My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Mar. 1st, 2011 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ravensweptA full(er) review.
Let's do this.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, is the latest animation rendition of the long running Hasbro toyline, My Little Pony. Centering around six individual ponies, the show is focused around teaching it's watchers, an aimed demographic of 4-8 year-old girls, about friendship and honesty and how to basically be a good person, despite faults, misgivings or fears. Developed for televsion by Lauren Faust, produced by Canadian studio, Studio B Productions, it's (as of this writing) currently a little over halfway through its first 26 episode season.
Oh, and it's freaking awesome.
The hard part is explaining exactly why, considering especially that (at least based on Youtube commentary) it has considerable appeal to the 20-something college male. Unironically. Let's see what there's to be.
***
Let's see, how to do this. I'll start with a quick history recap of MLP animation, just to set the background, and let that lead into a summary of the new series, Friendship is Magic. Then some character work, followed by the general episode outline, then a wrap up to round it all out. Onward!
MLP Animation History
Know your past to better know your present. I'll try to keep this short, as this review isn't about these series.
MLP started its time on TV in 1984, as a primetime special "Rescure from Midnight Castle", centering on a one-time villain, Tirek, who wanted to kidnap some ponies to transform them into monsters to pull his chariot. The Ponies, who are a mix of earth pony (normal, no frills), pegasus (ponies with wings), and unicorns (figure it out yourself), seek help and recruit human Megan to help (how or why her is never explained), who in turn goes to a magical Mr. Moochick, who provides a Deus ex Machina for them, the Rainbow of Light. They go, they "fight", they win, and Tirek's put upon, not-really-that-bad lackey, Scorpan, is revealed to be a humanking sorry, prince, transformed by Tirek. Also, there's a baby dragon called Spike, who's there mainly to show how not-bad Scorpan is. The ponies are returned to normal, Megan is taken home, and the King Prince is never seen, heard, or mentioned ever again.
And it was horrible.
Granted, this is easily the darkest MLP has ever been, partially because as it's the first toe-peep into animation they didn't fully know what they wanted from it or where to go, and in that regard it's full of promise. But everything else is kinda a let down. The songs are strange and don't provide anything beyond a song about the last thing said (with the Sea Ponies taking an odd do-whoop turn), the animation is below standards even for mid-80s television (though it does have the Ponies drawn as close to actual horses as they're ever going to be), the voice work is basic to absismal, and the story is so rushed (expect for the extremely halting songs) that everything happens one thing right after the other but without them really doing anything. It's just... weird. But nostaglic for those who came from that time, and overall not a terrible output for the time, all things considering.
This was followed by a second television special, "Escape from Catrina" (sometimes spelled Katrina), which did little more than add confusing world building elements, more characters never to be seen again after this is over, and a new fuzzy toy element to sell (the Bushwoolies). The animation was a little cleaner, the story a little (very little) less rushed, and some hella confusing writing regarding the ending and how the villains are protrayed (ie, not very consistantly).
Then, the big guns came out. 1986, My Little Pony: The Movie. In a time where toy companies were putting out quite a few theatrical releases for their toy lines, this was the one that killed a few in production, or at least downgraded them to direct-to-video. Again, enemies you've never seen or heard of before, a long line of things happening for little reason, and all in the name of promoting a new Pony line (the Flutter Ponies). It had the best animation for MLP so far, some better songs ("Nothing Can Stop the Smooze" is particually noteworthy), but while it did its job, it wasn't worth the price of a movie ticket.
Directly related to the movie, My Little Pony 'n Friends is the first ongoing television show starring the Ponies, and directly follows from the movie and what it set up. There's returning characters, Megan and her siblings show up here and there, and generally it's a show about how everyone else hates the Ponies and try to get rid of them/take over the valley (called Ponyland). Also, it did it's job of introducing new characters for kids to beg their parents for. In the end, it's a decent series by 80's toy standards, got the job done, and is what most people think of when someone mentions any MLP tv shows. It ended in 1987, getting in about two seasons, of varying episode count.
Then came My Little Pony Tales (see what they did there) in 1992. Of any series based on brightly painted horses, you'd think making them more relatible would make it better, yes? Not in this case. MLPT dropped everything that came before it, you know, aside of the Ponies (and even then did away with Pegasus and Unicorn breeds), and placed everything in an essentially human world. Ponies went to school on school buses, had rock bands, watched TV (complete with an MTV reference), had actual jobs, and became little more than the day-to-day life of six girls in middle school, except they're talking horses. It's not beloved by MLP fans, lets just say that, and lasted only one 26 episode season.
Getting close to the end, MLPT was the last series to air on any network. Come 2003, a new series, set in a new world, began a line of direct-to-video features, the first couple paired directly with the new toy line launching, known to collectors as the G3 line. About 11 individual "episodes" were turned out from '03 until '09, this collection (in the later half) turned it's sights on a Core 7, the ponies that would be the main focus of the line. The animation is by far the best of anything to date, but that's not saying a whole lot, considering. Also, over time the art style got gradually more and more 'chibi', that is they made the ponies heads bigger, made their eyes larger, and made their bodies smaller; perhaps in an effort to make them more "cute", it instead just emphasized even more how marketed to wee children it is.
These directs also featured a redesigned baby dragon Spike, who now looks and acts nothing like he was before. He is annoying, in voice, look, and usage, and I hate him.
There's a live-action stage production of the ponies, called My Little Pony Live, but we shall not speak of it *shudder*.
And now, 2010, we have MLP: FiM.
Friendship is Magic
Part of what I think makes this by far the best MLP series is that the world Faust and her team created is just so big and expansive. You feel that this is a fully realized world, with more happening beyond what we see. Set in the land of Equestria, specifically in the village of Ponyville (the least imaginative name given (and that's saying something), but understandable for marketibility reasons) where our six main heroines reside. Equestria is ruled by Princess (it's always a princess) Celestia, and has been for 1000+ years, making her some sort of goddess given that she is also responible for raising and lowering the sun and moon. Her kingdom also includes cities/villages such as Canterlot (the royal city), Fillydelphia, and Cloudsdale (a double pun, nice), with places beyond the kingdom that remain unidentified. There are also plenty of horse/pony related puns, but they work to the shows advantage rather than coming off as weak or as a crutch.
There are several things different, which work to great effect, in this reiteration. The symbols on the flanks of the ponies are now called "cutie marks", a name carried over from the G3 line, and are not just freely given. Whereas the ponies would previously have their symbol from... birth... often being called "Baby Something", here it is a rite of passage, a kind of pony puberity. A mark is earned when a pony discovers what their passion in life is, and the cutie mark is a reflection of that. Until that time, they go blank, leading to uncertainity and anxitity in those without marks; an easy reflection to the unsureness the show's viewers may be going through.
Also, unlike most previous entries, there are male ponies present, in numbers. MLP'nF had one episode for the "Big Brother Ponies", but they never were seen again after that. Tales had some, but they acted mainly as antagonists. Here, while none are leading or really mentioned much, and they are still outnumbered by the females at least 15:1, you do see them in backgrounds and are present in the world. Granted, most that we do get to meet at all tend to be jerks or "boys", but the focus has never been on the XY inclined. But it is nice to see that they aren't just one-offs and do have a presense, little it may be.
This world runs on magic; magic is accepted and thought of as extremely normal. It's how things work, and a lack of magic scares the ponies to a degree. Pegasi ponies run the weather for most part, clearing clouds or bringing the rain; ponies actively take care of smaller animals, feeding and giving them homes (normal dogs and cats are even kept as pets, though there are some animals that can talk, like cows); all unicorns have some amount of magic to help them with whatever their task in life is, which makes accepting a world of ponies living and using normal everyday objects easier, because there's a reasonable way those objects were made or used. Sounds strange, but it helps (opposed to something like Cars where nothing about it really makes sense). The ponies are active in every part changing the world as well; from winter to spring, all the ponies work to clear the snow and bring back migrated animals. In the fall, the ponies race through the land to shake the leaves from the trees. Again, with the story it makes logical sense and is nice to see the reach of the worldbuilding done.
There's a place called the Everfree Forest, which is akin to "normal". Plants grow on their own, animals take care of themselves, it's positively unnatural! That said, it's also where the more mythical things tend to live, like manicores, cockatrices, giant gay sea serpents (hey, I can't explain it), and strange plants that aren't quite magic but also aren't normal; it's a strange place that gets entered a lot more than the ponies would like. It's also mentioned that the Forest is not considered part of Equestria, likely because it takes care of itself while the ponies are part of every aspect of Equestria's workings.
The main story follows Twilight Sparkle, a student of magic and protege of the Princess, who at first believes only in facts and books and sees little point in making or having friends. Decreed to overlook an up-coming celebration in Ponyville, almost against her will she becomes attached to five other local ponies, in order Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie (technically meeting her first, but it was so quick I don't count it). They bond while trying to save the kingdom from Nightmare Moon, a dark pony trapped in the moon for 1000 years for trying to bring eternal night to the world. Turns out friendship is magic (annnnnd we have our title drop!), as each of Twilight's new friends, and herself included, embody pure traits of friendship, that together defeat Nightmare, really the corrupted-by-evil Princess Luna, sister to Celestia. All is well, Luna is good once more, friendship, love, and whatnot prevale, and Twilight decides to stay with her new friends. Thus our stage is set.
Characters
I'll start with our cast before going into an episode summary, seeing as they are what really make this series what it is. Instead of having a large cast of characters who show up every so often but no one really leads, this series focuses on six ponies, who interchange spotlight duty from episode to episode, with one who threads it all together. Some characters are based on past ponies, whether it be by name or look, usually with much different personalities.
Twilight Sparkle: Unicorn pony, light purple body, with indigo mane and tail with pink and purple streaks; sparkling star cutie mark. It wasn't until about ten episodes in, I realized that maybe the writers had a sense of humor when they named her this. Anywho, Twilight is the main pony of this series, making an appearance in every episode. This is rationalized by the fact that her "job" at the moment is to study "friendship", thereby giving the writers an easy set up for teachable moments. No, really, she is royally decreed to stay in the village where her friends are to continuing studying the magic of friendship, no joke (it's also a kindness, as she didn't want to leave her newfound friends). She's highly book smart, having spent much of her life studying. Only now is she really starting to get out into the world.
As far as characterization goes, Twilight fits that needed fresh-eyed perspective. In Cantorlot, she was Princess Celestia's prized pupil, a title she holds still. As she's new to the village and it's customs, things can be explained to her, and thus to the audience. She's excited about new experiences and traditions, but is also not totally naive to things around her. She has a much wider grasp of the world beyond Ponyville, is very knowledgable in magic (said to be her special talent) and as she lives in a library, she's the go-to for finding out something unknown (though she does have a lack of book-finding ability). Of course, not being able to look something up in a book is one of the fastest ways to unsettle her.
Applejack: Earth pony, orange body, yellow mane and tail; three apple cutie mark. Always seen wearing a cowboy hat (which is never sold with her toy counterpart). Applejack has the distiction of having the longest relational tie to any previous Pony series, showing up almost entirely as-is way back in Midnight Castle. Probably the mostmature responsible of the ponies, seeing as she runs a large apple farm (go figure), AJ is not exactly the leader in the field so much as she's the go-to pony when things get tough. Full of western slang and idioms, she's also stubborn and prideful, which can get her into trouble of her own making. She's also probably my favorite of the bunch; anyone know where I can get an Applejack T-shirt?
AJ is our first real introduction to the lifestyle of Ponyville. In what I still think is one of best wordplay jokes, we get hit with an avalanche of apple-related naming puns in regards to her extended family, capped off with a Granny Smith. Applejack is also the first pony we see to have silbings or any extended family at all, big brother Big Macintosh and adorable, equal to the viewing age demographic, little sister Apple Bloom (the others from the apple-pun gag are part of the Apple Family, but have their own orchards spread throughout Equestria). It's nice to see that there's rhyme and reason to the world, specifically that food is grown and not just provided. Working the farm is a large point of pride, one that instilled a large sense of hard work into her, and it can sometimes be seen she wishes some of the others would've had that same sense passed on to them (*coughRainbowDashcough*).
Rainbow Dash: Pegasus pony, light blue body, rainbow colored mane and tail; rainbow colored lightning bolt with cloud cutie mark. Our resident tomboy of the party, Rainbow Dash is brash, a little arrogant, competitive at all times, and can back it all up. She's pretty much in charge of the local weather, so she's not irresponsible... too much. RD is just as likely to skip any work for the chance to either nap or practice new flying techniques in hopes of one day joining the premier flight team, the Wonder Bolts (think the Blue Angels), but also does her job well and does take it seriously (just, only as long as absolutely needed).
It's hard to say that there's not much to her, but really Rainbow Dash is a fairly simple character. She's not all surface or lacking depth, just that she's everything she appears to be. A slight braggard, in your face, and still a good friend. Like Twilight, Rainbow doesn't seem to be a native of Ponyville, instead either having spent more time in, or originating from, Cloudsdale, a primiarly pegasi populated city (being it's in the clouds).
Pinkie Pie: Earth pony, pink body, magenta mane and tail; three ballon cutie mark. None of the ponies have a given age, though we do know that Pinkie is a year younger than Fluttershy. Wanna know why you don't raise a kid in a candy store? Cause then they turn out like Pinkie, who is so hyped up on sugar she could put a hummingbird into a coma. She's what I'm calling the "mouth" of the group, as once she starts talking, good luck getting her to stop. The Mirco Machines Guy has nothing on her. I wouldn't call her excitible, because that would imply she's never not excited. Always bubbly, always laughing, and always a tad random, Pinkie never stays still when she could be moving. And if she this way now, I shudder to think of her as a kid.
Are there pony parents? I'm not sure, but I think (think) if anyone has them, Pinkie might. As a party planner, Pinkie seems to live or at least work at a bakery/sweets store, run by a Mr. and Mrs. Cake (who I can't prove, but seem to be the closest thing to parents, maybe) where she throws parties or plans and caters them from; of course, she does have to sample the merchandise, to make sure it's good for the customer. This sampling is where I suspect Pinkie gets her energy level. And everything is cause for a party (maybe she gets commision), be it surviving near (improbable) death or just waking up to a sunny day, she'll have balloons and streamers at the ready.
Fluttershy: Pegasus pony, yellow body, light pink mane and tail; three butterfly cutie mark. You know how everything about MLP is usually cute, and sweet, and it's all about wanting to keep them close and snuggle them? Fluttershy is this on steriods. The girl is adorable. Though often scared of the slightest thing, be it a lone falling leaf or even her own shadow (no joke), she also loves animals of all kinds (except maybe (full grown) dragons) and will give anything a chance, be it bunnies, snakes or manticores. She's kind to a fault, her biggest weapon against someone is asking them super-special sweetly. Her voice is very soft, and she'll clam up quick when intimidated or shy (well, more shy). Surfice to say, she was well named. Fluttershy is also by far the most popular pony of the six, primarily due, I think, to her innocent nature that people just seem to want to protect.
To say she is meek is to understate it; but, like the others, she's not one-note. Push her friends around, be mean to animals, or just find the right occasion for her to let loose, and she'll show a lot more gumption than you thought she had in her. While not the crazy cat lady, Fluttershy is definitely that person you know who will adopt any stray they find, and her home shows it; everywhere there are hidy-holes and pet apartments and while she's not a vet, you get the impression that maybe she might be better than one.
Rarity: Unicorn pony, white body, purple mane and tail; three diamond cutie mark. Because every group of friends need a nouveau riche, kind of WASPy member, right? Rarity is all that; hauty manner of speaking, places a lot of importance on looks, and while not afraid of some hard work, would really rather not lower herself to get dirty while doing so. But she doesn't think herself higher of status than her friends, just the that she's destined for great things; that those "great things" amount to marrying the Princess' nephew, eh, she can dream. She's also the second pony to have a sibling, younger sister Sweetie Belle, a best friend to Apple Bloom.
Rarity will also be dramatic at the drop of a hat. No matter what's occuring, she will be sure to put as much emotion as she can into it. So when something goes wrong, she thinks it's gone very, very wrong. Like the others, she's just as rounded out, being very giving of herself and time. She considers it an honor to be able to create and have her fashion shown, but that leads her to trying too hard to please, which gets her flustered, which leads back to the drama-ball being dropped.
Spike: Baby dragon, purple body with green spine ridges. The reason boys will say they watch this, Spike hasn't been utilized since way back in the MLP'nF days, and never this well; I do not acknowledge that lesser being in the mid-2000's as being a "Spike" in any way. He acts as assistant to Twilight, though does have other royal duties he has to perform, and is a form of instant messaging to the Princess; he can light on fire scrolls, which are magicked to her personally. Also for the boys, and as crude as this show gets, he burps when there's a reply or message from the Princess herself.
Spike is kinda awesome in his own right. He has an attitude towards a lot of things, but it's mainly because you know that he knows he's the lone dude among a lot of females (and has a crush on Rarity). He can't just outright say he likes stuff. Which I think makes him a perfect metaphor for the male portion of the viewing audience; he wants to be a part of things, and has a high interest in them, but can't be seen to be actually liking all this girly stuff.
One thing I've seen asked is, how old are these characters supposed to be? Because they sure don't fit a model that young girls can see themselves as (not at this age). While I think officially they've been labelled "adult" (though I have no way to verify this beyond a Youtube comment), I'd place my wager on them being "grown up" more than adult. Put pressure on me, I'd say the girls are anywhere from 18 to 21, maybe 22, years of (equivilant) age. I base this on attitudes, jobs, and just my overall impression of them. Fluttershy is the oldest, because that's ironical, but it would also fit her character. Pinkie would (probably) be youngest, and the rest fall somewhere inbetween. Why this range?; well, Twilight gives me the impression of being in college, while the rest went on to whatever it is they do. They live alone and hold down jobs, but are still able to behave and act like very big kids, so having them be just really entering true adulthood seems about right. Going from that, Spike is a teenager, most likely at 14 or so. Applebloom is clearly still in elementary school and looks to be somewhere around 6 to 8.
After that, it's mainly a bunch of minor characters who don't add much overall to the story. Applebloom gets upgraded from minor to supporting character as the show goes on, acting out the same impluses as the targeted age viewers have in trying to find their place in the world. A little thing I noticed after rewatching some episodes, her two best friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, are the same little ponies she hid under a table with in the first episode, 12 episodes before they are officially introduced to each other.
Oh, a special mention goes to Zecora, a Zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest. Not to be racist, but she is very much a "black" pony, hinted to have come from way outside Equestria, and though to be a witch (or thereabout) because of her "bizarre" customs and habits. Her stripes are seen as strange, as no pony has a non-solid colored body, her mane is short and mohawkish, and she's (initially) feared by the whole village, to the point they hide and close shop when she comes around. She's found to be not that bad, though her habit of speaking everything in rhyme gets old really quick; it doesn't help that they often have to have her repeat the same line with only minor varition in order to make this gag work. She's also not just a one-off character, being seen or mentioned after her inital appearance. But again, she's a reminder that there's a much larger world out there.
Big Macintosh gets some lines here and there, mostly a trademarked deadpan "Yeeyup"; beyond being seen in backgrounds, male ponies don't get much face time, and when they do they aren't exactly the best examples of maledom. Two given names in Ponyville are, get this, Snips and Snails, with matching marks; what their lot in life is I can only hazard a guess (they've only appeared once, but appear to be acquantiences of Spike's). There's an earth pony who appears the most in backgrounds, he's light brown with an hourglass mark, but has spoken only once so far (and strangest of all, he's a pegasus when it happens (??)) (*note*apparently fans have deemed this one Dr. Whoof, and he is a Timelord*). After that, there's only a few other males spaced here and there, but they aren't forgotten about.
I know that there is some fan-love out there for two background ponies, whose names Idon't know looked up; Lyra and Bon-bon, a teal bodied/light teal with white streak spikey-maned unicorn and a cream bodied/pink and blue-purpled rounded-maned earth pony, respectively, who show up/are noticed the most as extras, often together.
That's one thing smartly done with the animation style; all the main characters are easily identifible, while baring a few special cases most of the rest of the ponies are just color-swaps of a few basic designs. It makes finding them in crowds easy, and the ability to have crowds that don't look like just a bunch of cut and pastes possible. In past shows, save the DTVs as their style got more and more chibi, the ponies were incredibly hard to tell apart, even if with different coloring. Their manes were often different, but those differences were so subtle that they may as well have not gone through the effort. Here, you know them on sight, even in silhouette, and if they get lost in the crowd, that means they weren't headliners in the first place.
Episode Summation
I won't go through the series episode by episode, mainly because there's no point to it. This show is very character centered, letting them grow and learn without there needing to be some major season long arc linking it all together; it's practical, and how shows like this run. Networks tend to dislike story heavy arcs, because once they hit syndication it's a pain in the ass to make sure they're aired in the correct order. If the shows are episodic, then they can show them willy-nilly, without needing to keep to a strict schedule. Kid's shows especially are like that, because networks think kids are stupid and can't/don't have the attention span to follow story lines, and because they want the power to not have to air episodes in order, in case they need to fill some spare air time.
That said, there is a very loose thread mentioned here and there; the Grand Galloping Gala, a huge ball/party/celebration/hootin'nannie in Canterlot. Made a centerpoint of the third episode (the first after the premiere two-parter) that was co-written by Faust, who also wrote the premiere. To me, this says that she's planning ahead and setting things up for something later. A date for the Gala is never mentioned, smartly so that you never know when it's coming or have a timeline to go by, but it seems to be by year's end. It's featured again in a Rarity episode, when she makes outfits for all her friends for the ball. My thinking is that the Gala is going to be part of the season finale, possibly another two-parter, where we'll probably see Princess Luna again.
But until then...
Each episode is a teaching moment; that's the whole established point of the show, for Twilight to actively learn about friendship and to report on it. Each episode closes with Twilight writing (or having Spike write) a message to Princess Celestia about what she learned over the course of events, though there are moments when it's other characters who are the actual recipients of the lesson, or even the one telling the lesson to the Princess. It's standard of children's animation nowadays, but even though you know what it's doing, you don't really care. It works because it's established; they aren't trying to sneak it in on you, they state up front what's going on and the way the lessons are written into the story comes off as very natural. South Park makes (or made) fun of this concept for how it patronized it's audience; here, it actually feels genuine.
There's no formula to telling what each show will bring; it's not always just a focus on one character's growth, sometimes it takes two or more to pull it off. Sometimes it's the whole group together. Everyone has their time in the spotlight, or limelight, or whatever kind of light. Apple Bloom gets some as well, with her two friends trying to find their roles in life. One thing is guraranteed; Twilight will show up somewhere in every episode. She kinda has to, she's the one writing about her friendship learnings. So when the focus is on someone like Fluttershy, don't mind it much when Twilight wanders in for a moment doing something unrelated, they just need to fulfill her contract obligation.
Beyond all that, let's see; while not a musical in anyway, there are songs spread throughout the show. Mainly sung by Pinkie Pie. Because she's so excited she'll turn the last thing she's thinking about into a song; it's Pinkie, there is no stopping her. But there are more thought out songs as well; this one in particular bears mention, because once you hear it, it'll take a week to get it out of your head. There's a couple others, but nothing special; they do the job they need to for the episode, but nothing you'll be clawing your ears out over. The "My Little Pony Theme" shows itself here and there, usually hummed by a character, but it's kinda cute that it's kept to reference it's origins.
Wrapping It Up
What more can I say? This is just a weirdly addicting, very awesome, beautifully animated show that appeals to far beyond the people it was made for. The majority of commentors on Youtube are admitted 20-something males, who don't have kids, so I guess the show's creators are doing something right. It's hard to explain exactly what it is that makes this so watchable. I wanna say a lot of the credit goes to the characters, who are personable, interesting and just fun to watch.
But there's more to it than just them, something I can't really put my finger on. Respect for the craft maybe; the creators and writers treated the material with respect, something they didn't have to necessarily do; it is My Little Pony after all, the bar isn't exactly set high here. But they went above and beyond, making something that tugs at anyone caught in it's gaze.
I'm just waiting for Hot Topic or some such to start producing T-shirts featuring these characters. You'll probably see them soon. On guys. You may think they're wearing them ironically. They are not. They are wearing them because they watch it themselves. They know the characters. They love it. Love it with them. With us.
One of us.
ONE OF US.
Let's do this.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, is the latest animation rendition of the long running Hasbro toyline, My Little Pony. Centering around six individual ponies, the show is focused around teaching it's watchers, an aimed demographic of 4-8 year-old girls, about friendship and honesty and how to basically be a good person, despite faults, misgivings or fears. Developed for televsion by Lauren Faust, produced by Canadian studio, Studio B Productions, it's (as of this writing) currently a little over halfway through its first 26 episode season.
Oh, and it's freaking awesome.
The hard part is explaining exactly why, considering especially that (at least based on Youtube commentary) it has considerable appeal to the 20-something college male. Unironically. Let's see what there's to be.
***
Let's see, how to do this. I'll start with a quick history recap of MLP animation, just to set the background, and let that lead into a summary of the new series, Friendship is Magic. Then some character work, followed by the general episode outline, then a wrap up to round it all out. Onward!
MLP Animation History
Know your past to better know your present. I'll try to keep this short, as this review isn't about these series.
MLP started its time on TV in 1984, as a primetime special "Rescure from Midnight Castle", centering on a one-time villain, Tirek, who wanted to kidnap some ponies to transform them into monsters to pull his chariot. The Ponies, who are a mix of earth pony (normal, no frills), pegasus (ponies with wings), and unicorns (figure it out yourself), seek help and recruit human Megan to help (how or why her is never explained), who in turn goes to a magical Mr. Moochick, who provides a Deus ex Machina for them, the Rainbow of Light. They go, they "fight", they win, and Tirek's put upon, not-really-that-bad lackey, Scorpan, is revealed to be a human
And it was horrible.
Granted, this is easily the darkest MLP has ever been, partially because as it's the first toe-peep into animation they didn't fully know what they wanted from it or where to go, and in that regard it's full of promise. But everything else is kinda a let down. The songs are strange and don't provide anything beyond a song about the last thing said (with the Sea Ponies taking an odd do-whoop turn), the animation is below standards even for mid-80s television (though it does have the Ponies drawn as close to actual horses as they're ever going to be), the voice work is basic to absismal, and the story is so rushed (expect for the extremely halting songs) that everything happens one thing right after the other but without them really doing anything. It's just... weird. But nostaglic for those who came from that time, and overall not a terrible output for the time, all things considering.
This was followed by a second television special, "Escape from Catrina" (sometimes spelled Katrina), which did little more than add confusing world building elements, more characters never to be seen again after this is over, and a new fuzzy toy element to sell (the Bushwoolies). The animation was a little cleaner, the story a little (very little) less rushed, and some hella confusing writing regarding the ending and how the villains are protrayed (ie, not very consistantly).
Then, the big guns came out. 1986, My Little Pony: The Movie. In a time where toy companies were putting out quite a few theatrical releases for their toy lines, this was the one that killed a few in production, or at least downgraded them to direct-to-video. Again, enemies you've never seen or heard of before, a long line of things happening for little reason, and all in the name of promoting a new Pony line (the Flutter Ponies). It had the best animation for MLP so far, some better songs ("Nothing Can Stop the Smooze" is particually noteworthy), but while it did its job, it wasn't worth the price of a movie ticket.
Directly related to the movie, My Little Pony 'n Friends is the first ongoing television show starring the Ponies, and directly follows from the movie and what it set up. There's returning characters, Megan and her siblings show up here and there, and generally it's a show about how everyone else hates the Ponies and try to get rid of them/take over the valley (called Ponyland). Also, it did it's job of introducing new characters for kids to beg their parents for. In the end, it's a decent series by 80's toy standards, got the job done, and is what most people think of when someone mentions any MLP tv shows. It ended in 1987, getting in about two seasons, of varying episode count.
Then came My Little Pony Tales (see what they did there) in 1992. Of any series based on brightly painted horses, you'd think making them more relatible would make it better, yes? Not in this case. MLPT dropped everything that came before it, you know, aside of the Ponies (and even then did away with Pegasus and Unicorn breeds), and placed everything in an essentially human world. Ponies went to school on school buses, had rock bands, watched TV (complete with an MTV reference), had actual jobs, and became little more than the day-to-day life of six girls in middle school, except they're talking horses. It's not beloved by MLP fans, lets just say that, and lasted only one 26 episode season.
Getting close to the end, MLPT was the last series to air on any network. Come 2003, a new series, set in a new world, began a line of direct-to-video features, the first couple paired directly with the new toy line launching, known to collectors as the G3 line. About 11 individual "episodes" were turned out from '03 until '09, this collection (in the later half) turned it's sights on a Core 7, the ponies that would be the main focus of the line. The animation is by far the best of anything to date, but that's not saying a whole lot, considering. Also, over time the art style got gradually more and more 'chibi', that is they made the ponies heads bigger, made their eyes larger, and made their bodies smaller; perhaps in an effort to make them more "cute", it instead just emphasized even more how marketed to wee children it is.
These directs also featured a redesigned baby dragon Spike, who now looks and acts nothing like he was before. He is annoying, in voice, look, and usage, and I hate him.
There's a live-action stage production of the ponies, called My Little Pony Live, but we shall not speak of it *shudder*.
And now, 2010, we have MLP: FiM.
Friendship is Magic
Part of what I think makes this by far the best MLP series is that the world Faust and her team created is just so big and expansive. You feel that this is a fully realized world, with more happening beyond what we see. Set in the land of Equestria, specifically in the village of Ponyville (the least imaginative name given (and that's saying something), but understandable for marketibility reasons) where our six main heroines reside. Equestria is ruled by Princess (it's always a princess) Celestia, and has been for 1000+ years, making her some sort of goddess given that she is also responible for raising and lowering the sun and moon. Her kingdom also includes cities/villages such as Canterlot (the royal city), Fillydelphia, and Cloudsdale (a double pun, nice), with places beyond the kingdom that remain unidentified. There are also plenty of horse/pony related puns, but they work to the shows advantage rather than coming off as weak or as a crutch.
There are several things different, which work to great effect, in this reiteration. The symbols on the flanks of the ponies are now called "cutie marks", a name carried over from the G3 line, and are not just freely given. Whereas the ponies would previously have their symbol from... birth... often being called "Baby Something", here it is a rite of passage, a kind of pony puberity. A mark is earned when a pony discovers what their passion in life is, and the cutie mark is a reflection of that. Until that time, they go blank, leading to uncertainity and anxitity in those without marks; an easy reflection to the unsureness the show's viewers may be going through.
Also, unlike most previous entries, there are male ponies present, in numbers. MLP'nF had one episode for the "Big Brother Ponies", but they never were seen again after that. Tales had some, but they acted mainly as antagonists. Here, while none are leading or really mentioned much, and they are still outnumbered by the females at least 15:1, you do see them in backgrounds and are present in the world. Granted, most that we do get to meet at all tend to be jerks or "boys", but the focus has never been on the XY inclined. But it is nice to see that they aren't just one-offs and do have a presense, little it may be.
This world runs on magic; magic is accepted and thought of as extremely normal. It's how things work, and a lack of magic scares the ponies to a degree. Pegasi ponies run the weather for most part, clearing clouds or bringing the rain; ponies actively take care of smaller animals, feeding and giving them homes (normal dogs and cats are even kept as pets, though there are some animals that can talk, like cows); all unicorns have some amount of magic to help them with whatever their task in life is, which makes accepting a world of ponies living and using normal everyday objects easier, because there's a reasonable way those objects were made or used. Sounds strange, but it helps (opposed to something like Cars where nothing about it really makes sense). The ponies are active in every part changing the world as well; from winter to spring, all the ponies work to clear the snow and bring back migrated animals. In the fall, the ponies race through the land to shake the leaves from the trees. Again, with the story it makes logical sense and is nice to see the reach of the worldbuilding done.
There's a place called the Everfree Forest, which is akin to "normal". Plants grow on their own, animals take care of themselves, it's positively unnatural! That said, it's also where the more mythical things tend to live, like manicores, cockatrices, giant gay sea serpents (hey, I can't explain it), and strange plants that aren't quite magic but also aren't normal; it's a strange place that gets entered a lot more than the ponies would like. It's also mentioned that the Forest is not considered part of Equestria, likely because it takes care of itself while the ponies are part of every aspect of Equestria's workings.
The main story follows Twilight Sparkle, a student of magic and protege of the Princess, who at first believes only in facts and books and sees little point in making or having friends. Decreed to overlook an up-coming celebration in Ponyville, almost against her will she becomes attached to five other local ponies, in order Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie (technically meeting her first, but it was so quick I don't count it). They bond while trying to save the kingdom from Nightmare Moon, a dark pony trapped in the moon for 1000 years for trying to bring eternal night to the world. Turns out friendship is magic (annnnnd we have our title drop!), as each of Twilight's new friends, and herself included, embody pure traits of friendship, that together defeat Nightmare, really the corrupted-by-evil Princess Luna, sister to Celestia. All is well, Luna is good once more, friendship, love, and whatnot prevale, and Twilight decides to stay with her new friends. Thus our stage is set.
Characters
I'll start with our cast before going into an episode summary, seeing as they are what really make this series what it is. Instead of having a large cast of characters who show up every so often but no one really leads, this series focuses on six ponies, who interchange spotlight duty from episode to episode, with one who threads it all together. Some characters are based on past ponies, whether it be by name or look, usually with much different personalities.
Twilight Sparkle: Unicorn pony, light purple body, with indigo mane and tail with pink and purple streaks; sparkling star cutie mark. It wasn't until about ten episodes in, I realized that maybe the writers had a sense of humor when they named her this. Anywho, Twilight is the main pony of this series, making an appearance in every episode. This is rationalized by the fact that her "job" at the moment is to study "friendship", thereby giving the writers an easy set up for teachable moments. No, really, she is royally decreed to stay in the village where her friends are to continuing studying the magic of friendship, no joke (it's also a kindness, as she didn't want to leave her newfound friends). She's highly book smart, having spent much of her life studying. Only now is she really starting to get out into the world.
As far as characterization goes, Twilight fits that needed fresh-eyed perspective. In Cantorlot, she was Princess Celestia's prized pupil, a title she holds still. As she's new to the village and it's customs, things can be explained to her, and thus to the audience. She's excited about new experiences and traditions, but is also not totally naive to things around her. She has a much wider grasp of the world beyond Ponyville, is very knowledgable in magic (said to be her special talent) and as she lives in a library, she's the go-to for finding out something unknown (though she does have a lack of book-finding ability). Of course, not being able to look something up in a book is one of the fastest ways to unsettle her.
Applejack: Earth pony, orange body, yellow mane and tail; three apple cutie mark. Always seen wearing a cowboy hat (which is never sold with her toy counterpart). Applejack has the distiction of having the longest relational tie to any previous Pony series, showing up almost entirely as-is way back in Midnight Castle. Probably the most
AJ is our first real introduction to the lifestyle of Ponyville. In what I still think is one of best wordplay jokes, we get hit with an avalanche of apple-related naming puns in regards to her extended family, capped off with a Granny Smith. Applejack is also the first pony we see to have silbings or any extended family at all, big brother Big Macintosh and adorable, equal to the viewing age demographic, little sister Apple Bloom (the others from the apple-pun gag are part of the Apple Family, but have their own orchards spread throughout Equestria). It's nice to see that there's rhyme and reason to the world, specifically that food is grown and not just provided. Working the farm is a large point of pride, one that instilled a large sense of hard work into her, and it can sometimes be seen she wishes some of the others would've had that same sense passed on to them (*coughRainbowDashcough*).
Rainbow Dash: Pegasus pony, light blue body, rainbow colored mane and tail; rainbow colored lightning bolt with cloud cutie mark. Our resident tomboy of the party, Rainbow Dash is brash, a little arrogant, competitive at all times, and can back it all up. She's pretty much in charge of the local weather, so she's not irresponsible... too much. RD is just as likely to skip any work for the chance to either nap or practice new flying techniques in hopes of one day joining the premier flight team, the Wonder Bolts (think the Blue Angels), but also does her job well and does take it seriously (just, only as long as absolutely needed).
It's hard to say that there's not much to her, but really Rainbow Dash is a fairly simple character. She's not all surface or lacking depth, just that she's everything she appears to be. A slight braggard, in your face, and still a good friend. Like Twilight, Rainbow doesn't seem to be a native of Ponyville, instead either having spent more time in, or originating from, Cloudsdale, a primiarly pegasi populated city (being it's in the clouds).
Pinkie Pie: Earth pony, pink body, magenta mane and tail; three ballon cutie mark. None of the ponies have a given age, though we do know that Pinkie is a year younger than Fluttershy. Wanna know why you don't raise a kid in a candy store? Cause then they turn out like Pinkie, who is so hyped up on sugar she could put a hummingbird into a coma. She's what I'm calling the "mouth" of the group, as once she starts talking, good luck getting her to stop. The Mirco Machines Guy has nothing on her. I wouldn't call her excitible, because that would imply she's never not excited. Always bubbly, always laughing, and always a tad random, Pinkie never stays still when she could be moving. And if she this way now, I shudder to think of her as a kid.
Are there pony parents? I'm not sure, but I think (think) if anyone has them, Pinkie might. As a party planner, Pinkie seems to live or at least work at a bakery/sweets store, run by a Mr. and Mrs. Cake (who I can't prove, but seem to be the closest thing to parents, maybe) where she throws parties or plans and caters them from; of course, she does have to sample the merchandise, to make sure it's good for the customer. This sampling is where I suspect Pinkie gets her energy level. And everything is cause for a party (maybe she gets commision), be it surviving near (improbable) death or just waking up to a sunny day, she'll have balloons and streamers at the ready.
Fluttershy: Pegasus pony, yellow body, light pink mane and tail; three butterfly cutie mark. You know how everything about MLP is usually cute, and sweet, and it's all about wanting to keep them close and snuggle them? Fluttershy is this on steriods. The girl is adorable. Though often scared of the slightest thing, be it a lone falling leaf or even her own shadow (no joke), she also loves animals of all kinds (except maybe (full grown) dragons) and will give anything a chance, be it bunnies, snakes or manticores. She's kind to a fault, her biggest weapon against someone is asking them super-special sweetly. Her voice is very soft, and she'll clam up quick when intimidated or shy (well, more shy). Surfice to say, she was well named. Fluttershy is also by far the most popular pony of the six, primarily due, I think, to her innocent nature that people just seem to want to protect.
To say she is meek is to understate it; but, like the others, she's not one-note. Push her friends around, be mean to animals, or just find the right occasion for her to let loose, and she'll show a lot more gumption than you thought she had in her. While not the crazy cat lady, Fluttershy is definitely that person you know who will adopt any stray they find, and her home shows it; everywhere there are hidy-holes and pet apartments and while she's not a vet, you get the impression that maybe she might be better than one.
Rarity: Unicorn pony, white body, purple mane and tail; three diamond cutie mark. Because every group of friends need a nouveau riche, kind of WASPy member, right? Rarity is all that; hauty manner of speaking, places a lot of importance on looks, and while not afraid of some hard work, would really rather not lower herself to get dirty while doing so. But she doesn't think herself higher of status than her friends, just the that she's destined for great things; that those "great things" amount to marrying the Princess' nephew, eh, she can dream. She's also the second pony to have a sibling, younger sister Sweetie Belle, a best friend to Apple Bloom.
Rarity will also be dramatic at the drop of a hat. No matter what's occuring, she will be sure to put as much emotion as she can into it. So when something goes wrong, she thinks it's gone very, very wrong. Like the others, she's just as rounded out, being very giving of herself and time. She considers it an honor to be able to create and have her fashion shown, but that leads her to trying too hard to please, which gets her flustered, which leads back to the drama-ball being dropped.
Spike: Baby dragon, purple body with green spine ridges. The reason boys will say they watch this, Spike hasn't been utilized since way back in the MLP'nF days, and never this well; I do not acknowledge that lesser being in the mid-2000's as being a "Spike" in any way. He acts as assistant to Twilight, though does have other royal duties he has to perform, and is a form of instant messaging to the Princess; he can light on fire scrolls, which are magicked to her personally. Also for the boys, and as crude as this show gets, he burps when there's a reply or message from the Princess herself.
Spike is kinda awesome in his own right. He has an attitude towards a lot of things, but it's mainly because you know that he knows he's the lone dude among a lot of females (and has a crush on Rarity). He can't just outright say he likes stuff. Which I think makes him a perfect metaphor for the male portion of the viewing audience; he wants to be a part of things, and has a high interest in them, but can't be seen to be actually liking all this girly stuff.
One thing I've seen asked is, how old are these characters supposed to be? Because they sure don't fit a model that young girls can see themselves as (not at this age). While I think officially they've been labelled "adult" (though I have no way to verify this beyond a Youtube comment), I'd place my wager on them being "grown up" more than adult. Put pressure on me, I'd say the girls are anywhere from 18 to 21, maybe 22, years of (equivilant) age. I base this on attitudes, jobs, and just my overall impression of them. Fluttershy is the oldest, because that's ironical, but it would also fit her character. Pinkie would (probably) be youngest, and the rest fall somewhere inbetween. Why this range?; well, Twilight gives me the impression of being in college, while the rest went on to whatever it is they do. They live alone and hold down jobs, but are still able to behave and act like very big kids, so having them be just really entering true adulthood seems about right. Going from that, Spike is a teenager, most likely at 14 or so. Applebloom is clearly still in elementary school and looks to be somewhere around 6 to 8.
After that, it's mainly a bunch of minor characters who don't add much overall to the story. Applebloom gets upgraded from minor to supporting character as the show goes on, acting out the same impluses as the targeted age viewers have in trying to find their place in the world. A little thing I noticed after rewatching some episodes, her two best friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, are the same little ponies she hid under a table with in the first episode, 12 episodes before they are officially introduced to each other.
Oh, a special mention goes to Zecora, a Zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest. Not to be racist, but she is very much a "black" pony, hinted to have come from way outside Equestria, and though to be a witch (or thereabout) because of her "bizarre" customs and habits. Her stripes are seen as strange, as no pony has a non-solid colored body, her mane is short and mohawkish, and she's (initially) feared by the whole village, to the point they hide and close shop when she comes around. She's found to be not that bad, though her habit of speaking everything in rhyme gets old really quick; it doesn't help that they often have to have her repeat the same line with only minor varition in order to make this gag work. She's also not just a one-off character, being seen or mentioned after her inital appearance. But again, she's a reminder that there's a much larger world out there.
Big Macintosh gets some lines here and there, mostly a trademarked deadpan "Yeeyup"; beyond being seen in backgrounds, male ponies don't get much face time, and when they do they aren't exactly the best examples of maledom. Two given names in Ponyville are, get this, Snips and Snails, with matching marks; what their lot in life is I can only hazard a guess (they've only appeared once, but appear to be acquantiences of Spike's). There's an earth pony who appears the most in backgrounds, he's light brown with an hourglass mark, but has spoken only once so far (and strangest of all, he's a pegasus when it happens (??)) (*note*apparently fans have deemed this one Dr. Whoof, and he is a Timelord*). After that, there's only a few other males spaced here and there, but they aren't forgotten about.
I know that there is some fan-love out there for two background ponies, whose names I
That's one thing smartly done with the animation style; all the main characters are easily identifible, while baring a few special cases most of the rest of the ponies are just color-swaps of a few basic designs. It makes finding them in crowds easy, and the ability to have crowds that don't look like just a bunch of cut and pastes possible. In past shows, save the DTVs as their style got more and more chibi, the ponies were incredibly hard to tell apart, even if with different coloring. Their manes were often different, but those differences were so subtle that they may as well have not gone through the effort. Here, you know them on sight, even in silhouette, and if they get lost in the crowd, that means they weren't headliners in the first place.
Episode Summation
I won't go through the series episode by episode, mainly because there's no point to it. This show is very character centered, letting them grow and learn without there needing to be some major season long arc linking it all together; it's practical, and how shows like this run. Networks tend to dislike story heavy arcs, because once they hit syndication it's a pain in the ass to make sure they're aired in the correct order. If the shows are episodic, then they can show them willy-nilly, without needing to keep to a strict schedule. Kid's shows especially are like that, because networks think kids are stupid and can't/don't have the attention span to follow story lines, and because they want the power to not have to air episodes in order, in case they need to fill some spare air time.
That said, there is a very loose thread mentioned here and there; the Grand Galloping Gala, a huge ball/party/celebration/hootin'nannie in Canterlot. Made a centerpoint of the third episode (the first after the premiere two-parter) that was co-written by Faust, who also wrote the premiere. To me, this says that she's planning ahead and setting things up for something later. A date for the Gala is never mentioned, smartly so that you never know when it's coming or have a timeline to go by, but it seems to be by year's end. It's featured again in a Rarity episode, when she makes outfits for all her friends for the ball. My thinking is that the Gala is going to be part of the season finale, possibly another two-parter, where we'll probably see Princess Luna again.
But until then...
Each episode is a teaching moment; that's the whole established point of the show, for Twilight to actively learn about friendship and to report on it. Each episode closes with Twilight writing (or having Spike write) a message to Princess Celestia about what she learned over the course of events, though there are moments when it's other characters who are the actual recipients of the lesson, or even the one telling the lesson to the Princess. It's standard of children's animation nowadays, but even though you know what it's doing, you don't really care. It works because it's established; they aren't trying to sneak it in on you, they state up front what's going on and the way the lessons are written into the story comes off as very natural. South Park makes (or made) fun of this concept for how it patronized it's audience; here, it actually feels genuine.
There's no formula to telling what each show will bring; it's not always just a focus on one character's growth, sometimes it takes two or more to pull it off. Sometimes it's the whole group together. Everyone has their time in the spotlight, or limelight, or whatever kind of light. Apple Bloom gets some as well, with her two friends trying to find their roles in life. One thing is guraranteed; Twilight will show up somewhere in every episode. She kinda has to, she's the one writing about her friendship learnings. So when the focus is on someone like Fluttershy, don't mind it much when Twilight wanders in for a moment doing something unrelated, they just need to fulfill her contract obligation.
Beyond all that, let's see; while not a musical in anyway, there are songs spread throughout the show. Mainly sung by Pinkie Pie. Because she's so excited she'll turn the last thing she's thinking about into a song; it's Pinkie, there is no stopping her. But there are more thought out songs as well; this one in particular bears mention, because once you hear it, it'll take a week to get it out of your head. There's a couple others, but nothing special; they do the job they need to for the episode, but nothing you'll be clawing your ears out over. The "My Little Pony Theme" shows itself here and there, usually hummed by a character, but it's kinda cute that it's kept to reference it's origins.
Wrapping It Up
What more can I say? This is just a weirdly addicting, very awesome, beautifully animated show that appeals to far beyond the people it was made for. The majority of commentors on Youtube are admitted 20-something males, who don't have kids, so I guess the show's creators are doing something right. It's hard to explain exactly what it is that makes this so watchable. I wanna say a lot of the credit goes to the characters, who are personable, interesting and just fun to watch.
But there's more to it than just them, something I can't really put my finger on. Respect for the craft maybe; the creators and writers treated the material with respect, something they didn't have to necessarily do; it is My Little Pony after all, the bar isn't exactly set high here. But they went above and beyond, making something that tugs at anyone caught in it's gaze.
I'm just waiting for Hot Topic or some such to start producing T-shirts featuring these characters. You'll probably see them soon. On guys. You may think they're wearing them ironically. They are not. They are wearing them because they watch it themselves. They know the characters. They love it. Love it with them. With us.
One of us.
ONE OF US.
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on 2011-03-02 10:24 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2011-03-02 11:47 pm (UTC)Hehe, the expressions. I think my favorite is Spike's at the end of Ep 3, after he gets his ticket.
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on 2011-03-03 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
on 2011-03-03 02:20 am (UTC)