Helluva Boss took a minute. I watched Hazbin, first, and I fell in love with the themes and intense emotions. I started watching Helluva Boss, and, at first, I thought it was missing the emotion and heart...and then I kept watching, and now I'm not sure which I like more.

I get that. I said its better to have thicker skin in the post. It just sucks when people make assumptions about you based on what you like.

Hazbin Hotel. Within minutes of watching the pilot episode, I was ike, "Yep, this show was specifically tailored for me."

@Dreambiscuit That's a good way of looking at it. Looking back at this post I made before right before bedtime, I think it had more to do with interpersonal issues than actual quarrels with general online criticism. I mean, if its clear a reviewer, critic, analyst, etc are simply in it for narrow-minded criticism and hatred of something that annoys them, I just don't watch any farther. @Iforgotmybrain I haven't encountered much criticism of my favorite ponies, songs, episodes, etc. I've mainly just encountered the second part which is criticizing others simply for watching or enjoying an unproblematic show, and even if it's not direct, it's difficult not to pick up on some kind of judgment or assumption of people who watch a show. Yeah, toxic is a better word. I can be too quick to throw the gaslight word out there. You said they feel "smarter or more important," but it also seems like they feel "cooler." Words like "cringe" and "based" get thrown around and its ridiculous.

@Dreambiscuit Where do I start a blog? @Fluttershutter I took up your advice but bought this one because it was cheaper which is on its way to me.

Disclaimer: This post is based on observations and a general discussion I feel needs to be had. Its not coming from a hostile place nor is there a call to action. I also hope my language doesn't seem to vague or abstract or all over the place. I think readers will get the picture. So, it's been echoed recurrently throughout YouTube videos, internet discourse, and overall debates over fans' reactions to their favorite media being criticized constructively or otherwise. A good summation of their response is, "Go outside and touch grass." Listen, I get it. There's nothing wrong with critiquing works of art whether that be television, film, literature, video games, etc. In fact, I would argue its healthy. It's engaging to go farther than "I like this piece of media," or "I dislike this piece of media." It's also compelling to hear different types of critiques which provide a roundabout answer to various questions surrounding the media? What does it mean? Is that character/storyline/message problematic? Should this be explored? How does this fit in with our social climate?" Also, on a fundamental level. "Is this villain's backstory compelling? Was this storyline's pacing rushed or awkward?" I understand critiquing or even disliking a show for which I hold passion on a personal level and on a level of artistic appreciation (fancy way of saying I'm a fanboy). For example, My Little Pony? I understand there are fans of this show and other media that receive any criticism of their favorite show as a personal attack on them. The classic examples of retorts such as, "You just don't understand it!" Or "This show wasn't made for you, anyways!" Or even something suggesting their favorite show is objectively good, great, or even perfect. Trust me, I've become obsessed with My Little Pony, but I don't see critiques or criticisms of the show as personal attacks on me. Even when the criticisms are smarmy, pretentious, sanctimonious, etc, I might politely engage debate with the critic, but I'm not going to respond on behalf of the show as if I'm a defense attorney. From what I've seen on this site, I feel like 99% of fans share the sentiment. That being said...is it not fair to point out when it goes to far and does become a roundabout personal attack? Is there a point where declarations are made or generalized assumptions are asserted or even facetious jokes that take a step too far? What am I talking about? So, I love My Little Pony, and wouldn't you just be so surprised I'm also a massive fan of other pieces of fiction? Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, Owl House, Gravity Falls, X-Files, Breaking Bad, etc. I'm a fandom guy and that's just who I am. At a certain point, though, I'm with friends and we're talking about things we all love. Two of my friends and I were talking about The Boys, another show I like quite a bit...not to the level of MLP, but I would consider myself a big fan. Also, they'll bring up shows both or either of them like, and I'll engage in conversation even if its something I don't like. For example, I don't like the Marvel movies? I recognize the artistic merit of some of them, I like some of the characters, and there are a few movies I could see myself watching again, but I'm not a fan. I'll happily discuss them, though, and both criticize and praise various qualities. I'll make my dislike known, but I won't go farther than that. On the other hand, if I start talking about MLP or Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss (three shows shows I receive the most negatively for liking), I can't really get a word in? Even if they claim to hear me, every three sentences there's a joke aimed at the show, and I'm present. One day, I even noticed a friend out of nowhere say, "What's that show you like? ****bag hotel?" And there's the constant insinuation that MLP fans simply must be perverted in some way. I even had a friend who's non-Christian say, "I hope the Christians win on this one" talking about Hazbin Hotel. Was he joking? Yes. Did I appreciate it when I can't discuss something I love with friends without supposedly playful bashing? Not at all. Am I being unreasonable? I haven't made these feelings known with these people, but what I'm talking about operates on both an interpersonal level as well as on a larger level regarding online discussion of such media. Sometimes, it feels like gaslighting. Why does it feel like a problem? People like me, and I'm sure plenty of people on this site, have an emotional connection with MLP and other pieces of fiction. Of course, not everyone will have that personal connection or take a liking to my favorite stuff. I'm perfectly fine with that. I mean, lots of people in my family love football. In my law classes, students are notorious for checking in on NFL or College Football, and I totally get it. I wouldn't be caught dead watching NFL, but I understand their appreciation. The athleticism. The competition. Celebrating shared victory with their favorite teams with their friends who have the same favorite teams, or even playfully rub their friends' faces in their team's victory over their friend's favorite teams. I might state I don't like football, and I might even go further and say, "I can't have much of a discussion with you about it because I know nothing," but that doesn't mean I don't respect it? When a small subset of unreasonable fans go out of their way to attack critics of their favorite media, it seems like those critics use it as reason for outright mocking and generalizing certain pieces of media and trying to trip them of any artistic merit? It just feels like there should be a difference between criticism/critique and outright mockery and bashing? To say, "Its just a show, I'm not attacking you" doesn't hold as much water when you're making generalized criticisms as a negative representation of the show's appeal and the types of fans it allures. Constructive criticism of my favorite shows often make me appreciate the show even more. The fact the show has reached heights it compels critique speaks to the power and resilience of the show. But just because you aren't technically attacking the person, I don't feel like its overreaching to ask people to comprehend people have emotional connections with the shows and fiction they're passionate about, so is it a ridiculous request to keep negative comments to constructive criticism, or even just criticism, instead of left-field and outright bully-esque assumptions about the show's popularity simply because you don't like it? On that level, it seems like the critic feels like the show is an attack on them when they don't have to watch it, comment on it, critique it constructively or otherwise. How do you feel? I admit for my own good or anyone else's own good who feels the same way that it would be better to have thicker skin. MLP: FIM wouldn't have had nine seasons, a theatrical film, and a spinoff series of films/specials (Equestria Girls) if the toxic mockery actually had an effect on the show. Hazbin Hotel wouldn't be the most successful debut for an Amazon show if its mockery affected the show. Its just that it feels like the there's a refusal to consider the possibility that while these pieces of fiction are fiction, they resonate with people emotionally. People care about these shows and each fan has their own unique relationship with it. Maybe I'm just ranting, and if I am, I hope you understand. It just seems like the, "Its just a (insert art medium)" is kind of gaslighty when you're criticizing a show for only being popular because of a negative generalization of the show's fanbase or mocking your friends without allowing them to express the positive influence their show has had on them. Would love to hear your thoughts? I could be overreacting, but its a pattern I've noticed when it comes to toxic division between different types of passions whether that be for sports, different types of media (as in, you hate shows like MLP but you love shows like Breaking Bad, a show I also love), cooking...I even have a friend who has a sincere and genuine passion for advertisement design and he's shown me details and observations which are genuinely compelling. What do you guys think? There's a roundabout thesis, here, but I made this post on a whim and I'm new to the site so I'm kind of just trying to get in the habit of engaging the community.

@Starlight Serenade It really is a lightning-in-a-bottle situation where so many talents came together and constructed such an alluring world with rich, identifiable, and relatable characters, yet there's a certain degree of quality that just can't intentionally be achieved. Luna made the stars align in such a way that the show was such a critical and commercial hit working on so many levels. The themes, the endless dynamics between the Mane Six, the adorable and compelling CMC, even the secondary characters are memorable and so wonderful, you realize their lives have stories of their own. And I'm not beyond recognizing flaws, and I'm sure anypony can find things they wish the writers had have done differently (for me, Starlight's backstory was somewhat disappointing, and that's an analysis I'd love to write on its own. Maybe I'll start there? I'd love to do a dive into Starlight's character, her role as a villain and as an ally, but also critique her backstory. I've already looked into YouTube channels. I obviously found Jenny Nicholson. My first video was her "Brony Analysis" of the film, and since I knew nothing about her, I didn't realize the sarcastic, deadpan intention of the analysis, and because the criticism was so angry brony-esque, I was put-off until I found the nature of her and her videos. I was like, "This is the horse-famous pegasister?" Then I realized and now I watch the video, and its actually kind of brilliant because while the criticisms are exaggerated parodies of annoyingly unnecessary criticisms, it's still believable because a less vitriolic version of a few of the criticisms I can see being a genuine critique. I must say, I already have great feelings about this site. I'm in multiple Facebook fan groups, and even though they have "rules" against NSFW content, there couldn't be poorer administration, and I hate NSFW content. I'm not going to go into moral ramifications or the sorts, but everything the show did for me, that's one thing it didn't do for me, and seeing imagery depicting my favorite characters who mean so much too me in both innocent but complex ways, its genuinely upsetting to the point it got to where I was simply blocking everypony who posted the content, but it did nothing to quail what I saw, and one guy in particular knew I didn't like it, so he would post the worst stuff on any status I made. One of many reasons I went looking and found this site, so I love that I've yet to come across anything like that. I just...I don't like it. On a personal and fundamental level, it goes beyond making me cringe. Its upsetting, and like you said, the show actually helps "grounds" us in reference to what I said, the NSFW content looks like an "escape" to a place I really don't want to go. It feels like a violation, and it feels like it goes against everything I love about the show. Sorry about the long response to you in particular, haha. There were just multiple things I wanted to respond to, and my thoughts went certain directions, and I had to express my appreciation for the absence of upsetting content.

@Ice Princess Silky Thank you for your kind words! I spoke with my ex-girlfriend, today, who used to be a pegasister. She was asking me how I am "handling it." It might seem like a joke, but when I finish a show I become passionate about, there really is like a hole in my heart, and seeing how this show struck more chords with me than any show I've ever watched in such an innocent but maturing, heart-warming, well-written show with unforgettable characters and everlasting emotions. That's why I can't wait to do more on this fansite! @Trot Shuffle Love the name! I would love for @Ice Princess Silky I've looked into the IDW comic books, and I'm primarily interested in the chapter books @Fluttershutter mentioned. Also, @Fluttershutter. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll look into all the links and suggestions. I thinking hopping around and doing light, silly roleplay is the best option, but I don't have experience in roleplaying at all! So I'm already behind there. I'll have to look around and see how it goes. And thanks for a good place where I could post my episodic analyses. I think that's a good place to start since analysis is what I already have strong experience in. @Emerald Heart Yes, please assist me. I have loads of experience in writing, but NONE in fan fiction.

I'm In Tears In my welcome post, I spelled out my involvement with the fandom in the title of the post, "Late to the Pony." I got very warm and cozy reactions with a few quailing my insecurity about joining the fandom so late, but I've had time to contemplate things as I was midway through the eighth season and knowing this wonderful show was drawing to a close, mainly with regards to how late I was to joining the fandom. Its something I couldn't handle, and as satisfying, heartwarming and heartbreaking as the bittersweet finale was, its difficult to handle. It really is. Being a fanboy in general, shows I've come to love and hold close to my heart has syphoned in and out of my viewing rotation based on what I've got going on in life. I've come across many shows and fallen in love with so many. Gravity Falls, Owl House, Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, Futurama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel, and currently, Hazbin Hotel is an obsession that's early in its phase, and Helluva Boss (its spinoff) is still ongoing; however, MLP: FIM has genuinely changed me, and its a show I'll never forget. As the show went on, the show's hand slowly made its way into my soul. Since I began watching it, I've had so much going on. Namely law school and a couple relationships as well as difficulty with substance abuse. For some reason, though, My Little Pony didn't help me "escape." It grounded me. It inspired me. It spoke to me. It made me laugh and it made me cry. It made me think and it made me relax. I would jokingly say I cried too many times, but honestly, such an emotional and soulful show warrants tears, emotion, humanity, and all the rest. No matter what mood I was in, no matter what personality I felt attractedt to expressing, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the first show I could always come home, watch, and feel like myself even if I still don't know exactly what "myself" is. There's comfort shows. There's intensive dramas and thrillers. Then, there's My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, which despite any flaws, grabbed my heart and it won't let go from now until forever, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You should have seen me in my lawn chair with my Coraline blanket and my Mane Six plushies bawling like a child watching the final three episodes. I hate to speak to early, but My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has the material to be my all-time favorite television show. I at least know its top five. What's To Come Now, I feel more equipped to engage the fandom, but I've been thinking where to go from here? Ostensibly, the title of this post includes, "For The First Time" because I'm obviously going to watch it again! I'll give it a minute besides an episode here and there because I do want to watch The Next Generation and Make Your Mark, but when I return to watching FIM, again, I want to watch it with intention. I'm the guy who wrote 12-page papers out of 5-page papers in college. I'm in law school because of my overthinking and need for analysis. I love to engage my mind, and I love to write. Now, that I've let the wonderful show wash over me with no guard, I've come to appreciate that watching the show long after the height and mainstream attention given to the show's fandom, its given me a different experience than those who were around for the height of the fandom. For example, when I watched "Slice of Life," which could be renamed, "MLP: FIM: The Fan Service Episode," as much as I loved it, it had a different effect on me since I wasn't aware of much of the fandom's engagement with the show. I watched the show ignorant of the nuances and complexities of the fandom. Not only am I choosing to engage the fandom, but this is also the first time I've went out of my way to throw myself into a fandom with such veracity. I want to engage the community. I want to interact with others. I want to get involved in role plays. I want to read fan fiction and hopefully write some of my own fan fiction eventually (I am a lifelong writer, but I've never dabbled into fan fiction). Mainly, though, where do I start? Here is an early draft of a project idea of where I could start. Late To The Pony: Pony Studies (Episodic Analysis?) Like I said, I'm an avid writer and I love analysis. Not just reviews, but analysis. So, and I'm being legitimate, what about actually essays analyzing each episode? That might sound like a heap, but I can turn an idea for a piece of writing into a thousand words at the drop of a dime, and I have so much to say about these episodes. Strengths, weaknesses, methods and differences in characterization from episode to episode. Discussing the lore, etc. Yes, I kind of want to be that guy. The guy you jokingly assume with your friends he has a 100-page essay over every episodes. Clearly not to that extreme, but I think it would be fun? Rewatching the show, but writing an analysis for each episode. Not a review, an analysis. Why it speaks to me. Why it speaks to others. How the characterizations functioned in the episode. The lore explored and what it adds or contextualizes. I love analyses, and this is a straightforward way to begin with plenty of content to sit through and the analyses would come from a person who wasn't affected (positively or negatively) by the fandom when it was in full-swing. A unique perspective from a person who puts as more analysis into the art I consume as I put into case law in law school and anthropology and psychology when I was in college, and I'm not saying I would want to finish this project before I do anything else. Like I said, I want to get into roleplaying. I want to get into reading and eventually writing fan fiction. I want to get into events. So, my final heading... Can anypony help me? Where would I post these analyses? Should I write some or all of them ahead of time first and then start posting them? Or just post them in real time? Is it a good idea? Is there a better approach? And where can I get involved in roleplaying and events? What clubs should I enjoy and what are the fundamentals of being an active member of a fandom? I would love some hoofholding from anypony. Brony, pegasister, whoever. I mean, I also genuinely want to make friends (in case you didn't know, friendship is a somewhat obscure and unspoken theme in Friendship is Magic). So, I would love some help, direction, mentoring. I genuinely just want to get as much as I can from diving headfirst into this fandom and doing a fandom dive and engagement for the first time in such a way I don't feel like a fish out of water. I just want some help, please! I love everypony, here, and I beyond love this show to the point I crave more engagement, and this seems like the perfect place to do so. You can call me Twilight and I'll call you Celestia. I know that was rather open-ended, but any responses would be appreciated. Thank you so much to everypony for letting me be here. I just want to feel like a contributor to the fandom. Someone who makes the fandom richer the same way others have made it richer for me in what little engagement I've done on reddit and Facebook. Thank you!

Thank you! I often gatekeep against myself as though I'm unable to become a "true" member of a fandom when I'm this late to the show (literally). But I appreciate it and thank you!

I'm not sure what to put here?