I'm Not Gonna Lie...

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 30

Thoughts of the show in general?

I know this may sound vague, but…it’s just GOOD.  It’s VERY good.  There’s nothing half-assed about it and it doesn’t resort to crude humor in order to entertain.  Sure some of the stories are recycled plotlines, but they don’t feel forced or contrived.  And the characters are complex and pretty 3 dimensional for a children’s show—I could probably write a 20 page essay on the Mane 6 alone, but I don’t think there’s anything I can say that hasn’t already been said.

There’s something really special about it, and I think everyone involved—writers, animators, voice actors, heck even Hasbro themselves—knows this.  We “older” folk love it for the nostalgia factor: it has the thought and effort put into it that is reminiscent of 90’s cartoons, yet uses probably the most crisp and flowing flash animation I’ve ever seen (Don’t believe me? Watch the Season 3 spoiler songs).

And that’s it for the MLP 30 Day Challenge! Thanks for watching!

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 29

Would you be an earth pony, a unicorn, or a pegasus?

Unicorn!  Seriously, who WOULDN’T want magic spewing out of their forehead?  I probably wouldn’t be as advanced and well-versed as Twilight.  I would probably use it for more mundane everyday tasks like Rarity usually does (cleaning, organizing, lifting heavy objects, etc.)  Though I would want to be able to teleport to wherever I need to be at any given time—I would abuse the hell out of that. 

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 28

What would your cutie mark be?

The masks of comedy and tragedy.  I love the theater, I love acting and singing, I’ve been raised by theatrical parents who took me to the theater constantly, and I’m a theater major.  So yeah, I kinda really like theater.  It has always been such a huge part of my life, and I like to think that I’m kind of good at it.  

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 27

How has the show helped you?

I think it’s helped me in the same way it’s helped everyone who’s watched it.  We all need a little reminding of the simple things in life—and those simple things are the things that matter the most in out lives.  Making friends, keeping your friends close, and the elements that make those friendships strong: Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, and yes even Magic. 

It may sound cheesy, but it’s entirely relevant to everyone. The connections you make in life with other people are more valuable than any job, any amount of income, or any of the other “adult” things that make us bitter and jaded as we go through life.  Wherever your life takes you, real friends will always be along for the ride.  And that kind of friendship is indeed magic.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 26

What are your views on the Friendship is Magic fandom?

Okay here we go… *gets up on actual soap box Twilight Sparkle style*

I like this fandom.  I really do.  I also understand that for a lot of people, the fandom has all but ruined the experience of the show for them.  They claim that the enthusiasm has spiraled into vicious obsession, these fans claiming that their opinions are fact and anyone else who disagrees with them are not real fans and get incredibly defensive if anyone reprimands them for liking a little girls’ show instead of brushing it off maturely.  All of these elements combined with those fans that create—ahem—some uncouth material in fanart and fanfiction have scared people away.  For those people who feel that these fans have ruined the show for them, I just have one thing to say:

You have obviously never been a part of a fandom before.  As someone who has been present in fandoms before they were even called “fandoms” (we’re going back almost 15 years now), I can tell you this: Every fandom—EVERY. SINGLE. SOLITARY. FANDOM that exists has these types of fans.  They are always there, some much more prevalent than others.  So what do we do?  WE IGNORE THEM.  If they bother you, forget about them and focus on the good aspects of the FiM fandom.  Because there is a whole bunch of good.  People from all walks of life are in this fandom, all different ages, all different kinds—and the ones I’ve met are just so incredibly creative and open and NICE.

So next time you say people use the “love and tolerance” mantra hypocritically, remember that you’re only talking about a percentage of the fandom and not the entirety of it.  I’m a female (*shocker*) college graduate who considers herself educated, cultured, and well-read…and I love this show.  And I know I can’t be the only one out there.  So guess what:

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 25

Favorite Fluttershy scene:

Staring down the Cockatrice in “Stare Master.”  Sorry, let me rephrase—staring down the Cockatrice AS IT’S TURNING HER INTO STONE.  I mean DAMN, who would’ve thought Fluttershy of all ponies would have one of the most badass moments in the entire series?!  She swallows every last bit of fear for the sake of protecting the Cutie Mark Crusaders, whom she is entirely responsible for should anything happen to them, and reprimands the mischievous creature—despite the fact that she’s close to turning to stone completely.

Fluttershy’s going to be one of those Mama Bear type mothers when she has foals of her own, isn’t she?  Twilight learned a very important lesson about friendship that day: DON’T FUCK WITH FLUTTERSHY.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 24

Best trait of Fluttershy:

Sure she’s shy.  Sure she’s typically afraid of her own shadow.  But when the going gets tough, boy does she ever deliver.  If you hurt her friends, you do NOT want to be on the receiving end of her scolding.  While never physically violent, this meek little pony can be spunky when need be—yet always ready with a few kind words to soften the blow.  Fluttershy’s nurturing nature towards her friends, younger ponies, and her animals make her strong in ways that aren’t always shown, but are always present nonetheless.

Worst trait of Fluttershy:

She always puts herself down.  It’s established early on that she has low self esteem, claiming that she is indeed “weak and helpless” and seems to have accepted this.  The problem here is that she ISN’T weak and helpless.  She lives all by herself at the edge of the Everfree Forest—that she’s terrified of, yet stays near in order to protect the animals that live in and around it.  The fact that Fluttershy is willing to face one of her greatest fears on a daily (or nightly) basis makes her incredibly tough, even if she doesn’t act it. 

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 23

Favorite Pinkie Pie scene:

“Smile, Smile, Smile.”  Pinkie’s simplest of joys expressed through—what else—a song.  It’s so uplifting that you can’t help cracking a grin while listening to it.  Sure, Pinkie can be annoying, but we’ve all got a friend like that who usually has good intentions underneath.  Pinkie’s is to make sure every pony is happy, and really…shouldn’t we ALL want that from the people we care most about?

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 22

Best trait of Pinkie Pie:

The simple joys she gets out of life.  Even though all of the Mane 6 ponies are meant to be young adults with jobs and responsibilities, Pinkie is just a little filly at heart.  If she can make just one pony smile, then her day is made, and she loves playing with and taking care of younger ponies.  It doesn’t make her immature, it just makes her less jaded and gives her a much more optimistic outlook on life than the others have.  I think that’s something everyone who watches this show can latch onto and relate to themselves (I know I have trouble watching this show without smiling!)

Worst trait of Pinkie Pie:

Her lack of communication with others.  Pinkie Pie has this very annoying tendency of assuming that the other ponies can read her mind—particularly in “Swarm of the Century” when it appears she’s talking nonsense, when in reality she knows just how to rid the town of the parasprites.  Another stand out example of this is her very first scene in the series—when she sees Twilight for the first time, gasps and runs off.  I guess you could attribute it to her childishness, but it really gets on my nerves when an episode could have been solved in 2 minutes if Pinkie had just spoken up,

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 21

Favorite Applejack scene:

No brainer.  This one right here:

With the amount of trolling Celestia does on this show, it’s about time some pony trolled her right back!  Applejack constantly sticks to her own personal set of morals and values no matter what trials might come her way—and that I think can be just as valuable as learning something new about yourself. 

Her entire attitude in this episode was spot on, and only proved how much she’s grown as a character, specifically when she asks her friends for help when her family is struggling.  Pretty sure she wouldn’t have done that at the start of the series.  If there’s anything I love just as much as well-developed characters, it’s continuity.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 20

Best trait of Applejack:

Well I already brought this up, but I think it’s worth mentioning again: Her close ties to her family.  She never loses sight of her roots and her humble beginnings, and would do anything for the ponies that raised her and shaped her into the honest, hardworking, dependable Applejack that we know and love.  Have I mentioned she’s Best Pony?

Worst trait of Applejack:

Her stubbornness.  Like seriously, she takes being hard-headed to a whole new level of crazy.  Maybe that’s why she and Twilight get along so well—they’re both certifiably insane.  Applejack will work herself to the point where she’s seeing hallucinations, taking her role of being honest and dependable as meaning she’ll do it all herself with no help from any pony.  That can not only be a bad trait, but also dangerous.  Luckily, she seems to be becoming more flexible about asking for help.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 19

Favorite Rainbow Dash scene:

I love her unwavering confidence in Fluttershy during Hurricane Fluttershy.  The poor girl is barely on par with the other pegasus’ flight levels, but Rainbow Dash still wants her to do her best anyway.  She ends up swallowing her pride and completely disregarding the tornado contest, all to help Fluttershy get over her fears and self esteem issues.  

Of all the ponies, I think Rainbow Dash has actually grown the most as a character, and we really see that in this episode.  For once, she doesn’t care about speed or winning—she cares about providing her hometown with reservoir water and even more importantly, she cares about her childhood friend’s feelings above everything else.  Even though this was a Fluttershy-centric episode, Rainbow really stole the show.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 18

Best trait of Rainbow Dash:

I really enjoy seeing her stick up for the people she cares about.  Even though she can be rude, blunt, or make downright mean comments sometimes (calling Twilight an egghead just because she likes reading, for example) Rainbow Dash really does see the best in each and every one of her friends.  I especially like the childhood bond she had with Fluttershy, and to see the star flying student like her genuinely sticking up for the gangly underdog is refreshing.  

Worst trait of Rainbow Dash:

Well I think we can all agree that she’s a bit of an ego trip.  Okay not a little, A LOT.  She’s the best and she doesn’t care who knows it.  Haters gonna hate.  You don’t think she’s the best?  She won’t leave you alone until you’re convinced otherwise!  Perhaps this is just personal preference, but I’ve never cared for characters like this ever in any medium.  What does set Rainbow Dash apart is that she’s more complex and flexible than that.  How so?  You’ll see tomorrow.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 17

Favorite Rarity scene:

The big reveal at the end of Sisterhooves Social.  Sweetie Belle thinks she’s competing with Applejack as her honorary big sister, when it turns out it was Rarity covered in mud the entire time.  This got such a big reaction out of me—partly because I didn’t see it coming, and partly because it was so friggin cute.  

Rarity, who won’t touch dirt unless it’s imported, was willing to do whatever it took to win her little sister back after their huge fight.  As an older sister, I really connected with this scene, nay this whole episode.  It was really sweet and really well done—kudos, writers.

30 Day My Little Pony: FiM Challenge—Day 16

Best trait of Rarity:

Well this may sound obvious, but…her generosity.  SO many Rarity haters out there, and I honestly don’t get it: “Why is she the element of generosity; she’s so selfish?!”  Oh yes, because offering to make formal dresses for all five of your friends FOR FREE is not generous at ALL.  Whether it be intimate details or the big picture, Rarity is always looking out for her friends’ well-being and making sure they look and feel their best (free spa trips anyone?) 

Worst trait of Rarity:

In all the excitement, stress and unpredictability of her line of work, Rarity does tend to lose sight of what’s truly important.  She gets so wrapped up in what she wants out of life that she unintentionally neglects people, from her own sister to Twilight’s birthday party.  To be fair though, she’s aware that what she is doing is wrong and does her best to make amends in the end.  I think this is where the hate stems from—people confusing “ambitiousness” with “selfishness.”  Well, why wouldn’t she want to get in with the elite in order to further her career?  However, lying in order to do so is not okay, and that’s where she goes wrong.