My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a new series in the My Little Pony franchise. It started its run on October 10th, 2010 and will be starting its second season on September 17th. The protagonist of the series is Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn type pony who is excellent with magic. She is sent to Ponyville by her teacher, Princess Celestia, to make friends. Twilight is resistant to the idea of making friends because she fears that the Mare in the Moon will return and become Nightmare Moon. Despite wanting to go study, five ponies from Ponyville befriend her: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. Together, they go to defeat Nightmare Moon with the Elements of Harmony, discovering along the way that they represent the elements. Twilight Sparkle ends up befriending all of them and stays in Ponyville to study friendship.
A Cartoon for Everyone
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is very reminiscent of 90s television shows, especially the ones that aired on Cartoon Network. It takes place in a brightly colored fantasy world with horses, unicorns, and pegasi.
The series puts a lot of emphasis on the very different personalities of the ponies. For example, Fluttershy is very introverted and a bit of a "scaredy pony," whereas Pinkie Pie is always chipper and outgoing. This shows young viewers that there is more than one way to be; not everyone has to be the same.
The show maintains that friends don't always get along, they can argue (though they will forgive each other by the end of the episode. The characters aren't all goody two shoes, they make mistakes, they don't always make the 'good' decision. They are very real characters. To me, that makes it easier for young viewers (and the large adult audience) to relate to the main characters.
Underneath all of that is an amazingly written plot. The main characters all have their cutie marks already, but there is a trio of younger ponies that haven't gotten them yet. In the series, a pony has to discover what they're meant to do to get their cutie mark. So the "cutie mark crusaders," as they call themselves, are essentially trying to find themselves throughout the first season.
Popularity on the Internet
The series has swarmed over the internet and as such, many of the fans of the show are males aged 15-35. They refer to themselves as Bronies, though this term is also applied to the female fans. This shows the universal appeal of the show. Websites such as 4chan (and the various sub-boards) have made many memes dealing with the show. There are now sites that are dedicated to My Little Pony related art, including Equestria and Ponychan.
The fans have latched onto background characters and named some of them as well. The two most well known being Doctor Whooves and Derpy Hooves. Doctor Whooves is a male background pony who has a cutie mark shaped like an hour glass. He bears a huge resemblance to the 10th Doctor, hence his nickname. Derpy Hooves is first seen in the first episode with a googly-eyed expression. It stuck and now the producers even refer to her as Derpy!
Recommendations
I would highly recommend My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to someone who enjoyed Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Lab, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Animaniacs, or Fairly OddParents. It is a series for both children and adults. It's a good way for kids to learn about friendship and if parents have to watch it with the kids? Not a big deal! There's a lot of adult humor thrown in. Keep your mind open and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
The new season starts on September 17th on The Hub. Go check it out!
Laura Lemke - I have a BA in Writing from Carroll University. I have a life long love of things that are considered geeky.
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