Until Canterlot becomes entrenched in the Midwest and Celestia has to sell her crown to make the rent on a shitty apartment called 'The Castles' will it ever really feel genuine in the same way SU did. And I think that's what Tamers was trying to do in his most recent animated flick, but he's trying to do it after establishing Canterlot (and also using it in the first place) rather than building it from the ground up. The Changelings are from the Projects, there's racism aplenty, and Little Caesars and Starbucks are in Equestria but nobody focuses on those- neither does Tamers now, it's all the boring yet grandiose adventures that boil down to a proverbial pissing match rather than an actual one. It's not the Midwest with Equestria in it, it's Equestria with the Midwest sprinkled on it. I think Tamers is trying to woo back some of the audience from SU and earlier MLP but it may be too late to course correct unless he pulls a big turn and alienates the 'modern Tamers fan'.