Mint_Melody

Was it just me or were ALL of their dresses horrid?! Did Rarity make them? If so... what the crap happened?! And why did Twilight get a new crown? Why was her element crown suddenly not sufficient? -_-

Drugs?! No, no, no. No alcoholism, no drugs, death, war, or rape or anything like that. This show is for children, and while it may be entertaining for adults, these are not topics for children. First of they do not have the cognitive ability to grasp most of them and second, you can't make shows like this morbid. Things like Fallout of Equestria is fantastic, in fanfiction for older adults where it belongs. Preteens and older generations are the ones that need these lessons. If I go into a first grade classroom and talk about death and drugs, even if I have a degree as a teacher, you had better believe those parents would be calling and emailing me until the cows come home. If professionals can't teach children about these things, cartoon writers most certainly cannot. It horrifies me to even think of. If we're going to share this show with the kids, we need to be the adults and continue address these larger issues. We have to take their development seriously and realize it is a fragile and complex process that cannot be rushed by pushing things ideas that are too big for them to understand.

Have any of you ever read a book called, "The Witch Must Die"? The author talks about something he calls 'splitting' where in a young child's very early development they learn to split the bad from the good. I think this is transferable to MLP. Like a fairy tale, even when the show does not present a very good outright moral (A Canterlot Wedding has been accused of this) it helps children identify between good and evil and subliminally enforces that if you embrace good (or the elements are harmony) you will be successful. The show encompasses so much more than just friendship, it teaches empathy and understanding. It's fair to say Luna and Twilight aren't friends, they most certainly weren't at the beginning of Luna Eclipsed, but Twilight humanized Luna and chose to see things through her eyes and since she is the protagonist whom kids are supposed to connect with, it gives them a chance to experience empathy and know it's a good thing. Hell, even most adults could learn to embrace lessons like this. Friendship is Magic, is a horrible title in my opinion, because the show does cover so much more than just making friends. Everything from good and bad to problem solving and empathizing. The show is genius because it manages to do all of this in a way that isn't over baring but at the same time really relatable and fun, yet you always come away with a good idea of what it was trying to teach. I couldn't find a way to make two quotes in one post, so I'm just posting twice. I can make the leap about RD because of her personality. She's always been shown to be a little self centered and she often misses what is important. Sleepless in Ponyville, and what ever that episode she got a pet was called show this trait in her. Rainbow's destiny IMO is to be the greatest flier in Equestria, something she discovered by racing but hasn't fully realized the potential of. If her special talent was racing, why not a cutie mark of a race track or something like that? Her astounding ability to fly could help many ponies in crises, but she may not be mature enough to understand this completely. She's caught up in the beauty of being a Wonder Bolt, and hasn't accepted the responsibility and weight she would then hold. I believe flying is her special talent, not just racing, and I believe she will use that to help other ponies in a great way. And I could contend a cutie mark showing up when a pony realizes it's destiny because of Twilight. Her destiny is to be an alicorn princess, but she didn't realize that. Along her journey she's never thought, "I'm going to be a princess one day" all she knows is part of her destiny until Celestia reveals it to her in Magical Mystery Cure. Also you're right, I cannot make the leap of powerful in magic makes a princess, I can make the leap that understanding the elements of harmony and having the personality and special talent that can help many ponies in many ways makes you an alicorn and a princess. You can't just have magic, and you can't just have friends. It's a special combination of traits and personal study that opens to door to becoming an alicorn. Yes it's Twilight's destiny, but many things had to line up for it to be that way (I'm not sure if I wrote that out coherently, I'm doing two things at once, tell me if I need to fix it). Honestly, I have NO idea about Cadence. I can only assume she is the goddess of love and she is an alicorn because it isn't any particular kind of love, but all kinds of it. It's shown no one else can create love in Hearts and Hooves day, only obsession but Cadence can apparently repair true love. Idk, I don't get the need for her, or the crystal empire as a whole. Am I making any sense? I don't feel like I am right now. I promise, no more multi-tasking XD

I knew Twilight was going to be a princess from the first episode when she got a crown instead of a necklace. It's obvious that was just the role she's always been preparing to take up. Also it makes a lot of sense to me, the whole idea and moral behind it. I've always thought alicorns were entrancing in this show and I'm very curious how Twi will fit into their group and the role she'll play.

Lots of things. Mostly the characters. There is no character in the main cast that I cannot identify with on some level. They manage to make them very personal. I'm not a crier, but I nearly broke down watching Luna Eclipsed, which is big for me. Luna alone is a big reason I love this show so much. Also I'm an equestrian myself, I've been riding for nine years now and have three horses of my own, so anything with ponies will usually grab my interest for a while. While I do not like that RD was labeled as gay by many bronies right off of the bat because of her 'butch' personality, I love that people don't seem bothered by lesbian or gay relationships on this show. Maybe the fear of gays hasn't been eliminated in the parents, but at least it hasn't been enough to make Hasbro stop producing the show, it's a small step but it's a definitive step towards acceptance or at least tolerance IMO. I think the show is a pleasure to look at, and quite funny most of the time. And lastly, I love fantasy worlds and they've made a brilliant fantasy world in MLP.

In real life? No. When I'm talking about ponies? Sure. Now I do use phrases like "horse feathers" and other such expressions that you've probably heard the mane six use, but I've been using them since I started riding around 13 years old. I thought it was ingenious that they learn some real cowboy/horse love expressions and put them into the show.

I would bring my horse. There is a lot of stuff I've always wanted to ask him. So if we were both made into MLP we would be able to discuss things to our hearts content.

All hail the equestrian overlords!!!! Wait what? Lol, first off lets say we're a cult, just for the hell of it let's speculate. So what? And actually I take that back because what she is describing is religion and that's how I'm going to respond to it. So what? Why does your child have to stay a catholic boy just because you believe it? It's one thing to teach children religion, it's another to try and force it on them and stupidly deny them access to embracing any other religions. That just screams close minded moron to me. Second, cults have rules and guidelines... I marched onto this site today, signed up and instantly became part of a community. The terms of service have nothing to do with MLP specifically. Meaning there is only one rule to being a brony which is liking MLP. Tons of people like Christianity and think it's interesting... that doesn't make them members. This person was probably trolling, but I still thought it was hilarious Keep up the good work stupid, close minded, overly religious fanatics, I love to laugh at you.

By... making people miserable. Is it ok for me to steal from you because I'm hungry and you have an apple? No. It's not ok to steal, especially on a kid's show. Worse though is it's obvious that Chrysalis made the ponies afraid and miserable. There is no excuse for enslaving a whole race, even if it is to feed your own. That is like saying, I'm hungry so I will take your apple, even if that means you will be hungry and miserable. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. You aren't allowed to be a bully, even if it's the sake of others who need help.

Ed, Edd, and Eddy was not geared for the same age group as MLP. I know kids as young as 2 who are entranced by FiM and when they see it on my DVR they watch it for hours. When you're distributing to a wide age group, you have to be careful you do not damage your audience. I watched Ed, Edd, and Eddy when I was around the same age as you and technically 9 and 10 is a stage in your development when you start to understand death as a concept. The five and six year olds watching this show are not equipped to deal with a logically sort through this concept. At nine you are able to say, I'm a person, this is a cartoon, this is not real. At five, they WANT you to believe this is as real as possible. To the extent where we have to teach our kids things like "animals don't talk" and there are no such things as dragons. My niece of four once asked me where Equestria was. The thought of more than one world is too big for a child of that age, because they have not yet fully grasped the concepts of this one. They learn new things about the world every day and they haven't yet learned to think things through logically. They relate to the world through emotion, which helps very young children stay safe in the real world and establish empathy. It's the whole reason the show can effectively shape behavior through the lessons it teaches. Kids don't listen to Twilight's letter at the end and say "That is a very good lesson for me to employ in my life". No, they empathize with the main character that is going through the dilemma. When I watched Hurricane Fluttershy with my niece, my sister kept asking her child, "Does she make a difference? Does everyone make a difference?" To the point where I told her to stop. Don't spoil the lesson! A child must go on the emotional ride and feel their pain in order to also feel their triumph. Unfortunately, applying this concept to old age and death is too distressing and confusing. If the mane six are happy, and yet they're dying kids wouldn't have the slightest clue what to think because how they have related to death so far is the general conception that death is 'bad'. If they are sad and dying this could really distress a child, and lead to feelings of despair. You'd be amazed the changes a child goes through from age 7 to age nine and how drastically their ability to rationalize changes.

I think a cutie mark is a representation of a certain talent. That talent isn't something you control, it's something you have because it's tied to your innate being. Rarity for example, loves beauty and fashion, and what is more beautiful than gems? It also ties into their elements in the case of the main six. Rarity generously gives what is most important to her. Dresses, and fashion, by giving this to them she in essence gives up a piece of her soul, there for making her the essence of generosity. Rainbow Dash's cutie mark has a could with a lightening bolt on it. That doesn't solely represent racing. Sure lightening is fast, but why the cloud? Yes, lightening technically starts in the cloud but the ground is a huge factor in lightening strikes too... so why isn't the ground also featured? What we do know is we see RD cloudbusting... a lot and there just so happens to be a cloud on her flank? In fact, racing or speed being her talent may not be her special gift but may tie into something larger. Bare with me, it's been shown the Wonder Bolts help out in time of crises perhaps THIS is who RD is destined to be. Maybe her talent is controlling extreme weather situations and being one of the best weather ponies of all time. It could be right now she's just so caught up in the glamour of wanting to be the best flier in Equestria, that she hasn't realized her true potential and the windows being the best flier could open to help other ponies. This would make sense, since RD is steadily learning to be less self absorbed and cocky as the series goes on. I'm not saying she won't be great and fast and a Wonder Bolt, but maybe she has a bigger purpose than being a show pony. Lastly, even if this is their destiny, does that mean Twilight doesn't deserve it? True that if we're accepting that this is a predetermined universe she couldn't have avoided this path... but she does have free will doesn't she? Even if she doesn't, Twilight did the hard work and years of study most other foals didn't want to do. So does she still deserve it? Just as much as she ever did I suppose. It isn't like she knew this was where she was going and just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Twilight has risked life and limb to get where she is. She's saved the world how many times?! What we know about Starswirl is very limited. It could be he was on this same path but since every pony has free will, he chose to deny his calling and not make friends. Or maybe since there was no danger for Starswirl to combat with the elements of harmony he did not see the purpose of embracing them and went back to his study. If Starswirl ever died, he probably died incomplete and unhappy because he didn't fulfill his destiny or he died totally satisfied because his destiny was not to become an alicorn or a prince, but just to study magic. Either way Twilight cannot be blamed for someone else's destiny, which she cannot control.

Omg! So much love for this! It would explain a lot if this is how it worked! I always thought that either Equestria wasn't a round earth, and that the sun/moon were stationary and must be moved by the princesses, or that they controlled the rotation of the earth (though that one is kind of messy) I think the alicorn conspiracy is very silly.

I disagree that this is a good moral. Maybe for adults, but not for children. I wouldn't mind see and old mane six where they have all lived out happy lives and are now sharing their golden years and passing on their legacy... but the moral of we all get old and die isn't good for this age group mostly because they will not understand it. Children are told when they're young and someone dies that they're asleep, or on a trip, or in heaven. Kids can't really understand death, not even many adults can. If you tell them someone they loved has gone into the ground and is gone forever, soon to be worm food you will horrify a child. In theory we can just tell children the truth and they can learn to accept it, but in reality they aren't mature enough to fully grasp death as a concept without being very disturbed by it. Also children wouldn't appreciate this ending, they see no beauty in things that are bittersweet. Their minds are still developing and even concepts like morality are difficult to understand. What they do know is death is sad and if it makes them feel negatively they're going to associate it with something bad. A five year old will never understand the beauty of seeing a character go through a completely life cycle. They'll see it as bad, and as a result they won't buy any more products from the show. It's possible that leaving a negative taste in their mouth could compromise the future of MLP and make it so no one wants to remake it in the future. I remember when I was young I had a MLP video game, in the game you got a pony and you trained it until it was good at many things, and then that pony went over the rainbow... and the game was done. I sobbed the first time this happened because I thought the pony went to heaven, which meant it was dead, which I couldn't truly understand because I was 7. An old mane six is very appealing to us as adults because it signals completion. When adults are faced with the end of the series where characters are young, the prospect of happily ever after just isn't plausible because we as adults know it isn't true. Having an old cast happy and in their golden years is appealing because it SHOWS they've had their happily ever after, they've faced it all, and now they will pass on, leaving their legacy behind and knowing they've done good things. I just think this concept is way over the head of a child.

I'm not sure anyone is overrated in my book. If I like someone, I like them and if I don't I don't. I used to hate Rainbow, I thought her character was obnoxious, and I didn't relate to her even though I was a little bit tomboy myself as a child. She appeared to me as just this bland stereotype of a tomboy, which rubbed me wrong. It didn't help that even though I wasn't an active part of the fandom at the time I found out she was the one almost everyone pointed to and said 'lesbian'. Why? What makes her more like that than ANY of the others? I've never had a girlfriend that was anything like RD, and I was furious that she was so quickly dubbed the gay one. So I was determined to not like this character... However, as the series has gone on, I've really come to love her. I started understanding her character and what makes her tick and I've stopped holding the fact that just because many people lumped her into a category unfairly, doesn't mean I shouldn't like her. As a side note, your definition of what makes a pony more human is transferable to all other ponies. If you say RD is more human because you related to her, then by default all people who identify more with other ponies aren't as human... which doesn't make any sense. She's more like the type of human you are, she is not more like a human than the others. I relate to Luna and Twilight more than any one because I'm a bookworm and have quite often been ostracized from my peers. And the concept of any pony being overrated strikes an odd cord in me. The reason mass amounts of people like certain characters like RD is because they identify with them, and because of basic human nature of course we're going to exonerate and adore that which we identify with. The only thing I think is "overrated" is people liking one character over another because they're so cute... which I find to be a shallow reason to like something.

Lol! Hey I can tell you from experience that horse/ponies love apples enough to make an apple goddess both in this universe and in the pony one. Seriously though, I think anypony CAN become an alicorn, but they must have the qualifications to do so first. They must understand and be intimately connected to all of the elements, and they have to fully understand destiny. As it stands, we're only told that the others understand their own elements... and sometimes even that can be challenged. I realize this is a flimsy argument, since one could say it's impossible to embrace all of these elements at the same time... and you are totally right but I just can't see the others as princesses. Pinkie isn't mature enough. Fluttershy isn't bold enough. Rainbow Dash is too bold, and is only now learning to be less self centered. I don't see Rarity being interested in royal duties... at all. Unless it was making her royal dress. Apple Jack would be the most princess like out of all the other cast because she's constantly doing things for others and is extremely mature. I'm not saying any of this is a bad thing, the mane six are who they are and I love each of them that way. I do have to say it used to really bother me that Twilight was favored so much... until Magical Mystery Cure showed that they are totally 100 percent happy with their destinies and don't desire to do anything else. If that's what makes them totally happy, so be it. I'm glad they finally did something with Twilight, because as it was Twilight's cutie mark served zero purpose. So she was the element of magic, but what did that contribute? Where did that put her in life? At least now we know.

Well, I suppose it depends on how much you look at this like a children's show. From that point of view, alicorn Twilight is lovely. It wasn't the spell that allowed Twilight to transcend, more so the thought behind it. Twilight now fully understood destiny and how the elements of harmony play into destiny. We weren't given much context to this, but my theory was that since each pony is not fulfilling their destiny, they also cannot portray their element. Rarity can't be very generous with the weather, Fluttershy may not be mean but she isn't displaying kindness by running off and hiding, and Pinkie Pie isn't laughing, her hair is straight and she's clearly miserable. Who knows if this theory would have been true but it's my head cannon. When Twilight figured out the true meaning of destiny and being who you're meant to be, she then fully understood the elements of harmony and now has the ability to embody them herself, there fore making her an "all powerful" alicorn. If may be a stretch by it plays into my original head cannon that the elements of harmony aren't really the elements of friendship, but virtues that when embodied fully enable Twilight to be successful Since Twilight is the protagonist, this then teaches children if you portray these traits, you two can be successful/powerful.

I believe Twilight will control magic or at least be responsible for creating many types of new magic. I think her cutie mark is supposed to be quite literal. A 'spark'. Like a spark of electricity. I think she'll be like the glue that holds the kingdom in place. She is not light like Celestia, she is not dark like Luna, I think she will unite the two concepts in a way and be like the middle ground princess. I've also wondered if Celestia and Luna (and this horrifies me to think of too much ) will transcend or move on to pony heaven or another realm where they will no longer physically embody the same realm, leaving the country to Twilight and Cadence. I highly doubt this one would ever be true, but it was a thought.

I'm not sure Twilight's destiny is to be a princess, or at least that isn't the way that I took it. The way that I saw her becoming an alicorn was that Magic was her destiny, creating new magic and using magic to help others in need. Since alicorns are presumably the most magical creatures in the universe, in order to be able to fulfill that destiny, Twilight must become one. Being elevated to princess status makes Twilight more respected and also gives her a platform to reach out to more people, instead of just her ponyville residents. I don't think Princess Twilight was a marketing ploy and the lesson Twilight teaches children through her transformation is a beautiful one. So no, I doubt she will ever turn back into a unicorn and if she does I think it will be kind of pointless and even demeaning for the show. I actually don't mind if Twilight outlives her friends (even if she won't), you loose people in real life and it sucks but loosing your friends doesn't mean you fall to ruin. Her friends will have taught her the invaluable lesson of embracing their virtues or elements and leave Twilight prepared to face her life. And what if Twilight were to play a major role in the lineage of her friends? Making sure their foals and grandfoals were safe and provided for for years to come. What if Twilight helps teach THEM the all important elements that her friends embodied? Besides, if all alicorns are immortal, she has the other princesses whom she already greatly looks up to and eventually will become good friends with. Will Twilight loose a lot? Yes, but she would also gain so much. Celestia has to have loved and lost, yet she's ok.

The first scene I'm not really sure. Part of me was angry, and another part felt embarrassed for Twilight. I just couldn't help but wonder why A) Twilight was the only one to suspect her and her friends didn't believe her to the point of taking the side of Cadence and Shining Armor whom they don't actually know. Twilight has never shown to be extremely possessive like that over anyone, so it should have been a red flag that she was so distressed. If I know my friend is a fairly reliable person and they start saying how much someone I don't know has changed, of course I'm going to believe them! Given that Twilight has never proven to be much of an outright liar, she should have been given some leeway. If her friends had given her the time of day, Twilight may not have escalated to such extremes... which apparently they don't learn in this go around and need a whole episode about not being crappers that ignore their friends (Lesson Zero... the very next episode -_-') The second scene I wasn't so surprised at, I knew she was evil and usually villains will attack you if you try to interfere with their plans. Now the third scene really surprised me, I've always thought that changlings were really disturbing in appearance.

This just doesn't make any sense to me. First off, if Chrysalis/Luna can't even play Cadence well, how can she pretend to also be the 'good Luna' well enough to fool her own sister and everypony else? In Luna Eclipsed we saw a character who was not only deeply hurt by the rejection she suffered from her subjects but we could also see regret. Someone said in the previous comments that you can only judge a character on what they've said or done... but then what is the point of theater or acting as a whole? We have to be able to read into the expressions that Luna displays in that episode. Chrysalis couldn't even fake cry convincingly at the wedding. How could she display such drastic and real emotion in one aspect but not another? Also, we see Luna displaying many of these emotions on her own when no one is around to see, so if it's an act why keep up the charade when no one is around? Second... how? I could maybe buy that Luna could shape shift into Chrysalis, but are we to believe she also can multiply herself into hundreds of changlings? If not, then why would the changlings obey Luna? What's in it for them? If it was to help them infiltrate Canterlot then they could have already done that without the giant swarm at the end of a Canterlot Wedding. In fact, they'd have been much more successful and could have feed of their preferred food of love without the swarm. Luna could have just got them in, imprisoned hundreds of ponies in the caves without anyone knowing, and let her real subjects feed. But this didn't happen, so... it just doesn't add up to me. And why for that matter? What purpose does this serve Luna? We see in episode 1 and 2, and in Luna Eclipsed that Luna is not evil for the sake of being evil. Luna was evil because she was under appreciated and felt rejected by her subjects... which no longer a problem since it's been thus proved that many of her subjects love her, her sister loves her, and the elements banished the darkness from her. And how would this even benefit Luna? Luna wanted to cover the world in never ending darkness so that people would be forced to appreciate her. She didn't want to make them miserable and if she ever did it was only so that they would be as miserable as she was. Luna isn't miserable anymore, and she's loved/appreciated (or at least ok with the fact people sleep at night)... so why be evil? How does this hugely elaborate plan suit Luna at all? Revenge? Maybe but that seems extremely petty. Furthermore how does disguising herself as Cadence and then revealing herself as Chrysalis help Luna's plot? She's now shown her alter ego/ other identity, and now people will be able to see it and sound the alarm when they do. I just don't think Luna is so foolish to believe that this attempt would work and if she DID think it would work, why not reveal herself as Luna instead of Chrysalis? If she didn't think it would work... why do it?! And if Luna is strong enough to beat Celestia, why didn't she do it 1000 years ago? She could have just as easily used her army to keep Celestia away from the elements and over powered her then like she did with Twilight now. The entire theory just leaves holes everywhere, and it actually defeats the entire purpose of the show. Luna being evil means the elements of harmony do not work to destroy evil. But if the elements don't work, and Twilight is the element of magic (magic that is derived from being so close and understanding the elements so completely), wouldn't she be powerless or at least very weak, and how would she turn into an alicorn since we're lead to believe the elements are what had the power to transcend Twilight into a princess. Also if the elements have no power you defeat their whole lesson which in its most basic form tells kids that good triumphs over evil and if you embrace these good qualities, you'll be successful. More likely to me is that Luna was gone rallying allies and warning them of the trouble they've been having. Or maybe she was patrolling the skies for the threat itself. Or maybe she doesn't always live in Canterlot castle. Why wasn't she there by Celestia when Discord reared his head up? Where are her guards? Since it's been shown Luna most likely has guards of her own that pulled her into Ponyville in Luna Eclipsed, and yet in a Canterlot Wedding and other episodes we see Celestia's guards at night time. If Luna lived there, why wouldn't they be there too? (FYI I don't think they were in costumes that night of Luna Eclipsed because she probably would have taken offence) I think Luna is primarily nocturnal, and that she doesn't live in Canterlot 100 percent of the time.