My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The Common Room Other Animation
#101

Okay, I have seen this thread appear many times under ‘New Posts’, but this is the first time I’ve actually had a look in here. And after reading your rave reviews, I watched the first episode.

It is amazing. I have never seen such a fun yet empowering cartoon. A lot of cartoons nowadays resort to high-school settings, crude humour, and ‘sanitized violence’ to attract their audience, but the show’s all-ages humour, epic legend and backstory, and likeable characters is utterly refreshing. Never have I seen such a good, clean, yet effortlessly charming show since Pokemon and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. The former unfortunately had ‘sanitized violence’, but it shares the same ‘message of the day’ themes and morals on friendship and courage as MLP. The latter, not surprisingly, is also from the same producer of MLP, who happened to have also been behind The Powerpuff Girls, another landmark show, but not to my taste due to the characters’ propensity to resort to violence instead of reasoning with the villains, and the over-the-top action sequences.

MLP, however, doesn’t have the cartoon violence as Powerpuff Girls (at least, not from the pilot), and the characters here are less ‘masculine’ than the Powerpuff Girls while still retaining a strong inner strength that is the mark of true feminism. It is also interesting to read the creator’s rebuttal to certain accusations that a poster posted earlier, and I wholeheartedly agree with Ms Faust’s views and principles.

Needless to say, this isn’t as ‘sissy’ as I thought it would be. Most of you who read my posts would be under the impression that I’m a bloke who likes watching cop shows and action flicks with tons of explosions and beautiful women, and to an extent, I am. But this… is just amazing. I want to see more. :mrgreen:

My favourite pony is Pinky Pie, BTW. I also like Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and as I watch more episodes, I reckon I’ll get to know the rest better.

P.S. I love the Starcraft and Dungeons and Dragons mash-ups!

#102

TDIT, without further ado: “Welcome to the herd.”

Also thanks for posting the link to the Lauren Faust rebuttal. It was very interesting.

#103

Yes, it is. :frowning:

#104

Thanks Chuckles. I believe the Lauren Faust rebuttal was first posted by Czarine in the first page of this thread. I’m just reposting it. :slight_smile:

He also posted a link to Lauren’s dA. If you guys haven’t checked it out… yeah, you should. :slight_smile:

#105

Oh dang, when Mom went out to McDonald’s one night for dinner, I asked her if they had toys from this show. :laughing: They didn’t, sadly. I could’ve sworn I heard something about MccyD’s having some, but maybe just not my local one?

Also, thanks for sharing that link, TDIT. Her art’s great! I love the Milkyway Galaxy Girls!

#106

It’s a parody of superhero lore, where heroes often beat up villains for no reason. That’s the joke. It’s made VERY obvious in certain episodes (see Mime for a Change). Also, Lauren Faust was HEAD WRITER on PPG and FHFIF, not creator. The creator was… her husband.

#107

Fair enough. I stand corrected.

#108

So it’s okay in live action but cartoon violence is wrong? I think it’s even more dangerous than in a live action show (when it comes to kids) than in a cartoon environment, because well… cartoon physics. A cartoon character can get squished by an anvil and completely recover from it right after. As a kid I always realized a cartoon was merely a cartoon and so did all my friends. So if Townsville is half blown up by some stupid monster that got stopped by 3 little, brightly colored elementary school girls, it was merely hilarious and entertaining. Live action violence, on the other hand…

That’s also why shows like South Park are merely rated 6+ over here (for ages 6 and up). Nobody takes it serious anyway. Nobody here really freaks out about violence on TV or in games and I’ve yet to hear a single word being censored on Dutch television, while in America this appears to be a big deal. This is one of the reasons Fox News portrays us as an anarchy, while statistically America more than tenfolds our amount of violence relatively speaking (so: NOT ABSOLUTE NUMBERS, I know our population is smaller, that’s why I’m talking about percentages).

BTW: Sorry if I turned this into a rant, TDIT. Most of this message isn’t directed at you so don’t worry about me snapping on you, we’re cool. :slight_smile:

ON-TOPIC:
Spike: riding Twilight with an improvised lance Hi-ho, Twilight, away!
Twilight: And just what do you think you’re doing!?
Spike: Please Twilight shrugs, just give me this.
Twilight: Fine… turns surly, makes stallion noises and gallops into battle

I lol’ed so hard, my stomach started aching.

#109

I wanted to give some time before asking this in order to not look like I was attacking you: how is Pokemon good and clean and have morals? I know nothing of the video games, but the anime is all about cock fighting (training animals to fight each other). The movie had the main characters learning that animal violence is wrong, and before they can change, there’s a time warp that reverses everything.

Pokemon is not good or clean. It’s mean-spirited, violent, and overall not good for kids under 7. But 7 was the age I stopped watching it, so I suppose by my logic it’d be canceled after one season.

And in case you bring it up, violence against homicidal/criminal maniacs and violence against cute, innocent animals are two different things. Powerpuff Girls is still comparatively tame.

#110

This. I used to like it as a kid, but now, as an ‘adult’, watching it only makes me facepalm. Be it oldskool Pokemon or the new crap they come up with.

Pokemon makes no sense. To me it’s just ‘one of those animes’. Just to let you know, I don’t watch any anime. And that’s not because I’m prejudiced but because I have yet to come across one that I actually like.

Also, @The Chicken Man: ponychan.net/chan/arch/src/130018032917.png

#111

Guess who’s been watching this show… and loving it… thanks to you guys? (And a few IRL friends as well.) :smiley:

In the shortest amount of words possible (because everyone has already said everything there is to say about this show), it’s way better than I expected it to be, and the characters are just outright adorable. Pinkie Pie is definitely my fave pony, hands-down. Maybe cuz she’s so much like me. XD

But yes. Loving this show to pieces. I’m only on Episode 7 or 8 right now, but I plan to catch up when I have time. :slight_smile:

little chef

#112

Yay!!! I knew you’d love it. :smiley:

#113

Yes, but the target of the violence doesn’t excuse the act itself.

I agree on your points of Pokemon being a glorified bloodsport for kids, but the Pokemons don’t seem to mind fighting for their masters once they’ve been ‘tamed’ by the Pokeball (Witness how Pikachu fights to near-death in the Mew Two movie just to protect Ash). Now this might be insidious, since it implies they have been ‘domesticated’ somewhat by whatever happens in that Pokeball, but after that, whatever injuries they sustain are not permanent, just like any cartoon character. Send 'em to the Pokecentre and they heal up all right.

Again, I agree that this is not a good message to be sending kids to go send their animals or pets to fight against each other or something. But most kids are smart enough to know that Pokemons aren’t real.

Good points. But I have to disagree that cartoon violence is excusable because it’s not lethal. If you watch older action cartoons like Duck Tales or Rescue Rangers or Talespin, the emphasis was on adventure and mystery. There was very little beat-em-up conflicts, and if there were any antagonist, they are either the environment, or if they are humans/animals, they would be easily thwarted by ‘intelligent thinking’ and falling into their own traps.

But in recent action cartoons, it always seems to be a city or a world or a suburban house or an high school that needs saving from a wicked monster or human villain. This almost always inevitably ends in a punch-em-up, cos’ where’s the fun in tactical negotiation? Only most of the creators ‘sanitize’ it by having them hurl energy balls, or gas guns, or some ‘kid-friendly’ form of weapon. At the very most, they’ll use their fists and feet to punch the bad guy into submission. Danny Phantom, Ben Ten, Kim Possible (although it does have its moments of pure mystery and adventure), Jake Long, etc. And then the ‘teen-speak’, which annoys me to no end because it alienates anyone who doesn’t understand the lingo and is not universal like the older cartoons.

I don’t support censorship, at least, not a self-righteous one like the conservatives in America are proposing. But I believe kids should be watching films and shows which place an emphasis on creative problem-solving, and non-adversarial means of conflict resolution, as opposed to confrontational or aggressive measures. It can be done in good jest or parody, but it has to be balanced with the ‘clean’ adventuring and mystery aspect. Darkwing Duck is a great example of an intelligent cartoon that doesn’t resort to beat-em-up parodies or supernatural powers. Darkwing, if anything, is an ordinary ‘man’, makes mistakes and doesn’t always belt the bad guy into submission, but ‘arrests’ them. That’s the way how heroes should do it.

Leave the violent real-life explosions and gunfights to the adults, who are at least smarter in discerning that if you punch someone, they will most likely retaliate or end up in hospital. Kids aren’t as wise in figuring that out, which is why you’ve got all this flak on the video game and movie industry of stupid kids participating in mock-WWE wrestling fights and ending up in the emergency ward.

Hmmm… I agree most anime TV shows are targeted to Japanese conventions and perceptions. But if you’re talking movies, there’s great ones like Paprika and Akira. And of course, Studio Ghibli.

So I take it you’re a ditzy airhead? 8D Nah, just kidding with you, little_chef.

I’m sorry for the digression off-topic. But I felt I needed to clarify my arguments.

#114

Oh my god!

How did I miss the greatest thread EVEEEEEEEEEEEER

Please don’t shout and double-quote - TDIT

#115

@thedriveintheatre, there are different kinds of cartoons and they’re good for different reasons. Some are very clever and adventerous, others are simple and violent. But I’ve never heard of a kid that hit another kid with a frying pan because he saw it happen on Tom & Jerry. Cartoons will be cartoons, and for no reason SHOULD they be educational. If you force creators to put educational value in each and every one of their episodes you will get typical 80s-style situations like “And they all lived happily ever after… OH and remember kids, if someone touches you in inappropriate places, you should tell an adult!” or any other random ‘educational’ statements that make me want to STITCH my palm to my face.

Cartoons, in my opinion, don’t need a moral or purpose as long as they manage to entertain you. Children go to school to learn. They watch cartoons to laugh. Sure, if it manages to convey a certain moral in an appropriate way (like the new My Little Pony series manages to do most of the times) it’s a nice plus, but this shouldn’t be necessary.

Either way, in no way should violence be supported as a solution to everything (or at least in a facetious way, like in most cartoons), but if a 300ft green abomination is rampaging through the streets, I would suggest you beat that thing back where it came from rather than trying to reason with it. :slight_smile: So if we were discussing a show like Dragon Ball or Pokemon on here, I would absolutely agree with you. But cartoons like Powerpuff Girls, Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, etc. are absolutely fine for kids to see without being brainwashed to beat the hell out of their classmates…

#116

Yeah, I also find those kind of lame. :slight_smile: I like watching YTPs that make fun of such messages (like Captain Planet, Sonic the Hedgehog, G.I. Joe, etc.)

Dragon Ball yes, but Pokemon is actually quite pacifist if we discount the ‘fighting-for-sport’ among the Pokemons. In the Mew Two and Pokemon 2000 movies, Ash (stupidly) tries to reason with the antagonists, but it was not for want of a valiant effort. There are also several episodes that the team tries to negotiate before engaging in combat with the bad guys, and usually the bad guys are apologetic and ‘learn their lesson’ in the end, except for Team Rocket, who serve as comic relief. But even then, they get their ‘redemption’ in Pokemon 2000.

It’s not so much the violent messages I’m worried about, it’s that it is largely the plot of most of the episodes. There’s rarely a single episode from any of these shows without some form of physical fighting. Whereas with shows like The Rescue Rangers or Duck Tales, there are some episodes that purely have a mystery or problem-solving aspect. Scrooge and the boys have to investigate aliens landing in Duckville, or have a Chariot race in ancient Rome… ‘clean’ kind of action-adventure.

Powerpuff Girls is largely lots of beatdowns, although there are interesting episodes like Mojo Jojo’s origin story and the Rowdy Ruff Boys being defeated by womanly charms. Kim Possible still has some ‘clean’ action episodes, like her defeating a math villain with her dad’s brainpower. Danny Phantom, I haven’t watched enough, but the episodes I’ve seen mostly involve a lot of beatdowns.

My point is, we should encourage shows which do not have physical fighting as part of their plot or showdown, and go for those which are about problem-solving or getting out of sticky situations, like Foster’s Home, Chowder, The Adventures of Flapjack, The Regular Show, The Replacements, Phineas and Ferb, Spongebob Squarepants (when it was good). A lot of cartoons nowadays have simplistic ‘good vs evil’ storylines and ‘let’s beat the heck out of the villain’ conflicts instead of good old-fashioned negotiation and teamwork.

Again, there’s a market for the Danny Phantoms and Powerpuff Girls kind of storylines. But why settle for less when you can have more intelligent plots?

But thanks for discussing with me with well-informed arguments, Czarine. I do agree with some of them. :slight_smile:

#117

More intelligent plots, or simple violence, beatdowns and ‘good vs evil’ plots… I can appreciate either, depending on the overal quality of the show of course. As Rarity would say it: “It’s all in the presentation.” Intelligent plots are hard to come up with for the average cartoon-watching target demographic (mostly kids). Kids usually aren’t very developped criticists, they either think something is ‘awesome’ or ‘boring’. It’s cool when a show appeals to both the kids and the adults/parents (like MLP:FiM). But contrary to many adults, I and most of the people I hang out with can appreciate pretty much anything in cartoons as long as it’s done well.

That show has pretty much 1 plot device: winning Pokemon battles. The premise of the whole show is letting magical critters beat or shoot eachother to oblivion until they are physically unable to get up or the trainer chickens out. I’ve seen my share of Pokemon, several seasons. I’ve played all the Pokemon GBC games. But when I grew a bit older the show didn’t appeal to me anymore and this is one of the reasons. Also, in Pokemon the First Movie: They realize that pointless fighting is wrong and all the characters keep repeating the same annoying line for over 5 times in a row (supposedly to emphasize the ‘violence is wrong’ revelation) after which Mewtwo decides it’s for the best that everyone forgets what they learned and just go back to their normal lives and Pokemon battles… Indeed, if you put all that aside, sure it’s a great show. But I suppose that’s just my opinion. I’m not saying liking Pokemon is wrong, because I’m sure there are things I like that other people find weird or stupid. I’m just saying that disapproving of shows like PPG while praising Pokemon doesn’t make much sense in my book. :slight_smile:

If action is your thing then you’ll probably like those cartoons, if not… then you don’t have to watch them. :stuck_out_tongue: The great thing about cartoons as opposed to full ‘animated features’ is that in a 10 or 20 minute cartoon episode people generally don’t mind the lack of story/plot and just go with the humor/action/whatever of the show. When I pay for a movie ticket to see a 1.5 hour feature, then yes I am a strict criticist with a clear opinion on what I do and do not like. But when it comes to simple, entertaining cartoon shows watched from the couch with a beer/soda and some crisps: slapstick comedy and action are completely fine.

Also, thank you too. Discussions like this make me smile. Prejudiced opinions and arguments based on nothing, that I do not like either. :slight_smile:

#118

You’re sort of right, but shouldn’t we give kids more credit than we believe they’re capable of?

Good point!

I don’t, but I’m advocating they produce less of such cartoons and go for more ‘wholesome’ and less ‘aggressive’ storylines. Again, I may sound like I’m a bit puritanical, but I share the same opinion when it comes to journalism. I don’t read gossip or sleaze mags, but just because I don’t, doesn’t mean I can’t propose that we produce less of such ‘tabloid’/trash-journalism and go for more well-informed and thoughtful publications like Reader’s Digest, National Geographic, Newsweek, Times, etc.

But again, it’s not that I’m going for an outright ban on such things, because that would be extreme. And like you, I like ‘beer/soda and crisps’ TV shows like Castle, CSI Miami, and Little Britain. And smart, intelligent shows like Law & Order, Flashpoint, Planet Earth, etc. Same with movies, of which I’m certain you would know my tastes.

If we are to progress as a society and foster morally-upright, knowledgeable citizens, we should encourage more thought-provoking and intellectually-stimulating fare for our young. It doesn’t mean we should cut out the fun action-packed kind of shows, because they do have value both as simple entertainment, and discussion points (“Is Buttercup’s approach to crime-fighting the most reasonable way to pursue justice?”). To do either; have a goody-two-shoes, morally-patronising G.I. Joe/Sonic the Hedgehog/Captain Planet ‘lesson-of-the-day’ preaching, and brute-minded, morally-bankrupt Dragonball Z/Pokemon/Powerpuff Girls smash-fests would be too extreme.

This is why I think MLP: Friendship is Magic should be praised for having a fair balance of the two, some exciting action scenes to keep the adrenaline flowing, but virtuous and courageous characters with strong moral principles at the end of the day.

Trust me, you’re one of the more reasonable people to have debates with here. :wink:

#119

It all depends on what people want to see, I suppose. MLP is doing exceptionally well for a cartoon and surely tv networks notice this, so it’s likely new cartoons will be partly inspired by what their creators think about what makes MLP so great. Now I just hope that said creators will make the right conclusions out of that. :slight_smile:

And why yes, advocating stuff you like most is what everyone does, so I suppose there’s nothing wrong in that. It’s a good thing we’re both 2 reasonable guys and don’t go on a yay/nay-flamefest. :stuck_out_tongue: I think we both pretty much said what we had to say so- OH MY GOD YOU GUYS NEW PONIES TOMORROW! :open_mouth:

#120

Haha Czarine. :smiley: I am quite the mash-up/parody connoisseur, so it is really pleasing to know that MLP has spawned a whole plethora of Memes. :mrgreen:

Know Your Meme