099
>It feels like they're just tacking shit on because there's no coherent vision for what FiM is supposed to be and where the characters are supposed to be going.
yup, because of the fandom

>>30002164
>No, it's fucking not.
yes it is
how can they finish a story arc early when that was when it was supposed to have ended?
granted, Hasbro gave her wings and it was a stupid thing to do
BUT, as you just said here:
>The only reason they made that episode with it being the final in mind was that it's a common practice for shows to have 65 episodes.
is true, they finished the series with a "happy ending" they thought people (intended audience) would like
they literally had no plans for the show after that
S3 was already written, approved and in production when the show got renewed for more seasons, so they couldn't stop without redoing MMC and possibly several eps of S3

>Not because it was logically justified for Twilight to ascent to alicornhood
I never said I liked it happening, and of course it was Hasbro's idea to do that to her
they didn't care because at the time, they weren't going to have to deal with the fallout from the decision
without Faust there to protest their decisions anymore, they went with what they thought would sell more toys

tl;dr
hasbro shot themselves in the foot by giving Twilight wings, making S1-S3 and S4-(whenever the show ACTUALLY ends), feel like two different shows

>>30001614
Sunset's been different in every movie. Evil in the first, hesitant in the second, confused and frustrated in the third, and finally confident but a little overeager in the fourth. She progresses. Starlight just keeps getting dragged into making the same mistakes, and while the other characters insist she's grown since her reformation, we don't get to see it happen.

I won't deny that Starlight's had some good episodes, but her character arc as a whole isn't fitting together.

>>30002540
I don't understand what you're saying at all.
First you say that Twilight's arc was finished when it was supposed to be finished. Then you proceed to agree with me how in fact it had nothing to do with it actually being finished and everything to do with Hasbro forcing their toys in the show, and writers not being certain on its future.

>>30002605

he's talking out of his ass. it's why i didn't give him the time of day earlier on in the thread. you're better off saving your keystrokes.

>>30002605
yes and no
her arc was finished because the show was ending, BUT Hasbro turning her into an alicorn was a stupid idea

>>30002641
and you're a fucking moron

>>30000336
I say two suggestions:

>Be brave and actually address Twilight's glaring problems
>Do more with Spike

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>>29997113
Arme you fucking blond,mlio, at how hcute she js awawawaeaeaeaea

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>>29997113
>>29997126

I did some thinking about these things a bit ago and I came to the conclusion that Starlight would have been better off if they had reformed Trixie first.
Trixie had shown up twice before, made almost the same mistakes that Starlight did (enslaved a town, meddled with powers she didn't understand) and would have been a better vehicle to reforming Starlight, since Trixie was a previously established character who already had a fanbase and could understand Starlight's misplaced anger at the Mane 6 and Twiggles.

Starlight and Trixie have a great dynamic together, but it feels like Starlight was shoehorned in, while Trixie could have made for a much more empathetic story from villain to friend and if she was the one who turned Starlight from foe to friend it would have felt so much more genuine.

>>29997113
>>29997126
The focus shifts to other ponies because we're almost done with the mane six story arcs. They've all achieved their dreams and learned what was there to learn, it can't go on forever.
It's interesting to see where they will go with Starlight and even though you're right so far it's been mostly about her abuse of magic powers, the episodes are still highly enjoyable.

>>30002910

Although RD seems to have learned jack shit.

>>30003115
RD has a learning disability.

>>30002907
You know, this makes some sense. Trixie wouldn't have been that hard to reform, she just needed a push in the right direction. And even then she wouldn't be friends with everyone and still be her older self with just realisation that she doesn't have to be like she is, that she's appreciated, that she's not really alone if she needs anything. Starlight could relate to that and they could segway this into a lot of lessons they both learn, Trixie as just a reformed "villian" who's been shown how friendship impacts ponies and Starlight who is just learning how to actually interact with anyone properly.
As of now they are both kinda broken. It's good to have character flaws but their dinamic is a bit frail as of now because they don't really have a lot in common other than their history, they are on the same page without being pushed forward. Starlight being friends with Maud somehow made more sense for me on a personal level.

>>30002910
Yes, that's what motivates the shift but op didn't question the motivation, but only the results.

>>29997113
>She's a retreading of Twilight's growth and development
I don't agree with this. She's certainly learning lessons about friendship, but it's a given that will always be the focus of the show. However, Twilight and Starlight have very different scenarios. Twilight was perfectly capable of having friends, with an abundance of ponies trying to be friends, but she kept pushing them away because she didn't value friendship. Once she learned the magic of friendship in s1e2, she had many friends immediately, and set out to explore those new friendships.

Starlight is almost the opposite. She began with an intense love and desire for friendship, but couldn't seem to hold onto it or connect to others. Instead of being good at friendship but uninterested, like Twilight, Starlight was bad at friendship, but interested in it. And while Twi began her friendship studies with a circle of friends at the ready, each of the few friends Glim has so far has been hard-earned.

It bothered me that Glim never casually interacted with the mane 6 in S6, but now that they've been continuing to avoid that and only have Glim with her new friends in s7, I think that's intentional. The mane 6 forgave Glim and are supporting her, but that doesn't guarantee the spark of friendship, and I don't think Glim may ever have that with the mane 6, save Twilight. Glim is making friends her own way, and still learning what that is.

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So here's the thing.

You're bitching about Glimmer is as meaningless as it is pointless. Hasbro doesn't give a shit what you think, so you're just pissing in the wind. The target demo loves Glimmer (and buys the merch), and that is who Hasbro always defaults to.

Word to the wise; if you've hated these episodes so far, you best punch out now because the Season is about to shift into second gear...

>>30003986
I like this guy a lot

>>30003986
>The target demo loves Glimmer
No one loves Glimmer. The show has been hemorrhaging viewers for a while now, and it only got worse with season six. So while the toys may sell, it's unlikely the show will last past another season.

>>30004663
>No one loves Glimmer.
> it's unlikely the show will last past another season.
denial and idiocy the post

>>30003986
It doesn't matter. The ride is almost over. And the fact that the best part of it was over five years ago just makes it easier for those of us who couldn't get off because it's like fucking crack to face the end. A slow decline into indifference is easier to face than the sudden cancellation of a great show.

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>>30003986
>Word to the wise; if you've hated these episodes so far, you best punch out now because the Season is about to shift into second gear...

You might be right.
Perhaps I've finally found the not-so-mythical stop on the wild ride after all.

>>30001614
Sunset got over her shit and doesn't pull evil magical shenanigans at the drop of a hat.

Sunset's role is to be a mentor, not a Super powered magical retard like starlight. They're honestly night and day different.

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>>29997113
>These days, it's Twilight, her five friends, the CMC, a host of side characters like Maud, and now Starlight, who comes with her own friends like Twilight has. Simply put, it's way too much at this point.

It's not too much if the mane 6 are headed for retirement, which seems to a very real possibility at this point.

>>30005657
Sadly.

But if the mane six are heading for retirement, then why are all the toys still about them?

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the movie will end with the mane six all becoming alicorns and "retire" from the main series for a new more action focused Guardians of harmony series now that they all have super powers like their equestria girls selves.

Starlight and her group will continue on Friendship is magic in the meantime.

>>30005794
That would be typical. Take something kinda cool that inadvertently made it through the corporate filter because someone was asleep at the wheel and bring it back to corporate thing it was supposed to be once it got popular. That's how the music industry dealt with both the British Invasion and the rise of hip hop. Good stuff happens when a big business says, "II want some of that", and hires an artist to bring it. Once they reduce "it" to a specific formula and demographic they've almost always fucked it up. The few who haven't are legendary brands, and Hasbro barely qualifies.

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>>30004663
>>30005430

Season 8 is already a thing, anons.
Bronies talk a good game but it's still
the target demo that supports the show.
If you 'left', Hasbro wouldn't even notice.

>>30006029
We never mattered to anyone beyond the handful of creatives working on the show who were pretty much like us but happened to be professionally involved in animation. To Hasbro we were nothing but a niche marketing opportunity for licensing to welovefine, IDW and Hot Topic. And the days of making a little extra cash off of that market passed years ago.

>>30003986
>>30005657
OP here. Honestly wouldn't mind if the Mane 6 were shelved (although obviously do it with a good ending for them). I'd be happy if focus were given to Starlight and her crew, even if I don't think they're as good. But they, they have potential.

Not sure if Starlight is as popular with the target demographic as you say there. I don't think she was even a Hasbro higher up decision. Which is actually surprising; you'd think a full intentional writer's decision would gel into the show far better than a Hasbro backed one (Cadance, Twilicorn, Tree Castle, etc.) but so far it's been one of the worst changes yet.

>>30008153
If they shelved the M6, I could drop the show without any more worry.
It was their interactions and adventures that really kept me going, so once that's done with for good, I can move on too.

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>>30008153
>Not sure if Starlight is as popular with the target demographic as you say there.

She is, as the rest of Season 7 will reveal.

>I don't think she was even a Hasbro higher up decision.

EVERYTHING has to be signed off on by Hasbro. The staff working on the IDW comic were constantly getting memos of revisions, including the addition/subtraction of certain background characters in panels. If Hasbro has a single issue with Glimmer becoming a Mane, it wouldn't be happening.

>Which is actually surprising; you'd think a full intentional writer's decision would gel into the show far better than a Hasbro backed one (Cadance, Twilicorn, Tree Castle, etc.) but so far it's been one of the worst changes yet.

Again, internal data at Hasbro shows Glimmer plays well with the target demo, whether you like it or not.

We have a Season and a half guaranteed so it's all building to the long game. Sweaty neckbeards need to get past the idea that this is a static, status quo storyline; trying to coast forever on the same characters makes you The Simpsons, and nobody wants that.

>>30000328
Glimglamfags btfo, Sunbutt best waifu of all time.

>>30005027
The target demographic, little girls, say that they don't like Glimmer. Toy aisles are full of Glimmer merch that isn't bought by Glimmerfags. Glimmer is killing the series and Flurry isn't helping.

Girls have moved on to Shopkins and Moana, live with it.

>>30009793

[citation needed]

>>30009818
That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

>>30009508
>Again, internal data at Hasbro shows Glimmer plays well with the target demo, whether you like it or not.

CITATION NEEDED

>>29997113
>>29997126
In most analyses of her, people mainly focus on her fuck ups to support the point that she isn't a character with much substance. It's what many do in their critiques of her character, and I guess it's easy to see why, since her "bigger" moments involved her fuck ups.
I think the problem with this is people always gloss over her other, more meaningful moments where she actually has development in favor of the ones that cause the biggest shitstorms and the ones where she repeats the same fuck ups with magic. For the latter set I always blame incompetent writers who don't know what they're doing, because I really don't believe she's so stupid that she would repeat the same mistakes so many times.
As for the set of moments that people always seem to ignore, they are the ones I believe contain the character development you're looking for. The kind of moments the "fuck up moments" were meant to be, if only certain writers didn't overdo them. I think that Starlight's main flaws after her redemption were her expertise in friendship and what I guess I would call social anxiety. Early on, she was meek, unsure of her acceptance into her new friend group (M6), and anxious about trying to make new friends (evidenced by her tendency to avoid friendship lessons). Between her redemption and TWaBA, you can see some development in terms of her friendship expertise (she reunited with Sunburst, made friends with Trixie, discord, and Thorax), but not much in terms of the anxiety (couldn't handle going back to Our Town in TWaBA and panicked when forced to lead the group in the changeling hive). Sure enough, however, the events in the changeling hive seem to have done at least something to her confidence levels, since it allowed her to return to Our Town and make friends with it's citizens.

>>30011296
Into season 7, a new character flaw is introduced (emotion/anger control, in ABU), but isn't really relevant right now since this flaw hasn't appeared enough yet to draw any conclusions.
In the latest Starlight episode with Maud, her friendship development from the previous season shows itself in her ease with becoming Maud's friend. Oddly enough her social anxiety seems to have improved greatly, seen through her interactions with Maud (I think I see what you mean now by her story seeming "disjointed." Why is she suddenly not anxious around new ponies?).
That said about her improvement, compare the Starlight immediately after her redemption to the Starlight in her most recent season 7 episode, and you should see a difference. Meek and anxious compared to confident and somewhat outgoing. Improvement.

Honestly this post started out as something different but made a few changes as I thought through Starlight's story after her redemption (and realized a few new things), and it's more of just a written form of my thought process. In general I don't like how it turned out as it's filled with awkward phrasing and structuring and it's probably a lot longer than it needs to be. Also that there's a lot of overlap between the two character flaws I mentioned. I just thought there were some moments that fell entirely within the domain of one flaw or the other, which was enough for me to separate them. Nevertheless I'm posting it because it's what I believe regarding Starlight's character, and hopefully it gets my points across for why I think Starlight had more character development and improvement than some care to acknowledge, and why she's not as bad of a character as people think.

>>30011304
>I really don't believe she's so stupid that she would repeat the same mistakes so many times.

Your headcannon is meaningless. She is exactly as she is written, because that is all she is.

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>>29997113

Something that helps me cope, is knowing she was just tacked on to squat out a few more cheap episodes.
Their budget appears to be shrinking, and I guarantee you starlights va was locked into a contract making her a cheap slut compared to Terra.

Got to do what they got to do. Rather than replace an expensive va. They replace the pony.

>>30011505
No. It's not a headcanon. It's clear she isn't stupid when you consider what she's done and accomplished by herself. When she suddenly starts acting like a retard with simple lessons for no reason whatsoever, it's time to suspect that the writers are incompetent monkeys who have no idea what they're doing with Starlight, and probably don't even bother to watch/read the other writers' episodes. In this case it's necessary to differentiate between the sins of the character and the sins of writers.

>>29997113
I think it would be cool if she made her own Mane 6 with Trixie, Maud and 3 others now and left to a different village to spread the friendship lessons Twilight taught her. That way she isn't ever present anymore but can still show up every now and then or have an episode devoted entirely to her group or something.

>>30011916
>Something that helps me cope, is knowing she was just tacked on to squat out a few more cheap episodes.

This is beyond delusional, this is ADVANCED delusional. Starlight is there to try and change the status quo up by introducing new characters. It happens in every single show that goes on long enough-- Remember how sailor moon had a shit ton of new scouts show up?

same thing, except starlight's meant to essentially be the "vegeta" to twilight's Goku, the new Secondary lancer character who splits the attention with the main chraracter

>>30011304
Fuck off Vogel.

>>30011953
Yeah, my dude. Any criticism not utilizing memes as arguments and talking any good about Starlight is coming straight from Vogel. No love for Starlight in this here circlejerk!

>>30011949
You just keep telling yourself that.

She was tacked on to squat out a few more cheap episodes, because they running low on good alternatives.

She is the filler to pad out the season to 26 episodes.

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>>30012308

So premieres and finales are considered filler now? Every single one has focused on her since she was introduced.

>>30012983
yep

>>30012983
They can't think of anything new utilising existing charicters. So they just dump starlight there.

>>30011304
The fact that it's Maud of all ponies who could connect with Starlight without any drama speaks volumes. It is this line of Starlight's character that should've been focused on right from the start. That she needs different kind of friends than Twilight and different kind of experiences. Not that she's just doing friendship wrong, fucks everything up and gets forgiven like it's nothing. That Twilight's lessons aren't meaningless, Starlight just needs to apply them differently because it doesn't work that way for her. I think that this "magic the problem away" shit isn't needed anymore to drive her episodes forward. it just comes off like she's too up her ass to learn a single lesson and it doesn't even matter in the end.
Sometimes it feels like the writers are more obsessed with Starlight's character flaws than with the character itself. It doesn't have to be like this. I don't think she should be defined by her fuckups.

>>30009793
You sure, cause the glimglams and Sunset EQG minis at my Kroger got snatched up relatively quick. All there is now is leftover Wondercolt uniform EQG minis.

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>>30013120
So NONE of the stories so far could have been done with existing characters? Seriously?

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Meanwhile, on eBay

>>30013928
sauce?

>>30013952
http://www.ebay.com/itm/My-Little-Pony-Virtual-Character-Anime-Dakimakura-Pillow-Case-Cover-Hugging-Body-/331937145762?var=&hash=item4d48fee3a2:m:mv2IQO1Z3lQkqQTzU4alrvg

>>30013928
>no Chrysallis
>NO THANKS!

>>30001614
>EqG
At least Sunset was and is heavily implied to be still loathed by the whole school and even her only friends seem to haven't yet accepted her fully.

>>30013985
she's loved by everyone now, and she's the mane7's leader
she actually stayed around to tough it out
Glimmer ran off to a tiny little village where no one knows the atrocities she had done
just like the nazi's did when they went into hiding after WWII to keep from answering for their crimes

GlimGlam is essentially Twilight Sparkle. After they made her a Princess it was hard writing her as a pony who spends time with friends and a responsible 'ruler'. So they just made another Twilight Sparkle without giving her wings.

>>30014205
>GlimGlam is essentially Twilight Sparkle
and I thought Shimmerfags were delusional

Greentext

>>30013896
Not nessasarily. But they just keep taking the easy way out.

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I just don't get why people sing Starlight's praises. Does she have a nice design? Yeah. Is her VA good? Sure. But as a character she's fucking flat as a board.

Let's compare. Starlight has had two seasons to shine. So I'll compare her with a Mane 6 character but only take things that were introduced within Season 1 and 2.

>Pinkie Pie
Pinkie is an energetic, exciteable pony that loves parties. She seems to know everyone in Ponyville, since she quickly identified Twilight as a newcomer when she first came to the town. She enjoys joking around and not taking things seriously, showcased by her love of pranks. However, she is careful to limit herself at times, evident when she knows not to prank Fluttershy. She doesn't think the same way other ponies do, which can lead to complications, and she's not exactly good at explaining herself. Under her silly exterior is a surprisingly smart mare. She has a bit of an ego/can can overestimate her abilities, like when she tried to babysit for the cake twins, or tried to guard the desserts on that train. She lives to make others smile and is relatively good with children.

>Starlight
After being reformed, Starlight is afraid to talk about her past. She often relies heavily on magic to solve her problems, which can lead to trouble. She likes kites. She's eager to learn about friendship, except when she's not. She has a short temper and is easily irritated I suppose. Yet despite that she tolerates Discord who is annoying as fuck. Or, Discord chooses not to annoy her even though she's just as easy a target as Twilight? Whatever this is about Starlight not him. She likes kites.

>>30016498
anon. Charicter development. They need to squeeze every episode out of her that they can.
That is the soul reason for her existence.

I can see newer fans liking her similar to how many twilight fans there were at the beginning of the series. But it also makes me sick to think of the garbage that abandons their old waifus for her

They are the kind of trash starlight deserves.

>>30016644
Can't speak for anybody else, but I've been here since long before Starlight made an appearance. Never had a waifu until I recently fell for Starlight at the beginning of S7. Favorite ponies, yeah, but I never felt any strong love for them, so I was hesitant to declare them waifus. Starlight made me realize the big difference between waifus and favorite ponies.

>>30016498
>Or, Discord chooses not to annoy her even though she's just as easy a target as Twilight?
Discord sees Twilight as a better target due to her being an Alicorn and a direct student of Celesita, the pony who imprisoned him. When you can annoy anyone, why waste your time on the small fry?

>>30016727
>i-I n-never really l-l-loved those ponies.
I'm glad you found the pony that deserves your "love" for a few seasons.

>>30016498
>Discord chooses not to annoy her even though she's just as easy a target as Twilight
Starlight laughs him. Twilight, even if she's annoyed, always takes him seriously. She and she alone cares about him enough to not dismiss his actions as shenanigans and even extracts lessons from them, some wisdom from an old god. Starlight isn't nearly that interesting to him, not to mention she can't be pushed too much before breaking. Meanwhile Twilight can take almost anything, if being annoyed by it, which is hilarious to him by itself.

>>30016789
Can we just have a normal conversation?

My favorite pony up until Starlight was always Twilight. Like I said, Starlight made me realize that I never did truly love Twilight intimately. I didn't think about her every second of every day. Simply catching a glimpse of her in the show didn't bring a smile to my face. She didn't have much influence on my real life emotions. All of this, and more, is true with Starlight. All of it. In fact I didn't understand the whole waifu business until Starlight. I didn't understand how someone could feel genuine love for a fictional character. I'm glad I do now, because it's an interesting kind of feel.

Abandoning and changing waifus is as incomprehensible to me as it is to you. To tell you the truth I don't even believe people are capable of changing waifus. I think anyone who claims they do are changing favorite ponies, rather than waifus. They might think their favorite ponies are their waifus, but only because they've never experienced what it feels like to have one.
I doubt you'll read all of this, but I hope you do and I can convince you that I have not abandoned a waifu in favor of Starlight. She's the one and only for me.

>>30016975
>I think anyone who claims they do are changing favorite ponies, rather than waifus
Not that anon but that's pretty much correct. I wasn't even considering my waifu as my favourite character before I fell in love with her. Strange how that works but once it hits you it's really easy to distinguish real feelings from just liking and enjoying a character.

>>30017034
>>30016975
Good job sticking around so half halfheartedly. you are definitely what starlight deserves.

>>29997113
>>29997126
What are you mad at? All 3 of her episodes this season have been great. The royal sister episode will probably be great to but autists will REEE just because Starlight is in it without any real criticism to give to the episode in and of itself.

>>30017539
>implying I waifu Starlight
In >>30017034 I never specified who my waifu is. But the truth is it doesn't matter. The feelings are often the same, as are the "symptoms" of finding the one you love, even though all waifufags have their own stories.

>>29997126
The most disturbing about Starlight as a character is that the show swears up and down that she's been reformed, but she's still doing evil shit like ENSLAVING HER FRIENDS and switching around Cutie Marks.

Why is any of this being handwaved away? She's just fucking demented.

Is starlight the show's rodimus prime?

>>30011946
She's not going anywhere. that was the point of the premier, dangling the "are we going to get rid of starlight?" carrot, only to emphatically reply "FUCK NO. SHE'S HERE TO STAY, AND WE ARE NOT GETTING RID OF HER".

she's going to be a permanent fixture of the show now.

>>30012983
Fuck, this is sad to think about. Starlight has Become far more important to equestria than the mane six at this point, the other 5 have done Jack and SHIT ever since Tirek, they're basically CMC tier in importance.


I mean... how many episodes are the mane six going to get this season anyways? Starlight's been in 4 so far, and has a Celestia/Luna Mindfuck episode too coming down the pipe.

>>30008153
>>30005657
>>30003986
Guys, they can't just shelve the main characters. If they do the show is over, even if you want to pretend Glimmer is some kind of saving grace. Transformers proved that you can't just completely retool a cast and expect fans to be okay with it.

>>30017816
I rather call her socially retarded or autistic. She just doesn't know what is and isn't acceptable.

>>30017816
She will continue to never learn her lesson anon, Because she is not here to be anything more than just filler.

A lot of filler this season. Just look forward to what little substance is left.

>>30017837
The saddest thing in all this is how blindly people are accepting this as the new status quo.
>The Mane 6 have completed all their character arcs
Which is total bullshit by the way
>The show was getting boring anyway
>More characers = more fanon XD
It's like how Rome became an empire; quietly and without opposition.

>>30017846

It's not impossible, there have been shows to succesfully do it.

>>30017846
>Transformers proved that you can't just completely retool a cast and expect fans to be okay with it.

LOLWUT? They do that shit CONSTANTLY in transformers. Look at Robots in disguise for example; it shelved 90% of all the characters from prime except bumblebee and Optimus and introduced brand new characters.
The same thing happens in each new show of transformers, they have an almost new cast of characters for each transformers except for Optimus and megs.


And they did this in PREVIOUS MLP too-- they'd routinely essentially retire old ponies and focus instead on all new ones brought in.

>>30017917
I honestly don't get the "M6 is boring now" meme. Is this some kind of mental conditioning or a coping mechanism? Like "we don't want it anyway" kinda thing?

>>30018029
its a way of rationalizing the other 6 being reduced in importance, so people don't have to admit the current path is a bad one.

>>30017837
>I mean... how many episodes are the mane six going to get this season anyways?
Most of them, probably. Just like in S6, where Starlight had major roles in 6 episodes (or 7, if you consider Snowfall Frost to be Starlight).

>Starlight's been in 4 so far
She's had major roles in 3...she appeared silently in the background for 10 seconds at the end of the most recent.
Judging by synopses, her next will be the royal problem one (ep 10) and the synopses of eps 11-15 do not mention her.

>>30018130

Or people just have differing opinions.

>>30018029
I've never seen anybody say the mane 6 are boring in earnest. The closest I've ever heard anybody say is that they think the show is getting long in the tooth and runs the risk of getting boring later if there isn't some serious shake up of the status quo.

>>30018029
>>30018130
I only ever see the boring 6 meme nowadays from boopposters. Personally I tend to really look forward to Starlight episodes because I've never been really disappointed by any of them and as such predict an interesting and fun episode every time.
I don't predict good or bad from M6 episodes because their episodes I've seen appear across the entire spectrum from interesting to boring. Which obviously is to be expected since they make up the majority of episodes and as such have had more chances to receive a larger range of ratings (from me).

>>30018131
Alright, I was counting the princess one for the 4th episode, but that's still FOUR when the mane six are struggling to even have ONE so far each. Four is generally the MAX that any of the mane six get in a season, and starlight's already slotted for that many before the season is even half over.

And the finale will most probably revolve around, given the current trend.

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As a Starlight fan, I genuinely don't know why I ever use this board anymore. I don't know why I do this to myself. It's painful. She's a welcome change in my eyes, and now with her interactions with Maud and Trixie, she's become damn near my favorite character in the show.

Also, I fail to see OP's arguments against her. Her current story doesn't seem anywhere near a retread of Twilight's arc in season 1 other than that she is... Making friends...? I guess? I also don't see how the show has become "too big" in ANY sense. The only thing I can see is that it's getting harder to tell who the "main" characters are, and I'm not in any way against this. To me, it makes the show seem just slightly more unique. Is it disorganized? I personally don't see it as such, but I also don't care. As long as I can still have loads of fun with the series, Starlight will never be a problem.

Why isn't starlight in the movie anyways? She's what the movie needs to guarantee the push it needs to be great. I mean, they're already putting her in equestria girls, it can't be THAT hard to get her in.


On that note, I wonder what her Special ability will be in Equestria girls when she joins the group?

>>30018537

Because they started working on the movie before she became a big thing in the show. I imagine if they make a second movie it'll feature her.

>>30018537
The movie is suppose to be their last hurrah for the former main characters. Not just more zombie mode mediocre filler.

>>30018650
>The movie is suppose to be their last hurrah for the former main characters
there is no indication that the mane six won't be central to seasons 8 and 9.

>>30018529
I know how you feel anon. More often than not I end up leaving the board in a mood worse than the one I came in with. This fucking screeching about Starlight has been going on since early season 6, not counting the glimmerposting after season 5. I kept telling myself it would get better, but it never did. It never went away, and her next episode, no matter how good it actually is, will breathe new life into it, because "poocie tainted muh princrss episode reeeee!!!!!!!!!!"

>>30018622
>starlight in the sequel
Oh god no, please. let the movies be our finale bulwark against the poochie taint.

>>30018772
>le poochie XD

Insufferable shitposter.

>>30018823
>Supporting shitpost the pony

>Calling others a shiposters

>>30018861
This thread was mostly reasonable discussion, and you decide to break out the cancerous buzzwords and act smug about it. You're probably not even capable of discussion without memes and buzzwords. You're the cancer killing this board.

>>30018885
>I broke it.

I believe that would be the one I responded to.
you just cannot handle that she has been hamfistedly forced into a once great show. Calling her "poochie" is crude, but apt.

>>30018823
Would you prefer "Shitpony"? Either term is appropriate.

>>30018934
More grossly exaggerated claims that she ruined the whole show by absolutely dominating the entire season with a whopping 6 hamfistedly forced episodes, half of which she wasn't even the main star of.
I think it's you who can't handle that the show was due for an introduction of a new big character, something that can't be handled by allocating 1 episode for said character's introduction and development.

>>30019203
>due for an introduction of a new big character

I disagree. They just stopped wanting to pay for good writers that put in the effort. And cop out starlight is the result.

Sunset is 100 times the character that starlight is. She actually functions in the group, has a good dynamic, and enjoys interacting with the others, and they enjoy interacting with her too.

>>30019364

Sunset is a phony

>>30000328
Praise the sun.

>>30018529
>>30018757
It's great you've found a character you enjoy but consider that maybe a large portion of people dislike her for reasons other than 'muh Poochie'. I don't think any other character in the show is this polarising.
I genuinely understand why you like her. I think her character in comparison to most is really stale.

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>>30005794
>mane six becoming into alicorns
>"taking primarily about the brony audience and how they will react to it once it releases"

>>29997113
We used to have these threads in old /mlp/. Good times.

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>>30020257 (>>30018529 here)
>Muh Poochie
Not sure what that means, so I'll just assume you're saying people don't just dislike Glimmer because she's Glimmer.

And to that I say, Of course they have actual reasons for not liking her, I'm just saying I can't understand any of them. Other than the subjective points or arguments, that is.

I'll say this. I didn't like a lot of season 5, and for the longest time, I didn't know why that was. Everyone had said they loved it, and only after discussing in another thread similar to this I finally discovered why I didn't like it as much. The mane 6. Most of the season focused on them, and to me, they simply got boring, for lack of a better word.

Why do I like season 6 (and so far 7) a lot more? Because with glimmer, and now Trixie and even Maud, it seems like it's starting to go back to "Oh, I have an Idea for THIS character", as opposed to "What am I going to do for THIS character", if you can understand my poorly worded explanation.

Because of Glimmer it seems now they have more time to think for other characters.

That's just how I see it. Probably wrong. Maybe I just like their S6 episodes because they were just better; no explanation required. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I hate that they took an interesting villain and heel-face-reformed her because muh friendship.

I hate even more that she's flat as hell, as the OP pointed out, really only having "muh magical fuck ups" and "muh evil past" and not much outside of that. I can only assume that people like her because she usually brings popular side characters along with her.

And yes, she's just a re-tread of S1/S2 Twilight. OP magic, but sucks at friendship.

But I hate the most that the writers keep shoving her into every single episode, and having her do the same exact

>"tries to fix it with magic but it fucks up and makes things worse and then she scrambles to fix it"

storyline, OVER AND FUCKING OVER

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>>29997113
I'm willing to see it the course through to its end before making assumptions. I wouldn't hate it if she simply gets wings and becomes the Princess of Boop this season finale but I have no reason to think that WILL happen besides pattern recognition & rampant shitposting. The more reminiscent of Twilight her arc becomes, the more susceptible it is to a sudden differentiating curveball.
I got into lore talk with a nor/ml/person a week or two ago may've been you OP idk and it made me realize that there are some really special possibilities for ol' GlimGlam. Things I didn't even know I wanted but now would be disappointed to not see happen. Proppa dank "What Would Lauren Do" things.

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>>30021511
Latest episode had an assertive Flutterbutt.
No meekness, no repetition, no 15 minutes of umming and arring to get there. She pitched her desires, didn't compromise and told the wankers to fuck off when they didn't deliver.
Redoing the same tired storyline OVER AND FUCKING OVER was worth it in the long run. The message sunk it after enough fresh coats. Starlight will get over it. And I daresay it won't take 7 gottdamm seasons.

>>30019396
Sunset is 100% authentic and shows actual character development that sticks. she got over being a villain after ONE fucking movie instead of trying to use it as her one single attribute.

She evolved, and she avoided being one dimensional. She overcame her "I used to be a villain" aspect, then graduated to being a mentor to the others, and is now a good leader figure for the group.


Contrast Glimmer who has yet to do anything besides "I USED TO BE A VILLAIN AND I'M TERRIBLE AT NOT FUCKING EVERYTHING UP WITH MAGIC!", and has zero chemistry in the group.

Sunset is a leader to the other six, in a minimal way, and has taken on Twilight in an organic way as a friend and mentor-- Twilight likewise acts in a good role in the group as the "nerdy, awkward" character without being an autistic spazz, and works great with the other 6.
Sunset is absurdly better than Starlight in every way as a character, she has a purpose, she gels well, and she and twilight fulfill a new purpose in the group.

On the plus side, if she's in the human world, the finale can't be about her, right?
Right?

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Is the CMC story the only good progression arc done in FiM? Think about it.

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>>30022869
>On the plus side, if she's in the human world

EQG has no influence on the show.

>>30022954
sure it does, the two are basically canon with each other, despite what the haters say. Twilight couldn't be in FG due to being in a timeloop for example. (How does that work anyways? If she's in a time loop, no time should pass until she gets out, unless there's seperate time for each universe)

>>30023019
>Twilight couldn't be in FG due to being in a timeloop for example.
Is this confirmed or speculation? Is there any information in FG implying that it's happening at the same time as the time loop?
I always just assumed EQG and FIM were separate universes because there aren't any references to EQG in FIM and as far as I know there are no instances of anything missing from FIM due to the events of EQG. But then again I'm not too keen on EQG.

>>30023149
>Is this confirmed or speculation? Is there any information in FG implying that it's happening at the same time as the time loop?

at the end of the movie twilight outright said it when she popped through and was trying to explain why she couldn't come sooner.