MLP for dummies, yea, I'm a dummy

[LAYF]

So, the internet have been infected with this thing that is MLP, or My little pony.
Mostly, I don't give a flying unicorn about it... but it have now also come to our Civ game (okay, for Civ V it was there from the start)

So, I've started to wonder... would some of you that actually know more about MLP than a few minutes on Youtube and Wiki can help us understand, be so kind as to give us some insight?

some Q from me:

1: So, there are: Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasus...
Unicorns can use magic and Pegaus'es can control nature forces or some thing?

Is this right and if it is, does anyone serve any specific role based on their... race?

2: There is a dragon, named Spiky...
is he the only dragon? is he like a redeemed evil or is he just always that fluffy and sweet?

3: Is there any greater evil in MLP?
Now I've tried to find it, but it seems all evil is just temporary misguided MLP's or some kind of random magic/nature phenomenon!


If anyone would be so kind as to help me out here...
and does anyone else have questions?

[BeanDip]

No idea but I'm interested to see the answers myself. I've watched two episodes and found them extremely disappointing. Tried to watch a third (I believe in giving a second chance) but only got halfway through before getting bored. There was a zebra character I liked though. She was a witch-doctor and kind of cool but I personally don't like the show but I'd like to see why others like it, maybe flip my perspective on it.

[Davecom3]

A few answers that I know:

2) Spike isn't the only dragon, and his relationship with the Ponies is generally looked down upon by other dragons. If he starts being greedy, he can be a major nuisance for the Ponies, as it makes him grow into a big dragon focused on getting more and more stuff.

There has been at least a few major evisl, besides Dischord, who you might define as misguided, though not a Pony

That said, most evils get handled in a single episode or two, though a few of those are handled for the moment, with a chance they'll pop up later.

[Arch Lich Burns]

So, the internet have been infected with this thing that is MLP, or My little pony.
Mostly, I don't give a flying unicorn about it... but it have now also come to our Civ game (okay, for Civ V it was there from the start)

So, I've started to wonder... would some of you that actually know more about MLP than a few minutes on Youtube and Wiki can help us understand, be so kind as to give us some insight?

some Q from me:

1: So, there are: Ponies, Unicorns and Pegasus...
Unicorns can use magic and Pegaus'es can control nature forces or some thing?

Is this right and if it is, does anyone serve any specific role based on their... race?

2: There is a dragon, named Spiky...
is he the only dragon? is he like a redeemed evil or is he just always that fluffy and sweet?

3: Is there any greater evil in MLP?
Now I've tried to find it, but it seems all evil is just temporary misguided MLP's or some kind of random magic/nature phenomenon!

If anyone would be so kind as to help me out here...
and does anyone else have questions?

1: Unicorns control magic, and sometimes weather, they raise the sun and moon. Pegasus clear up the clouds and can make tornados.

2: Spike is not the only dragon, and he is a baby dragon hatched by Twilight Sparkle. He is not always that fluffy or sweet, there is one episode where he was hording a lot of items and became mean.

3: Yes. Uncertian as to what, but the Changling queen and that one unicorn from season 3 are exaples of pure evil.


Also Discord is best pony. At least before season 3

[LAYF]

Thanks Dave and burns
More info is still appreciated, for anyone feeling like trying to convert me (and Bean I think)
The animation is okay... but there need to be more than that....

[BeanDip]

I'm down to learn more.

[Arch Lich Burns]

What questions do you have?

[LAYF]

Hmm.. well..
I've asked this once before, and I really regret it, but I will try again, and just add sub text this time:
What is it about MLP that makes it so great?
SUB:
Yes, I know, the animation is fluid compared to many new cartoons (but then again, beating that is a low goal)
The story telling (I've not seen enough to know this)
That its ponies (if that is your only reason, you need not answer)

What is it, and why.. with a serious answer.

► Show Spoiler

because, last time I asked that question (on Imgur) the answers i got was:
-POOONIIIIZZZZZ!
-The animation is just like so cool and like better than even cartoon network and that! (Yes, someone used cartoon network as a bar for "good")
-They are like just so cute, and the way they solve everything with friendship is just such a positive way to look at life (Yes, okay, but so are most of the cartoons my 4 year old daughter watches, this is fine, but it does not make a good story telling)
-Because I can relate to them (This is also fine... but Why? How? what is it that makes a pink flying pony that has a magic tattoo on its butt more relatable than say.. Batman of the future?)

yea... I would love answers... but place... not just hardcore fan answers that in fact, tells nothing else than you like the cartoon

[BeanDip]

Um... LAYF pretty much asked my question. I was thinking about how to word it without insulting fans. I'm interested even if the answer is just "Ponies are rad" but I'd like something a bit more in-depth and introspective than one word answers.

[LAYF]

Oh.. I do hope I did not insult anyone... I did try to avoid it... the reason I ask like I do is simply the answer I've gotten before...

[Arch Lich Burns]

Hmm.. well..
I've asked this once before, and I really regret it, but I will try again, and just add sub text this time:
What is it about MLP that makes it so great?
SUB:
Yes, I know, the animation is fluid compared to many new cartoons (but then again, beating that is a low goal)
The story telling (I've not seen enough to know this)
That its ponies (if that is your only reason, you need not answer)

What is it, and why.. with a serious answer.

► Show Spoiler

because, last time I asked that question (on Imgur) the answers i got was:
-POOONIIIIZZZZZ!
-The animation is just like so cool and like better than even cartoon network and that! (Yes, someone used cartoon network as a bar for "good")
-They are like just so cute, and the way they solve everything with friendship is just such a positive way to look at life (Yes, okay, but so are most of the cartoons my 4 year old daughter watches, this is fine, but it does not make a good story telling)
-Because I can relate to them (This is also fine... but Why? How? what is it that makes a pink flying pony that has a magic tattoo on its butt more relatable than say.. Batman of the future?)

yea... I would love answers... but place... not just hardcore fan answers that in fact, tells nothing else than you like the cartoon

You know, I am not quite sure. Many of the characters are good, and the earlier villains are interesting. It is oddly addicting, I was just watching it to get it over with, but it's actually really good.

The characters are more dementional than most characters, which is saying a lot for a kid's show. They have their own problems that they have to face. I will give you an example. My favourite pony (asides discord ) is fluttershy, she is timid and shy and she is afraid of many things. She is put into situations where she has to face her fears or push herself out of her comfortable zone. They are more relatable than Batman because you can see their personalities, and one does not need a lot of money to be like one of those characters.

[BeanDip]

Hey! Batman has a personality. He's an obscenely rich, obsessively angry lunatic who dresses like an animal and punches people in the face. How is that not relatable?

I guess I never really saw enough episodes to judge the characters. I saw one and it was the one where applejack (I think...) gets a bunch of cutiemarks at once. It was kind of entertaining but I don't remember the other two episodes and they didn't really interest me. I might give it another shot, though.

[Arch Lich Burns]

That was applebloom. Not applejack.

[LAYF]

Hehe... As Bean says, Bats has a personality... but really.. batman of the future have a LOT more one can relate to in him...

That said, Thanks Burns.. another question... If you could choose 3 Episode everyone should see of MLP. what would it be.. I'll force myself to see them all in the hopes that there is some sort of "key" there to my understanding of this show phenomenon!

[Arch Lich Burns]

if you want to know the characters more: Friendship is Magic part 1 & 2 is best place to start, but it's a bit dull in my opinion.

Hmm....Lets see...

I'd say either Hurricane Fluttershy or Dragonshy as one of them.
Return to Harmony 1 and 2 is very good and you should see it.
and uh...hmm.... I guess May the Best Pet Win!

[LAYF]

okay, thank you.. I'll see them in the coming week

[Zathyr]

Kind of funny that this has come up now. After seeing MLP in the "popular on Netflix" section for ages, just last week I decided to watch the first few episodes to finally see what all the hubbub was about.

It didn't really grab me, but it wasn't a bad show. It made me laugh, although I'm not sure if it intended to make me laugh when it did.. The characters are relatable - they're not superheros. They all have their flaws, insecurities, pride - things that they seem to have to routinely work together to overcome. Friendship is Magic! Compare to say, Batman of any era: the man's little more than a glorified psychopath who overcomes adversity because he has the superpower of "I am Batman."

The ponies seem to be a modern example of the classic "cartoon with a positive message" which seemed to fall out of style somewhere in the mid-90's. Not that it fell off the map, but there seemed to be something of an anime-inspired trend to focus more on a story and forget about a message. Sure there's still cartoons that focus on the message at the sake of the story, but you can do both without compromising either, and from what I saw of MLP they seem to have managed that balance. I admit I haven't seen much American animation this millennium, but it could be that it's just one of the only cartoons out there these days that's managing that. There certainly is something to the old morality plays that speaks to a part of the human spirit.

Beyond that, *shrug* I only watched the first 4 or 5 episodes so I'm hardly an expert. From what I've heard the show does a good job with internal consistency. I imagine it's easy to start thinking of the characters as friends you're rooting for in their trials and tribulations. Also, they are ponies.

[BeanDip]

Good answer. Between you and Burns, I am convinced. I'll give it another shot.

[Mereneth]

when i have both hands free and i'm not playing the role of heating pad to two kittens i will gladly add to this and amswer questions! funny thing is, Riarkraa is partially inspired by mlp

[Davecom3]

And, as suggested by the name of one pegasus, pegusi also make rainbows.

[gamecreator]

The characters are more dementional than most characters

I'm not sure that's a good quality (I hope you meant dimensional).

[Arch Lich Burns]

The characters are more dementional than most characters

I'm not sure that's a good quality (I hope you meant dimensional).

Yes. That is what I meant.

[Nerre]

Back when my sister was old enough to play with the MLPs in the 90s, there was a scandal with chemicals in the toys, which made most people just throw them away. Especially a serial of fragrance-pony-toys smelling like several fruits and other things. Maybe it was only in Germany or Europe, but this was the end of MLP back then. They were nothing for me back then, but it is nice to see them relaunched. Actually, the last 5-10 years did relaunch nearly everything they could for profit and cause they now could really get the best out of it with CGI (games, movies, etc. It is nice to see something out of my childhood being again something people like.
Beside the all-time-classic Lego which was always around.

I just hope the toys are ok this time.

[Kelten]

I just watch my little pony when friends force me. Usually combined with alcohol or betting on odd things. I have seen most of the latest season this way, and I will admit that they do have some charm.

The small horses they do have a tendency to be easily corrupted by there surrounding, especially if they are alone, and they do freak out over small things, like letters, or NOT having problems. And the fan's seem to consist solemnly on boy's in there teen's and above despite major marketing on 4 year old girls. Something the makers seam to know about...

[Mereneth]

Alrighty, i'm 100% free to answer any questions about MLP and the draw it has had on the internet community [and more!]

To start, I'll put the groundwork in for my own creature creations, the Draskhala. The idea spawned from the idea, or notion, if you will, of a velociraptor crossed with a pony.

This started out as a silly gimmick, but the more I thought about it, the more it turned into its own thing. What defined Riarkraa, the first character for my stories, as a creature and not necessarily as a pony hybrid? I changed things around, added something here, made something more unique here, and slowly the text I had written up for her blossomed into something truly unique.

The key point, though, was when cartoonlion, an artist on DeviantArt, accepted my text reference commission and drew Riarkraa into existence for the first time. As soon as I saw that piece, things just exploded into my mind of where I would take it all.

All from finding an affinity with Fluttershy, a soft spoken animal care taker with a shy and timid demeanor and severe social anxiety with unfamiliar ponies. Something I found endearing that dragged me into the pony scene.

This whole bit about Ria and my own initiation into enjoying MLP:FiM goes to serve a few points, too. The show has characters with relatable characteristics that anyone from child to adult can find something that tugs at who they are. It inspires people to share and create and generally 'spread the magic of friendship'. When you stop and think about your friends, how else can you describe something like friendship but as a magic of its own sort?

The next biggest thing is all the extra content, from art to music to massive fanfictions, crossed over into almost every imaginable situation

Fallout: Equestria, for example. The writer, Kkat, spun a unique story based around the fallout 3 and new vegas games and combined them with MLP to create a unique and interesting story without losing much in the way of elements from either ideal.

Many themes are visited in the pony creativity that bronies bring to the table, too. Horror; macabre; love; sadness; grief; adventure; finding oneself and more.