The entries for the 7 year celebration event are officially closed, and the results are in! Altogether we had over 100 people send in their take on what Friendship is Magic means to them. Hope you all are in the mood to read, cause there are a lot of words below!
Our winner for the event has been chosen via random.org and notified via email. They will be receiving the full K'NEX Pony set. If they don't get back to us in a week, we will pick someone else!
Now go get your responses below.
Note: The compiling seems to have removed paragraphs. Apologies for the walls of text!
SaburoDaimando
What the franchise has done is that it helped push my skills as an illustrator and a voice actor. While I am still not perfect in ether of these categories, it's still fun to draw up ponies and learn from their design, all while pretending to be other characters like Prince Blueblood and Big Macintosh. It has at least given something for me to smile about, much like previous cartoons I've seen in my life from Animaniacs to Duck Tales.
Chad W.
MLP has brought me not only hours of joy, adventure, life lessons and likable characters, but it also got me to come out of my shell and become more social in my life and proved to me that good people still exist in this world. It's also one of the greatest animated shows I have ever had the pleasure of watching in my life!
Vendi Meyers
My Little Pony is my favorite show. I've been watching it since I was a kid and since then, I've never stopped. I think that if it weren't for My Little Pony I wouldn't have such an interest in animation and wouldn't have discovered how much I love to animate. I love the magic, the characters, and the world of Equestria itself. My Little Pony has really changed my life for the better.
SuperUltraAwesomeAmazing RainbowDashie
Without My Little Pony Fandom, I Would Be A Low-Life Contemptible degrading disgraceful disreputable loathsome reprehensible moron.
Beastmodebrony
I thought back in 2013 it’s was a, stupid girl show but then the song 20% cooler got me hooked and twilight is so cute:) and the amazing voice actors put a lot of effort into and it’s just more than a toy commercial tv show it’s like a family :)
willow
my little pony helped me reconnect with my sister and family, every saturday morning we get doughnuts and me and my sister watch ponys.
K sams
Just makes me happy when I fell sad or depressed. It also is entertainment to me. Many other reasons but they are a little too personal to say though. (No it’s not anything sexual)
Josh
I stumbled on this show while browsing through Youtube one day and I automatically enjoyed it. What drew me was how great the animation was and how well written it was. This show has also helped me through some hard times. The episode "Castle Sweet Castle," has a special place in my heart as it helped me out when my grandmother passed away. Also, whenever I feel down, I would listen to Pinkie's infamous "Smile" song and it would cheer me right up. I would never thought I would be a Brony, but it happened and I don't regret it. Friendship is Magic is a wonderful show and I will keep enjoying it until the end.
Limeskittle
MLP has brought me to think more about how I interact with others. It's been an outlet for me to relax and feel creative with the stress of high school. Because of the lessons that are taught each episode, I made a group of friends at school and still continuously implement those values with my group. Before MLP I never really understood what I should value in a friendship.
Travel Quill
What has it meant to me? Big adventure and tons of fun, both in the show and in the fandom. Pony fan art and stories work with any genre, (high fantasy, low fantasy, future fantasy, war story, romance, noir, thriller, cyberpunk, slice-of-life... you get the picture) and I am hard pressed to find a cast of characters I care more for than the Mane 6 (7, 8, 9?) and company. More than that, ever since I first convinced my mom watch the Season 4 Finale and Season 5 premiere, watching episodes together has been a frequent bonding activity whenever I visit home from college. A beautiful heart, faithful and strong, and sharing kindness. True, an episode may miss the mark every now and again, but the vast majority have strong morals that stick in the back of my head. They encourage me to do the right thing (or give me something to shoot for when I fall short), to value and fight for my friendships, and look at problems from new angles. Above all, though, it’s about forgiveness. The kind we get or give when it isn't deserved.
Felix Hawthorne
I wasn't in a horrible place before I started watching FIM, but it definitely changed my life for the better. It helped me realize I wanted to be a writer, and I've started taking the first steps to a writing career as a result. I'd like to say I've gotten much better as a result, and FIM was what "unlocked" me to start moving in that direction. On top of that, I discovered some of the closest friends I've ever met. There was a rough point in 2013 where I was close to suicide, and it was because of my friend, Salnalus, that I was talked about out of it. I would have never met him outside of the fandom, and I will forever be grateful for that.
Starlight for Princess
MLP has helped me become more social, if only just once a year. But that was more often than before I became a fan of the show.
Lacosa Wolves
It has meant a lot to me. It's what makes me smile anytime I see a pony toy in wal-mart, it also makes me incredibly happy to be a brony, knowing that I'm in a very loving and accepting community warms my heart. Though I am shy about my brony side, I am still proud to count myself as one. The show has also helped me to make many more friends than the small circle of friends I used to have. So Friendship truly is magic, and I hope to continue watching many more pony episodes to come.
Paige E
When I was twelve, I wanted to kill myself. I was depressed, lonely, and desperate for anything to pull me out of the mental health spiral I had been stuck in. So I turned to cartoons, hoping that their escapism and colorful aesthetics would help distract me from my thoughts. I don’t remember how exactly I stumbled upon ponies, but I remember watching the first episode and being intrigued, embarrassed at being intrigued (I was twelve, after all) and then deciding I was going to keep watching anyway. It was the best choice I’ve ever made. MLP pulled me out of my depression, made me some friends (I recommended it to some other kids I knew!) and got me through middle school. Throughout high school whenever I felt down I would watch the episodes I had missed on Netflix, having been busier and less able to keep up with the show. The transition to college has been a hard one, and as my depression recently returned I too have turned back to the thing that pulled me out of it the first time, and it’s working its magic all over again. My first tattoo is going to be Twilight’s cutie mark, representing the magic of friendship- and that I can always turn back to those little ponies and feel welcome no matter how lonely I am. I can’t believe it’s been seven whole years and I can’t believe I’ve literally grown up with these ponies. Thank you to everyone who has worked on this wonderful show and the movie- you helped save my life and you’re helping to save it again.
Starbat
The fantasy world of MLP champions simple virtues such as acceptance, empathy, fairness, honesty. These are things we supposedly teach our children early in life. Hence, the show. But these are also things sorely lacking in the world that adults live in. Thus, many adults could do with a reminder. MLP is an enjoyably adorable feel-good escape into something we wish we had in real life. It may be a pipe dream. It may even be an infantile pipe dream. But it's an inspirational pipe dream.
Steven Emond
MLP is a source of joy for me. I watch the show and Equestria Girls every chance I get. The recent movie I've seen twice and I've had the chance to meet voice actors from the show, sparking my interest in voice acting.
Dashquick
My 6th grade year is one I will never forget, not only was it the time when I found out what I was going to do with my life, it was also the time when I found this show. The show was recommended to me by a friend and when he first suggested it, my thought process was "MLP?! there is no way that's any good". I was so naive, once I clicked play on the first episode on dailymotion, I was instantly hooked. I used to browse fan creations and the such when I began watching the show, but it wasn't till december of last year that I started commenting on EQD. when I look at MLP, I don't see a TV show for 5 year old girls, I see an unfolding story of growth and maturity. the show has been through 7 seasons, 4 spin off movies, countless shorts, and just recently a massive feature length film. just as the show has progressed, our fandom has progressed just as much from the depths of /co/. Sure, our fandom isn't perfect, but I don't expect it to be. In fact, I think the imperfections show exactly why our fandom is one of the best and most accepting out there on the internet. This show means the world to me, I have made so many friends on places like EQD, and I can't imagine my life without it.
Hoofy Kicks
A joyful show that's helped me through a failed suicide and become the person I am today. It's an antidepressant and a wonderful dose of optimism and happiness, and I love it.
Soma
I am a very sad person. MLP makes me happy. It gives me something warm to think about when life is cold, it gives me a glimpse into a world far better than ours, and gives me the hope that one day we could be as peaceful and as merciful as that other world. It shows me that it's okay to believe in kind souls and beautiful hearts, and through that it makes me a little kinder and little more beautiful.
Flutterstar
MLP helped me battle through loneliness, pulled me out of the brink of depression and generally made me happier. I was always shy at a young age, avoiding all but the essential social interactions. It only grew as I became older, slowly I fell bit by bit into isolation. Then it was only a matter of time before I felt depression latching on to me. One day, the TV was playing the MLP episode The Stare Master. I was bored so I didn't care what was playing I watched it. Then after that day, I found out about the Brony fandom. I was shocked, but I explored more about it. Ever since then, I followed ponies with a passion. I love the fan creations. I love the community. I love ponies. Pinkie pie did a great job cheering me up. I was no longer depressed. I found a special connection between Fluttershy. I no longer felt alone. Ponies taught me to be strong, they taught me to never give up, they taught me to treasure good friends. Thank you MLP for staying with me for three wonderful years.
Alex Taylor
Unfortunately it wasn't until May of 2015 that I started watching the show and got all interested in fan creations and events. However I have been watching the PONY.MOV series since February 2012 if that counts. Which subsequently led up to watching the actual show out of curiosity of how the characters (especially Discord) were really like. I love how ever since May 2015 I've met in person just about every show staffer. Only person left to meet is Tara Strong and the goal will be met. But just in the two years it's been a great ride.
Aiden
MLP has given me the confidence to be honest with my friends. Before MLP I was a lot less of a good friend to my closest, after discovering MLP (through a FNAF fan fiction) I began to truly trust my best friend and be honest with him, it's also always lifted me up in the times of not so great emotions. I do not regret embracing the MLPisum (lol) it has certainly changed my life for the better.
Emmanuel Bueno
Hi, my name is Emmanuel Bueno. MLP helped me to become more kind to the people around the world, given me life lessons that I never really knew to take into consideration. I used to be very angry with the world; trusting no one, not being able to make friends because I feared rejection or being hurt. but, because of MLP it showed me that with friendship anything is really possibly and there are people we can trust; with me making my new friends I learned to become more loyal to them that is why Rainbow Dash is my favorite pony. Watching those episodes day by day made me smile more, it let me able to open my heart and smile; especially hearing pinkies song "Smile, Smile, Smile". Seeing how confident and strong Rainbow Dash is makes me always strive to be that strong. I used to think I would be criticized for watching these lovely ponies on screen, but I realized that I would not be who I am today without watching them and seeing Rainbow Dash, never giving up, staying loyal to my friends. This is what MLP means to me, I know I will always be watching as long as friendship is magic and Rainbow Dash keeps staying awesome.
Mark
It's funny, three years ago this November I was at a friend's house and they were going to make me watch My Little Pony. I had no idea there was a new generation, so of course, I was against it until they told me if I hated it then I could make fun of it. Instantly, I was hooked. The next day I found myself looking to see what channel it came on, watching hours worth of episodes, getting hooked on a couple of characters at first until I actually found an odd sense of connection to every character. Eventually I watched all of the episodes from the first three seasons in order (while catching season 4 on TV) and not only did I fully realize what how genius it is, but also how life-changing it truly is. Not long before watching the show I had been working on confidence issues, but only a few weeks after watching the show I began raving about it to anyone, not caring that much who judged me for it (surprisingly not as much judgement as one might think). It's impossible to imagine a life where I was never introduced to My Little Pony. The show has certainly made me more outgoing, and in the process, more confident and happy with my overall personality. I still struggle with self-confidence issues from time to time, but I'm majorly improved from how I used to be. Also, odd as it may sound, since growing a connection to these characters, I don't get lonely like I used to get. With so many personality traits, and even backstories, I feel a general sense of connection to each character. I feel like I could relate to something, and, somehow, even when I'm feeling depressed or angry for whatever life reason, My Little Pony makes me feel alive. I see life somewhat differently, and I feel it's helped me grow closer to certain people in life, something I've never felt before. Yes, time to time I still deal with emotional issues, self-confidence issues, etc. but I'm happy to have something to help me deal with these issues better than I used to. It's only been nearly three years for me, and I only wish I could have discovered the magic sooner. Heck, I wish this had been around when I was in high school and that I had the attitude I currently have that I got from the show, back then. So, to wrap it up, My Little Pony taught me not to worry about what others think of me, to just be myself, it's helped me to feel like I'm not alone anymore, and most importantly, it's helped me on my journey to self-discovery, which I like to believe is still ongoing. I'll end it simply. To me, Pony is life.
TexasBrony93
For me, MLP has been my getaway from the stress of life. Whenever I was feeling down or going through a rough time, I would exclusively turn to this show. It almost never fails to make me smile. It also has various characters I could relate to on a very personal level.
ShadowStorm
I remember when I first got into MLP. It was back when The Hub was pretty new, I was hooked on a show called Transformers Prime. So I went to the Hub’s website to check for new episodes and found nothing but then I saw a list of recommended videos from the site. I layed eyes on the MLP clip. So I clicked it. (It was the scene from the first episode about Twilight finding about the Mare in the Moon) I started watching and as I watched I smiled because I liked the animation and color. So I looked it up on YouTube and saw the full episode and watched it. Then I binged watched the entire season. And now here I am done watching a full lengthen feature film about colorful ponies. My Little Pony Friendship is Magic has been in my life since the beginning of middle school all the way up to college and I’m glad to be apart of something so vibrant and colorful.
Roberto Cruz
It has meant a lot to me. The well written characters and the lessons that inspire me to be a better person. This wonderful show has helped me cope with some of my problems, and look forward to my future. I loooove MLP!!!!
Lantern Lust
MLP means a lot to me. When I watched the series for the first time last year baecause one of my friends loved it. I was A little bit skeptical at first because I am used to the G3.5 Version of MLP. I thought this one wasn’t going to be good so I just skipped all together. A few years after that ( 7 years) I decided to watch A Canterlot Wedding Part 1 and 2. I loved it!! It was ( and still is) my top 5! A year later I join EQD!! I met so many amazing people on there and I have so many friends and I met a person on EQD who is now my boyfriend that I love dearly (#LongDistanceRelationshipsSuck). I love MLP and I’m now celebrating my first year in the fandom.
Nightshade
Well, MLP is relatable. I mean you can relate with the characters. But also, mlp has helped me be happy dealing with my depression and I love that someone can watch whatever their age is. Plus, there are always wonderful and useful friendship messages or lessons to learn at the end of each episode. So, for me, Mlp is an incredible show that I’m very happy that it exists.
Brad
Mlp has given me joy. Ever since I started watching, I just loved it. At first I started to watch mlp ytp, then I watched the first episodes. Then I loved it. I started making and keeping friends when I started watching it. Over all, the best.
Truffula Dreamer
(Sorry if this is very long. :) I am quite a detailed person and I hope it all counts-I posted this on facebook for an anniversary thing on one of the MLP clubs.) I believe it was 2010/2011. Probably 2010-I was in college and I saw people with Pony stuff on when going to a few classes especially my Japanese 101. Curiousity got the better of me and I discovered my little pony-Watched the first episodes and from then on I got hooked on them, watching season after season and got the guidebooks and then the pony merch and dvds and all that. Although over the years, the lessons in the show taught me so much and stuck to me in life-it even helped me become a better friend and person to those around me especially to my BFF in the whole wide world. :) She too is a fan of MLP as well-In one of the packages I sent her, I placed a few MLP tiny figurines in it from the blind bags. And recently I began to realize just how much the show means to me especially after the zeppalin episode and also the movie was incredible and after the movie I made a new best friend name Sam Menzia to whom I'll be hanging out with at ponyville ciderfest. But anyway the show has taught me and showed me alot and I love everything about it-It's a pure, innocent, educational, fantastical and marvelous show with twists and turns, the mythology, the connections to the old MLP show (I watched the old MLP shows growing up). What I love more is that there is a HUGE fandom-NO, better-a WHOLE WORLD of Pony Fandom that is so big compared to other fandoms out there (Of course they too are big). :) A good-hearted and wondrous kingdom that values the pure, positive messages that the show represents. :) Lives have been changed for all of us-no matter which parts of the world were from, what our lifestyles are like, our upbringing, our origins. THe show has touched us all in the most wondrous way-it made a spark within us grow into something magical and out of it we've discovered our own cutie marks, embraced our talents, learned to deal with life in our own way and even came to love who we are despite what people say. Sure we got our haters and trolls out there, people who might find it odd or unusual, but I say that they don't realize just how great the show is. Their too focused on conformality in today's society and deem creativity or anything weird to be ABNORMAL. Well they can just buzz off for all I care. Those who torment or want to bring us down-IF THEY DON'T like it, then they don't know what their missing or to comprehend just how magical this fandom is. PONIES Unite, Bronies take flight! :) I am a PROUD PEGASISTER who is a nerd in all things anime, video games, books, pony and other stuff! Also my fav characters are Twilight, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer, and DJ-Pon 3.
Cinnabar
I've been watching My Little Pony- Gen 3, mind you, even before Friendship is Magic as an idea was conceived- since I was a little kid. As a little girl I loved watching those oddly shaped pastel horses like Minty and ToolaRoola play in their colorful little world. I had the brushables. I had the DVD sets. I had it all. When I got older, as a teenager, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was announced. At first my reaction was a simple 'I'm a strong and independent teenager now, i'm far too old for this kind of nonsense.' but I went ahead and watched it anyway, because MLP had always been a part of my childhood and I just couldn't resist. October 10th, 2010, seven years from today. I haven't stopped watching since then and I don't plan on it anytime soon. The characters are incredibly believable, they have real emotions and flaws and are just so ADORABLE, it's hard to resist. The music is some of the best i've seen from pretty much any TV show. Along the way the show actually has taught me a few valuable lessons, and yes, perhaps it has made me cry more than once. I love the settings, the lessons, the humor; everything about the show is just so well done and beautiful. Once I found my way into the brony fandom, well that was certainly a pleasant surprise. I'm one of the few who actually knew about the show before I did the massive internet presence known as the brony community. I thought I really was alone liking this show for little kids before I encountered the fandom. It wasn't before long that I started reading fanfics, listening to fan made videos, making friends, and spending a questionable amount of money on commissions and merch. While i'm a part of many fandoms, this one is by far the best in my opinion. Both it and the wonder that is My Little Pony: Friendship is magic have gotten me through some really rough times in the past, and I couldn't be happier to be here! Happy Birthday MLP!
BraveryTheBrony
My Little Pony has meant the world to me. It has given me friends and opportunities to work on things bigger then just myself. It's given my life purpose and joy that I just didn't have before.
Sarah
I've been in the fandom 4 years now, and it has helped me get through some tough times. This is truly the best fandom out there, I love it wuth all my heart. Love and Tolerate my fellow pony lovers
GeekySonic
MLP has given me more joy in 4 years of my life than anything else. It introduced me to an awesome fandom, gave me several close friends, and even set me down a career path. It is more than a show to me. It means happiness.
Alex Anderson
For all of my life, I have had my sights on a main goal of professional success. I always strived to be the most mature individual in my age group ever since elementary school. Indeed, I was, and still am, an old soul. Even in middle school, the pinnacle of adolescence, I had the mentality of an 80-year-old. For this reason, I ignored the show in its peak. When it became a trend, I imagined it was just like other passing fads: pointless conversation filler and just a new reason to join a popularity bandwagon. I ignored it, but didn't oppose it, due to preferring to stick to schoolwork. Now, five years later, I am regretting that as one of the most foolish choices I have made. This show has opened me up to a world of positive thinking, good morals, and loving communities! In retrospect, I have lived a very dull life so far. Yes, I am on track to succeed in adulthood, but I have completely neglected the opportunities that comes with that ascent, including making and maintaining friendships. For these reasons, episodes such as The Cutie Re-Mark and A Hearth's Warming Tail have been very impactful in my life. They have taught me to not dwell so much on the past; to let go of what you cannot change as it only stunts your best self. They have taught me to cease being such a labor drone for once and to simply enjoy the emotional aspects of life with those you care about. Last of all, and most importantly to me, they have taught me that It's never too late for friendship. Most of my life has been spent moving from place to place and only recently have we settled down in one are for more than two years. Before, I rationalized, "What's the point of making friends of I'm going to end up leaving soon anyway?" What a mistake that was. So many connections have deteriorated, parties and gathering have been passed by, countless other people: I've let slip between the cracks. I realistically only have two friends. The rest are acquaintences. And most of the time, I spend alone anyway. However, Twilight's dialogue with Starlight really held considerable weight: That it is never too late to make friends, and that you're only limited by what you put into a friendship. Whatever you bring to the table only expands on the diversity of a group, and that you shouldn't be excluded for it. These connections are why I identify strongly with Starlight. Twilight and Starlight have helped me realize what I have been missing out on. Overall, the show, the lessons, and the fandom have helped me in ways I never could have concieved. I never thought that I would like little animated equines intended for a different audience. However, the innumerable gems of friendship and familial lessons have drawn me in and kept me. Thank you, Hasbro for creating the franchise, Lauren Faust for the animated series, the producers of the show for continuing their dedicated work, Equestria Daily for keeping us informed and excited about the fandom, and of course, thank you to all of you loyal fans for keeping this show alive with your support, praise, creativity, and warm invitations! This world would not be nearly the same without any of you!
Verenice
Growing up, my parents’ did the best they could give me the childhood they couldn’t have and went to great lengths to keep their daughter happy. One of the best gifts my parents were able to give to me were three brothers that each varied in personality but were equally lovable in their own way. I managed to become a responsible elder sister, but I somehow felt out of place in a household where it was mostly dominated by men. This feeling, however, disappeared when my mother announced to me that she was pregnant. I was never happier to hear the news since I knew I had the possibility of having a sister. Several months passed and my happiness grew stronger as I counted down the days for my sister to be born. Unfortunately, my mom had a miscarriage. All the hopes my eleven year old self had slowly deflated and it broke my heart to have my longing wish to not come true. My parents’ decided to go to Mexico, their old home country, and spend some time with my grandparents to rid ourselves of the terrible news. I found it difficult to have a good time, despite having the people I love supporting me. My mom wanted to lift my spirits and organized my first communion. This, of course, needed immense planning and preparation, which led to me being alone in my grandma’s house while my mom went shopping. I turned on the television and a show called “My Little Pony” began to play. Coincidentally, the first episode aired and I became intrigued by the storyline. The episode left me at a cliffhanger and I made it my mission to watch the rest of the series when I got back home. My mission was completed and four years later, I am still in the brony fandom. Without this world of pastel ponies, I would have failed at making friendships and ultimately led myself into a pit of sadness. There is so much innocence and happiness in this show that it allowed me to gain my own once again. Thank you Fluttershy for showing me that anxiety cannot define me. Thank you Twilight for teaching me that my motivation will lead to great things. Thank you Applejack for guiding me to a more honest and healthier life. Thank you Rainbow Dash allowing me to see my inner bravery. Thank you Pinkie Pie for accompanying me on my road to eternal optimism. Lastly, thank you Rarity for displaying that beauty can be found anywhere, at anytime. Thank you My Little Pony for all the adventures and lessons and for showing me a fandom of loving people and friends. This fandom has broken gender barriers and showed me a new perspective of the world, with a little song here and there. Thanks for all the great moments everyone and congrats on seven years of ponies!
CloseDragonfly
Obviously it has meant friendships for me but, it has help relieve me of some addictions so that would make it very special. It has also ment that I don't have to make friends with popular people, just make friends with people you can easily connect with (But make room for friends with benefits). Also having talents doesn't have to decide people and that you can be honest with friends you can trust. Finally, it has taught me that I can be open with making friends and getting to know people. It's special to me because of those reasons.
Russell
MLP is one of the major contributors that helped me through my adolescent years to present day. It gave me a community to go back to because back then, I didn't have anyone outside it. I had a group of friends, but I was more in the back of the huddle, so I still felt alone. The community was something I saw as being a part of and I loved everything that was made. I still follow the show and take a couple peeks into the fandom now and then. (I do not want the prize, you may leave me out of the draw)
David
MLP for me is a feedback loop of imagination . To be inspired by the pony content of other fans and think of how I might contribute my own fan content . It is an oasis amongst western cartoons . Because it has an actual story with imperfect and flawed characters . It is not the lassieze Faire slapstick comedy that seems concocted during a drug high or drop dead drunk . I also like how they break the damsel in distress cliché .
Beoww
MLP, and, in special, its fandom, appeared to me as a funny story from the depths of the internet and I, like many others, decided to check in, just to fall aboard this incredible hype train. In the incredibly few 500 words, the show has been a beacon of elucidation: a light-hearted way of declaring love to the simplistic and a rescue to what is lost and most don't even realize. It is a beautiful fantasy land that provides us with a vast field upon which to be creative, and especially, to be ourselves. Quoting one brilliant art piece of this fandom, "In the night", by Carbon Maestro: "We're free when our friends and kin believe in your true self, bearing hope and health". Never seemed such a quote so appropriated as for this moment. The experience has been cathartic. It is inspiring, and opened up the horizons by showing that you can express yourself, that your differences are not shameful, but a reason to be proud and most importantly, a settling stone for a friendship that can last and be grow in to a shiny crystal-tree-castle, in other words: "Friendship doesn't require order—it requires disorder! You can't be friends with somepony who's exactly like you—it'd be like being friends with a mirror! Friendship means seeing the differences in somepony—and making a connection anyway! " Thanks Glimglam, beautifully said. The fertile soil for the self-discovering adventures that has been this fandom, and, to an surprisingly poetic fashion, the show, with the journey of our little ponies as the elements of Harmony, has been the soil where we can sprout what makes each one of us unique. Even if I, particularly, am restrained by conditions sometimes beyond my own control in to participating more deeply with the fandom (going to conventions or even meeting other bronies who have a great appreciation for the show), I can still be happy with watching the fun and the smiles when others have a great time. I often engage in the silent observation of posts in EQD that recap cons, or the vloggers and podcasters that bring a first hand experience to people who can only see them on the internet. For all of you that do this, I thank you from deep within my heart. The show by itself has been, as previously said, a love declaration. It has given me a new perspective in life, and about life, and its inherent beauty. When I started a new phase of my life, for instance, I would carry with me balloons, in a silly Pinkie-ish way of brightening others days and cultivating new friendships. For all of you bronies out there, thank you for being a part of such a captivating herd, and I hope to meet some of you one day.
TwilightDash12
MLP is one of the things in my life I'm most grateful for. Everytime I've been stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or felt down, MLP and it's community have been there to put a smile on my face. Amidst the stresses of high school and young adulthood, the show has helped bring me down to earth on virtues that I really want to exercise in my own life and relationships, and may have otherwise lost sight of. I've come to have an appreciation for art of many forms through MLP and it's fandom, including animation, fanfictions, music, and drawings. I even realized how much I enjoyed writing stories myself, which I am looking into as a potential career path. And of course, there are few entertainment experiences than watching the captivating optimism, lovable characters (Twilight <3 affect="" alike.="" amidst="" and="" because="" brilliant="" brought="" character="" cherish="" community="" easy="" eqd="" esp.="" fun="" good="" great="" had="" hard="" has="" here="" hr="" i="" it="" its="" laughs="" many="" me="" mlp.="" mlp="" more="" much="" my="" of="" on="" overall="" personal="" s="" show="" so="" storytelling="" the="" times="" to="" ve="" with="" years="">
Isak
It means magic and friendship to me
Vinylwalk3r
A lot. It has given me new friends, made me more diverse as a person, and given me proof never to be a knock it til you've tried it. Not to mention, I have a GREAT series to watch with my pals :D My Little Pony is one of the most personal shows out there, in my opinion. It gives you so much, if you enjoy it!
Maggie's Mister
Safety in a world gone mad. Happiness when I've been so down. Regret that I hadn't found my Pony friends much sooner. Hope that my Ponies will go on for a long, long time. Smiles when I needed them. Tears shed in sadness AND happiness at the stories, music, art, and feelings given to me by so many creative people who gave life to these friends of mine, these pastel ponies, and the many other friends we share. Thank you for "Lullaby for a Princess". God, how I've cried. And special thanks to Songbird Serenade for helping me to understand why.
Marek
Cuteness, humor, and expecting the unexpected. The MLP franchise excels in teaching old lessons in new ways. I have had an avid interest in cartoons my whole life. I have an autistic spectrum disorder and expressive faces of cartoon characters, albeit horses, were always much easier to read than the unfathomable faces of live humans. And MLP in particular had characters I could identify with - Twilight, Starlight, and especially Maud are all ponies that have a barrier between them and others. And whether they work hard on breaking it, like Twilight, or they are just not that bothered, like Maud, both would be, in my opinion, great role models for the young autistic children and everyone else who see themselves as stranger among the sea of humanity. So I guess that's what ponies mean for me: they show that diversity trumps adversity.
Zidders Roofurry
Little Pony has helped me see the kind of people we all can be. As unkind as our species can get we shouldn't give up on each other just yet. The ponies that we have all come to know have inspired so many to let love flow. To show friendship and to always be kind and give lots of chances to those we find. Yes, friendship is magic and magic is love. That's the mane thing these ponies have proved. That's why what the show most means to me Is that love wins when you love like ponies.
Dracocarius
I have been a fan since late 2011, around November, because I remenber that back then in a chilean meme page, pony posts started appearing creating so much controversy, like 10000 coments discussion and wars, but the most interesting part for me, was the ways the chilean bronies from back then defendded it with so much passion, that I became interested. Also in that same page there was a challenge that consisted in just watching 3 episoodes and seing if you liked it or not, and well, the rest is story. Today, 6 years since then I feel like I'm a completly different person, more open, gentle, comprensive and most important, I feel happy almost all the time. Today, I´m almost in my last year of college and I don´t know what my life would had been whithout this show. Thanks to everyone that makes (and have made) this show, and thanks to everypony :) PS: Also Mlp and its parodies, PMVs and crossovers, have made me discover so much series, movies and music that I'll be forever in debt to it, and I think that it will always be in my heart.
Jeremy
Change. Before MLP and the friends I made through the brony community I was a very bitter and angry person. I shied away from almost all social interaction and had a very negative outlook on the rest of the world. The walls around me came crashing down when ponies and fans assaulted me with friendship and genuine feelings and behaviors that gave me a new outlook on life in general. I made a friend whom is now like a brother to me. Because of MLP, and its fans, I'm a changed man for the better.
John
It has meant a lot to me. i rely on it to pick me up when im feeling down. it is there when i need to listen to music or have fun.
Them's Seeing Ponies
To this brony of six years, MLP is relational escapism. The show has such a fun, lighthearted nature that you can dissipate all your anxieties watching the fun antics on-screen, yet when the show packs emotional weight, it REALLY does, and you can really relate to the emotions and situations of the characters. You feel as if you're in Equestria the whole time. MLP has also meant being a part of possibly the greatest cultural phenomenon of the 2010s - watching all these talented people assemble Equestria Daily, Derpy News, etc., and build an entire culture around one show. It's a testament to the true quality of MLP the showrunners have maintained for an incredible seven years now. It's been a great ride over six years of bronydom, and I thank you all for it.
FreshlyPositive
What has MLP meant to me? well let us go back to the past when I have not been introduced to the show. When I was grade 5(2009),I was one of those simple kids/students at school. But of course I was bullied too,and when I'm bullied.I also bully other students to make me feel happy and let my rage go through them. There was this classmate of mine who was pretty shy,I bullied Him because I really hate how he looks,he talks,and move. I kept on bullying him since grade 6(2010).He left at school after that,and I was there,all alone and got no one to pick on. then grade 7(2011),There was this certain day I was playing Minecraft. But of course I got bored on playing it on that certain day,so I told to myself "Hmm..ah! I know I'll just watch Minecraft videos on youtube" then all of a sudden and out of curiosity. I saw Season 3 Episode 5(something within season 3 of MLP) of My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic. I decided to watch it out of boredom(Minecraft videos are not my type anyways :p ). as I watch that episode I suddenly got into it and watched the very first season till I get to chase Season 3,of course I became a fan of the show since 2011)I also get to chase on the finale of it(which was pretty sad for me back then*I almost cried*). now back to the present. MLP:FIM thought me about...well "Friendship". it thought me a lot of new things to experience and make friends a long the way while at that. This show gave me another chance to forgive myself and the other people I hurt along the way. This show gave me Inspiration and Meaning for me to keep going on the hardest of times. My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic,is our own kind of WORLD that would always keep us in harmony. HAPPY 7 YEARS OF MLP:FIM!! more seasons to come!!
Bronwyn
Mlp has taught me how important friendships are, and how important it is to have compassion for those who try to hurt me. Also, the music of Fim is so good that it inspired me to start songwriting, and now I’m studying music at university! So MLP means to most to me.
Hawk
MLP changed me a lot and changed how I view the world. It taught me to be kind, generous, friendly, optimistic, forgiving, learn from my mistakes, and willing to let the past stay in the past. It made me appreciate family and the moments I spend with loved ones. It turned me from an almost stone-hearted person into a sympathetic, emotional one. I don't think this small response can do MLP justice or describe how much I love it.
Larel
When I first got into mlp I was in a real rough patch, I was around 8 years old only just recently moving into a new state with my parents, being told we would have a house shared with my mom's sister, which ended up being a lie and in the end we lost everything. I had to grow up a lot faster than most, often being home alone and learning quickly the world isn't forgiving. I also did babysitting jobs at the hospital clinic my mom worked at, taking care of the other nurses little kids while their parents were busy, to earn more money so my parents and me could go on. Yet one day while watching a little girl named Haley, My little pony came up on the tv. It was the first time in so long I had felt like a little kid again, I watched it again once I got home with my parents and it genuinely made everything feel brighter. I owe mlp that feeling of childhood wonder that is always there, but sometimes harder to find once times hit their worst. It took years for us to get out of that town and mlp was there for me all those 6 years. We finally got out last year and now here I am, 15 years old, an inspiring artist, and still in love with ponies. I thank this show for always giving me something to have when things get hard, and I will continue to enjoy it for years to come
RD4590
Before I watched MLP, I have no idea how to treat others nicely or to be not so mean. I barely smiled or know what to do. But the show told me how generosity, kindness, loyalty, honesty and laugher works, which guided me to communicate wuth others more smoothly and more outgoing than before. Moreober, not only does MLP teaches me how to be a friend, but also teaches me how to forgive others' mistake (which oddly improved my ability of analysis). Nowadays, I did not (or barely) complain(ed) about mistake or misfortune, but tried to analyze and improve when incidents occured. Why is MLP able to affect my mind is that it demonstrates the Elements of Harmony with the conflict between friends via animation, in which way it caught my eyes and teached me easily. For commercial purpose,MLP can entertain both children and adults, who had become a constant source of revenue of DHX, Discovery Family, etc.. Thus in my opinion, it is also worth investing for this show.
Crimson Winds
Without this show I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. This show taught me the values of friendship. This show showed me the light out of the deep caves of depression as I faced betrayal and pain. This show made me smile and laugh more than ever before. My little Pony Friendship is Magic made me a better person and eased the burden of my problems in life. Thanks to this show, I have great and accepting friends. Friendship truly is magic.
Glim Glam
It has taught me the value of friendship and I’ve found many friends through this fandom who have helped me during hard times. The show itself has also taught me many lessons with its morals.
Mossy Heart
It has meant a cool show and even cooler toys! XD
Snow Heart
MLP has changed me and my life towards something better. Through the lessons of the show, going to conventions and making true friends for the first time I discovered a world of good and positivity I did not not know I could ever be part of in life. Ponies and the fandom saved me from depression, gave me purpose and pushed me into improving myself. I try to live by the pony lessons and to spread this positive view on life to all around me, be it family, friends, coworkers or strangers. And on top of all that it inspired me into being creative, learning to sew from scratch and making pony plushies to make people happy. I cannot see myself losing interest and faith in ponies ever, and I truly believe we can make an Equestria out of our world if we just do our best to bring out the good that resides in everyone of us. Honestly, these words here are not enough to describe how much MLP means to me and just thinking of all of it and the feelings attached brings me to tears of joy, even more so because I know of, met and befriended other people for whom MLP means the same, or very similar, whose lives were changed when they welcomed these beautiful multicolored equines in their hearts.
Bassheart harmony
Mlp has showed me a whole new family of devoted ponies doing what they do best to support a fondom not many people care about
Shayma98
It has been something that feeds my inner child. I green up with G3 ponies. I still have all of them, and hope for my kids to be able to see them. When I first watch MLP: FiM, I thought, I shouldn’t be watching this. I’m a teenager for crying out loud! As time went by though, and my sisters got more into the show, I found I really enjoyed it! Now, I am proud to scream to the world that I am a brony. Most of the time, people don’t really care (probably because I am a girl and girls are the target audience), but that just makes me feel better about it. I love MLP, and hope that it continues onward into the future.
Bluebelle Hope Thompson
Five years ago, I sat in front of the television and saw an episode. I fell in love with the characters and their friendship messages. Last year I lost my Best Friend Hope, she loved the ponies as much as I did, and i continued to watch every episode faithfully. By watching this show, and watching each character develop in their own unique ways, I have learned to develop myself. I have gone through my grief and I still am, but I made a stronger connection with the little ponies and their messages became much more clear to me... I envision Hope to be in a place as nice as Equestria, where everyone is nice to everyone, and help each other out, just like it has for me. So they aren’t just a cartoon, for me.. they’re my support and escape.
Bokun Zhao
For me, it's a belief, a new and better outlook on world, life and value. I learnt how to love & tolerate, I began to seek for friendliness, love and other bright sides of the world. It's also a new and unique discipline called "Friendshipology" :P
DavidCurser
Pony became a mayor part in my life in 2013. I was lucky enough to spot an episode in german TV and I caught myself watching the whole thing. There was something about that purple goth pony that I just couldnt resist. When my room mate asked me, why I watch that stuff, I said, that it made me laugh, and that is all that counts. I didnt know then, that it would save me from myself. My marriage broke apart later that year and I fell into depression, even so, that I got pills to kill myself. I felt like I had no place in the world. But then I heard Pinkies Smile Song, it made me laugh again, it made me love again. I felt that, if I died, I would miss out, not on the world, but the MLP of the future. The show gave me that nodge I needed to put away the pills and keep on going. And I consider Pinkie as my lifes savior. Nowadays MLP is one of the mayor shows and fandoms in my life. It effected my art, my writing, my thinking and my approach against the world. And it will never be not loved for it.
Fruity Treeze
What MLP means to me has changed ever since I first started watching the show in 2012. Back then I was quite young, so I loved it, but for relatively simple reasons. It was fun, entertaining, the characters were nice, and that's about it. It went on that way for quite some time. I constantly cited it as my favorite show. But then, it became something much more when I moved to another area, and to put it simply, had a bit of a culture shock and my life kinda sucked for a while in the social department. I was growing older, and with that, I began to understand the characters and morals on a deeper level. It only went uphill from there. During the season 5 mid-season hiatus, I joined the MLP Wiki. It was my first interaction with the fandom and it was one of the best things ever. Becoming a contributor on FIMFiction and EqD followed soon after. Now, I frequent these websites almost every day and it continues to impress me how much MLP means to me and so many others. I look forward to grabbing a laptop and tuning in to a livestream every Saturday and having discussions about pastel ponies on several platforms. MLP means a lot to me. There are other shows I really like, but none of them have impacted me on a personal level quite like this one. Happy 7th anniversary, FIM, and may you continue to spread the Magic of Friendship.
Rio Towle
Ever since I discovered My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, it has been the birth place of so many wonderful things and inspiration. If it weren't for the show, I probably wouldn't have started the piano, or writing stories. I wouldn't have discovered people over the internet which I would soon admire. The show gives me a reason to laugh and smile. And for that, it means a lot to me.
Nightfire
There's much that the show has done. It's helped me and so many new friends meet, helped me find the one who I love gotten me out of the shell I'd built up after shutting everyone out. Got me through depression and I am grateful for it. The music has made me want to play again, the lessons have stuck with me and have helped in many ways. And the characters have always brought a smile to my face when I watch the show, mainly because with most characters I can see myself there in some ways they respond to a situation or to how something's given to them.
Gabriel
What Christianity is truly about. It's shamed by the media, it takes looking past all 'manliness' and the very worldly desire of being 'normal', and most of all: it's about taking the goodness of who you are and using it to brighten the world. I know deep within my heart that Jesus Christ has summoned Faust to make this show not just to break gender norms, but to show us the very teachings He had taught us. He has taught us that every fiend deserves another chance, for “whoever has never sinned in their entire lives, may throw the first stone” and “’Revenge is mine’, says the Lord”. Glim Glam, Discord, Shim Sham, to name a few. But for me, most personally, it helped me understand things that my parents never even wanted to touch. Like my gender identity. Before I even knew LGBT even existed, I had this crazy desire to wear dresses and had been a fragile little boy. The freaking Titanic made 10-year-old me cry. Seeing the Mane 6 do what they do, and not even for a second thinking about what gender they were, it was something new. Heck, before any of this, the show itself originally attracted me just by how pleasant the colours were. I had been uncomfortable with myself, especially when I tried to be normal. But the show helped me learn humility, and had helped me realize that who I am is not a boy or a girl, who I am is me: a skittish, insecure, yet overly expressive person who fools everyone into thinking that he has nothing to hide. The only thing that being male effects is just WHAT I am. Through the years of being rejected, scorned, and laughed at as comedy-relief, My Little Pony has been giving me a sense of company, a sense that I belong somewhere, and that there are others like me. I have autism, and having characters like Twilight struggling with the same problems as I and not being complete cringe like Sheldon Cooper or Brick Heck is a gift from God that I will forever hold in my heart. Thank you, Lauren Faust. Through my years of isolation, and being unable to fully be myself even around my own family, the show has been my one and only constant safe-haven that helped me march on through life. Thank you so much.
The Cute Master :3
MLP has been an amazing thing for me. It's helped me build new friendships that stretch across the globe, helped me connect on a deeper level with my brother, and given me a more positive outlook on things. I never could have imagined being where I am today 7 years ago, but overall I would do it all again if I could. The MLP fandom has been amazing!
Astera Nebulous
MLP has been a great addition to my life. It has brought me closer to my two brothers. We loved every time a new episode was airing, cause it was a time where we all just got out our tablets, relaxed, and watch the episode. So what does MLP mean to me? You ask? MLP has meant a great deal to me, and will continue to mean a great deal to me through life. It is a light to go to whenever I'm stressed, to give me a laugh and smile. But most importantly, it is a reminder of a great show, and movie, I had the chance to see with my family. MLP means a lot. And I'm sure it always will, even when it is ended. It is a fun and enjoyable ride that I hope goes on for much longer than it has already.
Leila Drake
MLP helped me to cheer up and form real frienships after two decades of loneliness and depression. I always wondered what friendship could be. Now I know that Friendship truly is magic!
C. Dixon
My little pony to me as a person in the military and a life coach in my off duty time, My little pony is something of a teaching aide that keeps teaching. The show has in a way set itself towards many standards and continues to break them down, tackling stigma and numerous issues almost every episode, Whether its successful in doing so or not. It doesn't just stop with an issue though, It sometimes brings it back up in effort to re-explain itself, some people find it as terrible writing I feel that is merely finding a different way to show a point and i today's society I feel being able to explain yourself in more than one way is a great way to tackle things. I've watched the show since 2010, and have been a loyal fan to it never missing an episode premier, I've watched every movie, read every comic and book, I know almost every character and have an encyclopedic knowledge of the universe. Super fan? Maybe, But this show has done so much for me, I've met people who have taught me things, helped me get through a lot of tough times, and even set me further along in my life goals, I owe a lot to it and I thank Mrs. Faust for what she's done if not for her I'm sure I'd be a different person. Probably a friendless person.
flutterkind
I got into My Little Pony back in 2011 during season 2. Gosh, that's a long time ago. I was in the process of finishing high school back then. I remember having Winter Wrap Up stuck in my head for the entirety of the physics exam. I found out about ponies by seeing a rage comic about MLP:FiM on 9gag, where bad pokerface guy claimed the pony merchandize he was buying was for his little sister. I didn't know about bronies or what MLP is, but I had nothing to do at the time, so I checked it out on youtube. Man, this makes me sad. The episodes used to all be available on youtube. My cousin, who wasn't a brony, later found out that I watch MLP and said that's cool, because bronies seem to be nice people. I asked him "What's a brony?" He couldn't tell if I was joking or not. :D Then I got in contact with the fandom. Today, my roommate is a brony, I have made several brony friends, my room is filled to the brim with plushies, figurines, posters, and toys. If it wasn't for My Little Pony, I don't know if I would be alive today. I wasn't feeling very happy back in the day. I have learned a lot of stuff through ponies, and as much as Seth always says we should already know the lessons in those episodes, I have learned a lot *from* ponies as well. I'm pretty happy that I became part of the fandom. Impossible to tell who I would be today, if I hadn't, but ponies are a big part of my life. Thank you for caring so much about them.
David
Without MLP I may not be around anymore. It most likely has saved my life. I got very low and I didn't see a way out. But the positivity that came from the show and the fanbase was able to move me in a way nothing else ever could and pulled me out of the dark. A brony song called Fear of Flight by Aviators even gave me enough confidence to face my anxiety and search for a job. MLP turned me around and got my life started. I can never thank Lauren Faust enough for what she created.
Eric
It brought the fun back to my life after some quite dark past I've experienced. Although I'm still liking to be alone but MLP is fixing that bad habit of mine, sort of.
Vesper Glaive
MLP made me a better person. Back circa 2011 I was what you might call a miserable angstball, surly, depressed, "edgy", the works. Between the hell of high-school, and my own personal "identity" issues, my outlook was bleak and cynical. Then I discovered pony. I watched the pilot and the first few episodes, not getting the appeal at first. But the more I watched, the more I began to fall in love with characters, their personalities, and their quirks. They felt more real to me than any other fictional characters I had ever seen or read, not larger-than-life heroes, but the kind of people you'd love to just hang and chat with. Though fictional, the ponies and their world inspired me; the idea that that kind of love, kindness, and positivity could exist somewhere gave me renewed hope. It opened my eyes and made me realize how miserable being an antisocial loner was. Then there were the bronies. Like many, I first discovered MLP through the fandom, wondering what could possibly draw grown adults to a show like this. The sheer creative output of the MLP fandom has been unlike anything I've seen elsewhere; the music, the art, and especially the fanfics (to this day Fallout: Equestria is the only book that has ever made me cry). It led me to great artists, writers, and YouTubers who I never would have found otherwise, and ultimately helped reignite my own creative spark. Earlier this year, I was in the hospital for a gunshot wound. The pain was horrible, the meds screwed up my digestive system, and for a time I honestly wished I were dead. That same week, "The Perfect Pear" aired, and it gave me what I needed to pull through. MLP changed my life; whatever the future holds for pony, I'll never forget the good times we've had.
Spencer
I started watching Friendship is Magic when I was in the 7th grade as kind of a joke to get my little nephew to leave me alone for a bit. I started to actually enjoy it though, and it quickly became one of my favorite TV shows at the time. I'm a freshman in college now though. I'd like to think that My Little Pony helped me get to where I am. I didn't have many friends growing up in a small town in Tennessee, so in a way the ponies were my friends. They always kept me from being lonely and if I was ever feeling blue; they were there for me. The past 7 years of my life have been made better by both the Show itself and the amazing community around it. I'm so glad that I have been able to be a part of it. I hope we can all continue to horse around for a long while to come.
lordalexander74
Character and world building, collecting toys/art, something to bring people together
Moon Dust
MLP Has inspired me to become a better artist, and it has become a big part of my life since then. And the show is just... AWESOME!!!!
Tick Tock
When I first started, I really didn't know what to expect. But after these 7 years, I look back and realize how much it actually meant. How much of an impact it had. It taught me, mainly, what my passion was. And that was art. Like a lot of other pony artists in 2010, I wasn't the best. But my art has improved so much over the years, and, more than that, my love for animation. I now am looking to learn to animate and tell my own visual stories, all because of a show about pastel ponies. But, all in all, MLP:FIM has improved my life in ways I didn't even expect. I even made friends along the way.
Lou
It has meant friendship. Finding new friends, reconnecting with old friends and continuously finding them. It's meant laughter with those friends.
Jena
It helps me understand people more . It helps me with social situations in real life with Friends. What would i do without this fanastic cartoon show ? Nothing. I will be an person with social awakardness in my whole life without it .
TwiLily
In October 2013, I came out as a transgender woman. I moved to New York and I was suicidal as I was escaping an abusive place. One of my few male friends told me about “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” and I was perplexed. “I didn’t like it much when I was a kid in the 80’s” I scoffed. “Try it and if you don’t like it, rub it in my face.” Rolling my eyes, the curiosity grew. "Why would this dude like ponies?" I watched the pilot. I wasn’t completely sold but I knew better than to judge based on the first episodes. I tried another episode and another. Before I knew it, I was at “Winter Wrap Up” where I finally realized I was enjoying myself. I related to Twilight and I still do. I’m an introverted avid reader who didn’t want to make friends at first. That changed when I watched my favorite pony become a princess. "Whoa, I felt like I could become a princess too!" My friend smiled widely when I returned back to him. “Now you are a Pegasister!” I didn't know this term. "I’m a what now?" He told me about the Brony phenomenon. While exploring fan art, I found a comic called “Transition” based on the male mane six learning how to accept transgender Rarity. I reached out to the artist and life changed forever again. We became sisters as I would meet others who became family also. For the first time, I wanted to beat my suicidal thoughts. I met with a therapist who diagnosed me with Complex PTSD, agoraphobia, social anxiety, Bipolar type 2, and gender dysphoria. I hadn’t left my house in a long time and I really wanted to. I mustered up the courage to attend BronyCon in 2015. I went to the writer’s panel to thank them for writing the stories that continue to heal me to this day. As a writer myself, they are all my heroes, especially M.A. Larson. I would go back and meet the mane 6 last year. They were all lovely but I had to talk with Tara Strong first. I told her how she inspired me over the years, especially in tough times. She responded by saying that I too inspired her as I’ve overcome so much. We took a picture together where she said, "Two beautiful ladies in this picture." It blew me away when she said that. She did it on Twitter the next day also. This July, she reminded me I was beautiful again. I still can't believe it. Looking back, I’m amazed by how far I’ve come since I gave ponies a try. I’m still fighting, but every day is better than the last. I have MLP to thank for it. MLP isn’t just a cartoon, it’s my turning point to a happier life.
BrokenSpirit
My Little Pony has been a huge inspiration to me and it also has been helping me with my anxiety and depression. Ever since I joined this Fandom, 2014, it had made me so much happier and has given me the inspiration to go back to drawing and art in general. I have also started to write fanfic's in Fimfiction and I have made friends through different sources such as EQD. I can honestly say that MLP has made me more open to people and opportuneties, it has helped me with my debression and made my life a little more better and lighting it up with hope to get better and try to make it more positive. So, thank you everybody ever involved in making this show happen. (Sorry for typos, english isn't my native language.)
Ian
For me... MLP has given me a completely new perspective on life. Since I first joined the Brony fandom in 2012 I learned that while you can do many things on your own we are meant to live and work together to accomplish great things. MLP has become a permanent pillar in my life next to Nintendo and Disney and I look forward to what it will bring in the future and the next generation of MLP. Here's to 7 years of FIM and I hope for at least 3 more.
SureFire
Happiness. From the first moment I saw a 30 second YouTube video of a scene from Over a Barrel, to walking out of the theater after seeing the My Little Pony movie (a second time), this show has been bestowing upon me a sense of pure, unbridled happiness that no other show has done before. It is something I can turn to in my darkest times as well in my brightest times. It has brought me together with people I couldn't imagine living without, and given me the passion to write and create and do things I never would have otherwise. It has shown me and reminded me, through it's simple and pure life lessons, how to be a better person; how to be someone I can look in the mirror at and smile. Even in our fandom's Twilight (best pony) years, I still see so much passion and love in the community, and it is really inspiring. One day this fandom will be nothing more than a legacy, but it will forever be a part of me. I will forever be a brony /)
Alpha Insanity
EVERYTHING
Oleks
I started watching MLP in early spring of 2015. It was a hard time for me and for my country. In the atmosphere of total negativity, uncertainty and desperation, when I couldn’t watch TV anymore because all news were bad, when I stopped visiting a lot of web-sites I used to frequent because they turned into places full of hatred, I needed something positive, something cheerful, something that could make me smile. And I found it all in MLP. I watched the first 4 seasons in a few weeks, and only then I discovered the most amazing part of it all – the brony fandom. So many talented and creative people, so many incredibly cool fan works! Although I’ve never been a socially active person, not even on the Internet, I still managed to make some friends in this fandom and find people with interests and views similar to my own. Another important thing – My Little Pony restored my interest in cartoons and animation. I discovered lots of great series and movies which I could have missed if it were not for MLP. Not to mention the fact that I became a whovian thanks to Doctor Hooves. Finally, this show – meant for little girls but admired by a much wider circle of people – changed my personality a little bit. It brought out the softer side of me – the side that used to be hidden and suppressed because of peer pressure and gender stereotypes. So, now MLP is a substantial part of my life, and it showed me that a cartoon can make a difference. And for that I’m eternally grateful.
Lukasz
I just want to meet myself from the past to tell something like ' I have another book for you. And old tale. It's about two sisters in conflict. But beware, it's special book - it will be the part of you. Forever.' Well. I cannot tell what MLP means to me in just 500 words. This is something far bigger than just a cartoon with talking horses, it's phenomena and I just want to say Thank You to Lauren, Meghan, Daniel, and every cast and crew member.
Autumne
MLP in early 2011 was a way for me to reconnect with something that was very dear to me growing up, but I was beginning to struggle with in 11th grade that year: friendship and believing in the altruism of others. It has been a great source of light as the 'real world' seems to be ever darker.
Huffy
True companions, growth, and good times in general. Or to put it simpler, MLP gives me hope. Without going into too much detail, I met people that I can comfortably consider to be friends that I'm sure I wouldn't have met otherwise because of the show. As a series, MLP itself has come quite a long way, and it does inspired me to grow and improve too. It is pretty much the reason why I've taken up drawing and arts in the first place, and without it, I wouldn't have discovered my passion for arts. Furthermore, MLP and its communities have also given me many things to look forward to. By itself, the show does a very good job at getting me to care about the ponies, and because of that, I've always look forward to a new episode. Moreover, when the fan contents are taken into account, I have had countless hours of entertainment throughout the good and bad times. Ultimately, MLP makes my life better.
Chang
I recovered from a mental problem thanks to MLP. Last year, I encountered some mental problems. I felt no one is nice to me, and I couldn't talk to people. I felt distressed about this problem. This August, Bilibili held a pixel drawing board like Reddit r/place. I wanted to join in to draw some ponies on it. So I joined in a group about drawing pixel ponies. I met some kind bronies there, and I've made a good friend in the brony community. It changed my life - I regained confidence, because of friends. It feels so good to have friends! People in the brony community are extraordinarily friendly. It let me believe that one can meet some kind people. Without MLP, I may never be able to recover from those mental problems. (Sorry about my poor English)
Famekki
MLP means lot to me. It's great show, the characters have deep personalities and watching the show makes me happy.
Artisan Dragon
Overall I would say that MLP has been a very positive part of my life. The show and its characters have been fun diversions for me to look into whenever the world is getting me down, or I just want to smile at something. I began watching around 2014, while in the midst of high school life. A time that I can remember not enjoying too much for multiple reasons. But it was around this time that I was led into watching some MLP episodes after watching some YouTube videos. What I initially assumed would be "just another kids show" ended up being something else. Something with strong characters, good comedy and fun plots. Soon after getting myself engrossed in the show, I was able to get my brother watching so that we had something to share, and my interest in the programme was spilling out into my other interests. The show was having an overall positive effect on me, rarely has a programme or franchise ever done that for me; outside of general enjoyment of course. As someone who has suffered with anxiety issues, paranoia and a short lived type of agoraphobia; I've needed to have some positivity going around in my life. And MLP has been a lovely source of happiness since I started watching. And to this day, I'm still watching old and new episodes of the show. I'm still keeping up with the amazing fanmade works. And I still keep an eye on the amazing community of fans; though I have not been very social with fellow fans until recently due to shyness. But if I had to say the most important thing that this franchise has done for me, it would be giving me that push towards being a more creative individual. I get the feeling that if I was not watching MLP around 2014, then my life would have probably steered in another direction, and I wouldn't be currently pushing myself to get into art and design. So I would like to thank this show for making me happier during stressful times. For giving me that kick that could form the rest of my life. And for generally just being an awesome show that I doubt I will forget anytime soon.
Frith
All that I had bought Of printed fabric and of plastic wrought Mementos of battles fought With wits and the bonds that friendship sought Fill my days, give me food for thought Adorn my home, my heart, my cot.
Kirk
Since I discovered it, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been a source of great fun and inspiration to me. I've watched other very enjoyable high-quality shows over the years, but MLP is something special. The combination of lovable characters, fun stories, great humor, an amazing setting, and a truly uplifting philosophy make it just about perfect for me. It puts a smile on my face every time I watch it, and thinking about this fantastic world sparks my imagination. It has helped me appreciate my real life friendships even more, and I even became friends with other great people because of our mutual love of the show. It is hard for me to imagine what my life would be like if MLP had never entered it, but I'm pretty sure it would a lot less fun and interesting. I want to thank all of the show's staff since its creation for introducing us to such an awesome experience. I look forward to seeing more and someday introducing my future kids to it as well.
Melody Dream
I started watching the Hub Network in April 2013. After watching a few episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I had found that I liked the show. What I like best about MLP:FiM is the well-developed personalities of the characters, the in-depth storylines and plots, and the fun and humor that comes from Pinkie Pie. I also like how there are several different types of entertainment mediums for MLP in addition to the TV show and movies, including chapter books, graphic novels, mobile apps, plushies, and of course toys. There are a lot of ways to enjoy Pony! I have always had a love for reading, so it’s wonderful that MLP has enjoyable and well-written books. My favorite of the chapter books is “Twilight Sparkle and The Crystal Heart Spell,” I found the leadership skills Twilight Sparkle learned valuable and interesting. The passion and creativity that fans have is inspiration. When I first started reading Equestria Daily in May 2015 I wanted to try everything! I’ve tried writing Pony stories, PMV making, creating a costume from clothes already in my wardrobe, and a few other activities. My Little Pony has enhanced my creative writing and drawing skills, as well as given me a new hobby of voice acting and VoiceOvers. Overall, My Little Pony is a fun hobby.
drandork
MLP has probably given me the most unique experiences I've had as a fan of anything.
MxFlix
MLP has brought me a ton of friends, and has also taught me how to befriend people and be nicer to everybody, lessons I will forever value.
