442 replies to this topic

[cutecouple]

It's a remake of the original My Little Pony for The Hub, a somewhat newish network. It was developed by Lauren Faust, a Cartoon Network veteran of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Like the original, it's mostly to promote a line of toys. MLP came back last fall, and completed its first season a few weeks ago. It's been well received by critics.

That said, it is also an Internet phenomenon, with a sizable number of male fans aged 18-35. To quote wikipedia,

The response from the Internet is traced to cartoon and animation fans on the Internet board 4chan. In October 2010, shortly after the show's premiere, Cartoon Brew published an essay entitled "The End of the Creator-Driven Era in TV Animation", which criticized the brand-backed show and cited "today networks clearly prefer established properties over original ideas, and dislike dealing with individual artists who have a clear creative vision". The members of the cartoon "/co/" board of 4chan, having not yet seen the show, considered the alarmist nature of the essay and began watching the show, and quickly warmed up to the series for plot, characters, and animation style. This reaction soon spread to the general forum, "/b/", of 4chan, where elements of the show quickly caught on as recurring jokes and memes on the site, and themselves spread as memes to other forums around the Internet.[related article]

The show seems to have been picked up across the internet, with many sophisticated fansites popping up, and with Hasbro going beyond allowing mashups and movie trailer parodies to tolerating whole episodes on YouTube. Heck, the network sent a Katy Perry parody song to a fansite, resulting in a cool music video tribute called "Equestira Girls". And when Wired has a serious article about the show, there's gotta be something to it.

All this said, I've found the show to be funny, intelligent, and warm. The characters sparkle and have personality, and there's a wit about the animation. This is a show well worth watching.

Edited by cutecouple, Jun 12, 2011 @ 1:12 PM.

[IBM62]

Thanks for making this thread! Didn't know there were male fans of this show. Kind of surprising, but cool I guess. I'm a 20 yo female and I was kind of embarressed to be DVRing this show for awhile (even though I used to collect ponies when I was younger). Had no idea it was such a major internet phenomenon either!

Anyway, I really like all of the characters, but I'd say Rarity and Pinkie Pie make me laugh the most, so they are probably my favorites of the bunch.

Edited by IBM62, Jun 10, 2011 @ 11:46 AM.

[cutecouple]

At the moment, my favorite is Fluttershy.

[IBM62]

Yah, I like Fluttershy too. I loved the one where she took care of Princess Celestia's weird bird and then it turned out to be a phoenix. Also, I find it incredibly funny for some reason that everyone on the show uses "everypony" or "nopony" or "anypony" instead of "everybody," "nobody" and "anybody." It's a nice touch. Lol.

Edited by IBM62, Jun 10, 2011 @ 5:26 PM.

[willowneko]

Lauren Faust makes great cartoons and I think what makes this series work is that the characters are more than one dimensional, even if it is still selling toys. I caught Party of One today and Pinkie Pie was shown to have deep issues. Through the episodic nature resolves the issue very fast.

[cutecouple]

A small thing I liked was in the episode where Pinkie Pie was chasing down Rainbow Dash to get her help with pranking everyone. I was reminded of Pepe Le Pew and how he calmly pranced after the increasingly desperate cat.

[IBM62]

I caught Party of One today and Pinkie Pie was shown to have deep issues.

Heh. Deep issues is right. I don't think there are any therapists in Ponyville, but Pinkie desperately needed one in that episode. Rarity could probably use one too for her OCD-like tendencies and Fluttershy for her anxiety. Lol.

[cutecouple]

Pinkie Pie is Amish?

edit: Wow, y'all weren't kidding about Pinkie's issues.

Edited by cutecouple, Jun 11, 2011 @ 9:41 PM.

[Domina Nocturna]

I am just now finding out about this show because I don't have HUB. I watched the first half of the pilot today, and I can see the Foster's aesthetic from a mile away.

Just based on the first half of the pilot alone, it reminds me a lot of the Magical Girl anime genre, except the ditz-with-a-heart-of-gold isn't the main heroine. (Also, Fluttershy is a total moe pony.)

EDIT: Just finished the pilot. I think I'm addicted. Pinkie is like a cross between Izzy from Total Drama Island and Goo from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Rarity reminds me of Courtney from As Told by Ginger. Applejack seems like what would happen if we crossed Sailor Venus with Dolly Parton and turned her into a pony. Rainbow Dash, as far as I'm concerned, is Sailor Uranus and Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls mashed together with the foul attitude siphoned off.

As for Twilight Sparkle, take a moment to notice her name. I wonder if that was on purpose.

And did anyone notice that Nightmare Moon said "Foals!" instead of "Fools!"?

Edited by Domina Nocturna, Jun 12, 2011 @ 1:27 AM.

[IBM62]

Twilight...Sparkle...? Ahhh, now I get it! *snerk* I kind of bet that was on purpose. Lol.

ETA - Thanks, Domina Nocturna for helping me figure out who Pinkie Pie reminds me of! She's totally Izzy from TDI! Was also going to say that Twilight and Spike sort of remind me of Mac and Bloo, especially in the first episode. Like Twilight, Mac was a smart nerdy kid who needed some help making new friends and while Spike isn't nearly the jerk Bloo is, he definitely has a similar attitude at times.

Edited by IBM62, Jun 12, 2011 @ 12:45 PM.

[Domina Nocturna]

Just finished episode 10, "Swarm of the Century", and I'm only stopping long enough to post this. (This means I also made it through Episode 9 aka "Everypony's a Little Bit Racist". )

I'm finding that I don't dislike any of the characters. ANY OF THEM. They all have their own charm, and I can't even pick a favorite.

I'm wondering if the voice casting was done entirely in Canada because the only VA I recognize in the credits is Tara Strong.

Was also going to say that Twilight and Spike sort of remind me of Mac and Bloo, especially in the first episode.

I see it, but I think the big difference is that Spike isn't a raging egomaniac like Bloo is. Also, I think Spike is like the little brother who has to grow up in a house full of older sisters.

[IBM62]

Just caught the "Over a Barrel" episode. This show has some really catchy songs! I wonder if they'll ever put out a CD of the soundtrack...

[AvrilShowers]

So glad there's finally a thread for this show! I love it so much! Everypony in the mane cast has aspects that really make them work as characters.

This show has some really catchy songs!

Here's hoping it can get some Tubeys for them! Winter Wrap-Up especially!

[IBM62]

Yeah, the "Winter-Wrap Up" and "At the Gala" songs are great. I like the theme song too

[Dariendude15]

Hoo! Finally someone made a thread for my new favorite show on my favorite TV forum site! I was seriously THIS close to making one myself! I was gonna call it My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Manliest Show Ever.

Anyway, I have fallen head over hooves in love with this show. It great for all the reasons already listed and more. Anybody scratching their heads as to why this show is popular need only ask themselves two questions: Do you like good cartoons? Do you like Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends? Then you NEED to give this "girly pony" show a chance.

Really. I can't stop rewatching nearly every episode of this show. Each and every one of the 26 episodes of the first season is solid gold. And I agree with the previous comment about not being able to pick out one favorite. Each character gets enough screen time and enough focus in their own episodes that they all shine so brightly. I lean toward Rarity myself, but really they all rock.

And Hey! If you all dig the music in the show as much as the average brony, check this out! The entire first season has, on top of all sorts of remixes on youtube, its own techno tribute album! Yep. A techno tribute album for a kids show. And it's epic. And then there's the 8-bit Gameboy remix album that I really love.

Also

As for Twilight Sparkle, take a moment to notice her name. I wonder if that was on purpose.

...Eh, sorry, but could someone explain this to a dumb brony? I don't geddit...

[AvrilShowers]

...Eh, sorry, but could someone explain this to a dumb brony? I don't geddit...

The "vampires" in Twilight... well, they sparkle in sunlight.

[Dariendude15]

Huh. Really? I think that's a bit of a stretch. I mean if she were a background character who did something funny and Twilight Saga related (crashing a motorbike or something dumb from those dumb movies) then I'd agree. For now I say its just a coincidence.

[IBM62]

The entire first season has, on top of all sorts of remixes on youtube, its own techno tribute album! Yep. A techno tribute album for a kids show. And it's epic. And then there's the 8-bit Gameboy remix album that I really love.

Wow! That's great! Thanks for the link! :)

ETA - Oh! I almost forgot: yesterday, out of boredom and curiosity, I decided to rewatch some of the old My Little Pony cartoons. I found the first episode (I think?) on Youtube, which was called "Escape from Midnight Castle" and featured this devil-type thing that wanted to plunge the world into ever-lasting darkness and needed to capture ponies and transform them into icky dragon-type things to pull his Chariot of Darkness. I remember really liking this episode when I was about six, but after seeing it again, it just isn't all that good. My main problem is that compared to FiM, the ponies in this movie had very little personality (with the exception of Firefly, I guess). Most of the character development instead went to the villains and to Megan (the human girl who comes to help save Ponyland).

The main reason I wanted to post about this though is to compare Friendship is Magic's Applejack to the one in the original. She looks the same in both, but while FiM's version is brave and hard-working, the Applejack in this movie was the damsel in distress of the group who needed to be rescued by Megan/the Seaponies and later got captured by the badguys. FiM Applejack definitely would have put up more of a fight! Heh. There was also a unicorn pony named Twilight, who appeared to have magical powers (if only to teleport) and another unicorn who looked like Rarity, but they never said her name.

Eh. I liked the Seapony song, though.

Edited by IBM62, Jun 15, 2011 @ 9:33 PM.

[cutecouple]

Finished them all. Lots of fun, from beginning to end.

Also nominated for Tubey's in "Best New Show" and a couple of other categories I forget. Probably won't come up for voting, but I figure it wouldn't hurt.

[willowneko]

The main reason I wanted to post about this though is to compare Friendship is Magic's Applejack to the one in the original. She looks the same in both, but while FiM's version is brave and hard-working, the Applejack in this movie was the damsel in distress of the group who needed to be rescued by Megan/the Seaponies and later got captured by the badguys.

I read that Lauren Faust based her ponies on some of the older ones, but with different personalities. So the ponies were based on the toys that she gave personality to and writing around names that Hasbro lost.

Edited by willowneko, Jun 15, 2011 @ 11:48 PM.

[Dariendude15]

Well well, a shoutout to the bronies from... NPR? Seems us male fans of the show are getting all sorts of attention!

[AvrilShowers]

Well well, a shoutout to the bronies from... NPR? Seems us male fans of the show are getting all sorts of attention!

That's less of a shoutout as it is a blatant mockery. Rarely do I see coverage of bronies that isn't "Haw haw, they like girly stuff, aren't they weird." Kinda depressing, really.

[IBM62]

Yeah, I read the article and it did seem to take on sort of a mocking tone. Totally unfair if you ask me! Don't really see why people have to make so much fun of the bronies. Sometimes a good show is just a good show!

[cutecouple]

That's not NPR's news organization though - that's their entertainment wing, and specifically a satirical news-quiz show.

[LurkeriatIpsos]

If there are bronies out there looking for good press, comicsalliance.com Senior Writer (and Internet's Foremost Batmanologist) Chris Sims is an unabashed fan and even mentions MLP in his "Ask Chris" column.

(He was also one of the recappers who covered the last season of "Smallville"--so there might be links to some of his stuff in their Media thread archives.)

[cutecouple]

Is it me, or are some of the songs homages to Sondheim and Disney musicals?

[AvrilShowers]

Is it me, or are some of the songs homages to Sondheim and Disney musicals?

Nope, it's not you! Art of the Dress is Putting it Together, and At the Gala is Ever After.

[bubsy]

I love this show - I am a Megan IRL and played with the ponies when they originally came out - though I always made Applejack a boy.

I may have upgraded my satellite package just to get it MLP. The theme song sounds like it's saying "I always wondered what this shit could be.." apparently they are saying friendship.

Edited by bubsy, Jul 6, 2011 @ 9:59 PM.

[Bri059]

Applejack was always a boy to me too.

It seems they named Twilight Sparkle after one the 1980's pony show characters (and toys!), the symbol is similiar.

Thank you for making this thread. I love this damn show, my DVR is full of these episodes. I can't stop cracking up at "these are horse-drawn carriages" and "these are our horse-drawn horse-drawn carriages" from Over a Barrel.

I think the Brony thing is awesome. This show is intelligent and clearly made for not just children at all. I was a Foster's Fan as well, and there was definitely shades of it in here. The parasprite episode reminds me of the scribbles ep of Foster's.

Hasbro needs to make a Trixie pony soon.

There was also a unicorn pony named Twilight, who appeared to have magical powers (if only to teleport) and another unicorn who looked like Rarity, but they never said her name.

That's Majesty, the one who looks a little like Rarity. (pony image here) In the 80's ponyverse, all the unicorns had powers of teleporting (it was called "winking").

The villains of FiM are much more enjoyable and fun to me compared to the 80's versions of the show and movie.

Edited by Bri059, Jul 7, 2011 @ 11:59 AM.

[Domina Nocturna]

The parasprite episode reminds me of the scribbles ep of Foster's.

And they're all based on Star Trek's "The Trouble with Tribbles".