Tacodidra

The poll Equestria Daily had back in the day shows how unpopular it is...

Also, I'm glad to hear you like the Sunset avatar. She was one of the very few notable characters I hadn't used yet. I found this expression adorable, and fittingly, it's from my favorite EqG special.

I seem to have enjoyed season 1 a bit more than you did, maybe it's in part because I entered it with low (or more accurately mixed) expectations. "A Dog and Pony Show" was the clear highlight for me (the episode that originally made me a Rarity fan). Nice to see "The Show Stoppers" get a decent rating, I feel that episode gets bashed a lot – I always enjoyed the CMC episodes for the variety they brought to the series, even if they were (understandably) a bit more childish than the others. The friendship letters were never among the most important parts of the show to me, though I feel it was a decent way to incorporate the mandated morals (more about this later on), unlike some shows where the characters get preachy all of a sudden for no reason. The one in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" was very beautiful, though, and even kind of bittersweet at that time from a personal point of view.

Season 2... I never truly hated an episode myself, but I'm not surprised at that rating for "Mysterious Mare Do Well". I'd criticize Rainbow Dash's portrayal in that episode too, one flaw in the series was sometimes making the characters act like jerks out of nowhere just for the sake of the plot. I remember you mentioned loving "Ponyville Confidential" before, but I was still a bit surprised at that 5/5 rating. Not that there's anything wrong with the episode – it's a very good one, but I don't remember seeing it usually get as much praise from people as some other episodes do. Another strong season, especially "Lesson Zero" (the fun episodes were what stood out for me at this point). I'm not sure if you've heard this before, but season 1 was the only one to have an E/I (educational/informational) rating, which forced the inclusion of the obvious morals, for example, and not having that in the later seasons gave the crew more creative freedom.

Season 3: Yay for the "Wonderbolts Academy" rating – my favorite of the season and one that made me appreciate Rainbow Dash much more. I'm glad to see you enjoyed this season a lot – for me, it's the weakest despite still being a very good one, but I think that's mostly down to the short length and consequently being somewhat rushed at times. The way you wrote about season 3 as the original ending of the show, I think it makes sense. Though I'm glad we got more seasons and a more definitive conclusion.

Back in 2017, the EqG movies were just something I considered decent filler to watch between the seasons (funny coming from someone with a Sunset avatar). "Rainbow Rocks" was my favorite by far, the others didn't have as much of an effect on me despite my interest in the human world starting to grow. I agree 100% on the Luna design, it misses everything that makes the pony one of the best-designed characters in FIM. I only really got into EqG with the later specials and shorts (so I may not have much to say on the movies).

Season 4 is my favorite in the whole show – at one point, I gave that honor to season 1, but this one deserves it. I'm not the biggest fan of the season opener, but a lot of the others are brilliant. "Flight to the Finish" absolutely deserves that 5/5, and I'm really happy to see Coco's debut get a perfect rating too. Here's probably the first episode I really disagree with you on – "Somepony to Watch over Me" has always appealed to me with its surprisingly adventurous approach for a non-season opener/finale (not to mention the cool chimera). It's generally pretty unpopular, and I admit it has its flaws (you'd expect Applejack to get more protective after Apple Bloom almost got eaten – "Who cares about a little sister, at least the pies are safe!"). "Twilight's Kingdom" is my absolute favorite in the series, the one time the word "epic" isn't exaggerated in the least. But if I have to look for negatives: what would have happened if Tirek hadn't betrayed Discord? For all the good things in it, this episode made me like Discord a little less. The standout rating compared to the general fandom opinion here is "Leap of Faith", it's not an episode I've seen get much praise (maybe in part due to a lot of people getting sick of the Flim Flam brothers).

Alright, a quick EqG comment: Trixie's band had the best song, they were absolutely robbed!

Season 5: Another excellent one. "Cutie Map" was indeed a brilliant start to the season, and had some of the most disturbing scenes FIM ever got. I still prefer the reformed Starlight, though. Great to see some more appreciation for the better CMC episodes! So many fives! "Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" would have to be my favorite, and I'm glad to see it get a great if not perfect rating. I disagree on "Slice of Life" – that was the episode that made me a fan of the background ponies not named Derpy (I had always liked her), but obviously it can't have the same effect on everyone. A fun one-off, but another attempt at the same wouldn't have worked at all. "The first two times this show has managed to get me choked up" – so it took you four seasons longer than for me. But I'm a crybaby when it comes to MLP for some reason.

Another quick EqG aside: I feel EqG is at its best when it crosses over with Equestria. But Sci-Twi is wonderful – the best Twilight in this series for me (I think she really takes that adorable nerdiness to a degree Princess Twilight rarely does)!

Season 6: One of the weaker seasons for me – though as an appreciator of almost everything G4, that still means excellent. "Gauntlet of Fire" is a definite highlight. "No Second Prances" is one where I disagree, I thought this episode was great, especially with some emotional moments and two former villains and misfits becoming friends – maybe it's in part because I find characters for whom making friends isn't that easy so relatable. I also enjoyed the finale a lot more than you did – any episode where the supporting cast gets a chance to shine can't be all bad. "The Saddle Row Review" is so deserving of that 5/5 – that episode really has everything, even best fashion Earth pony making a brief appearance (hey, I can't leave Coco without a mention when there's a chance to say something about her). I mentioned "28 Pranks Later" as an honorable mention for best episodes of the season back in 2017 – I have no idea what in Equestria I was thinking. Interesting to see how the ratings start varying a lot more with more 5s but also more 1s. Nothing I really disagree on among those, I'll just state I didn't hate "The Cart Before the Ponies", but something's really gone wrong when I find a racing-related episode of all things so unremarkable. What you said about Rarity in "Spice Up Your Life" is spot on – she'd never embrace mediocre and generic things just because somepony else does! As I already implied, I'm a fan of Starlight (like most of the characters on the show, really) – I guess the lack of episodes with her shows a problem with new characters that can't be helped. There will always be people who feel the character didn't appear enough and those that feel the exact opposite (regardless of how many appearances there actually were) – season 8 would have another case of this with the Student 6.

For me, Legend of Everfree was the last installment of EqG before it found its true greatness.

Season 7: Another high-quality season! "All Bottled Up" was very fun, and "Parental Glideance" is every bit as good as your rating implies. Strawberry Sunrise might be my biggest disagreement so far – I thought the scene was funny in all its silliness, though Rarity's guitar solo was the highlight of the episode. But otherwise, I won't defend the episode much – Rarity was obviously the one in the wrong here, why would she hire somepony who knows nothing about fashion to give feedback on it? Punk Rarity is glorious, she truly makes any work look! Good to see you found a lot to like in this season, too – I'd give a lot of episodes slightly higher ratings ("The Perfect Pear" and "Secrets and Pies" just to mention a couple), but I'm probably the most easily impressed MLP fan on the forums. I don't hate "Fame and Misfortune", but that one's really obviously the show crew voicing its frustration about criticism towards the series (even referring to the Twilicorn controversy). I do dislike the fact that all of the adult ponies took the wrong things from the journal – change that a bit, and maybe the fandom wouldn't have taken as much offense. Why were there only 25 episodes in this season?

The EqG specials... that's where I truly fell in love with the human world and the adventures in it. Thanks to the shorter length, the pacing is better with less filler. "Movie Magic" was the weakest one of the three – maybe the Scooby-Doo comparison you made could explain it a little, as I was never really a fan of that series. "Mirror Magic" is my second favorite EqG thing ever, not least thanks to human Starlight. I really like her design too, some of the pony-human transformations don't really work, but they nailed this one!

The movie: I watched it pretty soon after the DVD came out (I really need to rewatch it someday). It was enjoyable, but not as good as some of the highlights in the series. So my rating would probably be around 3.5 (rounded down if I have to). Out of the celebrity guests, I like Tempest, and Emily Blunt's portrayal of her, and Songbird Serenade is a perfect combination of the MLP art style and Sia's very recognizable look, with a nice song. But having heard rumors that Rara was planned to return in the movie before Sia was added to the cast, I can't help but wonder what could have been (having appeared before, maybe Rara would have played a more significant part, even)...

Season 8: This is the point where I expect to disagree with almost everyone in the pony fandom. I'm a huge fan of the Student 6. Their friendship is something I find even more admirable than that of the Mane 6. A bunch of creatures from different backgrounds, facing the prejudice of some ponies, who themselves have misconceptions about each other and their cultures, but who eventually grow to appreciate each other and become a relatable, fun group of friends. Their time on the show was brief, but I'm glad we got to meet them. As for where I disagree, I loved "Horse Play" and "The Break Up Break Down". Great to see some appreciation for "Molt Down" and "What Lies Beneath", though, and the five-episode run from "Road to Friendship" onwards might be the strongest in the whole series. I love "School Raze" too, but that's not really a surprise considering my appreciation for the students and Cozy Glow (the show's most interesting and surprising villain in my opinion). A million bonus points for not resorting to the Student 6 bashing I see a lot in the fandom! If I got a bit every time I saw complaints about how much they suck (often without any detail why), I'd be richer than Diamond Tiara's family. Lastly, I'm surprised you didn't mention Plainity. Plain? Not at all. One of Rarity's best looks? Indubitably.

"Forgotten Friendship" is the absolute high point of EqG for me, the "Twilight's Kingdom" of the human world. EqG may have been a secondary thing for me at one point, but after this, I acknowledged the best of the human content was right up there with the best of FIM. I already mentioned how much I like when the two worlds cross over, and this special was also the highlight of that, especially with Sunset meeting Celestia again. And Trixie had one of her best roles – seems we agree on a lot when it comes to this special! One little criticism I had: as Sunset used to be a bully and generally unlikable, maybe Wallflower having negative past experiences of her would have made her motive and actions a little more credible.

"Rollercoaster of Friendship" was another good special, though it pales in comparison to its predecessor. It might be a clichéd criticism, but the social media stuff bothered me a bit, as that's not something I can relate to at all (unless we're talking about this very forum and we aren't). The Rarity/Applejack chemistry is the highlight here for me. I absolutely love "Spring Breakdown", and I probably don't have to explain why. Sci-Twi as a pony was so much fun, especially since the crossovers are usually from Equestria to the human world. So I guess while we both liked, it was for slightly different reasons. And yeah, I like "Sunset's Backstage Pass" too. Would have been a better conclusion to the series than "Holidays Unwrapped" (not bad, but nothing more than an entertaining compilation of shorts – not really the best way to end G4!), though I still wish we had got a proper ending to the series. I pretty much feel the same way about the special as you did.

I agree with you on the Hearth's Warming specials being strong, and Best Gift Ever is definitely one of the highlights! Excellent portrayals of the characters, nice new introductions (Pistachio is third best fashion pony!), very deserving of that good rating.

Here's the surprise – Rainbow Roadtrip is one I'd give a lower rating than you did! It's an enjoyable special, but I definitely preferred the concurrent EqG special (Sunset's Backstage Pass). I love Petunia Petals, and the other new ponies were also likable, the visuals are beautiful, some emotional moments... but somehow it's still not among my favorites. Maybe a 3.5 for me, but I'm really glad this special has its big fans, too! I guess I should give it another chance at some point, maybe there's something I missed!

Season 9: If I haven't made it clear yet (I almost certainly have), I'm one of the few who feel the series kept its high quality to the very end. "The Beginning of the End" was one of my favorite season premieres. That speech by Discord was very emotional (I'll just ignore the things we found out later in the season here). The common complaint about Sombra's character being ruined is one I never subscribed to, maybe because I never found the original particularly interesting. I agree on "Uprooted" and "Going to Seed" being a bit meh, at least. "The Last Crusade" was an episode I loved, but I'm a sucker for emotional moments involving the characters I've grown to know and love over the years. Spike and Gabby were a random ship (yeah, I think it's heavily implied), but a very cute one. Yay for "She Talks to Angel" getting a high rating – the episode even made me like that evil creature more. The Grogar twist is one of the few usual complaints about season 9 that I agree on – it felt too contrived and did a lot of damage to Discord's character (maybe more so than any past episode). The villain trio was brilliant, and I'm glad to see you enjoyed them too. Nice to know the show also ended on a positive note for you despite everything! While "The Last Problem" wasn't without its... well, problems, I felt it was a worthy conclusion, especially in light of what happened to EqG.

All in all, thanks for a very fascinating and thought-provoking (as you can see) read! I especially liked the summary – an excellent description of what makes the show good while simultaneously taking into account its flaws. The importance of the more action-oriented episodes is something I especially agree on. As a cartoon fan, I have usually favored comedic cartoons ever since my childhood (with very few exceptions). But the inclusion of adventure and emotional moments alongside it is a big part of what makes FIM so special for me. The lack of that is a big reason why Pony Life (which I can't really recommend) never did much for me – G5 is doing a lot better, but the magic of FIM (and later EqG) is something that's hard to capture, even if it still shows up at times.