Halp. Ponies.

[chadachada123]

I've heard of the dark ones they call...

Spoiler: gulp

cloppers...

Eh, it's really not much different from being sexually attracted to Liara or Tali from Mass Effect, or any other sentient non-human with actual personality.

Anyway, I remember my first introduction to MLP, right after the conclusion of season 1. Someone posted a funny dubover, and I laughed at it while also noting how good the animation actually was. Still, at the time, I dismissed it as some childish show.

Then I heard that one of my closest friends also watched the show.

After that, I decided to sit down and at least watch the first two episodes, and by the end of the first, I knew I was hooked. Finding out that it was made by the wife of the creator of Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (with Lauren Faust having been a storyboard writer for both as well) just sealed the deal for me.

The dubover that started it all: Scenes from MLP combined with the audio ripped from the Starcraft 2 trailer. I don't even like Starcraft, but holy hell did the trailer make me laugh.

 

[repeating integers]

<youtube=_PWvtN5W158>

I have to say, that video synchs up to the Nine Inch Nails instrumental I have on in the background way better than you'd expect.

You don't like Veggie Tales either, I'm guessing?

Cant say I ever watched it. Although from what I've been able to discern via Google images, they appear to be vegetables with no limbs whatsoever, whereas its not too much of a stretch of the imagination to have ponies holding things with their hooves.

Of course that was just a minor issue I had with the show. I'd be able to overlook that and the outline thing if the rest of it was any good.

Veggie Tales was a big part of my childhood (despite my atheism from a young age). But yeah I don't get why MLP can't at least have them, like, picking things up with their mouths at least.

EDIT: Welp, nevermind about that last part.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

You don't like Veggie Tales either, I'm guessing?

Cant say I ever watched it. Although from what I've been able to discern via Google images, they appear to be vegetables with no limbs whatsoever, whereas its not too much of a stretch of the imagination to have ponies holding things with their hooves.

Of course that was just a minor issue I had with the show. I'd be able to overlook that and the outline thing if the rest of it was any good.

It's actually only unicorn ponies that levitate things, and it's because the horns give them magic powers including levitation. The rest of them tend to move things around with their mouths, or occasionally their hooves when it makes sense.

Veggie Tales has plenty of reasons to not like it (the first of which is that the main point of the show is biblical lessons packaged in a cute wrapper for pre-schoolers, although I seem to remember that, like Sesame street, it had occasional bits of cleverness), but the way the vegetables pick up objects would be a minor thing.

 

[Darren716]

Welcome to the cozy little family just don't pay attention to Uncle Clop in the corner. I got hooked on the show because of an episode of a polecats I used to watch where a fan asked the people running the podcast about mlp. A few weeks later the site that made the podcast made a video in their series called deathbattle where Rainbow Dash went against starscream and kicked his shiny metal ass. It was because of this that I decided to begin watching the show and I watched every episode during one weekend and the rest is history. Because of the deathbattle you will never be able to convince me that anyone other than Dash is best pony and from watching the show I find Rarity to be the worst.

 

[necromanzer52]

Ya know. I tried to like that show. I really did. When it started to become popular, I watched the first 15 episodes over the course of a week. So I think it's safe to say, I gave it a fair shot. And while it had a few funny jokes, I mostly found the characters to be annoying, and the plot lines to be stupid, cliche, and predictable. So I gave up on it.

A while later I watched another 2 episodes when I heard John De Lancie was in it, but I didn't like those much either.
Just not for me I guess.

 

[chadachada123]

Nothing wrong with not liking it of course. Just out of curiosity, what episode did you watch?

Season 3 episode 1

Well there's your problem. The Season 3 opener absolutely sucks compared to the Season 1 opener (and, well, most episodes in general).

If you actually want to give it a fair shot, I'd suggest watching Season 1 Ep 1+2, and then Season 1 Episode 16. Actually, pretty much any episode from season 1 barring the sleepover episode or Cutie Mark Crusader episodes are good for introductions to the series. They're the episodes that have the most parallels to Powerpuff Girls and other awesome cartoons from which MLP draws inspiration.

 

[Infernai]

Disregard ponies, watch berserk then read the manga:

Sure the anime's dated but, it's got Memorable characters, great action and... is surprisingly subversive of the common "Power of friendship solves everything" theme that's usually found in anime. If anything, it's a series all about what happens when you place so much trust in the wrong people and it is glorious every step of the way.
The manga is, if anything, even better but the anime's the best way to get into it. The movies are good too, but you're better off watching the original and reading the manga before you go into it as they leave out ALOT of stuff.

We also have Susumu Hirasawa composing the soundtrack...that's it, sorry, you literally CAN'T say anything to top susumu hirasawa doing the soundtrack. It's just impossible (Warning: Has been known to cause insanity in Bronies, listen at own risk):


and

And so, another is lost to the herd...

Soon, it seems, only me and Fappy will remain.

We won't be able to repopulate, but we will try regardless.

You still got me! I'm a berserk fan not a pony fan.

 

[shieldheart204]

Nothing wrong with not liking it of course. Just out of curiosity, what episode did you watch?

Season 3 episode 1

Try watching the first episodes of Season 1 or 2, both are good, although the villain from 2 is by far the best.

 

[chadachada123]

And while it had a few funny jokes, I mostly found the characters to be annoying, and the plot lines to be stupid, cliche, and predictable. So I gave up on it.

It certainly isn't for everyone, but I'm wondering about your statement on plot lines. Compared to an actual little girl's show, I thought the plot lines diverted pretty far from the norm. Most shows for girls tend to do the "someone is upset, let's all hug out our differences" bullshit, while MLP actually uses advice, advice good for people of all ages. Even for the major villians, most shows for girls tend to use the "use happiness and the bad guy won't hurt you" crap while MLP encourages actually talking shit out.

Cliche, sure, but it's almost like a parody more than a cliche with how often MLP totally switches the direction the episode appeared to be going in.

I'm not disagreeing with you objectively, I'm just wondering what your thoughts on it are, if you remember enough about the plots and want to discuss it.

 

[chiggerwood]

Funny, I've seen a couple of episodes of MLP and really I didn't see anything special, at all. I mean, OK yeah it's better than most modern cartoons out there, but I don't get what the big deal is. Adventure Time is better than MLP but I don't see where there'd be a fanbase out of the 7-12 demographic that they're looking for. To be frank I found the whole show sort of boring, not good or bad just there. Can someone explain to me the big deal, or is it something that you either get or don't? I'd watch more episodes, but every time I try I get the sensation that my brain is trying to burrow through my skull in a desperate attempt to escape, then again I find 2001: A Space Odyssey genuinely entertaining, so... yeah.

P.S. apparently this is my 666th post, and it's about MLP coincidence or providence?

 

[necromanzer52]

And while it had a few funny jokes, I mostly found the characters to be annoying, and the plot lines to be stupid, cliche, and predictable. So I gave up on it.

It certainly isn't for everyone, but I'm wondering about your statement on plot lines. Compared to an actual little girl's show, I thought the plot lines diverted pretty far from the norm. Most shows for girls tend to do the "someone is upset, let's all hug out our differences" bullshit, while MLP actually uses advice, advice good for people of all ages. Even for the major villians, most shows for girls tend to use the "use happiness and the bad guy won't hurt you" crap while MLP encourages actually talking shit out.

Cliche, sure, but it's almost like a parody more than a cliche with how often MLP totally switches the direction the episode appeared to be going in.

I'm not disagreeing with you objectively, I'm just wondering what your thoughts on it are, if you remember enough about the plots and want to discuss it.

Ok, I'll try not to go off on a rant. Most of the plots seemed to revolve around one or more of the ponies deciding to be a massive ***** for no real reason, and they spend the episode doing that, and at the end they learn a lesson, and decide to be nicer to each other from now on. And then what do they do in the next episode? They start being bitchy again, and learn another lesson.

The one that sticks out most in my mind is the sleepover episode, but I'm sure there were more. It just always seemed to go against character, and created problems for no reason other than to learn a moral at the end.

Now, to be fair, there was one episode I liked (winter wrap up). This episode didn't create antagonism, or previously unmentioned character attributes out of nowhere, and instead focused on Twilight's search for where she fits in, as the new pony, when everyone else already knows where they're most needed.

 

[MorganL4]

First off... It is a known fact that Applejack is best pony.

see: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/960

Also, I actually got into it because a friend told me that Faust had a hand in Dexter's Lab ( turns out that was false) and I remembered loving Dexter's Lab, so I gave it a shot..... Figured I'd stop after season 1, I mean it was cute and all but I didn't think it was brilliant, and then Season 2 came..... and Discord = Q = EPICNESS

 

[major_chaos]

If by "hooked" you mean deiced it was comparable to having meat hooks jammed into my eye sockets, then it was after I watched one episode and discovered it was a total failure on every level, fails at plot, fails at drama, fails at character development, fails at comedy, fails at animation, fails, fails, fails.
Not a fan in case you couldn't tell.
Edit: that's not to say that anyone else isn't allowed to enjoy it. I tried it, hated it, but if you love it then good for you.

 

[Pinkamena]

Nothing wrong with not liking it of course. Just out of curiosity, what episode did you watch?

Season 3 episode 1

That episode was pretty shit, gotta agree with that. If you want to, give season 3 episode 3 a try. One of my favorites, also a a lot funnier than the average episode (at least I thought so).

Spoiler: Episode in question

 

[Rad Party God]

WELCOME TO THE HE... oh shucks, stupid ninjas...

But yeah, I joined the ponydom a few months after it started, I wondered why there were so many things about, what I thought it was back then, a stupid and colorful kids show... boy, I was outright wrong after watching the first couple of episodes.

I've been a faithful brony ever since

 

[Legion]

I strongly believe that when it comes to things such as entertainment, you cannot criticise it unless you have experienced it for yourself. I watched the two part episode in season 1, and found it a little too sickly sweet, but surprisingly funny (plus I love the drawing style).

I have watched all but the latest two episodes. Although I wouldn't say that I am "Into it". I do not join in discussions (first time for everything), don't have a "favourite pony", despise that everywhere I look MLP is there, and am uncomfortable with the level of obsession it gets.

To me it's just a TV show, like any other. Except I have a vague feeling that I shouldn't be watching it.

Still. It's less painful than Twilight, I read all of those books, and dear god, the writing...

Funny, I've seen a couple of episodes of MLP and really I didn't see anything special, at all. I mean, OK yeah it's better than most modern cartoons out there, but I don't get what the big deal is.

I think that is my issue as well. I cannot see what is so special about it.

I suspect a part of it is that it's a show aimed at young girls and so by making it a "thing" people are protecting themselves from being judged for liking it. If it is really popular, then it isn't seen as strange to like it. If it has a culture, then you have people to talk to when other people mock you for it.

 

[TwiZtah]

SNIP

SNIP

SNIP

SNIP

Thank you all for your wonderful contributions to the thread. I honestly can't think of anything that adds more to a thread than just showing up and flaming OP for having the "wrong" opinion. I just hope the moderators found it as touching as I did.

I wasn't attacking OP for liking MLP, that's his choice. But I am extremely annoyed by the word "Brony" (and whoever came up with hoofsister...), you only paint a target on your back by using such a term.