Until I found Pony Threads in the Paradox Victoria II forum and at www.alternatehistory.com I had no idea that My Little Pony even had a new televisual representation. For a long time I thought it simply an amusing meme, a touch of irony and a genius move to turn it into a Victoria II mod.
The first Pony Thread on www.alternatehistory.com for some reason descended into fury and attacks on the Pony fans. The second thread is calmer, and allowed for a proper discussion as to what MLP FiM really is. I was intrigued enough to hunt down the first episode on Youtube and watched it with growing amazement.
The characters were fun, were individuals in their characterisation and were sympathetic despite their flaws. The animation was great, and could be funny. I liked the plot, and the voicing. And it was not some stupid little show, it was fantastic!
Its High Fantasy…with ponies. Well, some are unicorns and some are pegasuses (pegasi) and of course the ruler is both. And of course the character inter-action and the “Friendship is Magic” element is strong in the plot. But one could say no more so than in Weiss and Hickman, or Doctor Who for that matter.
Is Lauren Faust an artistic genius?
As a footnote, I am impressed with Hasbro for the following (from Wikipedia) :-
Hasbro has not taken a stance against full episodes being available on sites like YouTube, which has enabled the growth of the fandom. Though many of the fan-created elements of the show use copyrighted footage of the show and combine them with mature-themed elements such as from R-rated films like Inglourious Basterds or foul language from artists like Wu-Tang Clan and Whitechapel, Hasbro has not taken a stance against these and has allowed them to continue to be hosted at various outlets, recognizing that the parodies and remixes form a “participatory culture” that has helped to draw larger attention to the show.
Equestria Daily – Friendship is Magic fan art – http://www.equestriadaily.com/
Lauren Faust on Deviant Art – http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/
Best Regards
Grey Wolf