My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

I was skeptical at first, when one of my best friends suggested I check out this sparkly pink pony-filled show for little girls. But check it out I did, and I've been hooked ever since.

I can't describe why this show is so good in adequate terms, but I'll try to sum it up: Great animation, amazing characterization, clever writing, and an overall premise that works on all levels. Kids will love it, adults will love it, it's a great show for everyone- Young and old, male and female.

What makes this show work so well is, again, that there's something for fans of any age or gender. The show isn't dumbed down or patronizing, but rather treats its audience with respect and delivers intelligent writing and plots. At the same time, it's simple enough to be understood and appreciated by even the youngest of viewers. Something like this doesn't come along often, making Friendship is Magic a treat for animation fans.

My recommendation is to look past the genre ("Little girls show") and give the show a chance for what it is- An amazing cartoon that stands to be the best animated series of the decade, and one of the best in quite some time at that.

I have to take a guess why this has so many views from adults is because of its originality. The same originality from the cartoons we grew up watching. There are the same characters, different plots per episode, and eye-easy animation. I started watching the series after just one episode, and it takes a good, well written series to pull a viewer in from just one episode. All of the characters have their own image and personality, even the background characters. The writers are clearly professional and know what their fans want. The franchise has become so powerful it has a cult following, a powerful fan base and fan sites, along with soundtracks to please any music lover. This is absolutely a great series I believe anyone should enjoy. It has great morals on friendship and becomes very addicting.

It's supposed to be a show for little girls! This is actually what the fans of the show say, who find themselves enraptured with whatever episode they decide to make their first. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is aimed for a target demographic of young girls 5 to 10, yet an older male demographic (who call themselves "bronies") are also finding themselves heavily invested with everything going on in the new series. News of "bronies" following the show has met with both positive and negative feedback. But I like to take the optimistic side - quality is quality. Transformers has always meant to be a show for young boys yet costume shops sell Transformers costumes meant for women every year.

The anime; Sailor Moon was also another show meant for younger girls, yet it's unprecedented popularity saw it receive mention from bands like The Bare Naked Ladies and get covers done by the Osaka Popstar's

I don't think I even need to get into how SpongeBob Squarepants dominated the first decade of the newest century. Odds are five people you know can finish the sentence, "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?".

Friendship is Magic is like discovering Looney Tunes for the first time or laughing at the family dynamics of The Simpsons. Think those are some lofty comparisons? Tough, get off your high horse *snicker* because this show has honestly earned it. I hope to see several more seasons, I hope to see a movie one day on the big screen, I want to see the Japanese create a new opening theme, and see what other memes the fandom can create that will become part of the show's canon. So much more I can't even fit in this box is possible. Some cartoons are good, fewer still are even great, but it's rare ones like these that are actually magic.

Hasbro has captured lightning in a bottle with a cartoon revelation so pure and enchanting, it has captured the attention of even guys who wouldn't normally like My Little Pony. The pilot episode became one of the biggest animation related events since the release of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Lauren Faust has taken her unique character design style and warm-hearted characterizations and breathed new life into My Little Pony. The result is a new spin on the franchise that's super cute but not saccharine with just enough added snark and outrageous humor.

But it should not be looked at as another My Little Pony cartoon. Instead, it should be looked at as a good show that just happens to have characters from the franchise. But instead of being girly or cheesy, the show has winning humor and wonderful characters. The kingdom feels like it has real places with real neighborhoods. The families have brothers and sisters and older ponies. Magic returns to the ponies and feels real instead of tacked on. There are not too many villains in this show but there are a couple monsters. However the real conflict and drive of the show, and what makes it so interesting, is in seeing how different and varied the personalities of the characters are and how they often act like real friends, complete with disagreements. This is the most educational version of My Little Pony yet. However, unlike preschool cartoons, the lessons don't feel forced or pandering.

This is one of the most remarkable cartoons yet. Truly it is a great achievement.

What this show has, that this world lacks is an emphasis on on friendship. Yes, magic is mixed in and it can be unrealistic, but don't focus on that. Focus on the friendship aspect. It's so nice to see so much of that and "people" working together and nice things happening for a change.