thedriveintheatre

Where’s Derpy?

I finished the series about a month ago, and although the season finale was somewhat anticlimatic, it was a good run. I’m already looking forward to the second season, even though Lauren Faust won’t be on board. I’m sure the new successors will handle it nicely.

My favourite episode is a toss between ‘Griffon the Brush-Off’ and ‘Dragonshy’, although ‘Over a Barrel’ deserves praise for touching on a contentious topic and being a great Western tribute/homage. My least has to be ‘A Dog and Pony Show’, because it was somewhat disturbing to see Rarity being abducted and made a slave, not to mention the villains are just plain weird-looking and unconvincing baddies.

But yes, it’s a truly refreshing show. As I mentioned before, not a single fistfight or mock-gun battle scene in sight (but this is. after all, primarily targeted to young girls). Too many cartoons nowadays resort to fighting-based plots in their storylines like Ben 10, Danny Phantom, Jake Long, Juniper Lee… MLP: FIM instead offers inspiring and life-affirming messages without the angst or ‘realism’ that pervades movies and contemporary shows nowadays (not that I have anything wrong with that, but like I said, MLP is so refreshing amidst all the mind-numbing violence). It really is reminiscent of good ol’-fashioned adventure cartoons from the 80s and 90s, or more contemporary ones like Spongebob (when it was good), Foster’s (incidentally produced by Craig McCracken, Faust’s husband), and The Regular Show. Or a ‘five/six-buddies’ sitcom like ‘Friends’ or ‘How I Met Your Mother’ minus the adult themes and swearing and plus a few musical numbers.

And the characters are just adorable. You can guess who’s my favourite pony, (It’s Fluttershy) but all of them are equally charming. If I had to pick a least-favourite, it’s Rarity, but only because I didn’t connect with her passion for fashion (and I thought she would be a snob, but it turns out she’s one of the kindest ponies, especially in one particular episode). The supporting cast are great too; Spike and his cross-species crush on Rarity, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and their never-ending quest to discover their life’s purpose, Princess Celestia benevolence as the monarch of Equesteria… Even the villains are often misunderstood, or defeated by words or evasion, instead of being killed by aggressive tactics. And none of the characters possess that try-hard-coolness or teen-speak-lingo that other contemporary shows have - their dialogue and culture are timeless and appeal to all ages. No American elementary or high-school setting (Ponyville reminds me more of university campus life), making the locale more universal and easier to identify with. And monsters, magic, and mystery galore!

I’ve been raving about this show to my friends for the last few months and most of them think I’m crazy, but once or twice, I encountered a fellow brony and know I’m not alone. This has to be one of the best TV shows in a long time, and I’m probably the last guy you’d catch dead watching this, but here I am. Even my jock of a brother looks forward to the next episode when we were viewing ‘em together.

Watch this show, preferably with a large group of open-minded friends. It’s almost impossible not to fall in love with something this well-meaning and endearing.

NOTE: For some reason, I find a few of the ponies’ upset expressions look hilarious, like Twilight’s guilty expression at 13:05 and Fluttershy’s tears welling-up at 18:05 in ‘Bird in the Hoof’, or Twilight’s terrified look at 16:34 in ‘Boast Busters’. And of course, ‘emo’ Pinkie Pie for the third act of ‘Party of One’. I should get ahold of the entire series, they’re a practical goldmine for funny avatars and sigs!