WesternAnimation Not exactly my style, but I understand the appeal
First of all, I would like to point out: I am not a Bronie. I watched the show occasionnally, and I have a friend who genuinely loves it, but I personnally don't follow it with as much zeal as I do with other series. I don't really hate the show either though, so I'll try to analyse it fairly.
I personnally think that one of the strong points for the show is that, Alternative Character Interpretation aside, none of the characters really is a Jerk Ass or an idiot. They are flawed, but not the point you'll feel like they are unsympathetic or moronic, a mistake I feel many show, especially comedic ones (Ultimate Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teen Titans Go!...) tend to do. All those characters have both flaws and qualities, much like normal persons, and are fairly sympathetic. Plus, this isn't a Sadist Show: while the characters do have to learn lessons, it usually ends well for them instead of going with some excessive punishment. This generally good mood, I think, works well in favour of the show.
Another strong point of the show is that it accomplishes exactly what it was intended to do: take a mindless, Merchandise-Driven girly franchise and giving it some actual substance to make it a likable show. The series has its own universe, even its own mythology, and could easily work as its own kind of fantasy show. The elements used are a bit cliché, but it manages to make it likable anyway, partially because it doesn't take itself too seriously (Pinkie Pie especially helps in that aspect).
Now, the show isn't exactly flawless. One of my main problem with it is that, while it has really good ideas, it seems to restrain itself from having a real plot: the villains, for a lot of them, are good and full of potential (especially Discord and Nightmare Moon), but they are used only in the pilotes/finales and never get story arcs: all the other episodes are standalone. I get that's what the writers were going for, but still, I think some story arcs would have been nice, a la Teen Titans. Even outside of the villains, I think it'd have been nice to get more episodes about Luna, for exemple.
Overall, MLP:FIM is exactly what it was intended to be: a kid show for girls. But a good kid show. 7/10.
WesternAnimation Lesson Zero is best episode
If you know me, you'd know I don't like to take things seriously, I prefer to be more lighthearted. Lesson Zero satasifies my need with just straight-forward comedy with Twilight Sparkle sinking into insanity over missing a simple deadline. This episode showcases Twilight's fatal flaw, and turns it Up to Eleven. Kung-Fu Chiropractor Fluttershy was probaby the best moment in the entire episode. If you are looking for a particulary funny episode to watch, this is the one.
WesternAnimation Perfectly Tolerable
I'm an at-home dad with two young girls, and this is by far their favourite show. It's also just about the only one I can stand to watch with them (other tolerable aimed-at-youngsters-shows: Imagination Movers, Maggie And The Ferocious Beast, Blue's Clues if it's a Steve episode). In fact it's more than tolerable, it's enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, this is a kid's show aimed squarely at kids, but every so often a little reference or something will slip in—The Big Lebowski is visually referenced in one episode, with The Dude and other characters showing up in pony form as background characters, which was great. As such it's about on the same level as cartoons like Duck Tales and Doug and Animaniacs—they're for kids, but there's stuff in there that adults can appreciate (and the occasional gag that most kids just aren't going to get). The animation style is probably the show's strongest point, it's simple and clean and lovely, but for the occasional fault (wings clipping through cutie marks or copy-and-pasted background characters). Voice work is definitely above average also, although Pinkie Pie grates—surprisingly Rarity doesn't, despite having a somewhat stereotypical haughty voice. Fluttershy gets the best lines and the best delivery out of any character—it's nice to see a soft-spoken character in a cartoon, and the kind of subtle, warm humour her character allows is very welcome. Quality of writing varies, some episodes flow well, others stutter and limp along.
I think MLP's biggest problem is the 'lessons' format—the restriction of having to have a lesson every week really hurts the show, because the characters are strong enough to support much more than that. If the creators of the show had the confidence to tell stories rather than forcing characters into (often out-of-character or artificial) roles I think it could be a truly great cartoon—as it stands there's hardly any character or story development and after a few episodes it all starts to feel shallow and pointless. The characters are good so it's disappointing that they're not allowed room to breathe and to grow, nor given stories that challenge them enough to truly show their strengths and weaknesses.
So, overall it's a good show, great to watch with your kids, but it always leaves me with a lingering feeling of 'this could be better'.
WesternAnimation Another pony review: I get the appeal but...
Before I even watched the show I was sympathetic to the fans because Lauren Faust was the creator. Her work on Power Puff Girls and Fosters Home for imaginary friends should bring the popularity of this series into perspective. However, I never watched the show because I didn't have the Hub network, and to be perfectly honest the subculture sort of creeped me out. What do I think about the show after finally viewing it? It's everything I expected it to be; it's similar to the shows I mentioned eariler but a lot more positive and "educational" (in otherwords, the "Y" rating fits). While I can see people in my age group (late teens, early 20s) enjoying (or at least tolerating) this program, the subculture it has created still goes over my head. Is this show really "meme" worthy? Nothing seems to stand out compared to other shows that come on less exclusive networks. Is it refuge in audacity that a MLP series can be more than the sugary sweet show from the 80s? Were people hungry for shows that are connected to cartoon network's Golden and Silver ages? Everyone has their own opinion, but I don't think that satisfies a phenomenon like Friendship is magic. Watch it for yourself and see what I may have missed.
WesternAnimation It's okay to be girly!
Some time ago, I attended a short seminar on post feminism. The speaker, an Indian woman, defined post feminism as “the idea that you can be a strong, independent, free-thinking woman…and still be girly.”
I believe this describes My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic perfectly.
We have a main cast of six very cute ponies, all with distinct personalities. Yes, the ponies are very feminine. Even tomboy Rainbow Dash. Yet they all show a strength of character and they all have different motivations. For instance, take Rarity. She’s very traditionally “female” – she likes fashion and fantasizes about meeting the perfect stallion. However, she doesn’t follow trends – she makes them. She is an artist who takes pride in her work. Rarity is feminine to the extreme, but she is still a strong woman who thinks for herself. Applejack is similar. She focuses on family, an idea that might typically be looked on as anti-feminist. However, she’s also revered as a great athlete and a shrewd businesswoman. Applejack and Rarity may be feminine, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak and helpless.
Our (American) culture seems to think that a “strong” woman is a man with boobs. Not so! My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic teaches young girls that there are lots of different ways to be strong. It’s okay to like pink and makeup. It’s okay to like fashion. Being “strong” isn’t about pretending you aren’t a girl. You can be successful, independent, and girly too. Frankly, the idea that one has to be masculine to be strong is sexist in itself.
The animation is delightful, the stories well written, and the voices are perfect. Sure, this is a girls’ show. But it has themes and stories that everyone can enjoy (thus the whole 4chan debacle). My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic teaches little girls not only about friendship, but about who they are as growing women. It has lessons for adult women too. Too often we’re told that “strong” women can’t wear dresses, can’t have families, can’t like makeup. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic gives us six truly strong women who like those things and aren’t ashamed. The ponies of Ponyville embrace their femininity and still manage to beat bad guys.
A great show, a great message. Well worth watching.
WesternAnimation It's just a cliche children's show..
I know this an unpopular opinion, and I know it's just a little girls show, but here is my reason why I disagree with people saying it's better than other shows rated TV-Y. Honestly it's no different than the typical little kid shows on Nick Jr. Think About it.
The characters are all 1D. Pretty much all of them can be summed up in one word. [Smart, shy, tomboy, ect.] Just like any other badly made Nick Jr. show, the characters are flat and have been done before.
The show structure is repetitive; there's always a "moral" or "what I've learned today" at the end. You always know how the story is going to wrap up. There's no surprises or complicated story. The conflict feels pointless because you all know how it's gonna go out. Almost all of the stories and plots have been done before by, yup, other children shows.
The humor seems to pretty much appeal to little kids under the age of 6. And please, do not give me that "they make adult jokes, so it's not just for little girls!!" I've seen plenty of children's cartoons that did sneak in adult jokes, and way better than this shitty show did. That doesn't mean those shows and this show is for adults too just because of some jokes.
But the thing is..the show is good. For little kids. The characters are flat and boring because these kind of characters are easy for little kids to identify. The humor is cheesy and unfunny to older people because it's little kid humor. The story is structured and repetitive because that is what appeals to little children. From the toys, the merchandise, the movies, it all makes sense. MLP:Fi M is a franchise that is just one big cliche in children's entertainment; it checks off all the cliches of one and does pretty much nothing new, which makes it shitty. But for older people.
Older people who aren't strange. :)
Those are my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
But seriously.. "Cutie mark"?
Goddamnit.
And the review is flagged. And I thought bronies could at least accept opinions.
WesternAnimation Absolutely atrocious, appalling, cancerous excuse for a show
Y’know, the funny thing about shows that teach us about friendship is that they typically don’t have the word “friendship” in the title — they don’t need to because they actually SHOW they’re all about friendship without needing to TELL us. But not this, either in or out of universe. Here’s why.
Let’s look at the episode Magic Duel. Lauren Faust wanted this episode pulled, but of course the showrunners went through with it anyway because how else are you going to bring back the witch Trixie so bronies can write porn of her and jack off to Trixie plushies? What the showrunners did is just plain scummy to the person who gave us what could have remained a good show had it continued in the right way.
Now from an in-universe perspective. Trixie uses the Alicorn Amulet to remove Pinkie Pie’s mouth, and never give it back for the rest of the episode, even leaving her that way when she returns the others to normal. And we’re supposed to find it FUNNY. It gets worse, because Trixie faces no punishment for what she did (she may have been corrupted, but she is still responsible because she chose to wear the amulet). It doesn’t even seem to matter to anyone later that Pinkie hasn’t been returned to normal, even though she was one of the ponies who helped save Twilight’s ungrateful ass and defeat Trixie. It is the most sickening display of phony righteousness I’ve ever seen in any show. Does it seem fair to you that Pinkie had to deal with not being able to eat or speak but nothing bad happened to Trixie? Pinkie would have FUCKING STARVED TO DEATH if she hadn’t had her mouth returned eventually.
Following Trixie’s defeat, we get a timeskip to Twilight putting on a show for some foreigners. That’s right, she felt THAT was a bigger priority than putting Pinkie’s mouth back on. That’s the least you could do after she helped you like any GOOD friend would, you spoilt little shit. Answer me this: why exactly did Twilight wait so long?
If she forgot, then she is negligent and irresponsible.
If she wanted Pinkie to shut up, then she mistreats her “friends” for her own convenience.
EITHER OF THESE THINGS MAKE HER A TOXIC FRIEND. PICK. YOUR. POISON.
And how about the episode Flutter Brutter where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ignore Pinkie while she’s trying to get their attention and calling, “It’s me! Your friend!”?
TL;DR: This disingenuous show fails at teaching about friendship because it routinely mistreats Pinkie for laughs, even though she never means any harm to anyone, not even those who hurt her. Yes, she makes mistakes, and those mistakes have consequences, but she never means it and is immediately sorry for it.
The lesson this show teaches:
“You can be an asshole and not face any consequences for it.”
This show is far more cynical underneath the surface than bronies want you to believe.
If you want to abuse characters for laughs, go ahead — just be honest and don’t do it while pretending to run a good-hearted, decent show.
WesternAnimation What you see is what you get.
Look at it. Looks colorful, girly, and saccharine right?
That's because it is.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is a tragic case of a show that has been killed by it's own hype. It's overrated and overhated at the same time. When in reality, nothing in the show warrants the amount of praise or hate it's getting.
Sorry Lauren Faust and Bronies, this show is not a revolutionary society-shaking work of art. Sorry, pony haters this show is not the worst show in the world. It's an all around, average, inoffensive, okay cartoon.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is simple, girly, cute, corny, lighthearted, cliched, and does nothing groundbreaking as a children's series. What can be appreciated is that the animators and creators know it's a toy commercial about magical talking friendship ponies and TRY to make it entertaining, but Friendship Is Magic falls into all the same pitfalls Lauren Faust claims this show isn't falling into like other My Little Pony predecessors. Saccharine Songs, Corny jokes, One-dimensional archetype characters (Bookworm, Shy, Hyperactive, Proper, Tomboy...), and sappy cliched premises like princesses, love, and rainbows. That doesn't take away from the show necessarily, since it is for a family-friendly and young audience, but what does this show do that other children's media doesn't to warrant such praise?
I'm pretty sure fanatical Bronies reading this will be quick to point out the "depth" of the characters, the Season finales and 2-parters, and use it as justification about how wrong I am for not appreciating this revolutionary work of art of our times, but let be real here. The Villains are very typical too, and they always lose.
I think most of the fan hype surrounding this show is centered on what it COULD be, instead of what it is. We all wish Twilight could have a definable personality. We all wish it wasn't so corny, predictable and cliched. We all wish there was some REAL character development, but that's not what the show is about or what it's going for.
It's a show about colorful ponies who sing songs and talk about Friendship. Nothing more or less. For what it is, it's not bad, but it's not riveting stuff of legends either. It's just a watchable show that can be enjoyed at times. If you sit back, relax, and take it as is, Friendship Is Magic is a lot more enjoyable.
WesternAnimation 28 Disappointments Later
You know...even though I despise certain moments more than others, such as characters being made utterly useless for the sake of a plot, or wasting a great story for pointless filler, it's when a show pretty much abandons its moral principles and briefly becomes the opposite of what it should be.
I love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and what it did for me. It broadened my horizons, taught me things about myself I never knew, and shaped a few moral beliefs in the process. It holds quite a special place in my heart, if you couldn't already tell. So when I see episodes like "No Second Prances", "The Cart Before the Ponies", "Every Little Thing She Does", or the subject of this review, "28 Pranks Later", I'm more than a little absolutely livid!
So let's talk about that particular episode, shall we? The episode itself could work on a concept level, having a zombie apocalypse in Equestria and all that; the premise works well enough on paper. But then you realize it's actually an episode about pranks. Yes, it's a lesson to learn in this day and age that pranking can cause a laugh, but if it goes too far, it's not very funny. But they could have done it so much better.
I could go on picking apart every little thing about the episode, but instead I'll just cut to my main problem: nopony in the episode is likable! Rainbow Dash starts the episode by pranking Fluttershy, for Celestia's sake! I thought it was a basic rule that you don't do that, but here she is, ignoring an established unspoken law just to make her seem like a complete jerk. And she doesn't show any remorse for it; she doesn't do her pranks to amuse anyone, she just does it cause they amuse her.
The rest of the ponies aren't any better. All the pranks themselves are relatively harmless (except for the above mentioned one) and yet the only likable thing the others do is that they try to reason with Rainbow Dash and tell her that what she's doing isn't right. That's a step up from "Mare Do Well", and about ten steps down afterwards; unlike that episode, all the humiliation on Rainbow Dash was inflicted by herself, and the ponies playing Mare Do Well only stepped in when Rainbow herself couldn't get the job done. But here, they're all actively out to get Rainbow Dash back for menial pranks. And they way they do this is to reenact a zombie apocalypse to scare the crap out of her. Our heroes, ladies and gentlemen.
So yeah. As you can probably tell, this episode spits in the face of everything Friendship is Magic stands for. "Mirror Magic" may be the worst thing it's produced by far, but "28 Pranks Later" is by and far my most hated episode of the lot. It made me hate everypony present, just for one episode. Yes, even Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Princess Twilight Bucking Sparkle. And barring "No Second Prances" above, she's usually my favorite. It's an episode I refuse to count as canon in any way, shape, or form. Screw. This. Episode.
WesternAnimation If you're looking for a clever, fresh cartoon that treats both kids and adults with respect...
Look somewhere else, because this show is bland and typical as hell. The episodes never rise above the level of mediocre, and the characters are almost always one-note cliches, only displaying any semblance of depth when an episode focuses on them specifically, and even then only some of the time. When a character does get development, later episodes will often completely disregard it for the sake of convenience-which in a show that's supposed to be mainly focused on character development, is absolutely inexcusable. How many times has Fluttershy had to learn to be less shy again? The entire point of giving characters character development is so the audience can get attached to the characters, watching their emotional journeys and seeing them grow. When a show is willing to change, ignore, or add character traits to anyone for the sake of convenience, it makes it impossible to get invested in any of the character’s development knowing it could be undone at any time.
Another issue is that, despite what the bafflingly large fanbase will tell you, this show does not treat kids with any sort of respect. While good children’s cartoons like Avatar or Steven Universe will present complex issues that encourage kids to think, this show never even tries to have any semblance of substance-there is always a clear good guy and bad guy in every issue where one side is treated as completely right and the other as completely wrong, there’s very little clever humor or dialogue of any kind, every villain aside from Discord is a cliche-spouting bore-fest with no motivation, and every conflict the show presents is wrapped up in a neat little bow in a single episode with absolutely no lasting consequences. There are occasionally some good moments, but for the most part, the show talks down to the audience, making everything simple and dumbed-down so that they can entertain kids without actually having to put any effort into writing interesting issues. Add in some seriously troubling implications (just look at the horrifically stereotypical portrayal of the one major character who is explicitly the pony equivalent of an African person) and a recent Season 5 episode that was just one big insult towards transgender people, and overall there is NO reason to watch this show when there are several cartoons out there that do EVERYTHING it does several times better.
Westernanimation I know why this show has the fanbase it has: it's a refreshing escape from the TV of today.
First off, I like this show very much. I like the characters (although I would not consider them the ever-changing characters that some claim exist, they do have a decent amount of Hidden Depths and backstory) the art (Flash done right) and the fact that the writing is well-crafted and creative, especially by kids show standards (even in the times when it does seem cliche, the comedy and development is good enough so one can forgive it).
But, I found myself questioning why I like this show so much. Then it hit me: it's just so well written, and does not go into one particular direction like other shows. In fact, it goes back to other kids shows of the early 90s.
The other most popular shows in America targeted to the 18-34 age group are all dark, and the shows aimed to children (sans the cartoons on Disney Channel) try to be grotesque, loud, or disturbing, like they need to get your total attention for every second.
FIM is not loud and annoying (like most of Nick's cartoons), gross and sadistic (recent Spongebob episodes), or cynical (shows like Family Guy, which are targeted to the same age group which forms FIM's Brony fanbase). Instead, it provides a happy show that still focuses on satirical humor, conflict, and adventure. The show harkens back to a simpler time in TV, when cartoons were just fun to watch, and not gross/annoying. Yet, it also has enough tension to offset that.
I ultimately think that people should watch the show, at least once. I think that to get a proper feel of the adventure aspects, I think that one should start with the two-parter pilot, then go to "Dragonshy" to see the character development and comedy that the show provides.
WesternAnimation Season 5-getting better.
The problems of season 3 are well known. Season 4 was a mixed bag for me, and if I'm honest, I think it may have ended up having more bad than good. Season 5, despite having issues of its own, has the writers doing more to push the boundries of the characters and shaking up the status quo.
The season seems to finally have the kind of world-building fans have always wanted. We get a look at different cultures across Equestria, and I thought that "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" was one of the best episodes the show has had in a long time. There was a noticeable push towards have more character development, with an episode finally exploring and resolving Luna's guilt, and another detailing Big Mac's relationship with Applebloom, something the show has never focused on before. We get to meet Pinkie's family and we get to find out more about Twilight's life prior to Ponyville. I think the aesops were on average handled better this season, with "Scare Master" in particular impressing me by its unconventional moral.
It's not all rainbows and sunshine though. The writers still have no idea what to do with Spike, and his single focus episode just retreads the same ground as all his other episodes. Easily Forgiven continues to be a problem, with the actions of multiple characters being glossed over. Blame it on the writers, blame it on wanting most episodes to be self contained, but the show rarely portrays redemption with the nuance it deserves. Although the season had fewer episodes that I found irritating or illogical, there were several that I just found to be bland. My most hated episode is "Tanks for the Memories". If that episode had aired during season 2, it'd be just as notorious as "The Mysterious Mare Do Well".
Even if the show never manages to iron out the issues I described, I hope future seasons will have the same world building and character expansion this one did. When a show has gone on as long as this one, the writers need to step up their game to keep things interesting. For the most part, they seem to be up to the task.
WesternAnimation Crusaders of Our Hearts (SPOILERS!!)
The last three minutes of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic S 5 E 19 Crusaders Of The Lost Mark can be summed up thusly: first a Little "No", then a Big "NO!", then a Big "WHAT?!" (repeat 3X), then a Big "OMG!" (repeat 5X), then Manly Tears, then a Big "YES!" (repeat 10X) whilst wildly flailing my arms like a Human Hummingbird, then full on Inelegant Blubbering and Tears of Joy all the way.
I had no idea what to expect. I didn't even realize 10/10/2015 was MLP-FiM's 5th anniversary episode. The title "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" suggested a CMC Indiana Jones parody, with perhaps a guest appearance of Daring Do. Nope. When I heard the first song barely 15 seconds in, I knew something was up.
When Silver Spoon & Diamond Tiara had their "break up", I was like, "YEAH! Enemy Civil War!"
I started expecting an SS redemption episode, and seeing she's been willing to stand apart from DT once or twice in the past, it was more than welcome. But holy crap, I was not expecting a DT redemption episode! I had thought glue pony was irredeemable. But holy crap, they actually did it. DT's abusive mother is the new glue pony. Even as abrupt as it may seem, DT's redemption felt completely genuine.
And, holy crap, they actually did it. The CMC actually did it! After five f*yay*ing seasons, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo FINALLY have their butt-stamps of destiny!
This was a Musical Episode exactly like MLP: Friendship Is Magic S3 E13 "Magical Mystery Cure". But unlike MMC, in which Twilight's ascension had no build up whatsoever (no, waving a mysterious book around once is not a build up — but I still enjoyed it), the Cutie Mark Crusaders have had five seasons building up to this moment. This episode was MMC done right. The songs "The Pony I Want to Be", "Light of Your Cutie Mark", and "We'll Make Our Mark" were all phenomenal, and were the great strength of the episode.
Yes, I could pick nits. Like MMC, this should've been 2 parts. The color scheme of their cutie marks could have been more personalized — but I love the shared shield motif.
This episode is now my all time favorite of the series.
9.9995/ 10
>> Happy Dance <<
WesternAnimation What Draws Me In
I started watching MLP four years ago. What got my foot through the door was, oddly enough, TV Tropes itself. Seriously, one link from the “Slasher Smile” page and it just snowballed from there.
But my question is this: Is this show really worth enjoying? Well… Yeah. Absolutely.
Friendship is Magic is not a perfect show, but there’s a quote sloshing around in my head that I’ve been dying to use, and this is a perfect opportunity. We don’t enjoy things because they’re perfect. We enjoy them because what they do well is good enough to let us overlook what they do badly. Are there flaws? Yes, but if the strengths work to overshadow them, then why stop yourself from enjoying it as a whole?
This summarizes what I feel about the show. I can look past the animation hiccups, the occasionally recycled stories/lessons, and the tendency for cheese with those friendship speeches, because the show’s tone and attention to detail help me focus on the positives qualities: the detailed animation, the well-done casting and voice directing, the self-aware humor, and most importantly, the feeling that there is a serious amount of care and effort being put into it.
And it shows in many ways. Friendship is Magic isn’t aiming to be a colossal mammoth of drama and action; it’s a fun, (mostly) uncomplicated little show with an surprising sense of ambition and a willingness to play around with various tropes and clichés. It’s not aiming to be just a cute and bouncy time waster, and certain episodes demonstrate this very well. There are moments in the “CMC Dream trilogy” that can be downright atmospheric at times in both music and visuals. The number and timing of jokes and gags in Discord episodes can be hilariously spot on. And why do episodes centered on Fluttershy’s fears always seem to descend into a fountain of psychological terror?
Ultimately, the fact that a show based on a saccharine, seemingly irrelevant bit of ‘80s leftover culture could resurrect into an acclaimed pop-cultural juggernaut is a testament to how much the people in charge care enough to make this work. They're tasked with trying to abandon the stereotypes/disrepute the franchise has garnered (especially with G3) and in trying to craft something credible in a culture with unfortunately low standards for girl-centered entertainment. In my opinion, the job they've done is certainly praiseworthy.
WesternAnimation Mein Thoughts (Season 4 finale review, minor plot points)
Warning: this review contains a vague opinion.
I'll be honest about what these episodes get right. The villains receive some respect, with detailed backstory and nice design, as always. Two of them even get a private rapport, passing the Inverse Bechdel Test rather nicely. I was surprised by the animation quality during the one notable fight scene; for a brief moment, I felt I was watching the Avatar finale, but with more rainbows.
And now for some gripes. The plot is lubricated by blind and stupid decision-making by just about everyone; this previously established trend is taken Up to Eleven. You could write an entire review about the painfully obvious things that nobody thought of doing. On that subject, it seems that every character with a single notable exception merrily juggles away and proves themselves to be hopeless incompetents so that said notable exception can shine without any spotlight-getting competition. Okay, she deserves a central role, but as we watch multiple powerful characters be tossed aside to make way, I began to wonder. And then they decide to forgive someone...
Don't hope for side character development. We witness none of the god-like abilities of the Alicorns, but they do hang out in the same room. Equine society seems to sit there and roll over as the most powerful threat yet just rocks up and strolls around wrecking everything. Also, a central character loses something important - explosively. Yet, she doesn't care because it is replaced with a magic doll's house. In this way, the characters often don't act like thinking beings, but plot devices strung along a 'story' like puppets. Like in most shows for kids.
And the ending just happens. It's not complicated, but there are some pretty lights. It is good for Sailor Moon/Power Rangers nostalgia, though.
The Season 4 finale was an excellent double episode of a children's cartoon series. So far I've felt like I was watching something that I wouldn't usually enjoy but exemplifies how quality is a quality of its own - like a golden age Pixar movie, back in the day. But here, I watched an okay show for younger kids; I was just very conscious of being grown up the whole time. Honestly, I was probably unreasonable to expect more.
WesternAnimation A Complicated Simple Show
I like dot points.
-This show is excellent and it is not overrated, but what it is is overly defended and overly attacked. It is not the second coming personified in an animated program, and neither is it the death of masculinity. What it is is consistently good in all areas, cute beyond belief and genuinely heartwarming. There are just times in your life when you need this kind of show, or there aren't. That's okay too.
-The fanbase is a magnificent monstrosity, and you don't have to be a net regular to know that. In my opinion it is one of the warmest and friendliest out there, but it is a little intimidating at first glance. Some people don't get over that. Sad but needs to be considered.
-If the characters' genders were flipped, then people would probably complain that MLP:Fi M was oppressively male-dominated. But instead it's all about girls (or mares and fillies), which makes it more palatable - until it starts to bother you that, arguably of course, the overwhelming majority of male characters are either servile to females, fumblingly stupid, totally evil, mute animals, cardboard cliches, or woefully underdeveloped. I'm glad that this show can buck (ha ha) the male-inclined trends of pretty much all fiction forever, but unfortunately, perfection would be a world of palpable gender equality. Simple as that. (however, this might not be the creators' fault)
-Be ready to cringe a little. For all its qualities, this show tends to rely on characters doing incredibly stupid things to move the story along. When your complex favorite character forgets all her (most likely) hard earned past lessons to act impulsively, selfishly or just plain dumb, you will want to complain, because the show deserves better.
-Lastly, MLP's stellar potential is cropped by the fact that it is a kid's show. All the fix fics and fan art on the internet can't change the fact that it can't develop in ways that fans wish it could because it's a cartoon for children intended to sell toys. You may come to deeply, *deeply* love the world and the things that live in it, and it will frustrate you when you realize that the show will probably never give the characters you genuinely care about the experiences and satisfactions we feel they deserve. You will wish they were real, and this *can* mess with your head.
I hope, however, in really good ways. Thanks
WesternAnimation The aesops are becoming increasingly problematic.
Rarity Takes Manehattan has Rarity realizing how badly she's treated her friends, and runs out of the competition which would seem to ensure her defeat. This could've been a great message about doing the right thing even if it costs you, but we find out that Rarity won anyway. In "Rainbow Falls", Rainbow struggles with sticking with her weak team. We could've gotten a message about sticking with your friends even if you have to sacrifice something else for it, but Rainbow ends up qualifying. I remember how the first season finale ended with the cast not getting what they wanted, and I find it disappointing that the writers now always go for the Sweet and Sour Grapes approach. I think it's proof that while the show may be entertaining, it's not as unique and clever as the fans like to believe.
At first, I liked the fact that not every antagonist ended up learning a lesson. It helped the show feel realistic and kept it from becoming too sugary. But almost every jerk in the series being a shallow character is starting to get old. I think Diamond Tiara might've been better received if it had been implied that she picks on people because of her own insecurities, while suggesting that she might grow out of it one day. Some fans don't hate her because she's a jerk, they hate her because she's boring. Lightning Dust was a jerk, but she didn't feel like she was past redemption to me. The cider episode is well known for not acknowledging that the Flim Flam brothers had a point, so I hoped their sequel episode would be more nuanced, perhaps with them learning that they don't need to con people to make money. But instead, they were even worse than before. With this track record, it feels like the two antagonists who were reformed only did so because they're fan favorites, not because the writers saw nuances to their characters.
On a final note, this show needs more recurring characters. Lots of interesting characters are introduced, but never appear again or only get one sequel episode at best.
Westernanimation Not terrible. Bit cliched at points. Cheesy morals.
Basically the title really. Not a terrible show. Does have some good moments and characters. Slightly cheesy morals at some points. I find the characters not very complex or well rounded i mean sure they have more character than other series aimed at the target audience. However i find many of the characters simply do not stand up to the hype lauding them as Shakespearean Masterpieces when really it seems the Villain characters..well before they ruined Discord are far more interesting than the main characters.
The Aesops(sp) seem to be basic stuff standard kids show fare. The theme of friendship is sometimes used too heavy handedly (discord's redemption) to the negative effect of the villains being redeemed and removing what made them interesting. The characters seem to undergo development but not in a consistent way. One episode a character could be incredibly stubborn then accept their friends help the next and go back to being stubborn the next. Also the development is standard and can be predicted from the word go. IE Twilight starts off not needing friends you know she will understand the error of her ways and become a friendly person. Appleack is stubborn but will eventually learn to accept help. It's all been done before and done better in some cases.
Now is this show good? Well i dont find it so but i don't find it bad just underwhelming. I expected a wondrous show that'd make me regret being an anti social prat. What i got was a decent adventure/comedy for kids i cant say i understand the massive hype machine. Maybe it's just not for me.
Small comment on the fans. Many are kind and respectful people in fact the majority are however every fan base has its dark sides and this is no exception. With insults and abuse being hurled at those who dislike the show or people saying the show is the reason they do charity work. Seems a bit like people crying for attention. That's only a small if very vocal minority however.
Overall i think the show is great for kids and OK for everyone else. Final score 5.7/10
WesternAnimation Great Show, but Overrated
I love Friendship is Magic. I really do, but I will not lie and say that it's underappreciated or just right. For example, this is probably the largest section on Tv T and that's just...wrong. I know a lot of people like it, I know that it has a lot of tropes, but it is not the pinnacle of Western Animation that contains every plot device possible, and the characters section actually includes background characters and inanimate objects.
But onto the actual show. As we all know, Fi M revolves around the slice-o-life adventures of a group of candy colored ponies known as the Mane6. They learn lessons, overcome conflict and generally raise hell in there hometown. Now as a little kid's show, this is top notch: Smart dialogue, (most)episodes end with good morals, And it doesn't belittle the audience with condescension such as: Repeating the lesson in simple terms.
However, the show fumbles when it comes to things such as villains, Friend vs. Friend conflict ex. Mare-Do-Well/Griffin the Brush Off, and certain lessons that can be viewed the wrong way.
Overall, I'd give this show an 8.0 out of 10.
WesternAnimation Swarm of the Century AKA Predacon bait!
This episode needs to be torn apart!!! It would have been excusable, if it weren't for that awful ending. You see, Ponyville is in ruins, everyone is miserable, and Pinkie nails the last nail in the coffin by going 'wash wah WAAAAAAAHHH'. The absolute worst part though, is that this is all played for laughs. Ha ha ha-NOT FUNNY!!! Can you imagine trying to stop an equivalence of a Biblical plague and having it all be for naught?! I am SO glad people forgot about this. I like to think that Winter Wrap Up is some kind of apology to us all.
What do you guys think?
Westernanimation Liked it for a while...
I was late to the MLP hype. I started around the time the fourth episode of Season 2 was released. When I began watching the pilot episode, I was impressed, as I was with the second episode, and remained as such for the entirety of the first season. I enjoyed the stories, even though they were pretty basic, but I liked them as such, and the characters went along with it. The animation, I was okay with it, and liked the different coloured outlines, but I didn't see anything to write home about. The voices I felt were doing the job.
Then came season 2, and at the risk of flames, I am going to say it. I despised Return Of Harmony! To be frank, I found the story dragged out, using forced, unfunny humour, Flanderization and a villain who to me is nothing more than a Manchild with a guest star to hide behind.
Now, for the rest of season 2, it was a mixed bag. Lesson Zero, I would have liked if it was in another show, but it doesn't seem right in this show. Luna Eclipsed, I can't comment really, as I wasn't in the fandom during Luna's rise to popularity. Those are the major episodes I noticed. The rest were either good enough(But not as good as season 1) or nothing I could remember. Until Canterlot Wedding! My word, did I dislike this. First, Cadance. My main problem is the fact she's an alicorn. For me, it's undermining the specialty of them. Hell, I thought even Luna was giving the show too many alicorns. Next, Remember Shining Armour? It's been 2 seasons in and suddenly, Twilight has a brother? What? And he was her best friend? Wasn't part of her character that she had no friends until Mare In The Moon? Everything else was a poorly-executed parody of Wedding Episodes.
Then Season 3... My god, it was boring. I can't say much on the season 3 episodes as I fell asleep during them. The ones I can speed review are Magic Duel, which I think was terrible as Trixie seemed nothing like herself, as well as her being Easily Forgiven. Then Keep Calm And Flutter On had the same Easily Forgiven problem, not to mention You-Know-Who. And Magical Mystery Cure. Once again the same problem Cadance presented, and Flanderization.
After that, I just seemed to stop watching FIM. But, I did watch the previous generations, and I can tell you that I liked them, even 3.5, and I will cover them in their own review pages.
WesternAnimation Decent, but nothing to write home about.
Pretty good for a kids show, but nothing special otherwise. Starting off, it takes no real risks with the characters. The tomboy having self-worth issues, the shy one having a hidden strength, the bookworm and "straight man" so to speak being not so above everything after all, the seemingly high-class one actually being sweet, none of that is new. It's all been done before and frankly, all been done better.
The Aesop's are often subject to Fridge Logic and Unfortunate Implications, with Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, Dragon Quest and A Friend In Deed being three of the most prominent examples. There have been entire headscratcher, wall banger and dethroning moment pages on those, so I won't go into them further here.
The world-building is lacking to say the least. Despite seeing griffons, minotaurs, zebras and dragons, we know almost nothing about any of them (other than dragons being jerks every time they're seen). Plot elements often come out of nowhere despite opportunities to set them up earlier, such as Shining Armor. This is likely in part due to the episodic nature of the show, but it's still jarring.
One would expect a largely slice of life series to not have many overarching plotlines, and one would be correct. Powerful threats like Discord, Sombra and Chrysalis are brought up and then dealt with in two episodes at absolute maximum. There isn't much build-up, nor are we given much insight into them. Where they come from, how they came to be the way they are, any sort of insight into their characters simply isn't there.
This ability to take down seemingly epic threats easily and then spend a whole episode trying to figure out who ate a cake or an entire episode not realizing they have the wrong person can also jar a more serious watcher and threaten to break the suspension of disbelief.
Now, I've been pretty negative here, so let's get on to what the show does right. The animation is fluid and easy to watch. The songs (with a couple of exceptions) tend to be well-written and enjoyable, and it does manage to work the aesops in without being irritating.
As a childrens show, it is a good, though not spectacular series. However, it fails to build the world, tell any sort of continuous, compelling story over the seasons, or go very deep into anything, and generally lacks to substance to be anything more than a good kids show
Westernanimation Long time Brony, surprised at how long I've enjoyed it
I first saw the show back in 2011. I saw the first two episodes on youtube and I was eventually hooked on it. I enjoyed the characters as well as the fun episodes. As well as the more interesting characters especially compared to previous generations of MLP. I also eventually got into the fandom and I'm enjoying every moment of it.
It was surprising to me that the series was all animated in Flash and the voice acting was superb.
Any way, this show is a cut above the rest.
WesternAnimation Surprisingly Enjoyable If You Ignore Its Age Bracket
I watched the first season mostly out of boredom and because a couple friends liked it. It is surprisingly good. The aesops are cheesy, good ones to teach little kids though, and the episodes can be ridiculously cliche, like when Celestia sends Twilight only two tickets to the Gala, you can pretty much write the rest of the episode in your sleep scene by scene. But other episodes are rather original, many (not all of course) convey their aesops well, and even if you know the plot, they're usually told well.
What I think sells the show is the humor and the characters. It is genuinely a funny show, in a manner grown-ups can appreciate in the same way they can re-watch old episodes of their childhood cartoons. The song quality dips at times but they mostly range from inoffensive to addicting and fun.
Most surprising is the characters. While the core six are given very stereotypical templates (the tomboy, the shrinking violet, the asocial bookworm, etc), they grow and expand beyond those templates, merely using them as a launching point. They are genuinely likeable, well-rounded individuals. They are not flawless, they can be neurotic or jerks or stubborn or selfish, but they're more believable and endearing for it. There is noticeable character development over the course of the show, they become better people over time and their friendship becomes stronger with every conflict they experience together. The secondary characters are all good as well even when if don't get the spotlight save for once a season maybe, and the villains are genuinely effective and threatening foes.
To say again, I think that is one of the show's biggest strengths - these are a bunch of memorable, likeable characters that you grow very attached to and want to see more of.
Is every episode a hit? No. Are there lapses in characterization and some skewed aesops? Yes. Does the show sometimes just not work? Yes. And was Season 3 a dip in quality? I think it wasn't awful, but yes a dip. But if you get over the idea that it's for little girls and just approach it as any other cartoon, you'll find that it's very enjoyable.
I won't speak on the matter of the fandom, being new to the series and not having gotten into those depths yet, but place anything you heard about the fans aside and just look at the show itself with an open mind. You'll be glad you did.
WesternAnimation Best.show.ever.
I had review up for two years ago but it seems to be gone. Last decade did not live up to the 1990s in cartoons on TV, but 10.10.2010 changed it all. My Little Pony: Friendship was shown on the new channel called The Hub. Twilight Sparkle the pony unicorn lives with her friends in the Equestria city Ponyville where we follow their ups and downs every week. There is something from everyone here and it includes the ponies breakdowns, epic songs and Pinkie Pie the party pony. There is a load to explore and that is Cloudsville, forests, events and on. Season 3 is on the way next year, and it could result in a cinema movie. If you haven't got enough of the show explore the fandom that includes fics, memes, PMV and on. The Brony fandom is big in the states, and it might hit Europe next year where I live. If you need over 20 minutes of feel good go watch Friendship is Magic.
WesternAnimation I'm not all that impressed
My Little Pony: FIM has been a veritably cultural phenomenon for over a year now. Its virtually inescapable on the web, and it has legions of (often very vocal) fans. But does it really warrant the amount of attention it's getting? I don't know, but I personally don't think so. I really don't see how this holds the attention of adults. It doesn't have a particularly engaging plot. The characters may be a step up from usual 'girl show' fair, but they aren't particularly impressive, even compared to other children's cartoons (see the excellent DC Animated Universe). The colors and designs are garishly bright, and overly saccharine. The music varies between mainstream ultrabubblegum girly pop to musical numbers that sound like they were rejected from a particularly lame Disney sequel. It has decent writing behind it, its clever enough to elicit a chuckle or two out of me, and to be honest, the voice acting is above average for cartoons in general. But neither of these things can really make it more than a decent children's show. It doesn't rise up out of the Animation Age Ghetto at all, it feels like a show for pre-teen girls. I'd watch it with a kid if I had one, or if I had grown up with it, I'd probably continue to watch it into my adult years, but without the power of nostalgia behind it, it just doesn't interest me enough to watch it. To make matters worse, as someone who doesn't like the show, it's pretty much impossible to avoid. Almost every sight I frequent on the web is inundated with it, and random browsing often brings it up as well. The rabid fanbase, the hype, and the inescapability of it sours my view on the whole thing. This doesn't affect it's objective quality, but it makes it hard to enjoy it. As a whole, for an adult show, I'd give it a 5.5 (mediocre). Viewed as a Kid's show, what it is, i'd give it a 7.5 (good)
WesternAnimation The Best Part Of This Show...
Its not the writing, although that it very good. All the characters have their flaws, but are good ponies in the end. Its not the jokes, although I do think many are funny or worth a smile. Its not the animation, beautiful as it may be sometimes (or lazy when you see several of the same ponies in the background). Its none of that.
Really, the best part of this show is the fanbase. Now don't get me wrong. Are there some bad parts of the fanbase? Yes. But I like focusing on the positive side of things.
I have never seen a cartoon have such impact on people. I've seen people actually act nicer because of this show. Not everyone of course, maybe not even many, but some. I've seen people changing for the better because of this show.
I've seen people donate money to charity because of this show. The Humble Brony group made my once stone heart warm when I saw the money they had collected for charity. It was amazing to see such kindness in the world, created because of something that was supposed to just be an extra long commercial.
That is the best part of the show. The fans. The art they make. The kindness they show. The friendships that are made, makes me proud to be a Brony.
WesternAnimation Definitely A Fun Show
This series is definitely a lot of fun with interesting main and side characters, fun episodic plots, and an engaged fandom putting out interesting side material at a rate that most series could only dream at. This series might be a little overhyped, but that's only because of the sheer magnitude of hype that has been generated. The animation is enjoyable, and the show definitely earned its periphery fandom.
I have three big gripes, though.
One: The fandom can be a bit too rabid. I find the Fridge sections filled out with every little quibble that could supposedly form a connection (or writing stuff that is explicitly stated in-show making the "Fridge" part indicate they weren't paying attention), every minor action heartwarming, awesome, tearjerking, nightmare fuel-inducing, or funny, every minor moment of confusion being turned into a Dethroning Moment of Suck.
Two: The heroes routinely get away with behavior that would be considered destructive and criminal in most cases, and massively jerkish in most other situations. I get that they're supposed to be national heroines, but I would like to see that being presented as the reason people put up with their mischief when they get out of hand, combined with certain quiet points of resentment by people who get steam-rolled.
Three: The depiction of jerk-level antagonists, characters who are meant to stir conflict by being jerks (Gilda, Trixie, Prince Blueblood, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, etc). Maybe I've read too many of Limyaael's fantasy rants, but I hate characters who solely exist to make another character look good. It's boring, and cliche, and a wasted opportunity on a series that gets touted as having multifaceted characters even though I'm getting characters that I can charitably call two-dimensional. As a result, I don't look forward to episodes that prominently include them because I feel the writers are just passive-aggressively dealing with their issues from elementary and high schools.
Still, once I get past that, I definitely recommend people this show, though I am not enough of a fan to openly admit it in real life.
WesternAnimation Easily my second favorite cartoon
I won't bother putting info about how I discovered this show so I just get right to the review.
It's a really good show. The animation looks really nice and colorful, the writing is well done and the characters are well-rounded. Many of the episodes make me laugh more than a few times and jokes are never the kind that I hate. (For example toilet humor or fat jokes.) The Ponies, like I said before, are well-rounded and none of them are flat. Even Rarity, whom I disliked at first, has a large amount of depth in her. I can't name a favorite Pony, but if I've to, it would probably be Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie centered episodes are usually my favorites, with Mmmystery of the Frienship Express being my favorite episode overall. Though my overall favorite character is Discord, because...how can you hate someone who can bend reality. There aren't really any characters that I really hate...
Another thing I really like is that the show rarely uses clihes and that the episodes are most of the time very orignal, aside from some episodes (I'm looking at you Games Ponies Play and Spike at Your Service!) For example, I really like how the Hearts and Hooves Day didn't focus on Main Characters and that It's About Time had an unexpected ending.
The show is not without it's faults though. For example, season 3. While it had enjoyable episodes (Too Many Pinkie Pies, Keep Calm and Flutter On amd Magic Duel for example), I felt that it was weaker to the first two seasons. That might be because there were only 13 episodes, but that's no excuse for a weaker season. The fact that the season finale felt rushed didn't help matters.
The other thing that bugs me, are the letters to Celestia. I understand that it's central part of the show, but having it at the end of almost every episode annoys me a bit. We don't need An Aesop in every episode! This is probably just a personal thing and I understand if others aren't bothered by it.
As a closing statement, I can now understand why this show has such a large following. It clearly deserves it. (Although some bronies can get little extreme.) I'm not sure am I a full-fledged brony as I've no interest to participate in fandom activities, but I do enjoy the show and that's all that matters. It's right now my second favorite cartoon, right after Phineas And Ferb
I'm looking forward to season 4!
WesternAnimation Definitely changed my original view of the show
When I first heard of the show, I instantly put it off as stupid and childish. And then everyone starts to talk about how good it is, which definitely caught my attention. So I looked up the first episode on You Tube, and you know what?
I actually liked it.
After watching a few more episodes, I found myself addicted to it. I told a couple of my friends about it, and one of them is now a brony.
The main thing I really like about the show is the characters. They originally seemed like little stereotypes to me, and as I watched more and more of the show, they began to show more character traits, enough to make me grow immensely attached to them.
One example of an episode I was more neutral with was Magical Mystery Cure, mostly because I thought it moved a bit too quickly for me to catch up. But I do have some hopes for Season 4.
I will certainly continue watching the show, no matter what anyone says.
Edit
Changed my wording a little bit. I've noticed that I should have said "more neutral with" instead of "didn't like" in the first place.
I should also point out that there are several episodes that I would never watch again even if you paid me, but I figure it would be best to just not mention them.
WesternAnimation Wonderbolt Academy: Season 3's best!
Those who know the MLP fanbase most likely know that Merriwether Williams is a VERY controversial figure, mainly due to "Mysterious Mare Do Well". I myself had some (very) strong issues with that episode, but after watching this episode, I can say with complete certainty that she has redeemed herself in my eyes.
First, characterization. One of the main criticisms about Williams is that she flanderized Rainbow Dash from a Jerk With A Heart Of Gold who cared about her friends and family to a straight up Jerk Ass who cared only for glory and fame. In WA though, Dash's portrayal is spot on. Yes, she's confidant and brash, but its the LOVABLE kind of confidance she's known for, and she proves exactly WHY she's the Bearer of Loyalty by the end.
Secondly, Spitfire. Now, I know a lot of people were turned off by Spitfire's actions, but to me, it had the exact opposite effect. Spitfire is the instructor of the Academy. Its her job to act as a drill sergeant, and the fact that she didn't give Dash special treatment proves that she's a good instructor. It doesn't mater who applies to the Academy, an instructor can't afford to play favorites. If anything, this episode made me like Spitfire even more, as it showed that, despite her normally casual and laid-back attitude, she knows how to take her job seriously when she needs to. The perfect Wonderbolt role model.
Finally, Lightning Dust. My main reason for including her is because...she's surprisingly mature, as an antagonist. She actually comes very close to being a sociopath in a kid's show, and she serves as an example of what Dash could become if she lets her pride go to her head, which I felt was a good contrast between them.
In closing, this episode showed Dash at her best, increased my admiration for a fan favorite side character, and had a surprisingly mature antagonist. This is possibly the best episode of Season 3, and Merriwether has fully redeemed herself in my eyes. 10/10, would watch again...and again...and again.
Westernanimation It's good, but I can't take it seriously
Let me first say that I am NOT a brony (not a hardcore, fanatical brony, at least). I only started watching the show to see what all the fuss was about, and I don't intend to let the show or fanbase rule my life or govern my interests. Nor will I mindlessly defend either of them.
That said, I enjoy the show strictly for what it is; a children's show, albeit a surprisingly well-executed children's show. The characters are well-written and interesting, the animation is solid (occasional errors notwithstanding), and each episode's plot flows nicely. But really, let's be honest. It's still a children's show, and it was obviously made for pre-teen girls. We can't pretend that it's the greatest form of adult entertainment on the face of the earth.
Personally, I can only take something seriously if it's dark, realistic, or sends an accurate message about the human condition. My Little Pony doesn't really do any of that for me (maybe I'm just too cynical, but some of the "darker" or "more mature" elements of the show just seem cute to me at this point), but does that prevent me from enjoying it? Not at all. Sure, it's far from being as dark or sophisticated as I would prefer, and I don't really find the show's humor all that funny (it's still way funnier than Family Guy, though), but it doesn't have to be. It's a nice little show that provides escapism from the hardships of reality without insulting my intelligence or being nauseatingly girly (I'm looking at YOU, G3). And I respect that. It doesn't necessarily sell itself to adults, but it doesn't alienate them, either. The show works the way it is, and don't let it's cute, feminine image put you off. I accept the fact that, at it's core, it's a show meant for pre-teen girls, and I don't have to take it seriously to like it.
WesternAnimation I enjoy it
Okay, I'm not a Brony. Why? Because I don't go online commenting on the show. I'm still a fan though.
I started watching the show for the memes I heard about, or when my nieces came over. The episode I first watched was "Sonic Rainboom". I liked it, and slowly became attached to the show. The characters are all stereotypes, but they have unique things about them to where they have more traits then just being a walking cliche. Take Rarity for example, at first she seems to be the same type of characters who's obsessed with cloths and latest fashion trend. But really, she's not greedy or overly focused on dresses , she has a generous personality. Their are certain characters that get annoying but they are greatly outnumbered by interesting ones.
The concept of the show is simple: Learn about Friendship and report about it. But theirs nothing wrong with that. Every season finale or first episode has a usually bigger problem then this and lots of times involves a villain. Speaking of which, another thing I like about this show is the antagonists. They actually seem to have personality and motives instead of just being their to be evil.
Unfortunately, the fandom sometimes gets a insulted just for liking the show. This is also one of the reasons I'm not a brony.
WesternAnimation Good show, terrible fandom and hatedom
This show isn't the best, nor is it the worst. It's funny and genuinely cute in some parts, and the characters can be relatable. However, the fandom and hatedom this show gets makes it difficult for me to actually enjoy this show. The fandom acts like this show is LOST or Breaking Bad and complains when the show is not up to their standards. I have never seen so much zealotry and self-entitlement in my life. If I wanted to watch Lost or Breaking Bad, I'd watch Lost or Breaking Bad, not Friendship Is Magic. The hatedom demonizes people who like the show even a little bit and attacks the fans rather than the show. This is why I shall never refer to myself as a brony.
Westernanimation I love this show...I thought good cartoons were never going to come back.
I love this show. I discovered this show on this very website after seeing that it accumulated dozens of pages on T Vtropes.
At first, I thought this show would be too girly and boring (I'm a female myself haha), but I was wrong. I enjoy the good characters like the Mane Six (yes I love all of them), the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Princess Celestia and Luna, Shining Armor, and a few. The only villain I do seem to enjoy is Trixie (I am in no way of condoning Trixie's behavior though). However, I dislike the bullies (Diamond Tiara & Silver Spoon), because it sucks seeing others (or you yourself experience) being bullied for something you don't have. I have mentioned the Mane Six, I find myself identifying to Twilight Sparkle because I am pretty obsessed with being perfect and my education and also to Applebloom because I know how hard it is to not have something everyone else has (a cutie mark).
One villain who did scare the crap out of me was Lightning Dust because she is actually Rainbow Dash without her redeeming qualities and I hope the writers don't flanderize Rainbow Dash into being like her. I mean she could have killed the other Mane ponies if Rainbow Dash wasn't there.
One thing that bothers me is some of the fans. They may act crazy when it comes to defending characters and it gives the fanbase a bad reputation, when not all fans act like that. Plus, Although it may contain some (bad) accidental aesops at times, at least the show does not have to rely on mean-spirited humor or gross-out humor to keep its ratings up and the show cannot be 100% perfect.
I am looking forward to the fourth season and other works from Lauren Faust.
Keep up the good work MLP!
WesternAnimation I Honestly Love This Show.
No kidding. I love this show in the same way I love Doctor Who, Wallace and Gromit and Futurama. It is a well crafted, well acted, at times funny, at times sad, and sometimes pure awesome. I first watched Friendship is Magic out of sheer curiosity. I had heard of the Brony fandom, had a neutral opinion of them, and I rationalised that the show must be quite something. I was right, as this gushing review shows!
As with the other shows, I (platonically) love the diverse characters and personalities displayed by the entire cast, not just the Mane 6 (or 7, if you count Spike). As with other shows I watch, my favourite characters tend to be the one I identify strongly with, in this case, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity.
The animation is stunning; it looks like it wasn't done in Flash. But it is. Mind screw was initiated the day I found out it was.
I will admit, however, that my fellow Bronies can be...forceful in trying to convert non-Bronies over, and tend to come across as obsessive and annoying, as Little Kuriboh found out the hard way.
But, even after that, I still believe I made the right choice in choosing MLP:FIM to watch on that cloudy day in May, 2012. Yes, it is a half hour little girls toy commercial. Yes, the fans will (and have) rage over possibly permanant changes to the main character. Yes, we pissed off Little Kuriboh. Doesn't mean I don't love the show. Here's to many more seasons!
BONUS NOTE: This troper's mind was blown (in a good way) when he found out his favourite pony (Fluttershy) was voiced by the same VA as one of his favourite shows growing up, Madeline.
WesternAnimation An All Right Show
Now, my opinion with the show is that it's an okay show. It's neither great nor bad, it's just n alright show. To be honest, I was more cynical about the show, since it's about ponies, and I later discovered that the show was positively received by young adults such as bronies. However, does it deserve such a huge fanbase? I would say so, but like I said before, it's pretty standard at best. I mean, I appreciated the show for not being entirely girly, and all the characters could've been flat. I also love how they don't shove the moral of the lesson down your throat much like Dora The Explorer. The villains are also pretty good too. Obviously, my favorite will have to be Discord-he's so entertaining. With the mane cast, I absolutely love Fluttershy. She's just adorable. Overall, this is my opinion, and if you like it, there's nothing wrong with your opinion. It's just that it seems standard to me. Thanks for listening.
WesternAnimation Meh.
This series is actually ok. You get good characters like Spike, Twilight Sparkle, or Spike. But you also get characters annoying as hell like Rarity, Fluttershy, or the Cutie Mark Crusaders (I REALLY despise the latter two.). And the moral thing of season 1 was real ANNOYING. Most of them you could learn by the time you were 7. There are some funny moments, but it's not nearly as good as people say it is. And sometimes, it's creepy as hell. Like when TS went totally INSANE when she was trying to find something to learn to message Princess Celestia. It's GOOD, but it doesn't deserve the love it's getting. And something that REALLY got under my skin was when they got rid of Discord in just two episodes. He was one of the greatest villains in kids show history, but he's written out after two episodes. I wouldn't mind so much if I knew he was coming back, but I don't. Also, the episodes are SO PREDICTABLE. I could tell what the main plot would be by five minutes in. Like I said, it's good, but INCREDIBLY overrated. I don't think t deserves so many fans, or an episode recap page that, to my knowledge, only Dr Who's episode pages are longer. I can't believe people so old watch this show.
Edit: I meant Rainbow Dash, not a second Spike. Sorry about that.
WesternAnimation Surprisingly amusing
When I first heard what this show was, I was skeptical to watch it. I at least didn't call it out on being My Little Pony as a reason to not watch, I just wasn't motivated, and when I was, BOOM! ADHD makes me get distracted. It took noticing that there was a Memebase site for me to look, at the site, that is. I loved it. My mind then went on a laser-guided search for the first episode, which didn't actually take long, but again, ADHD, miracle I didn't get distracted by Newgrounds. I found it hilarious, it is well written, and my favorite pony is Pinkie Pie, since I can somewhat relate to her (nice, random, likes fun, bounces off the walls, awesome). I love the references, most get past a child's head, and I love the care they put into the show. I love Ms. Faust as well, since my favorite shows involve her, but her being involved did not sway me, I didn't learn that (including the other shows) until the gap between seasons two and three.
My real favorite part is the fandom. Fans do a lot for charities, make amazing art, have fiction that I honestly prefer to most books (Past Sins is the best in my opinion, but is also the best I have read so far), and really have a large voice. The best part is that they all watch because they like the show, unlike hipsters who do things ironically but need major schooling on what ironic means. I love this community, since it seems to have something for everybody.
I dislike media attention and haters, since haters don't watch the show and accuse fans of being homosexuals (not a problem, since a portion of the fanbase is, in fact, homosexuals, but in the same way that a portion of Harry Potter or Star Wars fans are gay) and/or pedophiles (which is a problem, since that is highly wrong) and that we have no lives (we have to do something to afford something to watch MLP on, along with all of the other shows we watch), while media can't seem to look up a single fact about the fans, with one case seeming to believe we collect disability checks just so we can stay home to watch the show (I am not joking, look at Cowboy Be Bop At His Computer under Western Animation), which is farther from the truth than physically possible.
All in all, great show, great fandom, and the normal things from trolls and media that fail to check facts.
WesternAnimation Surprisingly Solid
I was...reluctant to watch My Little Pony. I hated everything about the franchise since I was a kid, how was it going to be different now? Well, my best friend made me watch the first episode, and honestly it was no dice at first, then Nightmare Moon showed up. This show is pretty interesting, its far from the best thing I've ever watched, but in a world of general sadness its nice to be able to watch something and just be able to smile. Not to mention there is just an interesting mix of episodes, from dealing with general bullies and school work to dealing with gods of chaos.
As for the individual seasons I would say the first is solid, the second seems like its trying a bit to hard to pander to the bronies, and the third season is probably the best.
WesternAnimation Pretty decent
Honestly, this series is pretty well written and animated. I'm normally not the type of guy to watch this type of show, trust me, but once i started watching this show it kinda grows on you. Each character is given unique traits alongside some steryotypical depictions of those traits(usually in good fun though) I think it's actually nice to see something like this muddled with today's cartoons. Some of the good traits of the show itse;f are as such: Humor for both children and parents, useful life lessons, adn finally characters viewers can become attached to. I give ALOT of kudos to Lauran Faust for creating this show.
Granted yes, i'm not a "Hardcore" fan, but i still recemend the show to people who aren't afraid to give it a try
WesternAnimation Great Show If You Give It A Chance
I admit that I thought at first that this show would be terrible. When I heard about the show and its huge fanbase, I was thinking about how lame this show would be. Some shows based on toylines just feel like half hour toy commercials. I decided to give this show a chance and watch. No point of bashing a show I never watch. I was actually surprised to see how great this show was. The writers actually put effort into this show, and it shows. The main appeal to this show to me was the characters. All of them have different personalities and had flaws and redeeming traits. It's nice to see a show with well-rounded females characters. I feel that some recent Western animated shows don't do a good job writing good female characters. The problem is that some shows only have one major female character, and she is usually just defined as being the token female. My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic have a nice variety of females, so it's easy to find one that you can relate to. All of them are likable from the brainy Twilight Sparkle to the shy and sweet Fluttershy. At first the characters seem cliqued, but they are pretty well-rounded as you watch the show. Twilight Sparkle is the "nerd" in the group, but she is not the typical weak loser that a lot of brainy characters tend to be. Rarity is pretty tough for a girly-girl. Another thing I admire about this show is that there are girly and tomboyish characters without presenting one as being better as the other. Rainbow Dash is not shown as being better than girly-girl Rarity just because she's a tomboy. Rainbow Dash has weaknesses just like the other characters, and Rarity can kick butt if the situation calls for it. The show also have lessons for the viewers to learn. I like how the lessons actually relate to the episode instead of being there just to be there. I hate when kid shows have a "Don't use drugs" message or something similar at the end of a show when it has nothing to do the episode's plot. While I find a few of the lessons to be questionable (the episode about the Pinkie Sense has a lesson that can accidentally be interpreted as a science vs religion aesop out of context, I think the lessons are great for kids (and even adults) to learn from. I think you should give this show a chance. It might look girly and childish at first, but it has remarkable story telling and likable characters.
WesternAnimation Crystal Empire
Since I got into the show in season two and didn't partake in the wait for the second season but this time I was swept up in the anticipation. I waited eagerly and caught the two parter on youtube (I can't watch it with my family about) and It didn't really whelm me.
I think the biggest problem was there was too much promise and not enough payoff. When I saw the design of King Somber and the Crystal Empire being in the Arctic, I was fully expecting the return of the Windigos due to the emphasis of a happy society being in jeopardy, with Cadance's cutie mark being a crystal heart I expected her backstory to be explored even briefly but none of these were present. Its getting somewhat frustrating of how shallow their epic fantasy elements are.
King Sombre was not really a memorable villain, nothing was really explained about his rule (in fact why is he King? It should be Emperor). If he was the Lord of Windigos his animalistic nature would make more sense. Even with the vocals by Tim Curry he would've been more interesting but really he was generic.
The story was just ok, everyone had good roles (Pinkie's Fluttershy disguise killed me) but the problems with Shining Armor and Cadance still persist (shoehorned characters) but I liked that Spike was the big hero in the end, which was long overdue. The animation has gotten smoother and the song was good.
Maybe its us Bronies that get our hopes too high or the show couldn't do epic fantasy due to constraints by Hasbro and they regaled this to fanfic writers, but this fell into So Okay Its Average territory for me.
WesternAnimation Surprisingly Enjoyable
As a man in his 20's that grew up on G.I. Joe and the like, My Little Pony has always been one thing to me: a series for little girls.
So imagine my surprise when an adult male friend starts glowing about the newest Pony series. Naturally, I found myself completely uninterested. It wasn't until I visited my friend one day while he watched the opening episode of season 2 that I noticed something of interest. The villain in this particular episode was voiced by actor John de Lancie
, well known to Star Trek fans as the character Q. The character itself was quite clearly a homage to Q, something that piqued my interest as a Trek fan. My friend informed me that references such as this were common in the series, and the seeds of curiosity were planted in my mind. Some months later I finally decided to sit down and watch an episode as I caught it on TV. Afterwards, I stared at my television, conflicted. Had I actually just watched My Little Pony...and enjoyed it?
The answer was yes. The show uses rather stock personalities for the core cast, but brings them to life with such strong characterization that I couldn't help but like them. The narrative structure follows a standard slice-of-life format with equally standard plots, but still generally manages to be entertaining due to the characterization (and the occasional two-parters inject some much needed conflict and drama into the mix). The animation is quite appealing, being very clean and colorful yet maintaining a sense of depth (unlike a great many modern cartoons). The audio is also top notch, with an excellent voice cast and catchy music as well. If I had to voice some complaints, it would be with the sometimes overly drawn-out musical segments. The dialogue will also occasionally dip into the saccharine (again, though, we’re talking about a show aimed at little girls, so this is no surprise and more of a personal gripe) and the morals are occasionally a bit contrived.
In the end, I can honestly say this show surprised me. It comes during a time when the average children’s show could be considered nothing more than mindless schlock and manages to provide a feel-good and occasionally thought-provoking message without being condescending towards the audience. An above average cartoon for all ages and genders.
WesternAnimation Not the best, but quite interesting.
I have to make a shout-out in this review to kyrospawn to indirectly roping me into the series with his segment videos.
When I watched the first episode of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, I initially was a bit skeptical. After all, this was something notorious for being popular with only little girls, as far as Internet gossip was concerned. But when I actually sat through the first segments of the first episode... I couldn't stop in the middle of it. I had to keep going and see it through to the end. The good animation, the quirky personality traits within the "Mane 6", and the optimistic atmosphere of the place itself kept my eyes glued to my screen. This, as well as the more positive contributions from the fan base, sealed my fate as a brony. They say this is a kid's show? I'd say it seems more and more of a "family cartoon"... at least, compared to its predecessor.
I really can't say anything particularly bad about the show, other than the fact that the separate mini-plots that make up each episode are kind of a bore. I'm pretty much watching a Slice of Life within Ponyville, like a documentary. I wished that there could have been a continuation pattern throughout the series, like what the first and last two episodes. One episode picks off after another, and after at least a minimum of two episodes, the show switches to another plotline. Probably just wishful thinking on my part, but hey... what can you do?
WesternAnimation Friendship? Yes. Magic? No
Assuming you're the one person who managed to avoid both the hype and the backlash around this show, Friendship is Magic is an episodic cartoon about a bunch of ponies who go off on adventures. The show has attracted a huge following, as well as a tonne of detractors because of it's huge following, and how absurd some of the nuttier members can be.
But this is about the show itself. And on that basis, I have to say it's a good kids show. But really, that's all it is. A kids show, designed to sell toys. It'd be a good thing to let kids watch, and won't offend anyone's morals to let their children watch it. It's very well animated too, esp. for a cartoon done in Flash, with some surprisingly complex animations used. Yes, there's some moments of Parental Bonus, and yes, it does have some genuinely comedic moments, but really, they're few and far between.
The characters are conventional stereotypes, hard worker, tomboy, shy, studious, fashionista, and eccentric. They are not the well rounded characters people believe they are, as Status Quo often reverts them to one of the labels seen above. Yes, it's impressive to have six female characters with none of them as "The Chick" but ironically, the one male character fills this role, being deliberately ungirly and doing things like pretending to puke at girly activities, for being girly.
Episodes generally fall into the traditional plot fare. Yes, the season openers may be big dramatic storylines, but this quickly devolves into aesop-of-the-week. All ideal for kids to learn, but really nowhere near as deep as the fanbase makes it out to have. Episodes are predictable, and story lines never really have major impacts.
Once again, none of this is bad. As a kids TV show, it's pretty good, and I could understand why little girls (and some little boys) would want to watch it. But aside from a couple of jokes, there's not much here. If you really want to watch a kids TV show from the past five years that has great characters, excellent jokes, and some good stories, I'd recommend Phineas And Ferb. Friendship is Magic is something you either watch with young girls, or something you're probably only watching for the meme.
WesternAnimation Overrated.
Well somebody had to say it.
I will have you know that My Little Pony is not a bad show at all. There are a lot of positive things to say about it. The art and animation is fantastic, with loveable facial expressions. The characters are some of the most well developed, realistic characters I have seen on an animated series in a really long time, especially for a little kids show. It breaks the barrier of what a typical character on a girl's cartoon is supposed to act like, and the characters are surprisingly realistic. While incredibly cliche, they all have depth and unique traits that make them more than just the stereotypes they seem to be based off of. It makes them easy to identify and relate with, and that's hard to pull off.
However, I don't declare myself a fan. I wish I could because of the respect this show has, but I just can't get into it. The humor is what the fans tend to comment on the most. They enjoy the subtle wit, the puns, and the references. And while I can respect the good writing, and can chuckle at the cleverness and wit, it's really not enough. Nor are the splendid characters. Something about the plots are just rather boring, with some being enjoyable, others making me wipe the drool off the side of my face. The songs are also irritating and lose my interest. The morals also boggle it down completely, and water it down. Something about "dear Princess Celestia" just faded my interest of the show too quickly.
I'll also admit that some morals are just completely backwards. Notable was Swarm of the Century, where Pinkie Pie jumped in with an eccentric plan and no one had any idea what the hell she was trying to do because she wouldn't just speak up. The moral? You should try to listen to your friends instead of claim you're right, even though Pinkie Pie never even explained herself. The moral just made it more obnoxious than enjoyable.
So all in all, I see why people like it, I truly do. There's been episodes I find amusing, but something about it falls rather short, with boring plots inbetween the good ones. I can't really word why it fades my interest, but I really can't watch it often or I'm bored out of my mind. So while it's alright, I just think people are giving it more credit than for what it's worth. I don't get why it has as much love as it does. Sure, it deserves some, but really, it's overrated.
WesternAnimation Friendship is most certainly magic
About ten months ago, I hated My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but now? Now, it's my most watched television show. The writing? Fantastic. The characters? Well defined. The Jokes? Classic. Not many faults can be found on the show, until you reach the internet that is. No matter what you do as a 'brony' (A fan of the show outside the normal demographic) you will be chastised. Sites Like Equestria Daily and FimFiction are the only two places of refuge from the haters in all honesty. Back on topic though, a lot of fans of the show stray into Fan Dumb. If you look past the bad fans, you have a community of people dedicated to an awesome show
WesternAnimation A cartoon growing closer to my heart
At this point I don't think I can add more to this series in terms of creative thoughts and reflections given the literal thousands who herald it out the wazoo, but I will say that it's certainly not undeserving of it. In my opinion, it really is the best show for little girls ever. I'm narrowing the demographic to make a statement here: I remember when I was pretty young, like early elementary school years, of just being magnetically attracted to anything that was either pink, ruled by a 5:1 female to male cast, or was just populated by wide-eyed cuties. But even as a little rosey-eyed nerd, I wanted substance with all the sparkly toys I was making googly eyes at. Like just who are these princesses or brave female warriors? Where do they come from? What's the fantastical world they live in like? Or in a more mundane sense, how did they live and interact with other people?
Lauren Faust just knew that even as little girls, we loved getting swept away in grand classics about heroism and the power of truth, love, and fantasy... that didn't involve us getting trapped in a crummy tower or getting the short end of most every world-saving battle that mattered. She and her team answered all of my questions above and created a show effectively crossing slice-of-life with adventures, mythos, and compelling female characters who effectively cater to the target audience without being silly moral-spraying goody-goodies. And most of all, they made it for children as well as their parents. It's no wonder it got the attention it received, resulting in some of the most active, diverse, and just jaw-dropping fanbases ever. For me this show answers to the little girl on the inside as well as the more worldly-wise animation lover on the outside. It's a must-pick to not just give, but share with a daughter or favorite kid relative, and for something named My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, it just comes to show how it's so much more than it is on the surface.
WesternAnimation Quite the Dark Horse
Ok, I kept seeing this series referenced around TV Tropes. And then the comic shop I was sitting in to play a game with friends was invaded by a cheerful herd of bronies, some of which were playing "Giggle at the Ghosties" on electric guitar.
Queue the curiosity. What the hell is this thing? I remember the 80's My Little Pony and hated it. It was was a classic example of Girl Show Ghetto with sacchrine writing, insipid scripting, and the most obnoxious "dumb it down and dye it pink" toy line. No thanks! The "boys" cartoons at least had some dramatic tension in their plotlines to make you forget the merch. Something so teeth-breakingly sugary as pastel ponies had to be something hipsters were "appreciating ironically."
So, I look it up a little more, and my reaction? "Tara Strong's in it, and Faust wrote for Powerpuff Girls. It can't suck TOO badly."
This is honestly much more clever than I expected. Yes, there is a Sugar Bowl populated by pastel ponies and the 30 minute Merchandise Driven cartoon format to contend with, but the writers make it work for them with some solidly-wtitten and occasionally pee-your-pants funny writing. Don't make it a Trope drinking game, because you'll be plasted by the second act of a given episode.
WesternAnimation Friendship is Awesome
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is a show of paradoxes. It's a girls' show that boys watch, a little kids' show that adults watch. It's cute without being overly sacharine and it is, in a word, awesome.
Previous My Little Pony cartoons have often been criticised for having shallow characters. I have never seen them myself so I can't comment on that, but here the characters really shine. These six ponies have between them the full breadth of personality that female characters in fiction, especially childrens' programs, are so often denied. It may be one of the best thinhs ever to happen to feminism. I will admit to questioning the character of Rarity at first, though - given that the show is breaking away from female stereotypes, why is it including a fashionista character? However, I quickly came to see the wisdom of this choice. An interest in fashion isn't a crime, and Rarity isn't being portrayed as a dumb shopaholic but as an artist whose medium happens to be clothing.
It is a joy to see these characters bounce off each other and go through their lives in Ponyville. There is conflict and excitement and many laughs to be had. If there's one negative, it's the heavyhanded moralising at the end of each episode, but given the actual target audience, its presence is understandable.
WesternAnimation A good show with a slightly over enthusiastic fanbase
To be blunt, My Little Pony Friendship is Magic is a good show. Each of the six ponies is likable with there own distinct personalities and flaws. Admittedly some ponies are more likable than others but this depends on personal taste. I personally like Apple Jack more than Pinkie Pie, but I know other people who prefer Pinkie Pie over Apple Jack. The animation for the show is very beautiful considering that it is Flash and the music is extremely well done with some really catchy songs. Winter Wrap Up, At the Gala, and May the Best Pet are only a few examples of such songs. The plots tend to vary, some are really well done, while others are not. I find Sweet and Elite to be an example of a weaker plot as it feels like it negatively effected Rarity's character and wrapped up to quickly. Over The Barrel is another one I dislike but more because I just found the episode to be pretty boring. However every show has it's misses, even the ones that are considered good and these weaker episodes are few and far between.
That said one issue I noticed is not with the show itself, but parts of the fandom. I remember talking to a friend and she was interested in watching FIM but did not know what it was about because all another person I knew - who is obsessed with the show - would only talk about is Derpy, Doctor Whooves and bronies, not what the show was actually about - six ponies that become friends even though they are very different from one another. It occurred to me after this discussion that quite a few fans do this and it is detrimental as it can give people who are not fans a negative impression of the show. It's fine to focus on these things if it's all in good fun but these are not things that are important when introducing the show to others. The fact some fans get overly defensive about the show is also a bit of a turn off. I mean come on, it's a show about brightly colored ponies. Lighten up a little. Learn to make fun of the stuff you like, it makes everything more fun.
Overall the show is very good, but if a person is interested in the series they may want to go in blind or look up a brief summary so the more over enthusiastic fans don't ruin the show for them. Also don't let the fact it comes from a toy franchise sway you, otherwise you'll miss out on some decent entertainment.
WesternAnimation All in all, a pretty good show.
I'd heard about the My Little Pony reboot, but I didn't get excited. After all, I was 19 at the time. Even if I had been into My Little Pony as a little girl (I was more into Barbie), I was already past my stage of enjoying shows aimed at kids. As the months passed, however, I started to see ponies everywhere. Fandom Secrets, Know Your Meme... Ponies were everywhere. I figured "I... guess the show is more popular than I thought?". I read up on the controversy surrounding the show and rolled my eyes, never having been a fan of the idea that being girly was bad. A few months ago, I checked out Camaraderie is Supernatural and had a few good laughs. Finally, I broke down and watched the first episode. Then I watched the second episode. I was... impressed. I started to check out the fandom, ignoring the pony that was creeping up behind me.
The show is good. It has its flaws, but what show doesn't? All of our protagonists are likeable and unique in their own way. Some people roll their eyes and point out that show is aimed at little girls, but let's face it: There aren't a lot of good shows aimed at girls. Furthermore, it's okay for girls (even adult women) to like shows aimed at boys, so what's wrong with the boys liking a show aimed at girls? I would have loved to have Friendship Is Magic growing up.
One of the important things about this show is you need to watch it with an open mind. As an adult, children's shows are probably going to look a bit different than from when you were a kid. That's not to say you won't find something that might fly over the kids' heads. After all, the show is still MADE by adults. They sneak some things in that might raise an eyebrow or two.
The fandom can be pretty defensive about the show, but overall, they're actually pretty friendly. Don't let the loudmouths spoil the show for you. Give it a chance. You might be surprised.
WesternAnimation Friendship The Magic This World Needs
Why would countless of adult admit they love a show that has the fame of being lame,girly, flat,dumb and Merchandise Driven?
Long story short it is awesome!
The first quality of this shown I want to note is the respect it has for its viewers. While us boys actually got to see great shows with great plots and interesting characters girls got only very lame shows. It’s no wonder how in our minds girly became a synonym of lame.
However what makes this show stand out are the character’s personalities. Each pony is relatable and unique.In fact the pony’s personalities are what make this show so especial. While in other incarnations of the show they were si defined more by outdated feminine stereotypes than people that you couldn't tell each pony apart.
I could use pages just to describe each character’s personalities but part of the charm of the show is to get to know them. The characters are amazingly well developed and enjoyable. What impressed me is that none of them are one dimensional.They are very balanced in flaws and virtues .One of the most enjoyable and deep characters I have ever seen. You will be surprised of the Hidden Depths of each character even the ones that seem to be one dimensional
Just looking at each pony expression and perceive every detail in every frame (even for ponies that aren't “ active on the plot”) is always a Freeze Frame Bonus. Whether it is a Slice Of Life situation or an epic adventure : it’s always a joy to learn more about each character’s unique and interesting personalities. Without doubt you will fall In love with at least one of them.
Adults looking at media aimed at kids or teens aren’t new phenomena. However the fact that many have admitted their love on this show (and many more have converted) it’s a testament of the quality of this show.
A lot of adults that have to face the hardships of Real Life even resorting to cynicisms and the lose on the beliefs of ideals like love and friendship . This show will remind you of The Power Of Love.Friendship really is the magic this world needs. The lessons this show has are helpful not only to kids but to adults as well. I have never enjoyed a cartoon like this since Phineas And Ferb.
I say without doubt that this is one of the best shows I have ever seen and one of my favorite shows ever. Try it you will surely live it.
I give it a perfect score 10/10
WesternAnimation Now this is how you revive a series!
Okay. I'm going to outright say it; I hated the "My Little Pony" franchise when I was growing up. Hated it. The characters were vapid, the plots were inane, and the acting made me want to tear my ears inside-out.
So imagine my surprise when I hear a royal boatload of praise for this latest series. When I realized that 4chan actually liked it, I decided to watch the series.
That was probably one of my better decisions.
The characters were rounded! The voice acting was stupendous! The plots had real conflict! I was hooked within four episodes.
And so, yes, I can say that, yes, I love this series. I really, really do.
Now, it's not perfect. Occasionally, the morals do get out of whack, and they can be misconstrued in ways that are rather offensive; I.E.-"Feeling Pinkie Keen," and the characters do act like jerkasses in the worst of ways to favor a plot; I.E.-"Party of One."
The pacing is like that of a kid's show, and the more complex of moralities can't be explored in ways that are totally satisfying to me...
But that doesn't stop me from enjoying the characters, their dialogue, or the show's sense of humor.
No, it's not perfect, but it's definitely worth a look.
WesternAnimation Not for the faint of heart.
A month ago, August 18th, I would have thought you crazy for even suggesting I could name a character from this show. Now I am addicted. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's my favorite show on television, I love Firefly and Doctor Who too much for that, but It's definitely the best animated show I've seen since Fosters Home, which seems simple enough considering they shared the talents of Lauren Faust. There are enough characters in this show to connect with anyone. (I personally am Rainbow Dash), and music and cuteness for even the most slobful teenage boy to adore. This show is not for you if you care what people think about you, especially if you are an aforementioned teenage boy, so if you can't handle it, that's cool to. It's a legitimate storyline, with just enough discontinuity that you won't take it too seriously.
WesternAnimation My Litttle Pony - Genetation 4: A New Hope
TL;DR: I love this show.
So what to say? Well, if you're outside the "target audience", don't fret. This show is so well made and written that it makes you not want to kill yourself like a lot of other shows tend to do.
This is mostly thanks to Lauren Faust and her team. They took a series with little hope left, and turned it into something amazing. She helped make it so that anypony could enjoy it, without it going too overboard with morals. It has everything, great animation, great characters, stories, humour. Everything is great.
If you love modern FPS games, prepare for dissapoint! It's not just multiple shade of grey and brown. It's colourful as hell (as in Very Colourful, actual Hell is protrayed to have shades of brown) but that's a thing that makes it great. The scenery isn't the only colourful thing here, the characters and their personalities are too!
This is one of the few instances ever in a TV show where I really like all of the Main/Mane cast.
Don't hate on it just because it's My Little Pony. Forget anything you knew about MLP in general before watching, and you'll enjoy it whether you're male or female of any age.
If you don't then you probably have no soul.
Thanks for reading my crappy review, evepony.
WesternAnimation Sister Hooves Social
This review for the Sisterhooves Social episode is my response to all the people who despise the episode for not having the other mane cast. It does not matter what characters appear and what characters are absent, it matters what the scope of focus offers to us.
To her annoyance, Rarity's must watch over her sister Sweetie Belle for a week. It seems that Belle's attempt to help does not please Rarity. Then Sweetie runs off to Applejack in despair in search of a sister who appreciates her. There, she discovers a depth to Applejack's and Apple Bloom relationship as she watches them complete farm work together and decides she won't forgive Rarity.
Meanwhile, Rarity pridefully attempts to disregard that the results of Belle's help could be salvaged and appreciated after all. Finally, she crushes her pride and would do ANYTHING, would face MUD AND DIRT, to seek reconciliation.
There episode's theme is simple, sisterhood. It's about dealing with differences, eye-to-eye communication, and spending time together for a healthy sisterhood. And I just needed to see Rarity and Sweetie Belle together to see what's it about.
WesternAnimation Oh boy
Let me put this in perspective, I am 18 years old, I love to play violent video game like Halo and Gears of War, I giggle when i punch out prostitutes in Dues Ex Human Revolution and drive on the sidewalk in GTA, and I have a rather dark sense of humor, laughing at jokes that involve death.
And I freaking love this show.
I really cannot tell you why I like it, in reality it's a mix of things, the songs are beautiful, the animation is fluid, the characters are colorful and likable and nothing feels forced. True, it can be silly, it can be VERY silly, but dear god I love this show, I think that despite everything I said above, I don't consider myself a bad person, and I don't mind being reminded about the good in people. Some people might say that this show is cheesy, everything works out in the end, no one gets hurt and everyone grows. And it's true, this show is cheesy, BUT SCREW YOU, I LIKE CHEESY! It works, it just really really works, it's not just cute ponies walking around being adorable, they have personalities and they grow as time goes along, it doesn't baby you...and it has cute ponies being adorable...screw you I like it.
9/10
WesternAnimation Don't judge it just because "it's My Little Pony".
Sometimes - even oftentimes, dare I say - it's easier to complain than to keep an open mind. So of course there are a lot of people out there who, especially in the light of the previous (much inferior) generations, might brand this show as girly and shallow before actually watching it. But that would be a huge mistake. Watch before judging, and watch more than just one episode or two, because they actually get better as it goes on. You might like the show or you might not, but considering it to be trash just because it's part of the MLP franchise is not a thing to do.
Considering what your perceptions are, you MAY or may NOT consider this show as "girly". Yes, it's cute and it involves pony girls. But at the same time, it usually doesn't taste like diabetes. It's not the shallow, mindless show you might expect about completely clichéd characters going to parties (though there are parties involved, especially when Pinkie Pie is around). This show has relatable, likable characters, who receive much more characterisation than you might expect from a "girl's" show. It has actual plots, interesting and often pretty original. And it's not a complete sitcom. Some episodes are, but in others protagonists have to deal with actual dangers, menaces and antagonists, which don't fold up just because someone starts crying or mentions The Power Of Love. There are tales of creativity, determination and cunning, which can appeal, in my opinion, to girls AND boys alike. And even though every show ends with An Aesop, those aesops are often actual valuable advice, not stereotyped trite sayings.
There's a REASON why this cartoon is popular and hailed as a great show, people. It's not just about the memes. This really is a great cartoon and I definitely recommend watching at least a few episodes, and doing so with an open mind, not merely to say "hey I watched it, now I have a reason to hate it".
WesternAnimation Start Viewing from a Neutral Point for Best Results
I'll begin this the same as before. This show is best began from a neutral point of view. First purge all ideas of "this is and girls'/kids' show so I'll hate it" from your mind, its really not JUST written as either of those. Then completely ignore the hype you probably encountered on the internet, this is important as it can taint your viewing experience. Being cautiously optimistic about it is probably the best mindset to be in. Now you're ready to watch the first season.
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is a great show if you begin watching it the right way. The characters are far more rounded and likeable than many cartoons I've seen in recent memory and the plots are well written and enjoyable, letting the characters work off each other. There is an aesop each episode, but the show does a good job to avoid slamming it in your face (and when it DOES, it's normally parodied, like Pinkie Pie's song in "Over The Barrel"). Its witty and I often do laugh at the jokes and feel the emotion it is trying to convey. It doesn't need a lot of dirty humor to be funny, so its good for kids, though there are still adult bonuses thrown in that will likely go over most kids heads but not stand out enough to distract them, which is how those should be. Overall, the first season was very enjoyable and one of the best cartoons on TV now in my personal opinion. I have high hopes for the second season.
Now, I must address something. This show does have a very pronounced minority that are very pushy and rather unpleasent, which have sadly given the rest of us fans a bad name. While I do love this show, a pet peeve of mine is when people refuse to accept someone else has different views on the show than them. I understand this show isn't for everyone, that's with every work of fiction that's ever existed and ever will exist. I respect you if you don't like the show, so please be respectful of those that do like the show. I know some members of this fandom take it too far, but please don't judge every fan based on them.
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic is a great show, but I caution you to start watching it from a neutral base, cautiously optimistic of the show. Neither believing you'll hate it or absorbed in the hype. Let your expectations grow and change with your viewing, that way you'll probably not be disappointed.
WesternAnimation A heartwarming series for all ages AND genders.
Despite the stigma that the series receives from those who dislike the hype surrounding it, there is a clear reason for it. One would normally expect the name My Little Pony to be a glittery, cheesy show that only little girls could enjoy.
Dead. Wrong.
If you didn't know any better, you could believe you were watching something made for boys, or girls, or anyone. It's mostly female cast are well rounded enough to avoid the stereotypes of overly girly shows, well developed enough to the point that even male adults (like this troper) can enjoy it without it feeling like a guilty pleasure.
In a world where many a modern cartoon thrives on Comedic Sociopathy (lookin' at you Spongebob) this show stands above it all to bring us likeable characters who actually learn a lesson once in a while, instead of parodying or ignoring them. As mentioned in another review around here, these lessons rarely feel forced, and are usually the kind of traditional values (be yourself) that are severely lacking in recent cartoons.
The animation isn't spectacular for it's time, but it does it's job of being eye-catching and memorable. Much of it looks like it could be done by anyone on a computer.
If this troper could name the biggest complaint he found with the series so far (aside from the Cutie Mark Crusaders) it would be the Executive Veto that prevented the entirety of the series from being as the first two episodes were. Many cartoons these days prefer random, every day nonsense that can be aired in any order, so it's usually a treat to see a show go with a serious, continuing plot. If the series as it is now is this great, it's clear we were only given a taste of what could have been, in those first two episodes...
So in short, if you're looking for a pleasing and heartwarming show with traditional values that doesn't thrive on sadism and Butt Monkeys, don't let the fandom hype steer you away from this modern day gem.
WesternAnimation What the hay?!
If you had told me two months ago that I'd turn into a full-fledged fan of "My Little Pony" anything, I'd have dismissed it as either wishful thinking or delusional fantasy.
Yet here it is, two months later, and not only am I a full-fledged fan of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, I'm actively following the web forums, browsing fan art, introducing the show to everyone in earshot, and waiting on pins and needles for Season 2. The writing, the animation, the characters, the story, the comedy, the music, and the unabashed optimism, it's easily the best animated series I've seen in years.
Yeah, it's that good.
WesternAnimation Sithking Zero's Review of My Little Pony
An unexpected treat for those who still love cartoons and are in our twenties, My Little Pony FIM is a delightful romp through the land of equestria, without making it diabetes-worthy. Characters have problems, but they are usually solvable. Though it's a girly show, there's more of a three-dimensional quality to the girls, instead of "Boys and Fashion" being their only conversation topics.
Okay, though, word to the wise? Don't watch a marathon of this show and then the last seven episodes of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Your dreams will be very, very, very messed up.
WesternAnimation A Welcome Dose of Positivity
Are you feeling down? Work or school got you in the dumps? Is life just generally leaving a sour taste in your mouth?
Well have we got a show for you!
While it's true that some of its fans overhype it, "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" is an extremely wonderful viewing experience. While your enjoyment of the show is very dependent on your tolerance for cheesy kids' fair, those who are able to look past its flaws will find a fun, candy-coated show that never attempts to talk down to its viewers, be they kid or adult.
The real charm of the show is built upon the diverse and complex personalities of each of the main characters. While the plot of episodes may occasionally steer into the extremely familiar staples of kids shows, the various ways in which each Pony's personality bounces off of the others makes sure that one is never bored by what can occasionally be a predictable show.
Another plus in the show's favor is the excellent composition of not only the musical numbers (yes, there are musical numbers, but they're the GOOD kind) but the background music and the incidental pieces. The animation is nothing to sneeze at either, as while there's the occasional flub or blooper, everything moves very fluidly and when it needs to, what you see on screen becomes very impressive, not only visually but on a technical level.
The only major downside is (as I mentioned before) that the plots of the episodes sometime feel all too familiar. There's the staple of nearly every sitcom from the last 30 years, of a character having an extra ticket to some place special and each of their friends badgering them for it. Or the tried and true, 1 friend shows up another at something they're talented at and the other gets jealous. While it may have the effect of reminding older viewers of nostalgic shows, it may also make things too predictable for some.
Still, while it has its flaws, "Friendship is Magic" is a well written, imaginative, enjoyable, and sweet show for viewers of any age, and I certainly recommend it to anybody looking for a pick-me-up at the end the day.
Also, Rarity is Best Pony. JS.
WesternAnimation Friendship Is A Thing Of Beauty
Alright, I'll be doing the first episode. The first thing to get out of the way is simply this; going into this show, remove all prior opinions on the series from your mind, good and bad, and watch it AS A SHOW. Not as a girls show or kids show, it's not really either. Also, don't get too worked up over the hype or you might be disappointed. Anyway, with that mentioned, onto the real review.
The first episode "The Mare In The Moon", opens with Twilight Sparkle reading a book, and finding the story of the two princesses that once ruled night and day, the younger ruling night and the older the day. After seeing people didn't love the night as much as the day, she gradually became more and more bitter and jealious of her older sister. She finally refused to let the sun rise and transformed into the evil Nightmare Moon, who intended to plunge the world in night. After trying to reason with her failed, the old sister was forced to imprison the younger in the moon with the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle then finds another myth, of the Mare In The Moon, of whom it's said that on the longest night of the thousandth year, the stars would allow to escape her prison. Realizing the Mare In The Moon must be Nightmare Moon, Twlight Sparkle tries to warn her mentor, Princess Celestia of Nightmare Moon's impending escape, but is not believed and ordered to oversee the preperations of an upcoming celebration.
After being annoyed with the other Ponys' all day, Twilight Sparkle attends the celebration, but as it goes on, she realizes that the signs of Nightmare Moon's return are becoming apparent. Sure enough, the Mare In the Moon vanishes and Nightmare Moon arrives on Earth, casting the world into an endless night...
The thing I love most about this show is how well the characters and the story work. From the first time I see a character, they get my attention and make me wonder "what will I learn about this one?", and WANT to learn about them. They're all intresting and enjoyable. But I absolutely must mention Nightmare Moon. She's a complex, powerful, and cunning villain, that much is true. But what really makes her stand out is just the air of dread she has about her that makes you know her appearence means bad things are going to happen, something I love in a villain.
An awesome way to start an excellent series!
WesternAnimation It's surprisingly awesome (season 1)
Had it not been for the huge internet fandom, I wouldn't have given Friendship is Magic a second glance. I figured it was just another reboot of the old My Little Pony stuff. But my fellow forum-posters were tossing around pictures and memes and references to the show left and right, there were large forum threads dedicated to the show reaching hundreds of pages, so I eventually gave in and watched it myself.
It. Was. Awesome!
It's hard to find a kid's show this good, especially one aimed at girls. The ponies actually do stuff, unlike most girl's shows where characters just tend to sit around and talk about fashion and boys and go to high school and live "normal" lives. (because it's not like there are any girls who enjoy fantasy)) It's well-written, clever, and funny. The characters are all so lovable that I find it impossible to pick a favorite. It teaches good lessons, if you're into that sort of thing, so it can set good examples for children without being boring and preachy. Even if many of the conflicts are the more typical types you might face every day, they're played out well thanks to good writing and good characterization.
For Flash animation, it looks REALLY nice. Normally I condemn Flash because most of the time, it's done so poorly. But in Fi M they make it look GORGEOUS. The animation is done well, so it doesn't run into the problems other Flash shows have. Not to mention the style is really nice. Past My Little Pony designs always looked so weird to me: they were some bizarre cross between stylized and realistic pony. Fi M just decided to take it all the way and make the ponies completely stylized, which is a great move because the ponies look nice, cute, and aren't akward to look at. (all in all, it's visually appealing)
All in all, this is a great show and I'd recommend it to people of all ages and both genders. Especially young girls: it's really hard to find a decent girl's show, and do I need to say why? I'm really looking foward to season 2, which promises more conflict and action.
WesternAnimation Do You Believe In Magic?
Love. Hatred. Revenge and forgiveness. Kindness and jealousy. Temptation and redemption. Selflessness and vanity. An introvert learning the ways of the world, one awkward step at a time. A responsible, honest worker whose pride is both her greatest strength and weakness. A fiercely loyal friend whose ambition and skill is matched only by her arrogance and insecurities. A seemingly meek caregiver hiding an incredible and often terrifying resolve. A creative and generous soul held back by impossible standards and an obsession for perfection. A lively embodiment of revelry whose cheerful façade is at odds with her need for acceptance.
A group of friends who, despite being flawed individually, make a stronger whole.
That’s what makes Friendship is Magic so compelling. It'd be easy to assume the cast as mindless stereotypes; no one expects much from kids’ programming anymore. Especially from something like My Little Pony. Rather than forcing its audience to settle for generic characters, the show provides remarkably diverse and well-rounded protagonists. None of them are perfect; not only are the virtues of their personalities explored, but the inherent flaws and implications as well. It’s best demonstrated in episodes like Dragonshy, which highlights the best (and sometimes worst) of what each pony offers. Not to mention Party of One, which manages to be both hilarious and slightly terrifying simultaneously. It’s hard to find that balance – some episodes fall short of it – but the quality of the writing has set (and frequently meets) a new standard for cartoons.
It was clever to use Twilight Sparkle as the central character; her social ineptitude and willingness to learn makes her the ideal hero for a show about morality. More importantly, the episodes rarely sacrifice the storytelling for their given messages. Take Suited For Success for example; it takes something as bland and cliché as a fashion show and subverts expectations with a fine blend of music and comedy. Or Bridle Gossip, which, despite its obvious lesson, has some of the funniest and entertaining moments in the season. With strong writing, clever jokes, several homages and references, slick animation, and some truly brilliant and catchy music, Friendship is Magic makes for a fun and rewarding experience.
Give it a chance.
WesternAnimation Where I Watch My Little Pony
As a fan of the original My Little Pony cartoon, I have been...less than thrilled with some of the new incarnations of the franchise.
Not so with "Friendship Is Magic". This show has kept impressing me (and a whole lot of people, many of which were anything but MLP fans) with its excellent humor, intelligent writing, and well-developed characters. In particular, I have been impressed with how its characters avert and subvert clichés and expectations - the intellectual Twilight Sparkle turns out to be a take-charge type-A personality, the fashionista Rarity displays hidden depths, and so on. All in all, one of the best Western shows to come out in recent years.
Since I'd already been doing a series of episode-by-episode tongue-in-cheek reviews of the original show (somewhat in the spirit of Abridged Series)), I have moved on to doing the same with Friendship Is Magic. Can be found here.
WesternAnimation A Canterlot Wedding or Fanfiction:The Canon
This two-parter has everything an episode shouldn't have:they made two character we have never seen before the center of attention,go out of their way to tell us(you know,instead of showing us)how incredibly awesome they are and how strong and pure their love is(again,we are supposed to just take their words).If that sound like I'm descriving two Mary Sue is just because I am. Also,the villain is a total joke,but they made the BIG error to take her seriously:yes,we are supposed to be afraid of her,even though she could be the poster girl for Genre Blind and Bond Villain Stupidity.She made every error possible and the only way her plan works is because all the protagonists take the Idiot Ball(another thing I hate).The climax is so lame and lazy that make the final confrontation with Discord seems like a work of genius. This is really a dumb way to close a season(not that I think the season was any good,but still...)and feel like a bad Self Insert Fic.