Reviews WesternAnimation / My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic

Oh boy, I can already smell the Flame Wars.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Before some angry brony decides to flag this review, though, I'd like to point out that this was on the level of the new Pound Puppies show. It's just that some group of fans think it's better than every single piece of entertainment combined.

Eh, to each his own, I guess. I find the morals to be tolerable; you just have to remember the target audience. Of course it's going to be a bit simple.

This seems to be how much I would have enjoyed it. Great and accurate review.

Well, at least you gave the show a try, and your being nice about your views on it. Why can't more non-fans be like you?

Well, on the argument of the intended audience, I agree that the morals are called for, but it doesn't make it enjoyable for me, really. This show really sort of reminds me of shows intended for pre-schoolers, with the pace and story plots, the corny music and forced morals. The reason it has respect and what makes it stand out however, is the characters for one thing. They're not whiny or bratty, or overly idealistic and kind and innocent. And like I said, they are stereotypical. Rarity is the fashionistic, mellowdramatic girly girl. Twilight Sparkle is the awkward nerd who does things by the book. Pinkie Pie is the overly excitable, energetic party girl. Fluttershy is the shy, sensitive girl with a heart of gold. Rainbow Dash is the fierce, determined and athletic tomyboy. Applejack is the hardworking, honest, down to earth conservative southern girl.

The thing though, is that despite being stereotypes, these characters are not stereotypical at all. Of course they have their moments, but they all have equally different, unique, and downright realistic traits. That's the main reason I respect the brony love. Anyone who has spent a good amount of time apart of or involved with stereotypes realizes that they have different personalities from all walks of life, but different tastes is all, and that show represents that wonderfully, and for that I give it tons of love.

Also, the references, the wit, the jokes related to adult subculture are more like that of a show targeted for the 7-12 year old demographics. That makes this show stand out further, but really, the pace and formula reminds me of a preschooler show. And that's alright. It's an excellent show for children, and I am a firm believer that your age has nothing to do with your interests. I just think the morals and slow pace of this show lose my interest quickly, and some of the really, really passionate fans over-hype it. However, I really do appreciate the fandom and the show, it's just not for me, as much as I tried.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13170334740A02242000&page=1

"But seriously, I don't think that it is possible for anything that is actively discussed nowadays, to be overrated. Classics, that's a different matter. Those were rated by elitist critics, and we just took their opinion at face value, so it's possible to realize in hindsight, that they overrated something.

But ever since the social media came, and everyone became a critic, the Hype Backlash is so quick and strong, that you can bet on someone crying "overrated!" before a show is even aired. And if the show actually does get popular, you can expect that for every single person liking the show, there will be ten hipsters freaking out at the fandom and making sure that every discussion about it is drowned in comments about how it is not as good as "everyone else" claims it to be.

MLP is a textbook example of that. You are at least the twentieth person I see posting how it is not "one of the best cartoons in history as the fans claim it", but I'm yet to see a single fan genuinely claiming that it's the best cartoon in history. (that's telling, because I actually spend time in the fandom, while I'm not looking for haters)."

You are at least the twentieth person I see posting how it is not "one of the best cartoons in history as the fans claim it", but I'm yet to see a single fan genuinely claiming that it's the best cartoon in history.

The reviewer has yet to say anything about whether the show is the best cartoon in history. Which makes this statement kind of ironic.

While, unline you, I do consider myself a fan of the show, and proudly at that, I will applaud you for such a fair and balanced evaluation of this television show. I think you really put your argument in a way that I don't think will cause a major flame war, and that's hard to pull off. Well done.

It is, in fact, nice to see a review from someone who DIDN'T like the show that much. You were polite, and that is all that is needed.

Regarding "Swarm of the Century", I say that the others never ASKED Pinkie Pie for clarification. Which makes it ALL of their faults in that regard. I am going to try to work my way around a spoiler, and say that one might be advised to watch the last five minutes of "Lesson Zero" and then consider how the moral-giving part of "Swarm of the Century" might have had a tiny but critical (to you at least) difference if that episode had taken place after "Lesson Zero" rather than before it.

Well, it gets all the love that it gets not because it's a PERFECT show, but it's the first REALLY GOOD show to be about My Little Pony.

I kind of agree with this review. While the show is definitely quite enjoyable, and it has a lot more effort put into it than you'd expect from a show for little girls, it's still flawed, like everything else.

I think the problem of Hype Backlash arises from not how much people praise the show, but from how much it's seen on the internet. Very few people who've watched MLP will think it's perfect, but the sheer amount of fanart and exposure to the show you get in certain online communities will often make it seem like it's supposed to be the best cartoon ever made, and people who haven't yet seen the show will have unrealistic expectations.

Did I ever say bronies called this the "best cartoon in history?" Really, this a genuine opinion. I just don't really like it too much. I know it's not perfect. Lots of shows I love have annoying plots and characters too, but the difference with My Little Pony is I actually don't really care watching it. It's not terrible, but I'm not gonna spend a few hours of my time on youtube watching MLP because I'm really apathetic with it. It has nothing to do with the fanbase. I'm fine with the fandom, I'm fine with you being annoyed with people flaming you for being a pervert who lives in your mom's basement (which is a pretty stupid argument while we're discussing hatedom). The problem is, it seems like people who really just don't like My Little Pony are either called out for flaming the community as a whole, or not watching the show and giving it a chance. And as unfair as it is to bash on bronies for liking an overrated show, or being a perverted loser, it gets annoying to see people treat non-fans like stupid haters or not giving it a chance. I really do get sick of the fans who do act like it's impossible to not like MLP though, because like I said, my views aren't related to how the fanbase views it as a whole, it's on the television show. I'm not trying to be critical towards the fandom, it's towards the show.

Maybe that's not what the troper meant when they gave me that quote for calling it overrated. If not I'm sorry. Anyway, I appreciate the maturity I've been given, and I respect all your views. (:

Like I said, at least your being nice about it unlike most people I've seen who don't like the show. Just to warn you though, there was a netrual mlp fim review on this site once, and it got taken down because of the flame wars caused by both the fandumb AND the hatedumb. It got to the point were I was worried about the reviewer getting banned, which thankfully didn't happen. What I'm saying is that you might want to prepare for fandumb attacking you and your review getting deleted. But again, thanks for being polite about it.

Nice to see someone who says "I don't care for the show" without being a dick about it.

I agree with you that some fans overhype the show way too much but I disagree about the aesops being backwards. Most of them are actually good lessons to teach kids ("don't mistrust someone because they look different", "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" etc).

Not many are backwards. Most are actually pretty good lessons. I think the whole thing with MLP is the morals are the show. Even if the fans don't like it for the morals, the morals are incredibly substantial to the story. And while I can deal with aseops, these can be overwhelming to the series as a whole. I read somewhere that these morals were added to fit the educational formatting of the show, and if it's true, it makes sense, because they feel forced. It really isn't the fact there are morals though. South Park is loaded with them, but I can enjoy the show due to the ridiculousness, dialouge and plot. It's the fact that the plot really is rather boring in the series, very slow paced and hard to get into. Because of that, when these morals get added in the plot, it just bogs it down. Because of all the things that happen in, say South Park's story, even if the morals are obnoxious, the plot makes up for it entirely.

With MLP: FIM, I realy just can't get into the story plot, and the one liners or dialouge never have striked me. So, to go through that, and then have a moral, especially if it's a backwards one, ruins it. I think that's why Swarm of the Century was my least favorite. I went through a boring plot to see a moral that didn't make much sense. So really, because nothing incredibly interest catching for me happen, my reaction really was "What the hell was that". Nothing really made up for it, like in a lot of other TV shows. To bring up a children's show example, The Fairly Odd Parents in their early years was a great show in my opinion, and while it was filled with morals in many episodes yes, the plot was entertaining and made up for it. My Little Pony just runs flat. So the morals aren't exactly a terrible thing. It's just when the plots bore me, the morals just make it less enjoyable of an experience. But I guess it's my opinion. While most of the morals are well placed, I just wanted an example as to while they bog the show down for me personally, and Swarm of the Century was my best example to explain my point. But it's an excellent show as far as educational programming for kids go, sure.

I haven't seen much of this show because

A: I don't have the network it comes on

and B: The attention it gets on the internet scares me.

I have seen some of it online, though (kind of unavoidable) and for the most part, liked what I saw. The season 2 premiere with Discord was VERY good. I hope to one day watch the show in full sometime after all the hype has died down.

Uh, no offense manwiththeplan, but avoiding a show because it's popular sounds weird. Why would you do that? Though if its mostly because you don't have the network it comes on, just look it up on youtube.

I understand you think it is overrated, after all I didn't love the first two episodes that much because I actually felt that there was not enough comedy. The thing that bothers me is that the actual moral of that episode was, listen to the people who act different for you becaue that doesn't mean they are stupid, like a lot of people do (and it was obvious they should had asked her what was she doing, at least for a genre savy person).

About the "overrated" thing (deffending is noflaming, please don't thing someone defending the popular show is flaming), the things we like about the show is exactly the good points that were said in this review, thats exactly why we like it, the recipe of all these things is what we love, for some understandably that just isn't enough, but thinking that someone can't have something that doesn't cover what he loves as his favorite thing is doing the same as the person who thinks something is the best because is popular.

The word overrated just sounds like "I don't hod it in high esteem, nobody should", so I would rather hear "I don't like it".

And Torquey, you can't ask fans of something to not think the thing they like is better than oters, two shows might look the same for someone but as long as it is not the completely same, (for example, liking more ponies than aesthetics than dogs one) you can't expect people to react the same way.

The word overrated just sounds like "I don't hod it in high esteem, nobody should", so I would rather hear "I don't like it".

I don't think people should stop using a good word just because of what it "sounds like". Thousands of words can sound a certain way, it's only when they're put together with other words that they take meaning. People should read what the reviewer says, not what they think he's implying.

Sorry, what I mean is not that it implies that, is that the word overrated atually is saying someting like that and itself is flawled to show respect to people that still like the thing that is considered overrated, is not a good word.

At least underrated means "it deserves more attention but people haven't hear of it so they don't", but the word overrated is too patronizing for whoever youre talking to, "you can still like something that you shouldn't love as much as you do, it is ok, you can be wrong, I forgive you for taking the wrong decicision".

That's the problem I have with that word, not because it implies anything, is because thats what it is saying regardless if you do it on purpose or without thinking about it.

But yeah, this review is nice and the author didn't act like a jerk like sometimes happens.

As a fan of the show, I commend you for giving the show a sporting chance and giving a fair, honest review that points out both the strengths and weaknesses of the show, most of which I agree with. Lesson Zero is an even better example of backwards morals (Listen to your friends or humor their mental breakdowns?)

Still, if I were to have a gripe, it would have to be the one posted by a Troper before me, which is that while you say you understand why the show is popular, you still title your review "Overrated" when the overall attitude is more like "Just not my thing".

Either that, or I'm totally biased, which I admittedly am xD

Now this is a review I can get behind. While I personally enjoy the show a great deal I can respect someone who doesn't and has the grace to say so without being a troll about it. 99% of people who dislike MLP just go "durr hurr, this show is dumb and the people who like it are retarded". You admit that the show is good in its own way, but you don't find it fascinating, and that's your own opinion. By the title I expected something much more hostile, but I was pleasantly surprised.

As a Brony, I believe this review deserves to be loved and tolerated. In a perfectly honest and innocent way, not the "FIRE THE FRIENDSHIP CANNON AT THE HATER" way.

lol @ people reading the quote I copypasted and thinking it was directed at the writer of this review.

I was just quoting someone who summed up my problem with the word "overrated".

^I see...

The reason I called it overrated is because, while I respect it as a show, I do think it gets more merit than it's worth. Most of you here have agreed it's over-hyped. I'm not saying it's bad to like it and it doesn't deserve any love, I'm just saying that it does have a lot of hype... more merit than it deserves, hence "overrated".

Hmmm. I suppose it's 'over-rated' on some corners, but that's only because the loudest ones to shout will always be the ones to stand out. I'm sure the series is filled with moderate fans, it's just thresh-hold and popularity that leads to a large number of people exaggerating it for what it's worth.

I believe the fandom has hyped it because they believe if they worship and put another faith and love into the series, they can grow it into something better. They're partially right, but not by much. As much as I hate to admit it, the actual show will never be nearly as cool as the tributes, videos, music and fan-based material that this fandom pumps out, (Not quite industry quality, but collectively it's captivating what we've accomplished for a fandom) it's sort of circulating around that almost as much as the source material. Perhaps you don't believe bronies shouldn't hover around our glorified ideal of it that we wish to create (in all our fandom and what-not)? Maybe that's part of this shows charm somehow. It first changed the limits to what a kids/girls cartoon could be, and that by default got the fans into a mode of thinking everything else it could be if we kept pressing, and this spirit started a cycle of revolution. Sadly, that cycle ends with us, since Hasbro outside of a few bones-thrown to us, won't actually really change anything or progress to meet the market needs, sorry I mean deluded fantasies of this strange demographic of admirers. They are a business after all.

I also think of of the reasons for all the hype (and therefore hype back-lash) is because when put into context of modern day cartoons... everything else is SOOO bad, terrible actually. Literally, you cannot barely find any good cartoons that aren't dead-baby comedy that show there are still people that care about humane animation. Disney has dropped flat, Nick has given mediocre efforts at best. Cartoon Network has a few notable exceptions from very creator-driven shows, but they seem to be the exception and not the norm. (With crud like Problem Solverz, MAD, and Johny Test running to confirm this) And the crazy to follow and emulate anime-styles and what-not, god I can't stand it, it's awful.

I'm pretty sure if this had come out a few years back, it would've been praised even further and the hype would be phenomenal. (2005-2009) Quite a few years before than and eh... it might've been received more lukewarm, maybe a small gem of a solemnly remembered age. (2001-2004) Anywhere around the early 2000s or before that and it wouldn't of received even a wisp of attention outside that of little girls who wouldn't get any of the references or allusions. (I suppose the lack of popularity given with 4chan/deviantart/youtube/knowyourmeme, this would be a complete given)

Context is everything. How well this show is remembered and received in the future all depends on what sort of programming follows, weirdly enough.

I think there are shows I like more than mlp but I find impossible to expect people will really put attention to the merit they give things, specially with how abstract liking things are, people can't just say, "I'm gonna love this!!!!...but not too much...."

I don't think there's too much objectively wrong with the show as a whole, although it's definitely true some episodes are weaker than others. There are plenty of subjective reasons to dislike it; many people just cannot stomach its inherent Tastes Like Diabetes tone, others are driven up the wall by the memes and the hamfisted Fan Dumb, and others just don't find it to be all that, like you. I can understand your opinion, and you backed it up extremely well, but I don't think it's a fact, an objective truth, that MLP: FIM is overrated. You clearly think that, you have very good reasons for thinking that, and a lot of people agree with you, but I don't think it's a proven fact that the show is overrated. It has a huge following and is not flawless despite much insistence to the contrary, but I don't believe that it's been proven to be overrated altogether. None of this makes your complaints necessarily invalid, mind.

I agree with this review 100%. It's a lovely show but I just can't get into it.

I totally agree with this review. I really don't get all they hype behind this show at all.

So glad you don't get the hype either. Many fans seem to treat this show like it's impossible to dislike. I almost feel weird or isolated, lol, or weird that I don't like it, because everyone else is just quick to say how amazing this show is.

Actually I'm a fan and I also think its overated.

Though in response to comment #11377 , I strongly disagree. Whatever was wrong with the episode, it wasn't the moral. If your friend is overacting to something, having serious mental stress over something is desperately important to them, but not important to you the correct response is NOT to just brush it aside like nothing and ignore you friend, they'll just get worse and worse when they feel they are being ignored. Talk them about it, maybe try and show them that its not a big deal, but if their honestly your friend, don't just push them aside. If you think think their being attention whores, call them on it even (IF you have good reason to think that), but don't simply brush them off.

I mean for instance if someone says their going to kill themselves over something stupid, the proper response is not to mock and laugh at them, its to talk to them about whats making them feel that way. In the instances where their "friends" do mock them, it often leads to REAL suicides.

I know thats a very extreme example, but still even if the something bothering them is nothing to you, its probably a helluva lot more to them, and blowing them off helps no one. I think that IS a lesson people today need to learn.

I think saying it's the best show ever is wrong, but I think it absolutely deserves the following it has. It's not popular solely because it's a good show, although that helps. It's popular because it's completely unique.

There are no other shows I can think of that have a similar charm. Even though it's not flawless, having strong female characters in a cartoon rather than cliched caricatures is refreshing. Bright colors and positive messages are a nice change from the cynicism in other shows.

It has all the standard aspects of girl's TV show: it's happy, colorful, magical, and innocent. It's the first cartoon with those elements that's actually good in recent memory, and that more than makes up for any flaws it has in my eyes.

Personally, its not the writing, the animation, or anything like that that makes me think My Little Pony is my favorite show. Don't get me wrong, all of that is very good, but not enough to make it my number one...

What makes me love this show so much and call it my favorite show, is the impact it has on people. I've seen people act nicer to others, I've seen people being supportive of one another, I've seen a group of fans do charities for the show and always making a ton of money.

What I love about the show is that it honestly does some good in the real world. The Humble Brony group and the Smile Album are examples of why I love this show.

Robotnik, the reviewer NEVER suggested that it's opinion was fact, neither did anyone else. I'm sorry, but you came off as being a bit defensive, even if you didn't mean too.

Anyway, good review, and nice to see most pony fans taking it well. I don't see the point in quibbling about the word "overrated" though.

As a sidenote: the "Dear Princess Celestia"s have been pretty unfrequent lately, the show is getting more creative =D Sometimes those letters are even subverted hilariously, like that one time Applejack writes, "Dear Princess Celestia, I didn't learn anything!"

this review will get as many flames as the last "overrated" review did. and that is sad.

I like the show mostly becuase of the fandom, and how they feel pasion for it. plus, the fact that a show with my little pony in the name is good is...well awesome

Not really sure about that Robbie, because the last "Overrated" review was deleated just a few days after it was published {Or whatever the term I'm looking for is}, but this one has been up for months. It helps that their haven't been any flame wars going on in this one like there were in the last "Overrated" review.

Just saying.

Totally agree. It's good, but it doesn't deserve the love it's getting.

^ How does something not deserve the love it get?

That's a really silly statement.

^ That translates to "annoyingly popular".

^That seems more like a personal problem, then.

If you feel something is overrated, then saying it doesn't deserve the hype it gets is a reasonable statement. It's not hard to understand.