Before I begin blogging on why this show has gained such attention, it might do you well to read a bit of the plot of the show for further understanding. Here is a short summary from Wikipedia: 'The series stars a unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle, a pupil of Princess Celestia who is the ruler of the magical land of Equestria. Seeing the young pony buried in books, the princess gives her the task of making friends and sends her an assistant, a young dragon named Spike, to Ponyville. There, she meets some interesting ponies, including tomboyish Rainbow Dash, glamorous Rarity, hard-working Applejack, timid Fluttershy, and hyperactive Pinkie Pie. Together, they go on adventures, solve various problems, and learn of the magic of friendship'.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is an animated series that was developed for television by Lauren Faust, who is known for her work on The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. The show, though originally intended for young girls, has spread in popularity to adult viewers, and even more specifically to the male population, ages fourteen to thirty-five. Why? From what I've heard from friends, read online, and gathered from resources, I've outlined a few main reasons.
1) A simple reason many viewers give for watching the show: It's awesome. What does this mean? The plot is intriguing, the characters are multi-dimensional (in personality), and the content includes ponies who have magical powers. Enough said.
2) Nostalgia- Many of the viewers knew the show back when it originally aired in the eighties, so for them it's a good modern day representation and brings back good memories. The writers/directors are the same ones from other memorable series', such as Powderpuff Girls, Dexter's Lab, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Samurai Jack, and those shows have such good reputations and the best humor, so My Little Pony is sure to deliver, too, and watching a show by the same founders of some childhood favorites is sure to bring back an old-timey feeling.
3) Brony Community- A combination of the words 'bros' and 'pony'. It's exactly what it sounds like, and can be defined as the community of adults (again, heavy on the male side) that watches the show and aren't afraid to admit it but have nowhere to share this common interest. Thus, a community was formed, claiming the name 'Brony Community' and forming groups such as Bronies Anonymous for Magical Friendship (B.A.M.F.) and the subreddit: www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony, which includes women as well as men viewers. Even though it spurs from the word 'bro', the community is gender neutral and embraces a unique vocabulary with words like 'everypony' and 'anypony'.
4) Animation Process- Many are fans because of what happens behind the scenes. I don't know much about the mechanics and creation behind a show, but from what I've researched it all sounds very intricate and detailed. The show has three animation crews, one in Canada and two in the Philippines. Each crew works on three episodes, and each episode is staggered by a week from the other. An episode takes several weeks to animate, not including scripting, storyboarding, and voice acting, which are done beforehand. Although most animations have storyboards, this show is different because it has layouts stage, which details the action more thoroughly than mere storyboards. It is then turned into an animatic and is worked on several days a week just to animate a one-minute scene!
After seeing the craze and attention this show was receiving on the internet, I decided to check it out for myself. I've only watch the first two episodes, but I must say I'm already a little bit interested. I'm not sure if I'll become a consistent viewer, but if I had more time to dedicate to another show then I just might. Viewers of this series also enjoy Spongebob Squarepants, Rocko's Modern Life, and the Animaniacs. Looking for a way to pass time this Summer? You might want to try out the new show that has everyone talking.
Okay. I know what you're thinking. How on earth does any of the content in this post relate to being a Christian, and even more so, keeping the Faith in college? I will admit, the main reason for me posting on this topic is due more to the humor I find within it than anything, but then I actually had a thought, that God's nature includes having a child-like spirit, and in college it becomes easy to take such a serious approach to everything; school, the future, obligations, etc. Sometimes, we need to take a step back from life and act like a kid again; go play on a swing set with a friend, read Goodnight, Moon, or watch an episode of My Little Pony. Having a child-like spirit means so much more than simply this, but this does still prove as an example.
