I wonder when the first instance of someone saying MLP is dying in reference to G4 occurred. Probably during season 1 from some hater that thought it was a fad. Or maybe even before that by one of the very few G3 fans that hated that they made Rainbow Dash a pegasus because it ruined the show for them.
@FoldabotZ
Merchandise-Driven shows were practically unheard of before the 1980s, due to FTC regulations against advertising to children, which were mostly repealed in the early 80s as part of Reagan-era deregulation initiatives. Before then, cartoons almost never had corresponding toylines and vice versa. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which debuted in 1983, is generally considered the first half-hour toy commercial.
@Background Pony #A097
Like The Simpsons or SpongeBob Squarepants. And it’s too late for that. One full decade is more than enough, and it already fell into patterns.
Friendship is Magic is ending but not the MLP franchise as a whole. Like Transformers and G.I. Joe, it will be reborn(reboot) anew, fresh for a new era of fans to enjoy. But FiM holds a great legacy, being the most important chapter in series and will influence the franchise from now on.
As Optimus Prime said at the end of Predacons Rising, “Above all, do not lament my absence, for in my spark, I know that this is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Simply put, another transformation.”
It is not the end, but merely a new Beginning.
