So what draws you to these ponies?
Have you been obsessed with similar things in the past?
Do you just like the awesome animation?
Is PINKIE PIE your soulmate?
What is YOUR story?
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I think this is a question a lot of us have been asking ourselves for a while now... At least those of us who 10 months ago never would have DREAMED we would be embracing the pony to this extent. I would have straight up laughed if someone told me I would be running a My Little Pony website.
So what draws you to these ponies?
Have you been obsessed with similar things in the past?
Do you just like the awesome animation?
Is PINKIE PIE your soulmate?
What is YOUR story?Share This!
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182 comments:
I just am drawn to the whole thing. The characters are genuine, the stories are funny, the animation is great.
ReplyDeleteAnd to be honest, the ponies are helping me deal with some of the stuff going on in my real life. I've tried to reach out more to my friends and they've just made me feel better about some of the less than pleasant things life has to offer.
A similar obsession in the past? Yeah I've had that. Boxxy.
ReplyDeleteThat's how I found ponies too -- on a Boxxy fanforum, everypony just one day started changing their avatars to ponies. I had no idea why, so I asked. Someone linked me to the first episode, and I loved it.
Maybe I'm just a sucker for cute things.
I have no clue but I blame Pinkie Pie for being one of the best things I've seen on TV recently.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what it is about the show that makes me love it honestly. Maybe it's the awesome and likeable characters, the cute animation... I could go all day. I honestly never thought I'd like My Little Pony though. Thankfully I gave up my man card to revel in the MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP!
ReplyDeleteI think the reason why everyone loves the show is because of the perfect combination of writing, animation, and girlishness. The show is girly, but barely. The small amount of girlyness IMO fills holes in us, and it can because unlike the older MLP generations that are so girly it makes men cringe, FiM is watchable due to its animation and good writing and small amount of girlishness.
ReplyDelete@Sam
ReplyDeleteBoxxy? The girl from /b/?
I didn't know it went as far as boxxy fan forums thats crazy ! ;p
It's the ponies. They are so dang adorable. Usually things of this magnitude of adorableness have plot and dialogue that only a 3 year old could find interesting. But when you mix something so visually appealing with a solid plot, solid animation, awesome voice acting, and a great soundtrack, you can't turn away.
ReplyDeleteMy story is my friend Forrest.
ReplyDeleteHe kept pestering me "Oh you gotta watch this show man, its the best and manliest thing ever!"
Of course, it took a long time for me to sit down and watch it.
In fact, I didn't even start until I saw it pop up on threads and once I spotted it on KnowYourMeme.
Finally, I gave in, and watched it.
From that moment on, I have been forever a brony.
I was obsessed since I saw the prototype drawings and heard that Lauren Faust was spearheading the project. When I saw the drawings and early toys, my thought was "This is going to be huge." The toys had character. They had spark. They had an endearing quality. Then I saw the cartoon. I knew I was witnessing history. Finally we got a cartoon that made My Little Pony cool. It wasn't "just" another My Little Pony show. It was a show that just happened to have the characters in it. It remembered the spirit of good cartooning from the heydays of animation. The characters, and the writing, and the animation, everything clicked. It remembered not to talk down to the kids. That's what drew me to FiM.
ReplyDeleteI am drawn to the show because of how unique it is. I have never watched anything as a kid as entertaining and awesome as this growing up. Over the past few months of watching this show, I swear my life has significantly improved and I've become more happy with things. It's a show thats made me forget my hardships in life and to embrace the friendships I have now. It draws me in because no other tv show has ever done this for me.
ReplyDeletePinkie Pie IS my soul-mate. And yes, I've been involved in fandoms before, but never to this extent. I don't even know why I love it so much, but I'm sure Pinkie has something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteGreat animation. Very likable characters. Good story even with its plotholes. NO TOILET HUMOR. I have placed this above family guy and Simpsons in my favorite animated shows list.
ReplyDelete~^~ColourPencilMachine~^~
I like cartoons anyway, and the ponies are adorable and really likable, the show's fun and pretty clever for what it is. Plus it's incredibly femslashable.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm a girl, so it's not like I have a huge hurdle to overcome to admit I like the show.
I love the characters, and the show entertains me. That's pretty much it.
ReplyDeleteFluttershy.
ReplyDeleteI read a story about a cynical guy who was going through /gif/ saving porn gifs but then he found that one of pinkie pie with the googly eyed mask on and the comment "Haters gonna Hate" and he couldn't help but laugh. then he discovered the source of the gif and the show just made him happy and that was good enough for him, you know? He didn't care that it was a cartoon for little girls.
ReplyDeleteI found I could relate to this guy (except for the porn gifs, seriously dude? Get yourself a bangbros account. :P) so I gave the show a try and had similar results. I also just love the overall movement it started on 4chan of encouraging friendship and tolerance. It's a nice change of pace... and it trolls the FUCK out of some people. :P
i dont know. i really dont. maybe because i was tired of being a troll, a /b/tard and overall jerk. maybe i just needed something to do after school work loosened up a bit. all i know is that from the very first episode i was hooked, and now i try to live the pony way, with friendship and being nice to those who probably dont deserve it.
ReplyDeleteI have been spreading around the pony to as many people as possible, and have so far converted three irl people to the fandom. feels good brony.
I was watching over my two year old twin sisters when I noticed that there was a new My Little Pony series on the TV. I didn't take much heed until I heard the word zombie.. Then I searched it out, and found out that I wasn't the only one pining over a little girl's show. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watch this show it reminds me of being a kid again. What really appeals to me is that its always fun, cute, innocent, and just downright adorable. In this cruel world we live in, its nice to know I can come home to something that always has a happy ending. :)
ReplyDeleteThe animation, while not amazing, is smooth and easy to look at. Similarly, the character designs are distinctive if not necessarily something special.
ReplyDeleteThere is, of course, a certain appeal in liking something I shouldn't like.
The stories are (usually) damn good, too. There are SNAFUs occasionally, of course, but on the whole the series is well written and the characters are suitably fleshed out. But they aren't entirely fleshed out (yet), which puts us in a prime position for some excellent fanfiction (especially any sadfic with Derpy ;_;)
And the songs. I'm a sucker for musical numbers, and FiM delivers. I would love to see a live stage rendition of WWU, or SiT (a stage version of a cartoon song homage to a broadway number!).
And the community (at least the part I expose myself to) is great as well. You'll often hear of bronies taking morals from the show to heart. Consider that one guy who posted the story about facing down his abusive father with the help of Rainbow Dash, or Operation Indiscriminate Friendship! You don't see/hear/read about awesome things like that in just any fandom.
But then everything sort of becomes more than the sum of its parts. The art, the characters, the songs, the stories, the fandom. It's the perfect storm to get me interested in something that I never would have dreamed I'd find myself anticipating Friday afternoon for.
Hat off to Miss Faust for spearheading such a wonderful show.
faces of characters and the animation style pulled me in. Also a few good jokes. But the top reason I like is how the characters and animated and how they react. At times there are over exaggerated faces were the mouth is almost as long as the body. Thought the educational part of the show can grind on me a bit I know that for what it was targeted at the staff for the show have gone out of there way to created something unique. Weeks ago I laugh at the concept of a show like this being good and now well im posting this.
ReplyDeleteAnd to the person that created and maintains this website and the people that create new content, art, stories, and music Thank you. Thank you for your hard work. And thank you for sharing your creativity with all of us.
I totally checked it out purely for the shipping potential. I have no shame.
ReplyDeleteIt's well written and had likeable characters. I am also a moefag so that probably has something to do with it too.
ReplyDeleteHelps me ignore clinical depression.
ReplyDeleteAmazing variety in character personalities, incredibly animation and expressions, and very good writing that's comical enough to get adults to honestly laugh while still being innocent enough to be completely kid-friendly. Also, the steady stream of Rule 34 was part of what originally got me to check it out, as with a brony or two making some other fanworks that got me intrigued.
ReplyDeleteThe real thing that drew me in? The AMAZING voice acting. Seriously, these are some genuine characters right here and they are all acted so skillfully.
What keeps me a fan? All the elements above plus the fact that this fanbase is probably where I've felt the most at home in a long time. Bronies are so nice, so accepting, and I could see myself being best friends with pretty much every one I've met. There is such an incredible stream of fan material and this fanbase is only growing. I hope we get at least 3-4 more seasons of poni after this one.
We seriously passed 1.5 million views without so much as a second glance, that's how incredibly huge and dedicated this fanbase is.
it's just too adorable. i can't resist its cuteness.
ReplyDeleteand it's well written, too. if the show looked cute, but played out like garbage, i wouldn't be attached to it like i am. i totally agree with mario in that it doesn't talk down to its target audience. there are clever jokes, entertaining plotlines, enjoyable characters that people can somewhat relate to...it's really just great. like nothing i've seen before, and definitely like nothing i would have expected from the mlp franchise before now.
and the fandom is great as well. everyone's so friendly over at ponychan, it's unlike any other internet community i've been a part of. not only is the fandom friendly, but they put out good material. plenty of other fandoms get their fair share of fanart and fanfics, and while there is some good stuff, there's as much (if not more) bad stuff out there. i can honestly say that i haven't read a single bad fanfic or seen badly-drawn fanart. the quality of the content that this fandom produces is excellent. no other fandom has inspired me to write fanfics for it, but something about this show and the fandom just does it for me.
also, fluttershy.
I discovered the ponies on Know Your Meme one day and was ... skeptical and curious of this new, fast-spreading pony thing. When I realized 4chan was the birthplace, I was hesitant to delve further. And the fact it was 'My Little Pony' conjured up images of poorly-made and disgustingly stupid ponies of past yore (to me, I do not wish to offend anyone G1-3 fans out there!!). As I watched the show and realized the potential of this strange and ever-growing fandom, I can honestly say...
ReplyDeleteThe series and the people drawn to it are... special. I've been around the block, so to say. Seen entire internet civilizations rise and fall, seen fads come and go (and stay), and I've been in positions where I've dedicated an impressive amount of time to some of these fads (and inevitably some of these fads blew into full blown fandoms)
but I've -never- gotten to the point where I can say, without a doubt, that the FiM show and the community will ever lose their place in my heart and that I can see them both go above and beyond for years and years to come. Mind = blown. And it continues to be blown every week I see this love-induced family of strangers continue to bloom into a delicate flower under a sunny, clear sky. -monocle-
I've never been this obsessed or into the fandom of anything as much as I have this show.
ReplyDeleteIt's fucking weird man.
I'm honestly not the type that I expected would get into ponies. I remember when I was younger, my sister was completely into G1, and I hated it. Was indifferent towards the toys, mind you, but I hated the G1 cartoon. Which, granted, was probably because I never actually saw Escape from Midnight Castle (which, looking at now, I'll admit looks like it'd be kinda cool).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, right around my birthday (as it was after Pinkie Keen aired, but before Sonic Rainboom), I decided to finally take a look at a video I saw on TGWTG.com, but didn't really think about, the Five Second Character Analysis of Pinkie Pie, by ChadRocco. At the time, I didn't know what to make of it... I still don't. Even with context, Pinkie Pie's just that random. But I found it funny. And the comments raved that the show was good (from those who watched it, the others were more amazed that this kind of thing could come from My Little Pony). So, I chat with a friend, we look up the first episode on YouTube, and I've been watching ever since.
...And now I ship Fluttershy with Luna, so yeah, one could say I'm in deep, and proud to be so.
Well, I was a 4chan lurker, once the whole pony memes began to show I was amused. Then in one of those threads, I read this phrase: "Why don't you guys simply try to watch it instead of being mad about it?"... I realized that it was true, though I didn't exactly hate it, and I looked in you tube for it, found the two first episodes and left them loading for the night. Next day, I had become a Brony.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't even really say why I've gotten into ponies, and yeah, before October I would have called you crazy if you said I'd be sitting here like I am. I've always been one to watch cartoons, pretty much when I do watch TV, not so much in recent times but definitely back in the day of Toonami/DBZ, PPG and Dexter's Lab, along with all those 'classic' CN cartoons.
ReplyDeleteSo if I had to say, I think its because it reminds me of those classic CN cartoons in one hand, along with my actual childhood in the late 80s/90s. As for actually falling into the fandom, I was hanging out on Sonic Retro (one of many sites I was watching at the time) and kept seeing "My Little Pony" appear in the recent topics, and I finally checked it out, everyone was saying "well, I'll try and watch one episode" and following with "holy shit I like this" and I spent a whole Saturday night watching the first 5. Then found out I had the HUB, and the fan art made of Derpy.
Fucked up childhood, currently having a rough time, about to enter College.
ReplyDeleteI'm terribly upset and alone, just moved to a new city where I'm doomed to meet no one until college arrives. I feel I'm wasting the best time of my life, my house is a broken home and in one of the worst places of the internet I found pony. It changed me, ponies taught me everything my parents never cared to teach me, I recently apologized to all of those who I deeply hurt, I'm trying to find my way in life.
Ponies make me smile, I can't remember the last series I fully watched before just forgetting about them. MLP:FiM has superb animation, great humor and always a good story. Ponies make it worth waking up in the mornings. Ponies make it worth crusading for my cutie mark. (Can't tell atm what I want to do with my life)
Sighs... Doesn't anypony else find it comforting to be Anonymous?. I just love you all, overall the community of MlP:FiM is just so alien, (in a good way) and different from what I was used to that ...I don't now, I really like this show. And this place as well
There was a thread like this yesterday on Ponychan.
ReplyDeleteWhat draws me to the show itself is the characters. The main six represent a very diverse and colorful group of characters with well defined character traits that keep them and their interactions with each other and the world highly interesting. Though I could rate them from favorite to least favorite I love them all in their own way. Really, there's something for everyone in there to the collected albeit sometimes adorkable Twilight to the over the top braggart (who can still show fear) Dash. I'll go ahead and extend that to side characters and the CMC too. It's all fun.
That aside, its a well produced show with some nice episodic plots, good animation, and great voicework (which adds to the characters greatly.)
What keeps me here is the fandom like others have said. I see a lot of parallels between this show and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann when it was airing. You take a good (but probably not the greatest) show and throw ridiculous amounts of internet fans at it and you get this. Here we are on a blog that posts a multitude of new fan works each day and that's just a part of the good stuff. We also have a very active *chan board with a great community. And like TTGL it's fascinating to see the culture that develops because of it. In this case, a very accepting and loving group (who still let their internet origins shine through plenty.)
I'll admit, fanfiction and fanart contribute largely to my enjoyment of any fandom and this is no exception but again I think the characters have a lot to do with that. They're fun to "play" with as it were since their characters are so well defined it allows for a huge number of possibilities in fan works.
Similar obsessions in the past, I'll say Invader Zim and Sonic.
ReplyDeleteThough I was interested in those when I was rather youthful (and halfway retarded).
So sadly, I believe that this is a phase that'll die out a few months after it stops airing for good.
sadface.
Everything about this show draws me in; the animation, the stories, the character depth, the songs, clean but clever humor(seriously does everything have to have toilet humor in it?), quality VA, and the community.
ReplyDeleteThe fanfiction is actually some of the best I've read and definitely some of the most emotional that I've found. I still find it amazing how people have given so much depth and feeling to a background character who don't have a single line yet and only appear occasionally.
I always get a laugh from the community, especially ponychan. I've almost accepted it as fact that true bronies are the anti-troll. I mean every time a troll comes in their attempt peters out about 2-3 posts in. It is just too funny seeing the reactions.
I have PTSD. No, I wasn't a soldier. I got into a really bad situation when I was younger and it's messed me up ever since. Combine that with a slight mental disorder or two. Mix in the fact that I work in the meat processing industry. Blend it all together and you get anger issues, an extremely cynical outlook on life, and a very dark sense of humor.
ReplyDeletePonies make me happy. That's all the reasoning I need.
I just fell in love with the writing and the characterization and humor, it's not just a bunch of total girly claptrap!
ReplyDeleteI just seem to find a way to pick out quality cartoons.
Well, I've always been a fan of cute things, espcially cartoons; heck, I sneak peeks at my little sister's cartoons all the time, just because the art style's usually adorable.
ReplyDeleteI also like funny things, espcially stuff with subtle jokes.
I like action stuff, too; something with adventure and whatnot.
Finally, I like something with likeable, believable characters, someone you can really care about, and enjoy spending time with. In the case of cartoons, I like the characters to be really expressive, too.
FiM has all of these elements, so it natually captivated me as soon as I saw it.
i rather like the idea but mostly it falls under the good cartoon umbrella. its cute qurky and i always watch a show that teaches lessons i can apply to other things *lame but i love to learn from all angles even that of a kid*
ReplyDeletealso instead of books i mostly read fanfiction and the best authors are in pony mode right now so this is my literature atm~
so was fosters before this.
*i do read other books and other shows just pony's are so moe*
I wouldn't be nearly as into these ponies as I am if it weren't for the community that /co/ spawned around them. This fandom is just full of incredibly creative and motivated individuals and I love being a part of it, and even getting to contribute something meaningful to it once in a while.
ReplyDeleteAlso because Rainbow Dash is the cutest thing since cute came to cute town.
Well, let's see....there's the emotional aspect of them, stemming from me watching ponies do cute things when a few days after my dad to cheer me up. There's also the cute factor that got me into a few other shows as well (Ruby Gloom, Monster High, Etc....)
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah.
I was in need of a new obsession and ponies came along at the right time.
ReplyDelete-Great art style (but those animators need to tighten up on the blatant goofs, for reals)
ReplyDelete-Likable characters
-Writing that doesn't pander to children
-Managing to be at least somewhat subtle with the racism and health-related morals while most kiddie shows hammer it in with an anvil
-Pinkie Pie's antics, straight out of the Warner Bros. classics
-Tara Strong as lead voice actress
-Great music
1 sleepless night, went on meme base (Very demotivational) saw a demotivational poster with
ReplyDeletethis show on it ( did not know wtf what was it at
the time) looked at comments,(found out what it was) found 1st ep on You
Tube then I started liking it.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteActually let me elaborate on this a bit more than one sentence.
I'm 31, male, and still living with my parents. The only thing that keeps that from reading as a complete loser is I also (somehow) have a 100k a year job, so I could move out on my own if I wanted to, just can't.
Crippling social anxiety (withdraw from conversations when there's more than 3 people present, start to cry and find a way to leave at 5-6 people), suicidal, etc. etc.
Everything came to a head about this time last year when I had a complete mental breakdown at work.
Long story short is they put me on very high doses of scary medication (one of the possible withdraw symptoms of one of them is death), but being able to have something innocent and just fun to look forward to on Friday just makes coping and recovery better.
I love cutesy stuff; that's what drew me towards Pokemon (which is something I've had an obsession with in the past, heck I still kinda do). I've also been enthralled by the Sonic the Hedgehog series (say what you will about it).
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I like cute stuff, which is what drew me into FiM. And what keeps me there is not only the style, but also the brilliant writing: the show's got awesome comedy, and even better characterization. This is the first series I've really felt the need to write fanfics about; that's how awesome the chars are. They're so deep and rounded that I can get a good feel for how they'd act in just about any situation.
Applejack is my everything.
ReplyDeleteI want her every which way.
I can't imagine life without her.
I go to sleep and dream applejack.
I want her so badly.
I've been obsessed with cute things since high school. I originally got into anime because of Hamtaro, and since have watched many japanese kids shows of the like. I also really enjoy the slice-of-life comedies that also has cuteness, K-On season 2 being my personal favorite.
ReplyDeleteI first learned about FiM when an online friend wrote an article last November comparing the art styles and storytelling methods of the last three generations of shows in the attempt to show the FiM is much better than G3 and G3.5. I saw the pictures she posted, the gifs she showed and I was intrigued. I didn't get the courage to watch it until January, but when I did, I was hooked.
I love the crisp animation and art style, I love the characters, I love the world it builds (big nerd for fictional sociology.) But one major thing that's effected me is the message of friendship. Friendship has always been kind of lacking in my life because I've always been so awkward. People confuse me as a loner grump because of my condition, and I've always been too afraid to approach people and make any close friendships. The closest friends I've ever had were online friends.
I've practically fallen in love with Twilight for that. While it's too a lesser extent, she's socially awkward as well and to see her grow and make friends, it makes me happy.
That's not to say that I don't love and get inspired by the other characters. Pinkie for here non-chalant attitude to social situations. Fluttershy for her moments where she puts her hoof down. Rarity because I respect her as a fellow artist. Applejack for her caring and supportive nature (sometimes I wish I could be like that). Even Rainbow Dash, who's really a insecure pony deep down, but that only makes her actions all the more courageous. It's so inspiring to see these ponies grow and learn from each other, it makes me want to get out there, make a million friends and have grand adventures!
...If only it wasn't so frightening.
It's azumanga daioh style well rounded charactors bouncing off each others personalitys with random highly epic d&d monster attacks and silly crazy hijinks.
ReplyDeleteAlso catchy songs.
PERFECT SERIES
I should just go full bore and make an OC at this point.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeletebeing anon is one of the most comfortable experiences that I've had. no responsibility, no troubles, nothing can really hurt you. you can do anything you want and no one would know its you. this can be used for evil, or it can be used to spill your emotions to fellow anons and be safe from any sort of humiliation. its like being a kid all over again, you can do what you want and no one can really stop you. but sometimes you must step up and take responsibility for your actions. before MLP:FIM i would never have done this, i would have stayed safe and not cared for anyones feelings, but these ponies have taught me that i should not only look out for my self but for those i don't even know too.
what attracted me to the show was the animation and voice work and all that. what kept me was the message it spread.
Because it's effing awesome!
ReplyDeleteWhat else can be said? The show knows what it is doing, and it does it very well. The Characters are clearly cartoons, but have enough depth and feel so as we care about them. The plots are clearly manufactured but have enough truth in them that they resonate. Thats not to mention the cute art. Everything about the show is amazing, what else can be said?
Its the one community I love being part of. This show is obviously greatness, and reading stories all the time just reminds me of how much I love the show. I would have laughed at myself a few months ago for liking this stuff.
ReplyDeleteI just love you all.
PONIES FOR LIFE
~yay~
The show had a dragon in it. That drew me in. Then we met Fluttershy. My love continued to grow from there.
ReplyDeleteI might have (foolishly) passed this show up if it didn't have Spike in it. I love dragons.
It's a children's cartoon done right. Amazing writing, very likable characters, great voice acting, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash is insanely awesome.
Well, I AM in fact a girl (SHOCK!), but I've never been obsessed with MLP before, and would not have expected to be. What do I love about this show? Just...everything. I like the smooth, beautiful animation and the colors and character designs. I love their personalities and characterizations. The writing and music are sheer brilliance. Stories with diverse groups of friends often attract me. I appreciate the fact that they can all be different and still be the best of friends. And when the characters are as appealing as these ponies, I stick around for more. Unlike past MLP incarnations which were often just too sappily saccharine for most to bear, this one stars strong, differentiated individuals with whom one can identify.
ReplyDeleteAlso my general love for all things vibrantly colored, animal-related, and/or animated made me a natural to give this show a chance when the Hub replaced Discovery Kids.
We live in a world where people are constantly trying to hurt or kill one another, natural disaster could strike at any moment, disease and starvation run rampant, and political corruption runs deeper than the Mariana trench. We live in a world constantly on the brink of war, with countries at each others throats and brother constantly fighting against brother, with weapons that could easily wipe out all life on earth. We live in a world where someone is always trying to bring you down, or tell you what to do or what to be, and what is and isn't the right way to go about doing it.
ReplyDeleteIn a world like that, it's nice to have a cute, fluffy, innocent little place to escape to every now and then...
I discovered this show when a thread about it popped up on the site for Housepets, a webcomic I frequent. Everyone was raving about how good it was, so I figured I' give the first episode a try.
ReplyDeleteHistory was made.
This show is simply phenomenal. The voicework is great, the animation is bright, energetic, and easy to look at, the humor is clever and clean (unlike so many other toons right now), the characters are all likeable, multi-faceted personalities. Plus, the songs are simply stupendous. When I was watching the second episode and Pinkie Pie started to sing, I groaned and almost skipped, heh. So glad I didn't.
Lauren Faust is reason enough.
ReplyDeleteI used to be into my little pony before but I kept pushing it away because it made me feel really weird, but this one doesn't make me feel weird at all, mostly after seeing this weeks poll results.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous This dude, so much this. Basically I didn't see my mom all that much when I was young and my dad gave me the whole "alpha male in training" upbringing. So a couple of months ago I was browsing a martial arts forum and saw all these dudes with pony avatars, after the group jeered for about 30 minutes while they calmly replied I got curious from their tenacity and watched an episode and I felt something that no match had ever brought me....happiness. It was after a couple of weeks of watching and counter trolling on /b/ that I realized why I got this feeling and why I was so willing to defend them against the internet hate machine, the girlishness was something that I was missing but never realized.
ReplyDeleteBecause Lauren Faust and the production team have put some sort of subliminal content that subconsciously makes your brain like it, even if you shouldn't. THATS RIGHT, I'M ON TO YOUR PLAN TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD LAUREN.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can't even put my finger on it precisely. /It just works/. It doesn't feel like "generic girly/kiddie cartoon A", it feels like something with a lot more heart and soul put into it- not a 20 minute advertisement for kiddie toys. (and until Hasbro makes more show-accurate products I just want to be the series on DVD) The characters are charming. RD and AJ are a bit 'tomboyish'. Twilight has a well rounded personality, that isn't tomboyish but isn't tee-hee-girly either. Pinkie Pie, the completely pink and sweet food loving one who you would expect to be girly, is a generally funny character. Fluttershy while kind of girly has a interest in animals which isn't necessarily girly, her shyness just makes her cute. While girls being interested in clothes is cliche, Rarity is interested in the production and creative process it where as other typically girly characters just "buy buy buy" which makes her more interesting. Hell, they've even made the CMC have moments of untypical girllyness by giving them 80's metal inspired outfits. I NEVER in a million years thought I would see little pink-bow-wearing AppleBloom in a skull-bandanna outside of some kind of Fanart. (seriously, if they actually made a toy with skull-bandanna AB I'd buy it in a heartbeat). I also think the slightly anime influenced eyes also appeal and help convey a lot of emotion. I could go on and on, bout the quality if the show itself and many of the things stated by Lauren herself on her post on that Feminism site about sums it up.
This has easily become my favorite cartoon, even over those I loved in the early and late 90's. Now I specifically say cartoon, there are a number of Anime I like better. But MLP:FIM is my favorite non-Japanese animated series.
I enjoy the animation, the dialogue is great, but the culture around it is probably the best part about the ponies.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the cartoons I watched when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteVoice work is well done, characters are interesting.
I watch it with my sister, so it's a bonding thing.
And it's too freakin' cute.
The main draw for me is the people. It's the constant flow of nice, kind people who keep me into this show. It's something that we all can relate and connect through with a positive message I guess. Ever try fighting someone with ponies on? NO! it's impossibru. It's really not so much the show as the people who watch the show keeping everything tame and enjoyable for everyone. They're people I can actually see myself being friends with in real life. Also, the constant flow of artwork and fics is a plus.
ReplyDeleteThe show itself is very well done and voiced compared to 95% of television today. It's also just got a happy vibe that can brighten up your day no matter what. The characters are all lovable and this is the first show in quite a while where I have liked ALL of the main cast. One-time and background characters actually have some effort put into them as well (ignore the crowd scenes)
When I was little I wanted to watch Ponies but had to deprive myself for the sake of my reputation amongst other kids- being a male, you know. I can only assume that my current addiction has something to do with that. I used to have to surreptitiously steal glances at the TV from across the living room at daycare, and pretend to find the show distasteful while we waited for something else to come on. It was also only on the Disney channel where I lived, and we didn't have that one at home, so my chances to really sit and watch it were few and far between. Now though I can watch them at my leisure... a developmental psychologist could probably write a case study about me, lol.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's a teensy bit nostalgic, as it reminds me of the cartoons I watched when I was young, even more the amazing characters, amazing plots, amazing jokes, and the fact that I can't help but love its cute factor.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't hurt that I can actually relate to the characters. They all remind me of something I've done, or a way I've acted in the past. Even Rarity, although not quite so extreme.
I came because the show was friggin hilarious and adorable.
ReplyDeleteI stay because *incoming sap* y'all are my friends.
Really, there's fanart and stories in every fandom, but I've gotten to know some of you and I like you. I hope that even when the day comes that the ponies are just a memory on the hub (and a collection on my damn bookshelf) that I'll still be talking with at least some of you.
Really the only cartoon I've recently seen that isn't perverted, stupid, old, or gets boring.
ReplyDeleteThe dialogue is great, the characters are three dimensional, the stories are believable, the art is great, what more could a writer ask for?
ReplyDeletehttp://archives.pawpet.tv/view/2011/2011-01-09,bronies-somuchpony.jpg
ReplyDelete>So what draws you to these ponies?
ReplyDelete-The facts that each and every characters are extremely loveable.
-That even though it's a light and soft show (by said nature of ponies), that it can hold also so much energy during and throughout the episode(s).
>Have you been obsessed with similar things in the past?
-To such extend... Never. And, yes I found this odd after I realised this. Even with the various mannerisms and other OCD stuff that I ''suffer'', this is the first time that I felt for something, so quickly and with so much force.
>Do you just like the awesome animation?
-I was draw by the loveable characters and the energy of the show, but stayed probably because of the whole quality of everything made in the show. The animation being the core that allows everything to fit perfectly.
>Is PINKIE PIE your soulmate?
-This is hard and also simple to say. I always loved every characters equally, since the start and until 'relatively' recently, but some characters grew slightly faster or more easily on me, Pinky Pie was the one that managed to be 1-step ahead because of her insane energy and sweet randomness. :) (Also, DJ P0N-3 )
>What is YOUR story?
-Pretty much what's above and then some... Like how I found about ponies only 2 days before the end of the 2weeks break in January, from a 2-3min demo of the first episode, on Youtube. Then torrented the first 10 episodes, watched them one after the other, again and again for a week, then discovered the existence of synchtube by pure luck, then this website also by luck. And now I download all bunch of pony pictures, +fav tens/hundreds of them on DA and await impatiently each week for the Next Episode, while reading all the fanstory I find (...except maybe for much of those, more often than the contrary, disgusting grimdark stories).
-Grand defender of the ultimate right to give the reader the, at the very least, small dot of hope that things might get better, somehow.
...damn that was LONG ! But it's worth it. It's ponies after all. ;)
When I saw the first episode, which was Applebuck Season, I forgot I was watching a girl's cartoon. As I watched, I was drawn in by the action and pacing of the episode, and I really liked how the morals were delivered. I've always liked that in a cartoon, since kids watch them all the time and learn from them.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression was how it was such a good show to kids, and that it was a better show than anything made for girls as far as girl cartoons go. The humor was great, the characters were awesome and relatable. I wasn't exactly hooked until I saw the second episode episode, which was Ticket Master I think. After that, I was hooked.
So, that's my story. I think I'm the only one who properly looked at the show as a critic. Am I the only one who thinks of the kids? :U
I was first drawn to ponies because I saw them all over the internet. I resisted for a very long time before finally relenting when I found out it was done by Lauren Faust. I watched the first 4 episodes and was immediately enchanted. The show was witty, funny, and had actual characters.
ReplyDeleteThen, I found out that the fandom here is absolutely the best fandom I have ever been a part of. You guys are my friends and have all been WONDERFUL to me despite how new I am.
And, ponies drove me to write fanfiction for the first time, which ended up being surprisingly successful.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteActually, thinking back, what hooked me was probably something I noticed in the series from the eighties. It was about as poorly animated and scripted as the first series was, but the part I saw featured a small group of male ponies whose names I now forget. Two of them were being assholes, but one of them stood out by engineering a truce between his group and the main cast, who were all girls. I think he got a date for it later or something, so maybe that's what it was. Bahahahahaha!!
I will never grow up! I watched cartoons as a kid and never stopped watching them, I watch Ben 10, Generator Rex, Young Justice, Batman Brave and bold, and so on. Not going to lie my favorite show is still Beast Wars, and I don't think it will ever be replaced, but Ponies are my second fav.
ReplyDeletePonies, oh ponies. How do I count the ways.
ReplyDeleteWell, to start with, it's cute. And then there's the animation and the graphics. And then again there's the jokes and stuff. But mostly the animation and the graphics.
...and probably Fluttershy :3
It's a 5-star show, basically. It's witty, sharp, and adorable, and even the worst eps are very watchable.
ReplyDeleteBeyond the "why do I keep watching" level, as a guy who hopes to have a daughter some day, it impresses me that this is something I could sit with her and watch and not have my intelligence insulted. Far too many shows talk down to kids, and it's fantastic to have at least one around that challenges them and treats them with respect. This show is a rare gem in a medium that, for the most part, produces a few interesting rocks at best when it's not cranking out boring dirt.
I came to see Lauren Faust making a new cartoon.
ReplyDeleteI stayed for Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.
That's pretty much it.
Animation.
ReplyDeleteI love cartoons; this is a cartoon and a great one at that. It's that simple.
ReplyDelete1. You could say the ponies are a part of it, the writing, the art, the music, the show itself and the fact that it's a cartoon show for all ages that didn't slip under my radar. I'm glad for it not passing by my Radar without a sound while I was watching old cartoons in memory.
2. I'm mostly a video game nut, still am and it's not an obsession either. No an obsession would be like being an undying fan for one-time characters like Foxglove (Chip n' Dale) or a background character like Derpy. (Everyone here should know who is the new Where's Waldo or Carmen Sandiego)
3. No, it's not just the animation; if it were just that then this could have been done in black and white and without voice acting like Mickey Mouse when he started out.
4. I like Pinkie Pie but no, spiritual friend maybe but I'm not grafting her to my soul. I would rather have Rainbow Dash or Applejack as a spiritual friend though.
You can stop reading at this point.
5. My story is kind of depressing. Because I've only made a scant few acquaintances all my life and all my friends are only family members, I hardly get out much or connect with people. Why that is... well because humanity quite frankly has pushed me pretty far because I frankly had a target painted on me from at least fifth grade to high school till I finished. I was being bullied constantly and at one point 'MIGHT' have considered suicide. I however rose above those feelings, I'm shyer then Fluttershy but I had to get into fights to get people to leave me alone, it just was that bad. People of any age can be cruel and I can hardly trust anybody nowadays but I still have passion in my heart that refuses to die as that last spark of hope continues to cling to life that there is something worth living for. But otherwise I'm fine and live in a bright if overly quiet neighborhood in some backwater place with a parent that's a saint and a moderately caring sibling with a smoking problem that has had runs with a bad crowd and went through rehab. At least I'm nowhere near a crime infested populace that would be a nail in the coffin. To add to my story I've been in multiple car accidents and so has my sibling, nearly died on multiple occasions and my worst injury were to my head and chin. If you're wondering about how close to death I was, stalled on some train tracks and to the point my family could see and hear the train coming(Young at the time). Another time a tanker truck nearly hit our car after an accident on the highway(A little older). Plus my sibling has a habit of wrecking cars where the vehicle flips multiple times and walks away without too much injury. Most recently my sibling got covered in glass when a tree fell in the road during a storm smashing the front end of the latest car. Life is a hurricane and it’s been taking pot shots at me that narrowly missed hitting me for years (Humans included in those pot shots). Next time don't ask me for my life’s story; I'm a male that watches ponies wondering apathetically when nature will finally take its course with me while trying to look on the bright side that I was born luckier than a rabbit that lost its foot for a keychain.
Try staying sane, I still am surprisingly and just have an unusually large distrust of anyone despite being agonizingly lonely it isn’t that bad right now and I can’t complain, because somewhere someone has it worse than me. Plus the ‘Dan Vs.’ cartoon tends to reflect how I should feel instead of being the sad or nearly emotionless being I am right now, when my emotional barrier breaks I have to ask ‘Why' pick myself up and carry on like it never happened.
Ignore me or my plight... everyone else does, because everyone has their own problems to deal with. Ponies help in some measure by being cute enough to distract attention away from reality.
Since I've been self-evaluating why I like this show recently, this topic is of great relevance.
ReplyDeleteThe technical aspects really are superb, yes. Writing, voice acting, layout & storyboarding, musical direction, animation, vibrant use of color, et al. - I don't really dislike any aspect of the show much.
I also cherish the innocence and good heart of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The show radiates joy so much that I can't help but smile continuously while watching it~!
However, the most endearing aspect of the show itself is definitely the cast. I absolutely love all of these characters. By this point, I adore each member of the main cast. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike - each one has my unswerving devotion. The others rock too: the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the background ponies, the one-shot heroes and villains...heck, thanks to Seth, I even like Trixie now.
All of that is amplified by the ridiculously awesome community. I love you bronies. <3 Yep, I love *you* - yes, you who is reading this! Friendship everywhere in this fandom. It truly is wonderful.
By Celestia's beard this thread is full of love and compassion.
ReplyDeleteWhat it comes down to for me was that this touches so many people in so many different ways. It's an unambiguous force for good in the world, and one of the things I point to when I remind myself that human beings are awesome.
ReplyDeleteI found out about the show through various forums like many people, and since I had heard it was quality, I decided to watch it, and convinced my girlfriend to watch it with me. I had no problems with the emasculating effects, luckily, having already experienced a similar effect when I got into slice of life animes like Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star. To be completely honest though, I was initially watching it mainly to understand the memes and just because the silliness of watching a show for young girls amused me. In the beginning it was fun, making clever self-deprecating remarks and whatnot, but then i found myself laughing at the jokes themselves, and noticing how amazing the animation was, and before I completely realized what was going on, I was actually watching the show with the same fervor and enthusiasm as any adult show. Maybe more, even. Pretty soon we were hooked, and we discussed the show more and more, picking our favorite ponies, discussing the show's universe and characters at length and yes, we even began shipping the ponies (God help us). Then we both started dabbling in the art, the fiction, the music, and the fanvids. As amazing as the show is, I have to say that the fandom impresses me even more. I mean, look at Eurobeat Brony. We've got a guy regularly remixing the songs from the show, and not just adding a techno beat and using synths for the vocals or something, but full blown arrangements that are works of art in themselves. Or MadMax, cranking out quality comics like she's getting paid or something. Or just the sheer massive amount of art and fiction that has sprang up in general. I'm not entirely sure, but I think the MLP entry on KnowYourMeme now has more images than any other page on the website. It was added A MONTH AGO. This whole thing is just so gigantic and beautiful, and I am proud to call myself a brony.
ReplyDeletePinkieDash forever.
I got into poni after being vaguely aware of some pony-related discussion on forums in February. I think I first saw "Swarm of the Century" when I heard about that it was roughly similar to Star Trek's "Trouble with Tribbles." Followed by going back to see the pilot and then the rest was history, could not stop watching as many as I could straight through for a few days.
ReplyDeleteThe animination is impressive and full of great details. Same goes for the characters and clever dialogue. But the community, that's the greatest surprise of all - artwork, stories, parodies, music, it's amazing. I hardly had any experience with fanfiction ever before and all the brilliance there just floored me too, fan-ascended characters like Derpy and Dr Whooves and more.
As for myself and to answer the "obsessions" question - I've been into a lot of fiction, cartoons certainly when I was younger, lots of games so it's not entirely unusual for me. Fit the profile of a college student seeking to unwind/wasting time as well. Especially a fan of fantasy and science fiction and that's what really drew me at first to stick with the show, so clever for a kid's show. In fact I was actually very ignorant of the whole history of the franchise and thought the unicorn/pegasi/earthpony delineations were new with this G4 series as well as some other things but in retrospect it doesn't matter. Of course it's still a wonderful, witty show with great characters and depth to it. It's true I never would have expected anything like this show to exist nor that I would be watching it now.
As for "the moment" that really made things for me though, I cannot stress how much of an amazing surprise it was with the scene that led up to Fluttershy staring down the cockatrice. Even with everything else in the show fantasy-wise, and aware that something darker could happen in that episode, nothing had prepared me for that. (As an aside Fluttershy had been basically my favorite before that episode, well, now I could never question it)
Oh, let's see...
ReplyDeleteFor starters, the art is excellent, especially the animation; the ponies are incredibly expressive! The writing is good, as well: it's cute without being cloying, and adorable without being saccharine.
This ties into the characters, who IMO truly make the show. Every one of the main ponies is different, with their strengths and flaws - and these are genuine flaws that frequently drive the episodes. They aren't cookie-cutter nicey-nice character stereotypes you see in so many series aimed at children, especially girls.
Then there's the humor. Even the weaker episodes have numerous moments that make one laugh, and the series isn't afraid to throw in all sorts of puns, genre jokes and winks to the adults. (Pinkie Pie, on her own, is funnier than most "funny" cartoon series in the whole, and isn't even annoying, which is no mean feat!)
And finally, there's the AWESOME. This is a series that's at least 20% cooler than most in that regard. From the Nightmare Moon's defeat to the Sonic Rainboom, from the ponies braving Everfree Forest and its monsters to Rarity kicking butt fashion-wise, this is a series that's not afraid of letting its main characters to do awesome things that they've earned.
The cast of lovable characters, and the high quality animation and art. Cartoons that look so professional are very rare nowadays, especially hand drawn ones.
ReplyDeleteWell, I saw one of the pony threads on /b/ around the end of January, and decided to give the show a try after I became convinced that the bronies in the threads genuinely liked the show. I appreciated the animation style of the show, and I was blown away to see a show targeted at little girls that didn't insult their intelligence, and had characterization that was genuinely deep and believable.
ReplyDeleteAnd something about the show just makes me ridiculously happy. I don't know exactly why, but watching an episode lets me sit for 22 minutes with a big, goofy grin on my face. And, sappy as it sounds, allowing that happiness into my life has made me a much happier person in general.
However, if it weren't for the awesome community that has sprung up around the show, I know I wouldn't be nearly as pony-obsessed as I am today. This is a truly amazing fandom, and the sheer volume of quality work we put out is something truly incredible. I've never been this obsessed with any show before, and before MLP, I would've probably scoffed at the notion of fanfiction writers. Now, I'm on ED as much as possible, and I eagerly await every new fanfic and drawfriend edition. I've even started writing a fanfic of my own! If you told me six months ago that I'd be writing fanfiction, much less My Little Pony fanfiction, I would've laughed at you. But this awesome community truly makes anything possible.
There are some things i like about this show, first, i want say this is one of the best shows i have seen on the 2000 it makes me happy because is the proof, that the real talent isn't gone yet, this show is also making me feel better, in someway i don't understand these ponies are making me a better person, i am not anymore a person who hates the world, i used to hate the world, but now i can see it, how it is really. I love the characters, the happiness and random of Pinkie Pie, the Attitude of Rainbow, Every single detail of Fluttershy. I can't find any character i dislike (exception of that one red haired friend of Applebloom at Call of the cutie, seriously WTF).
ReplyDeleteI think this show is describing the paradise.. to be honest, this is also making me change my religion (none). I don't know why, i know you think i am over reacting about a TV show, judge if you want, but i know this is making me and many other people better.
I used to visit some horrible places, they were making me even worst they highlighted the bad things about life and blinded me from the good things. this ponies are my cure. I know about this show only 3 months by now, i wish i noticed about it before.
Sorry if i missed the plot, I love the animation, i used to like flash animation before this, sadly it wasn't exactly good to see that animations, ironically i didn't cared about make all the people know about it but i try a lot to keep the fact that i like this show to be a secret.
i LOVE the artwork. the background, the faces, the details, the people responsible of this, i mean, all of them are making an Excellent work
The music. i Love all the songs, i usually hate the musicals but, this, i can't find any song here i don't love.
and most important THE COMMUNITY, thanks you all for bring the best of you every day, you also in first place gave me the courage to watch this show, you all are improving my life, and many other people's life, i hope you all feel the same, Thanks.
It all started in my second semester of German 1. I started looking up German music, particularly German rock. Eventually, I came across the Pokemon theme in German. I listened to it and try to memorize it, but failed because the only lyrics I had were misheard lyrics. Anyways, that's not important. Eventually, I came across the My Little Pony theme in Italian. The old theme, as this was before Friendship is Magic existed. I got sort of addicted to it (Vola! Mio Mini Pony) and sung it a lot with my friends. Flashfoward about 10 months. Jazelock passed along the Epic AMV one night. I was a little nervous about watching it at first because, well, it was about ponies. I could justify the Italian themesong because it was in a foreign language, but a music video about ponies? Could not do.
ReplyDeleteI watched it anyways. Multiple times.
About a week passed, maybe longer, maybe shorter. Out of curiosity, and boredom, I watched the first episode. Then the second. Then the third. I became increasingly obsessed with ponies. In one Saturday, I had switched from watching the old MLP once when I was six, to becoming a huge fan of ponies at not-six. Suddenly, the pictures I saw started to make sense. The sudden rise in ponies around the websites I browsed made sense.
And then the obsession deepened. I started craving ponies. I needed more of them all the time. Eventually I found Equestria Daily, after a long rant on my DA over Gaybow Dash. I laughed at some of the comics, and enjoyed several fanfics. My mind was completely blown by all of the amazing pieces of artwork. (I will not-so-subtly mentioned that I even rule34'd Ponies once. Never again. Ever.) And then I made the best mistake I ever made:
I wrote a fanfic.
It wasn't good. In fact, it was quite horrible. But I needed more ponies. I needed to know what led up to the moment where Dash asked AJ out. I was originally waiting for Splash-blue to post his story (update 4 I believe), but I got sick of waiting. Plus, I was afraid that he wouldn't go in the direction I wanted it to go. So I wrote it myself. But once I had crossed that line, the wafer-thin line between casual reader of Ponyfics and writer of them, I crossed a boundary in my mind. I became unable to separate Ponies from my other writings. In English assignments, I would drop hints of Pinkie-Pie. My stories were replaced by fanfiction. While I was bored in SAT prep, I wrote out lines I thought were funny, or various plots. My shoe has become a notepad for all things pony. When I go to fence, I have to resist the pony influences.
But the hardest part has been on my friends. When I descended, I brought them with me. Maybe not as completely, but I did. Every Friday, I watch the new video with Jazelock. I've sent friends image-manips of ponies asking for advice and feedback. My drug slowly became their drug. They may not have taken to it as much as me, but they now know pony.
I have abandoned death three times, but I shall never be able to abandon ponies. They are rooted into my soul, slowly blackening it with friendship.
Ponies, not even once.
I was trolling /b/ and saw pony thread after pony thread I finally broke down and watched an episode and I've never looked back
ReplyDeleteAnyways, tl;dr:
ReplyDeleteThe episode(s) for me were actually the first two. I may be alone, but they are pretty much my favorites.
Ok, not completely, but they have a special place.
----
I also forgot to mention that I read Cupcakes aloud to my friends. We all died a little.
What draws me to it?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't even see it as MLP, considering how different it is from all the other MLP cartoons. FiM is something else entirely, like something you'd expect during the late 90's/early 00's, probably why I like it so much.
Also, the fanbase is quite extraordinary. The sheer amout of good art and fics associated with the show is staggering.
if i told you why i loved MLP:FIM i would just be repeating what everyone else has said
ReplyDeletebut i will say this
Pinkie Pie is my soul mate
SO YOU KEEP THE $&#@ AWAY FROM HER!
I first heard of the show because somepony thought it would be fun to play Rarity's song while my cosplay club was working. I grudginly agree to watch a couple of episodes after I heard that Lauren Faust was involved. I wasn't sure what to think at first, but it grew on me. It's just a fun silly show, and doesn't care who knows it, but at the same time is has real heart to it and solid characters. The art is simple, but it works for the show, and I rather like, and the animation is great.
ReplyDeleteBut the reason I stuck around long enough to start liking the show was the fan base. I followed a link (I don't remember where from) to this blog, on the day that this story http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/03/changing-someones-life-with-ponies.html had been posted. At that point my constant, bitter anger at just about everything had started becoming a real problem in my life, and seeing how everyone was so nice and kind for no reason other than they could really meant a lot to me.
I've become somewhat addicted since then, having spent the last couple of nights chatting on synchtube until 5 am, and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
What got me started was multiple people on FA who's taste I generally agree with raving about the show.
ReplyDeleteGiving in and watching the show had me find it has the necessary traits to be something I could go out of my way to watch, (good writing, mostly coherent setting, decent animation[1]), provided it had something to grab me.
What grabbed me was not even slightly teaching that utterly vile lie: "If you aren't a flaming extrovert, there's something wrong with you." Instead it had a main cast with two strong introverts with a bonus of them being different types.
[1] Do not take this as an insult. IME, US television animation generally peaks at good for shows with the very best episodes barely making great. This is mostly a limitation inherent to TV animation, most things I considered great have been movies and OVAs.
Hoo boy.
ReplyDeleteSee, around about October I was still posting on /a/. Okay, that's not entirely accurate— whenever I did bother to visit /a/, I'd barely post out of lack of interest in the shows being presented. At the time I was still in the after-effects of my Grandfather's death, so I was a particularly disheartened soul at the time.
Then I see this strange post about Ponies 'invading' /a/ from /co/. A little confused, I hopped over to /co/ to see what the fuss was. A few denizens of /co/ seemed exceptionally interested in this most unlikely of shows, and I couldn't help but notice a strange enthusiasm growing in the mix. Usually amid cries of such things as "I'm 20 and this show is amazing" and "Fluttershy is mai waifu", I noticed legitimate surprise that the show was, as they claimed, actually GOOD.
Lacking a new anime to follow and needing a pick-me-up, I decided to watch the 'first couple' of episodes.
And that's how I became a Brony.
A couple weeks later, I see a thread that requested a cover/mixup of Flutterguy's song (new at the time). He requested a removal of the background music, which Logic TECHNICALLY should be able to do.
I couldn't do it. Scrambling for something, I suggested I might do a remix instead. He graciously obliged. After some time I posted the progress to prove to people I hadn't just bolted with a song underway.
People seemed to like it! I later met a guy named "Tanman"/"Bandpuffs" who posted the album art I made along with the Preview of the song at the time. I was cool with it, I just made sure he gave me credit on it, and he offered to post the next few should they ever be made.
And that's how I became the Eurobeat Brony ever since~
Whoops! Minor correction. Looks like I got started around about January, not October. My bad!
ReplyDeleteWell, over on the Smash World Forums, this has developed a bit of a following. I saw various posts and eventually found my way to the MLP thread there. Some combination of boredom, curiosity, and maybe a bit of a feeling that these ponies were fucking adorable led me to give the show a shot. So I started watching episodes. Over time, I found myself in love.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I was actually just talking to a friend of mine about why I like this show, so when this blog post showed up, I was kind of surprised that it showed up in two places. This is what the conversation I had with my friend went like:
Q: I would genuinely truly appreciate an explanation for why people like that show because I still don't get it. I wouldn't flame or anything I'm just curious.
A: For most people, it's the depth in the characters. I actually don't think just watching one or two episodes is enough to get anyone hooked. In any single episode, the characters don't develop any depth, but it's seeing the way each character can surprise you from one episode to the next that reveals how well-constructed the characters are. In that sense, it actually kind of helps to start from the beginning, because each episode builds on the last by deconstructing your expectations and forcing you to see the nuance in each character.
In this light, it's why I don't think starting with Episode 5 was so great, because that show really breaks Pinkie Pie down and forces you to consider there's a lot more going on in that head than you previously expected. I personally think Episode 3 (The Ticket Master) is the best starting point, because it gives a better impression of the flavor of the series while still giving more or less equal face time to every character. Then, you really have to sit down and watch five or six more episodes to understand how the show develops it's characters.
Q: So it's about appreciating a depth in the characters? It's not about how cute they are at all? I was pretty sure that was in there somewhere for some reason.......
A: Oh, the ponies being the most adorable beings ever to appear on television certainly helps. But I think that's harder to appreciate if it's just your first impression of the series. Once you've learned to love the characters on a deeper level, the cute things they do are a lot more potent.
Maybe that's just my experience, though.
I remember seeing little bits of the new MLP being mentioned on Hub (back then I was watching it just for the Batman Beyond repeats) and I remember thinking, "A new MLP series? No surprise, it's probably just derivative trash to sell more toys. It's got an interesting art style though."
ReplyDeleteWell, then, I was starting to see a few gifs and Macros pop up here and there and I was confused. "People are watching this show? It must be a 'so-good-it's-bad' kind of thing." I then saw a thread for it on one of the forums I post at and thought okay, this is serious.
I looked it up on Know Your Meme and read the entry for it. "What?!? Lauren Faust is working on this?" And I found it quite intriguing of the drama on 4Chan and the growing fanbase. I saw a couple of Youtube clips and I think happened to see Bridle Gossip first and I had a pleasant smile on my face. "That wasn't bad at all, that was actually good." Animation, voice acting, and everything.
My sister who currently lives with me was a BIG G1 fan back in the day. She had a HUGE collection that she gave away back around 2004 or so. And I basically said to her, "Hey, apparently there's this new My Little Pony series that's actually GOOD and it's raising quite the fuss on the internet. There's even a semi-official Doctor Who Pony." And she was quite intrigued to say the least. So I downloaded the episodes and we had ourselves a little marathon to catch up, and we were hooked.
I noticed there's a lot "trauma" among some bronies here, and well, my sister isn't much different. I had never known this (she's my older sister), but I guess our abusive stepfather had taken away her MLPs for a while just to be a dick and to assert "control" over her. Plus recently, she's had some kind of nasty inflammation in her lungs recently, so it hurts to breathe and she said, just today, how listening to a lot of the Pony Audio mixes (she especially loves Night of Pony) and watching episodes have been very helpful for her to get through the pain.
As for me, well, I've always been a sucker for cute and innocent. I love Azumanga Daioh, and we recently finished Kamichu! so it wasn't that much of a stretch that I enjoy this. But I have to say, I've been in such high spirits lately, thanks to Pony, and the whole community. I just love the whole "feels good" vibe from the show and the community.
And as I keep saying Pony fanbase is best fanbase. I've seen nothing like it, and I hope it sticks around for quite some time!
Self aware humor. This show knows it's My Little Pony. And it makes fun of itself all the time.
ReplyDeleteFor me, there are many things.
ReplyDeleteI have an addictive personality. I get obsessed with things very easily. Whatever I happen to like at the time, I go for full force. It also helps that I am a little bit hipster, and I find it cool to like things that other people hate (I'm sorry!)
The next thing would be my love of animation. I am a huge fan of anime, cartoons, and all such things, as well as not being afraid to watch kids shows. My favorite movie of all time is spirited away, and I love watching adventure time and cartoon network whenever I get the chance. To see such effort put into an animated show really draws me to it, and the great characters and voice acting (GOD tier voice acting) are all added bonuses.
And finally, I am Pinkie Pie. For anyone who has seen me on the tinychat, or somehow knows me personally, I am Pinkie Pie. If Pinkie Pie were male and human, she would be me. It's almost creepy for me to think of what I would in any situation, and then watch Pinkie Pie do it. But no matter how creepy it is, I love watching her, especially since she gives me the feeling that I am actually in the show, and it's almost like Lauren Faust is listening to me, and putting my ideas into her wonderful cartoon. It's awesome.
I personally just started loving the MLP series, people have asked me a lot what makes me like the series. I really haven't been able to come up with a response considering that there is really nothing bad about the cartoon in general. Genuine humor, easily morphable characters, good animation, musical numbers and voice acting. Granted all those help me physically watch the show, what drives me most to like this show, is the general adult feel-good-regardless-of-what's-happening feeling. Can't wait for MOAR episodes! :)
ReplyDeleteFor me honestly it all started when I saw the 5 second character review of Pinkie Pie on That guy with the glasses done by CR. I was so intrigued that I needed to learn more about it. Plus it helped that I was bored and looking for things to watch at the time anyway. So I went looking for the show, and was hooked right away. The humour was spot on, the animation was great, and above all it didn't talk down to the audience. As I've watched the show I've come to admire how well the writers are able to work without ever relying on dumb humour and keeping it kid friendly. Honestly it ain't the best kids show ever, there are flaws to it certainly and it misses out on being top spot to shows like WB's Batman (The original early 90's run) or Animaniacs. However, I can confidently say that it is one of the better kids shows of all time. It is LEAGUES ahead of all the current kids shows that are popular and actually is appealing to a large audience outside its target range (Which is always a plus for a show). More over, I've actually watched the old pony shows, particularly the old MLP movie (Which I've seen no less than 8 times, it's a guilty pleasure and I love laughing at how bad it is). That old show, while it did make me laugh sometimes, didn't draw me in like this one has. It just didn't have the same compelling characters (From the episodes I watched it liked to jump around from character to character with no centralisation to it, unlike this show which has centralisation in Twilight Sparkle) or the same writing or... dare I say? The same plot. Because you know all the boys are interested in is the plot ;D
ReplyDeleteJokes aside, this MLP show just nails what a good show should be so perfectly. I'm not talking about just a good kid's show, but a good show in general. It balances a centralised cast, has an intriguing story that isn't entirely predictable, it has interesting and well-rounded characters, AND it is able to tell a story without too many loose ends (Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense still bugs me somewhat, but I can let it slide because it's Pinkie Pie).
But going back to how I got into this, curious about Pinkie Pie. Well, I watched the first Episode and was laughing all the way through it. Though I'd have to say the moment that sold me on the show was Twilight meeting Fluttershy. So you could say, I came for the Pinkie Pie, but I stayed for the Fluttershy.
Found it on KnowYourMeme while grabbing a link for an internet meme oblivious friend. Saw it in the popular bar and was curious how something so girly could become 4chan bait. Funny, if that writer didn't make that silly little blog entry about it, then 4chan wouldn't have teared him a new one and would have never seen the show. I myself didn't even know of The Hub's existance as I stopped watching kids shows around the time Adventure Time aired.
ReplyDeleteAnywho, I read the article and looked at all the funny images and DJ Scratch vids. I also liked how it pissed so many /b/tards off that they started banning just because they didn't like it. When I saw that it was created by the same writer for Power Puff Girls and Fosters (one of my favorite shows as a child; would watch it over FiM anyday), that's when I decided to watch the show and see what all the hubaloo was about.
I had to catch up to most of the season as I found it just two weeks ago. I loved the animation style (I'm around Flash every day); how simplistic yet complex the characters and scenery can be, and how smooth things move (although it only seems to be this way half of the time, the other half looks to be done frame by frame or maybe just slower frames).
And the songs are incredibly well done for a childrens cartoon. I cannot think of any other cartoon in the past that had this level or amount of music (not counting live action like Sesame Street or Lazy Town), then again I didn't watch very many girly shows as a kid and they most likely have songs all the time as well.
As an adult who's seen plenty enough cartoons in his short life, the plot, stories, and jokes are bland and predictable. Two minutes into the show and you already know what's going to happen (generally) and how it's going to end. A lot of the episodes could have ended in two minutes if they just did the obvious from the start, but instead run around trying to ignore it until something forces them to do so. Add a bunch of pony puns and 80's/90's cartoon antics in and you have me remembering why I can't watch Boomerang anymore. But since this is a kids show, they can use the same ideas they have been using for years as it will always be fresh to them, so I'm not going to downrate the show because of that.
Now onto the fandome. I love the memes, references, and comics. Most of the time I find them funnier than the show, but then again they can use jokes more prominent to my age group and mentality.
I also like how the art fans can make can be so precise to the show's that it looks to be drawn from the creator's themselves, or how they go above and beyond and create epic drawings without having to trace. Times like these make me wish I had artistic talent and creativity, so I too could share my ideas with the world.
EuroBrony's music is also wonderful, and reminds me how great the show's songs really are. I wish others would jump on it and make more covers, cause as of now he has a monopoly.
I haven't read any fanfics, and will most likely not ever. I can't imagine their stories being better than the show's, and I already expressed my opinion on that. I also have no interst in reading people's shipping fetishs and gore monstrosities, that bring out the bad parts of having a fanbase of adult males. Plus, the visual and sound aspect of the show is what makes it great. Remove that and you got nothing special.
And yes, Pinkie Pie is the only character that can make me laugh due to her randomness. I can't imagine this show being successful without her, as they need her jokes and to lighten up the mood. Also most of the songs come from her... and we need songs. :D
I don't know.
ReplyDeleteI do not know.
Nope.
I got into this show after coming across a picture of twilight sparkle pouring a drink followed by one of a Brohoof. Being curious from all the amazing reaction images I saw and the general friendliness of the bronies I decide to check the show out, if only to see where all the pictures were coming from. After finishing the third episode I knew I was hooked and continued watching 4 more that night. I guess what keeps me coming back to this show is a combination of the show itself and the community built around it. Together it has just made me a happier person and far less cynical towards the world.
ReplyDeleteThe animation, layouts, colours and general style as well as the good writing are what hooked me in. My attachment to it kind of grew from there. IT JUST GREW INTO THIS BIG HUGE OBSESSION AND I DON'T REGRET ANYTHING.
ReplyDeleteRarity.
ReplyDeleteDuring a snowstorm in the middle of January, I googled this show after seeing multiple pony ads. After seeing the first episode, all the ponies' personalities really intrigued me. I just had to watch the entire show.
ReplyDeleteTwo months and many gigabytes of pony later, I will never stop watching this epic show.
Oh yes, I'd like to add that the variety and colors of all the ponies gives me a gotta-collect-em-all sort of feeling, which I like to partake in from time to time. Like if this was a game and you could play as everypony through unlockables and challenges, I'd so be on that.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me smile, and brightens my day a little. I don't know if it's the animation, the story, the fact that it's genuinely funny, the characters or whatever it is Pinkie Pie does. All I know is that it's fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteOriginally drawn into the show a few weeks ago based on the image macros I kept finding online (via knowyourmeme.com). After watching a few episodes I just honestly enjoy the show (characters, animation, etc). All the hilarious video parodies that people do that are posted here on the site are great to watch too.
ReplyDeleteOh and the Super Ponybeat music that Eurobeat Brony does. That stuff rocks. I have been listening to it for nearly three weeks now.
I think the thing about the show that caught my attention first was a guy called CR doing a 'Pinkie Pie summed up in five seconds' thing. Most of the stuff the guy reviews is good, and it caught my attention right away that the animation was top notch, and I'm a huge animation fan. It took me a while to actually convince myself to watch an episode, and I had to do a good bit of rationalizing, but as soon as I watched an episode I was instantly smitten. The animation was incredible, the characters were adorable and incredibly likable, and the humor, both verbal and sight gags, were all surprisingly clever. What I really loved, though, and what really surprised me, is that I could tell from minute one, someone working on that show cared. They respected their audience and didn't talk down to them, and did everything they could to make it the best, and just loved the show so damn much that it came through the other end as a tangible force, and it was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll admit, corny as it is, it didn't hurt that I was so stressed out and buried in homework for the first few weeks - even as little as 22 minutes a week of pure, genuine happiness was just what I needed.
It all started at the start of January. I was going through a lot of rough stuff, financially, relationship wise, and school wise. It was an extremely stressful time, and one of the sleepless nights I decided to browse 4chan for the hell of it, and I saw a lot of people discussing mlp and posting pictures. I didn't have anything to lose so I watched an episode. One episode turned into 4, and I was amazed at how much of a better mood I was in afterwards. After about a week, the other things in my life were finally straightened out, but I continued to watch mlp because it always put me in a great mood.
ReplyDeleteI ended up falling in love with the show, the characters, animation, even the songs are good (and this is coming from someone whose two favorite genres are heavy metal and hiphop). I also have a 6 and 4 year old little sister, so watching it with them is great. If someone came up to me and told me 4 months ago that I would be having 15 minute long conversations with my sisters about my little pony while I drive them to school, I would have laughed and called them crazy.
I'm going to be completely honest here. I browse some websites that i really shouldn't be browsing and a picture was posted of the ponies in human form (no not doing anything weird). So i was like, ok the character design is interesting so i fired up youtube. Searched for episode 1 and started it. The moment that intro started with the narrating of how Equestria came to be i had a semi tear in my eye, it was so powerful to me. It was original it was well made and interesting, this alone made me want more.
ReplyDeleteI like almost eveything about it, but there is some nebulous, intangible qaulity to it that equals heroin.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna keep it short and say that I originally got into it because of the crossover fanart.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about the show. It reminds me a lot of the cartoons I watched growing up. Ones that were not just rampant toilet humor or strings of low brow randomness trying to pass itself off as humor.
ReplyDeleteCharacters that are actual characters. I've missed that from cartoons of recent years. Seeing a character with a personality and not a blank slate used primarily as a vehicle for jokes or specific reactions.
However, I've noticed that no matter how bad my day has been, regardless of how angry or frustrated I am at something, no matter what is going on in my life I can sit down and watch an episode of this show and just feel better. More than anything this show is relaxing and fun.
What draws ME towards FiM? Everything, man!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone who talks about the great animation, the plotline, all that good stuff.
What really grew on me though, was the overall personality of not only the ponies, but the show as well. It teaches lessons that not only little girls can use, but even full grown adults can take a pointer from the ponies. And oh my god...the ponies! The voice actors do such a great job, it's almost as if they WERE the characters themselves. When you hear the ponies speak, you don't go "Oh, that's Tara Strong and Tabitha St. Germain..." You go, "That's Twilight and Rarity!" I have to give props to the voice actors that do multiple characters. Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie...Rarely do they slip up and make them sound the same. Super props to Ashleigh Ball, for not only voicing two characters, but doing the singing as well. I was surprised when I read that Rarity's VA did the voice for Nightmare Moon and I believe Luna too. Even the small roles for the background ponies are done superbly (Think Bon-Bon speaking in "Green isn't Your Color" or even Derpy's one line; "Muffinnnns!") Speaking of background ponies, even THEY have personality to the point where we shift our focus to them. Our very own Derpy Hooves, Lyra, Bon-Bon and Vinyl Scratch are proof of that, among others. Hell, Scratch was only in a single episode so far, and only for a few seconds and she's just about got her own subfandom and the DJ PON-3 stuff on Youtube to boot! The ponies aren't just characters in a show, it's almost as if they physically befriended us themselves (I'm sure many bronies have wished they could at one point)
The fandom itself is for the most part, kind and polite. A miracle considering where many of us came from. The fact that it's lasted this long, even against opposition proves that ponies weren't just a giant troll. And how many times can one say that an all out civil war on such a large scale broke out on 4chan? Because of My Little Pony nonetheless? They started off as a wayward spark in the dark corners of the internet, but then grew into something more. Ponies grew bigger than angry basement dwellers, bigger than butthurt mods, bigger than Boxxy, bigger than that one shining spark in the dark that ignited the Elements of Harmony not only for Twilight and her friends in the show, but for us bronies on the internet too.
Confound these beautiful ponies...they drive me to heartfelt emotion
I don't know what I love about it, but I have loved it ever since the first meme I found. From there, more popped-up. At first, I only thought, "This is a show!? Why have I not seen it!"
ReplyDeleteThen someone finally mentioned the title, someone else dropped a link, someone else made a Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash...
And the rest is history. Pretty Pony History.
reasons for liking:
ReplyDelete-good animation
-old story types well-retold
-it shatters many stereotypes while comically clinging to others which give the characters definition and depth
-i.e. girls don't have to be girly
-that said, good character definition
- has a general positive veiw torwards life that almost completely cancels out my cynical worldview and makes me able to feel happy
-has an anomalous, obsessive and entertaining, self-sustaining fanbase culture
-allows me to feel like a rebel doing something that isn't widely accepted by society- even inspires me to break free of my own stereotypes.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteDid you mean to say that you changed your religion from "none," or to "none?"
I won't bother you about it either way- I'm just curious as to what you meant.
I love cute stuff. I saw the pony-alignment sheet on The Daily What, and I loved the amazingly cute character designs.
ReplyDeleteI dived into the show for that... and then stayed around for everything else.
I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteAs a student animator, I tend to give shows a trial run, if only for academic analysis. Knowing previous versions of MLP as girl-only cartoons thanks to my younger sister, I expected very little. In fact, the main reason I gave it a chance at all was because I found out about it on Cartoon Brew and about Lauren Faust.
The thing is, the show is filled with things that typically grate on me.
The straight clean Flash aesthetic, the flash based gradiented backgrounds, the tweened animation on the characters, the character designs featuring the same body shapes and proportions across all characters, the somtimes predicatable plots and the moral based lessons of the episodes.
These things individually or in combinations normally push me away from a show.
But there's something more, another ingridient, that binds it all together and makes me love it. Is it the writing? The music/songs? The characters themselves and their predicaments? The community? The fact that despite that the animation is tweened it's done very well?
I don't know, it all comes together like cake ingridients and makes the best cake you've tasted for such a long time, you forgot cakes could taste this good.
I begin to ignore the things I normally dislike and just enjoy the show. It goes to show that all the things I listed that could easily drag a cartoon down have been handled with a lot of skill.
The show makes me feel happy, for 20 minutes, my worries are gone, especially right now as I am very stressed. It's also liberating, to share in something that normally a 23 year old male shouldn't enjoy (though, as an animator I do have a free pass here).
The fan community really helps though, all the fanart and fanfiction and the comments push the show to god-tier, as well as Lauren's reaction to Derpy.
Heard about it on /co/, heard that it was softening the blackest hearts of /b/tards, and decided to give it a try. The rest is (more or less) history.
ReplyDeleteMostly it's a rare show that is both very good and has an unambiguously positive mindset. Staves off depression.
i came to troll /b/
ReplyDeletei stayed to love the characters and to have some form of escapism from the grey of my life
Soulmate Pinkie Pie.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the show being pretty much made out of every single little thing I enjoy in life. Only thing it lacks is authentic balloon sounds and interactivity. And the interactivity thing ends up getting covered in games, anyway.
holy shit. 128 comments. er, dirty secret airing time - I used to watch carebears a looonnnggg time ago (blame my parents for only letting us see acceptable videos). and mlp g...er..g0? g1? came with it, though in my defense mostly out of laziness. so i watched that too. i never learnt any pony names because they were ALL IDENTICAL and never actually played with ponies or bears and would never have admitted to it in the first place...
ReplyDeleteWell, the answer is two-fold:
ReplyDeletea)The show is TECHNICALLY perfect: gorgeous animation, gorgeous visuals, excellent sound design and great music, likeable characters, witty writing, fun plots, pretty much everything;
b)It's full-heartedly cute, charming and friendly, and I honestly can't name a single other damn thing in entertainment of the last century or so that is.
Other than Harry Potter. Also a big fan.
Easy question, random, cute, funny, awesomely made
ReplyDeleteI've always been a fan of animation, western and anime though as I grew western animation seemed to lower it's expectations aiming lower and not trying as hard to entertain all audiences. There were gems here and there but it was outweighed by the amount of lazy thoughtless works.
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard about this show I, like many probably, couldn't believe the praise and sat through the first episodes... and then continued to watch more. The animation and writing are excellent, the characters are likable and it's just a lot of fun to watch. It probably helps that Fluttershy is one of the most adorable characters I've seen in a long while...
There is also the fandom/Community as well that has kept me hooked, I love fanfiction (writing and reading) and always curious to see what people can come up with. With the show giving such strong characters and world building it makes it open enough for all manner of interesting stories. As much as I enjoy the show THIS is whats going to keep me going during the downtime between seasons.
In a nutshell, I have an affinity for cartoons, even though I'm an old Bronie (28). At first I didn't get what all the fuss was about, but after browsing certain boards you couldn't ignore the show or the rumors how good it was. So I gave it a try, and nearly watched all episodes in one saison. I thin the best part of this show is that it is not too dumbed down, the characters are interesting and diverse (for a kids show), the humor is good, and overall the episodes feel smooth how they could work in rl (minus ponies magic etc that is). But I think one commenter on youtube hit it perfectly "My little Pony - because even young adult males need something cute and adorable in their life"
ReplyDeleteIt's the fanfiction, but mostly the community. I, too, came to the show from /b/, although I'm no more than an occasional lurker. When I watched the show, I thought it was good, but not something I'd wait for anxiously every friday evening. Then I found out about this site and the chats and was drawn into the community. I wasn't involved in any fandoms before, but I've seen plenty from outside and they were mostly a bunch of people circlejerking and cracking inside jokes. It's different here, and it feels good to be part of an internet community that is kind and mostly tolerant.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the FiM fanfiction is mostly well-written, and I love to read these stories and build my own fanon. Sometimes I even confuse what is from the show and what isn't. It's a major factor in my appreciation of the show and its characters.
This show just makes me happy and smile. Not very many things make me smile now a days. I work 6 days a week and after being yelled at by customers so much and treated like dirt I love being able to curl up and watch MLP. I don't know if I'm weird for saying this but I see them as friends, characters I can relate to and enjoy watching.
ReplyDeleteI was a lot like Pinkie Pie as a kid and was hated for it...it makes me happy seeing so many people liking her. Maybe if I knew you guys as a kid my life would have been easier...
There's no denying it's a good show.
ReplyDeleteThe animators make something smoother than flash has ever made before. They have a phenomenal executive producer who pays attention to what's happening. The writers not only do a good job, but are adapting the pre-existing pony lore into the new setting in a way that works, and the characters are more than just cardboard cut outs that just barely convey their designated stereotypes.
But even with all this, it's still a kids show, and I would probably, maybe, at most, just keep up with seasons as they end to see where the series has gone. What keeps me downloading episodes as they're released, following fanart and fanfiction on: Equestria Daily, My Little Comrade, and Ponibooru are the fans. I wouldn't care that much if there wasn't so much interesting crap to look at!
This is, about, the seventh message I've left on something pony related I believe. I have officially interacted with this more than I have any other thing I've gotten into before in my life, and I want to do more. Art still sucks, though, so I'm not going to be posting any drawings for awhile. Also, don't have Adobe or a non-Linux system to run it on. Too costly. But that's besides the point.
Point is I've really gotten into this, and it would just be a passing interest in it if not for all the things I've seen. The awesome comics, drawings, and the fanfictions that do things with the characters the creators can't, since it's a kids show.. I mean that in a [normal] story with depth rather than a [grimdark] story way.
So that's that. I admit the show is good from the beginning, but it's the great fanworks that keeps me here.
>mfw I read every long comment here
ReplyDeleteSO MUCH FRIENDSHIP.
I heard about the poni from one of my friends. At first I was all "My Little Pony? What is this shit?" And he was all "Just watch it and make sure NOBODY'S AROUND WHEN YOU DO." At first I thought it was some weird poni or someshit and then I watched the first episode and I was like "yoooooooooooooo what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck" and then Pinkie Pie appeared and I was like "Yoooooooooooooooooooo" and then motherfuckin' Fluttershy appeared, and I was like "YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
References aside, I like cute things. I scoffed at MLP at first for being... well, MLP. And then I watched an episode or two and thought it wasn't that bad. And then I spent an entire Sunday watching every MLP episode that was out at the time. And then I was poni.
What drew me in? I found the jokes to be actually amusing and the characters were pretty endearing. Fluttershy's probably the one who hooked me in.
And then OCD Rarity happened, and I never looked back since.
I was initially referred by a close friend and was extremely skeptical. Thankfully all the eps were on youtube so I didn't really have to go out of my way to try the show out.
ReplyDeleteOnce I got past the mental barrier of it being "My Little Pony", I realized it's a genuinely good show. It's well written, has a positive message, and the ponies' personalities are great. The art design is so fucking cute it's almost impossible to hate.
As a businessman I'd never in a million years reveal that I'm a fan since it'd be a social death sentence, but it's nice to come home after a hard day's work and genuinely laugh at and enjoy something for a change.
I found out about ponies from following Lauren on deviant art. I like ponies because of the character & set design, the writing, the humor, the cute, and that it's overall both fun to watch and inspiring. Nobody is my waifu, though I'm pretty bummed that Luna won't be back until season 2, so I guess I technically favor her.
ReplyDeleteI feel a little weird being one of the few girls since this means that even in the fandom for a show with a mostly female cast that comes from a franchise aimed at females (if much younger than I am) I'm still assumed to be male.
I also enjoy Adventure Time & Panty Stocking, so it's pretty normal for me to be into a cartoon.
Well, to be honest when I first heard this whole "pony" thing was getting popular, I thought "wow, how gay."
ReplyDeleteBut then I actually took time to watch it. And I kept watching it. And I loved it.
I think what draws me to it is the general feel-good nature of the show, along with it's awesome voice-acting, animation and decent writing. It always makes me smile and sometimes makes me laugh, and always cheers me up when I'm feeling blue. And for some reason I had a rush of euphoric joy the first time I watched Suited for Success. It's moments like that that just seem magical.
I love this show a lot, and am proud to call myself a brony. Initially, I tried to hide this from my friends, thinking I would be made fun of. However, even though none of my friends got into the show, they know me as a brony and accept it with open arms, as I think most good friends should.
Found out about this whole pony thing on KYM, decided to find out why this was becoming so popular... and, well, I gotta admit, it's one of the best cartoons I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm interested in animation and might want to do something like that after school, so I try to look beyond the scene and try to imagine how the animators did that.
Also, drawing Derpy as Solid Snake is fun.
I noticed the ponies getting all over the internet, and got curious. Open minded as I am, I decided to give it a shot... and then I was completely hooked.
ReplyDeleteDon't really know why I like it though, it's just... so freaking awesome.
it is soo neat to read all of the comments here :)
ReplyDeletei was lurking the Internets some time ago and found by sheer luck that article about death of creator´s cartoons. that picture was soo cool! A little pony show with actual cute ponis??? i had to find everything i could. some time later i found this site.and of course, i saw the episodes.
Rainbow dash, my fav character ever!
when i was younger i was into invader zim. but never though i would have the *balls* (well, *ovaries*) to post draws on a site like this.
i wasn´t sure of keep making draws of ponis but here i feel like home. this fandom is full of nice people. some even liked the blues bronies draw i did ! XD if you do not mind, i will keep drawing and i will try to improve, for i never had so much fun in the past.
sorry for my bad english, learned it playing rpgs.
confound these ponys, they drive me to communicate!
Lauren Faust is an awesome creator that I've under appreciated in the past. Her and her husband are responsible for a lot of awesome. Her vision for the ponies is something so drastically different and well-done compared to other kids' shows.
ReplyDeleteRainbow Dash is my hero. As a bit of a tomboy myself, I admire her straight-forward in-your-face personality.
Twilight Sparkle, at the center of the story, is not prissy--but a smart girl that READS.
I could go on and on, but everypony in the show seems to show that aspirations are attainable, and they don't have to fit some preconceived mold, either.
It's a little bit like Shugo Chara, in what it does for me, but is less cheesy even, the content of the episodes manage to be more realistic and believable.
:3
P.S. three bronyfriends recommended me. I couldn't believe that three GUYS were seriously claiming My Little Pony was a good show.
ReplyDeleteI'm an old mare when it comes to the pony fandom. I've been around since G1. I had been watching FiM for months simply because of that before I realized it had really gotten popular. So I started being a bit more active online in my love of it.
ReplyDeleteI've always been a fan of animation in general. I was watching cartoon network in... well, what I consider it's downfall, over the last several years, throughout high school. Seeing all the cartoon-cartoons stop being aired, Ed Edd and Eddy ending, PPG ending, even Fosters ending (I Think, haven't kept up with it as much). I always loved cartoons in general. I found MLPFiM from an IRL friend and an online friend, both of whom I know wouldn't troll me into watching an awful show, who kept bothering me to watch the show, telling me it's great. I asked why, and they told me: Tara Strong is the VA of the main character, and it's run by Lauren Faust.
ReplyDeleteI was like, fuck yes, and watched it, and on my first day of watching, I put off some FAFSA applications and watched 10 episodes, lol. This was only about a month and ago. The characters are genuine and clash perfectly, the story is fun and creative, and while some episodes are kind of cliche (applebuck season seems pretty cliche to me), I think I found that comforting that the show would return to cartoon basics. THe animation was also great for Flash work, compared to other shows on Cartoon Network.
For one thing, I am an animation buff. Raised in the 80's, I grew up watching the original transformers, thundercats and even my little ponies (due to my sis hogging the tv, ponies back then was just a commercial to sell their toys, bland characters and storylines), and my interest in cartoons only grew from there, and I always get a kick out of old franchises resurfacing as new content in our day and age, like the bay transformer movies (#2 blew though), the new upcoming thundercats and off course FiM. The other thing is that this show is just soo good! I was skeptical when I first heard of it, but when I saw some pics, I got curious and actually tuned into the HUB when it first premiered the cartoon, after the 2nd and 3rd episode, I became hooked, and after finding this website, I became a brony. The stories, the characters, the action, it was all something out of all the old cartoons I loved all rolled into one. The 3rd thing was that the art style just captured my imagination. It was simple but it was also expressive, colorful and vibrant, something that can be overlooked easily in today's cartoon lineup. The simplicity made it easy for me to draw my own ponies, which gave me a sense of glee.
ReplyDeleteSeriously want to know why? Well... Maybe a couple of pictures are enough (and yes, that's me holding Pinkie Pie):
ReplyDeletehttp://fav.me/d3c4b1h
http://fav.me/d3c4b6h
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI am saying that i was an atheist because i didn't saw any of this good in the world the religion talked about, but now i can see it
It's a high quality show that sends out a wonderful message.
ReplyDeleteEverything about it so pure.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI see! Thanks!
@Sethisto
ReplyDelete(Sorry for the late response)
Yep, and after Boxxy returned she even made her own fanforum called CatieWayne.com.
It's run by IRL Boxxy and her mom.
Since there are a hundred different reasons and a thousand different stories here, I'll keep mine terse and to the point.
ReplyDelete>kicked out of university for procrastination and poor grades
>friends and girlfriend move away
>lose internship
>no job, apartment I can't afford that I'm paying for with the last scraps of my college savings
>only friends are drug dealers, get stoned and drunk all day, become hooked on opiates
>by november hit rock bottom alone, cold and broke in Chicago
>browse /co/ to keep suicide at bay
>mute and numb from trolling, porn, routine and cynicism of 4chan /b/ and /co/.
>out of fucking nowhere, MLP thread
>watch episode 1
NOW, 4 MONTHS LATER:
>reconnected with family, friends and girlfriend
>no drug or alcohol dependencies, still toke but rarely
>taking classes at community college, will have good enough grades to reenroll in university and finish degree next year
I don't know where my liking for MLP came from, but my life is infinitely better because of it.
Thank you, Lauren Faust. You've saved my life.
I can't explain it, why i keep wathing this show. It's magic.
ReplyDeleteI hail from the Furry fandom, and for a while I saw lots of pony fanart, and icon changes, the usually signs of rampant pony fever. I didn't know what was up exactly, but I found a video (linked by a furry forum) of MLP: Live, it scared me, so I posted it on my Facebook. My friend links me now to the Know Your Meme page, and I watched the first episode.
ReplyDeleteThen the next one...
then the next one...
Why? Because it's superior to just about any animated show on today. It's not stupid, the character designs and personalities are easily likable and hey, even the jokes are funny!
@Fire.Esper
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter/ Pony fans unite!
I first got interested by the style of the show, back when I saw pictures on 4chan. Then I noticed there was some fluid animation and expressions. All topped by good humor, great voice-acting, and unique characters. I was hooked soon after watching a couple episodes.
ReplyDeleteThe different characters also remind me of real life. In real life, all of our situations with other people tend to turn out terrible. In the show, they move past whatever differences are causing conflict. The ponies keep their friendships, and learn valuable lessons as well. I like how FiM shows how there is good and rationality in the world, even though it's hard to find in real life.
Honestly, I was looking for some tracks on Youtube when I stumbled upon DJ P0N3, kick arse music in the video and I couldn't help but chuckle at the animation of the pony. I thought it looked cute.
ReplyDeleteI figured it might be some obscure artists' avatar of sorts, then I delved into the channel information and learned that it was from some kiddie TV show called MLP: FiM. I just figured "Meh" from there and life continued. Then some Ponies who oddly enough resembled DJ-P0N3 starting appearing all over the internet and I felt inclined to check it.
I was hooked after the first 3 episodes.
I guess it's because of how well developed the characters are. With that said it also helped me because for 8 years I have always been shy after an incedent happend. Ponies helped me open up more (especially Pinkie Pie) and also it's the only thing I do watch on tv and have nothing else to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe show made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI was hooked from that point on.
It's just an all around awesome show, and it reminds me of all the show I loved to watch as a kid (which naturally has drawn me to re-watch them as well), but what keeps me here are the fans.
ReplyDeleteNot only does the show offer the most incredible fanbase I've ever seen, but the amount of diversity and effort in various show-inspired projects here are just breathtaking. Whether it's fan-fic, art, songs, games, or other topics, I can never look away.
I'm having the time of my life...being a brony.
I remember how I got into it. I had taken a break from 4chan for a while. When I returned I went to /b/ and found a CP thread. There was the usual arguing between pedos and moralfags. Some guy defended the pedos, saying that he's really used to all kinds of weird shit and that everything was ok with him but the one thing he didn't tolerate was something called "bronies". He said they were downright gay. Of course I wondered what the hell was he talking about. Apparently I had missed something during my break from 4chan and I decided to catch up. After reading around a bit, lurking in a couple of pony threads and watching the first episode I fell in love with all of it. I have my poni obsession from that day, more than a month ago.
ReplyDelete[quote=Anonymous]
ReplyDeleteFluttershy.[/quote]
When I was really little, I was a fan of MLP.
ReplyDeleteNow, many years later, I found an old Tamagotchi toy, and looking for advice on how to care for it, I registered on a forum site called TamaTalk. Soon afterwards, my Tamagotchi interest began to fade as I got caught up in the Non-TamaTalk section of the site. On our profiles, we had avatars, and I saw a lick icon on a friend of mine's profile, and because I am artsy, I wanted to make my own. So, I found the KnowYourMeme page on lick icons, and while I created some, I began to check out some other memes. Eventually, the MLP page caught my eye, and the rest is history....
tl;dr coming
ReplyDeleteMy story of getting into FiM begins last summer actually. It was June/July and one of the storyboard artists for FiM posted her drawings of the ponies on deviantart. I already loved this storyboard artist's work because she worked on my most favourite cartoon ever, Ed Edd n Eddy. And so seeing that she was gonna work on a new MLP really interested me. I was also drawn to what she posted because I thought this 'Rainbow Dash' character she had drawn looked so cool.
So~ because of these factors I made a mental note to check out this new MLP cartoon whenever it came out. I also had nostalgia for the original G1 show which made me even more curious about what the new show would be like.
Come October I was browsing Youtube, and noticed someone had uploaded the first episode of the show, so I watched it and was amazed that it was actually GOOD, and I was enjoying it, and 'hey it's that Rainbow pony I thought looked cool!'
Being that it was a new cartoon I figured I should check out whether or not it was being mentioned on /co/ at all. I wasn't expecting much but, there was a thread! And soon another thread, and then another, and another, and LAWD they're still going now!
And then as I browsed the /co/ pony threads, I found out about the show being Lauren Faust's and that's why it was so good. Plus checking the credits, I saw that quite a few animators/storyboard artists from Ed Edd n Eddy were working on the show, and I was like 'no wonder the animation is great, and the characters have great expressions, and there's so much cartoony squash and stretch!' :D yes this show is fucking delightful.
I'm wanting to go into animation because I grew up with 80's cartoons. As a teenager, I got back into the original rainbow brite and carebears. everything that came out around that time. Sure I wasn't popular, but I didn't care about what people thought about what I liked. So now, at the age of 21, I was so use to watching all these shows from my childhood that I fit right into the MLP FIM community. I had my doubts at first, but what really brought me in were the ponies's personalities. They were so different from cartoons now days, it reminded me of my old favorite shows. I've noticed that other girls my age avoid it at all cost. All these years of holding on to these girly shows finally pays off where I can talk to guys and hold common ground somewhere. It's awesome!
ReplyDeleteIt's new and different. Alien. It's doing exactly what ol' Lauren wanted it to. Blur the lines between the sexes.
ReplyDeleteWe're having the girl's childhood we never had as boys.
It is a revolution of the mind and it shall make us complete.
On December 1st i read the shortpacked comic related to this and passed it off as joke because, Ethan the main character is a huge Hasbro Fanboy, then back in February
ReplyDeleteI was watching Kaizo mario 64 being played on ustream when one guy went on about telling us how great it was.. So later Out curiosity i joined a youtube sharing stream and laughed at a brilliantly made cartoon the like of which brought me back the 90s era of cartoons. Before I realised it i had watched 9 episodes without noticing the time but by then it didnt matter, I was hooked.
So like 90s cartoons it had the funny for kids type stuff while also slipping some adult humor, also fluttershy <3 yay >w<
Some of the moral parts at the end seem really obvious but some, in particular the one used in the 2nd episode are relevant to me, the importance of friends may not be fully realised until you actually lose one, and hearing Twilight talk about how important it was to see them and hear them and how that changed her, it got to me a little.
Past instances of similar media eliciting a fascination or emotional pull: The squirrel in Sword in the Stone. Adventures of the Gummi Bears. Secret of NIMH. Bambi. Land Before Time. Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I have a strong emotional reaction to 'triumph in the face of adversity' in action/adventure naratives, but looking for the common thread in the above, apart from 'great animation and story' I see that I respond to friendship in an action/adventure context and to 'cute'. MLP:FIM is cute, friendship, story and adventure in spades. I'm doomed.
It's really hard to sum up all the things they do incredible well on this show into a few sentences. I would have to make a list:
ReplyDelete- Story, Plot, Characters
- Amazing attention to detail
- Character actually remember things that happened in past episodes
- Consistent World Creation
- Catchy Music
- Excellent voice acting
- Characters and things are very cute, but not sickenly cute.
- The humor is smart and genuinely funny
- Characters are believable, they're not dumb down like other cartoons where they're annoyingly dumb and naive
- The creators and production team's acknowledgement and approval of the internet fans (us)
- The show has a lot of substance
I could really go on and on with my list, but I think the key is the show doesn't talk down to the watcher, doesn't insult their intelligence, and doesn't annoy or sicken them.
I really enjoy the show's positivity, its helps me keep a positive mood and mindset. I've always seen myself as a realist, never wanted to delude myself with being unrealisticly optimist. However there's so much negatively in life that puts me in an indifferent or down mood. I've figured out recently there's a difference in having a positive outlook vs unrealistic optimism. Then MLP:FiM comes along and fits into that so well.
I also really like the fact that MLP:FiM is an internet phenomenon. Since MLP is thought as for little girls, I do have a strong apprehension to mention I love the show to anybody not familiar with MLP:FiM. But I feel so much better knowing so many others like me are into the show, and it's cool to be. Also I like the incredible fandom content and humor.
Yeah, this show has really made a mark on me.
Confound these ponies! They drive me to love them so! <3
p.s. - Derpy Hooves all the way. KnowYourMeme brought me to ponies.
Initially it was the novelty of the thing; a girl-oriented TV show that doesn't suck. The pilot hooked me in with its magical-girl-anime story, some actual (if lightweight) drama, and a solid dose of Parental Bonus humor (like the camp-gay serpent, the Sailor Moon-esque transformation sequence, and so on).
ReplyDeleteI stayed because the characters are so adorable, and because it's well written (most of the time) which isn't actually a given in today's TV universe. (Okay, fair enough, it wasn't a given back in the 80s either. Still!)
And, actually, I have been kind of applying the show to my life. It's not like any of the morals are surprising or that I haven't heard them before, but I guess sometimes as an adult it's easy to get wrapped up in what you're doing and ignore some of the basics.
P.S. I love how inspiring and creative the show is...and how everyone who sees it would have their own favorite characters, but yet, it's VERY difficult not to love them all! AND, of course, the unbeLIEEEEEVable fandom....!! =O
ReplyDeleteLesbian subtext.
ReplyDeleteway I see it, this show is the best thing to happen to oldschool cartooning since the death of Cartoon Network
ReplyDeleteI'm a major animation geek - my favorite movie is The Lion King and my favorite movie of 2010 was How to Train Your Dragon. I'm also a /b/tard and occaisionally visit /co/. So when a new show with good animation, high production value, good vocal talent, and a good message that didn't take itself seriously came along, I couldn't resist.
ReplyDelete**Warning, this topic has forced me to do some searching and thinking. If what I am saying doesn't make sense sorry.**
ReplyDeleteThere have been many things answered here that can explain why I like it. The show is girly, but honestly it is about the same level of girlishness as the PPGs were.
Having said that, the biggest thing that draws me in, is Faust's involvement in the show. The animation style is so similar to soooo many shows I loved when I was a kid/young teen(PPG, fosters). These shows and a few others that her and her husband didn't work on but seem like they did (Dexter's Lab, Samurai Jack, courage ect...), are such a huge part of my growing up time I can't forget them.
So here I am all grown up nose deep in Meteorology classes and applying for internships, grad school and generally being worried about my future. I am literally on the edge of the best part of my life, and memories of just watching cartoons seem so...Distant I can barely remember the joy they brought me..Like the taste of surge, or waiting for the news to scroll my school district across the screen for a snow day.
This show is different than just watching the old shows I used to love.(I still do, btw. My gf thinks I am crazy for still watching CN.)I can watch those anytime though. Especially with the internet. They are not new, but more like reading an epitaph on a grave of a friend and remembering the good times.
This show is different. It has the same spirit of the shows I loved, but it is new. Like I am experiencing that old joy again, only for the first time. I look forward to Fridays like I once did, and I can just sit back and relax and forget my age for 22 minutes a week.
>Wondered why Pony pictures were everywhere in Know Your Meme
ReplyDelete>Read the article
>Saw mention of Lauren Faust and pony wars
>Did curious search on Youtube
>Addicted.
>Why am i addicted
It's SO FICKIN' ADORABLE.
ReplyDeleteI love the characters, the writing's well-done, the animation is spectacular, the ponies don't look creepy anymore, I just love everything about it.
I fell in love.
(Seriously, how creepy did the old ponies look?)
I first knew about this shows existence from a VGcats comic on April Fools Day. (ironically it was a dark comic). And my friend said how this show was really popular. So after a few weeks of noticing subtle Pony related things on the internet I decided to give the show a change even though I hate everything that MLP had to offer so far. So I downloaded the first episode and shortly after the opening I was hooked (I'm on ep 8 currently) Between the unique characters, smooth animation, enjoyable storylines, and funny humor, there was no stopping me from being a fan and for the next few days my brain was full of ponies. I actually started to read fanfics for it, somthing that I usually never do.
ReplyDeleteThis show also gives something cartoons today don't have....most everything I said above. Most cartoons today are usually inapropriate, morbid, and just plain offensive and unfunny. Not only does MLP FiM treat its "Bronies" well but it actually seems to compliment them for liking the show.
Sadly some of my friends (like the one above) don't want to give the show a chance, eiether there too ignorent of the quality, ignorent of the fanbase, because it's MLP, or they don't want people to know. Which is really disapointing but luckily I feel better about it after seeing the fanbase for it.
So overall this show is just awesome, and has actually improved my life for the better and I'm proud to admit I like this show. I am a 17 year old, straight,male Brony and proud of it.
I got hooked on the first three episodes. The cute was overbearing. Resistance was futile.
ReplyDeleteI think by now everyone knows the reasons but I have to add it helped me and my teenage friends quit porn....Let me repeat. A bunch of teenage guys with raging hormones quit porn because of MLP FIM. If thats not a good show then I dont know what is!
ReplyDelete