Do you wish you had joined the fandom earlier?

[Solid 1,326]

I started watching the show a bit after when it first aired, around in late 2010 to early 2011, so I'm not complaining xD

[icyfire 433]

I do. I started watching the show late 2012- early 2013. I also wish I did more with the community. I only started exploring the fourms and putting my art online this year.

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

Nah because i joined during the high life back between season 1 and 2 in 2011. Were some good times. Weird to think it was 4 years ago i joined this fandom, time flies.

I started watching the show a bit after when it first aired, around in late 2010 to early 2011, so I'm not complaining xD

daaaang dude youre an OG XD

I couldn't exactly join it much earlier anyway but I wouldn't have wanted to. All of the best fan creations came after season two started.

whatchu talkin bout willis? "FiM bitch" is awesome

I joined after season 4 had just finished. Yes, I really wish I had joined earlier. Just getting into the fandom and it's already dying

THIS FANDOM IS FAR FROM DEAD

[Aner-Dyfan 46]

Considering I only began watching May this year, yes I really do wish I had joined it sooner! Missed out on so much discussion as the series and characters developed.

[KrazyDashie 1,846]

I knew about mlp since around 2011...? or 2010. but becaome a brony in 2013... but got into the fandom officially last year. I wish I got in sooner :/

[AlbaTross 1,581]

I started watching the show just under a year and a half ago, and joined this forum just under 10 days later, around the time I watched Bridle Gossip. To answer the OP question, yes and no. This show is such a fascinating phenomenon that I would have liked to have been around when it started. However, I'm also thankful I missed all the drama surrounding season 3 and its finale. I was skeptical about Twilicorn, but all I had to do was watch the next episode to see what the writers did with that plot point. I hear a lot of fans left the fandom over Magical Mystery Cure, and I won't even try to imagine what the forums must have been like at that time.

 

Season 4 was still airing when I first started watching the show, but a good portion of the hiatus had passed by the time I caught up so I didn't have to wait the whole year. That's another advantage to joining the fandom late. Obviously, having more episodes to enjoy is an advantage in general. A few of the graphic novels were already out, and I'm just at the stage now where I think I might want to check out the novels, and some of them are in box sets at a reduced cost!

 

By the way, I mentioned this last year, but even as a new fan, I never felt like I didn't fit in, either here or at BronyCAN. It clearly doesn't matter when you joined the fandom. You're here now, and you're just as much a part of the Brony community. That's what I felt then, and that's what I feel now. Sure, maybe being around earlier would have been fun, but I have no regrets about joining the fandom when I did.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,314]

Definitely. I joined the fandom in 2012 and it changed my life, but I actually found the show exactly one year earlier in 2011 thanks to some YouTube videos. I was having a pretty rough time being happy then (still am having that issue but I have a bunch of friends here so that helps) so me embracing the show then would have been far better I think. Still, I am happy I was able to join the fandom before season 3 at least. One of the best decisions I have ever made.

[InsertUsernameHere 149]

Yes x 400bil. I really wish I had joined this amazing fandom earlier.

[Magic Rasin 180]

 I joined the fandom before Party of One (season 1, episode 25) came out, but I was basically a brony since the show aired  I think joining earlier would've been neat but I'm fine with when I joined. I've never contributed though. (forum posts don't count)

[Guest]

I am not a brony, but I have observed the fandom since 2010 when it started. So I guess I was "here" since the start, but not really doing anything. I didn't really partake in any real discussions until around late 2011, so I just lurked.

[Cyandashie 128]

I've been hearing about My Little Pony (the whole franchise; I don't think that counts though) around 2006 through 2009... bronies since November 2011. My friend showed me S2E25 and E26 in April 2012, but I officially became one in November of that year.

Edit: I also became one right before Season 3 started.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Dashie2012

[Trixie Heartstrings 433]

Absolutley. I didn't start watching the show until February last year(a day after Filli Vanilli aired to be exact), but I knew about the show and the fandom earlier. I knew about the show from advertisments, and the first mention I heard outside of promos was when Bill Clinton was asked questions about it on Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. The first time I heard about the fandom(that I remember) was in 2012, I heard there were people at my brother's high school that were fans. I thought it was kinda weird, but didn't care since it was harmless.

 

In 2013, I learned more about the show and fandom, and wanted to watch it, but was worried about how my family would react, plus the alicorn Twilight and Equestria Girls drama also scared me away. Then I watched Turnabout Storm, which spiked my interest up again, and I was like, "fuck it, I'm watching the show." Then my mom and brother were looking on Netflix and wondering what My Little Pony was doing under Recently Watched(after I watched the first 3 episodes). Then my brother came and I was like "trollolol." An hour later, we ended up watching the show together, and we both became fans of it.

 

It helped me feel less depressed, but I wish I watched it earlier, since I started feeling depressed late 2011, but more so in 2012 and 2013, although I think that was because I was starting adolescence, and I couldn't find an identity until I started watching MLP, being a brony was/is a huge part of my identity personally(not that many people know that I'm a brony irl). Another reason is because there are rumors that the show is going to end in 2 years, and I'm kinda worried the fandom will die off after the show ends, but I mostly think the fandom will still be around even after the show ends. The other thing is I kinda feel that the fandom isn't as active as it used to be, so I feel I joined when it was "too late".

[rarity1 461]

I don't think it would have made a difference either way.

[ponylaces 1,869]

I first found the show in 2012 but never stuck to watching it. Man, I really wish I did.

[Denim&Venöm 16,534]

I liked to think I joined at a reasonable time, spring of 2012, shortly after the end of S2. It worked out cause MLP lifted me out of my funk of failing college and helped me move on, rather than just punishing myself for failure by not doing anything fun and engaging.

 

That could be considered the time when Bronydom broke through, and that's why it got my attention. However, I do wonder what it would've been like to have caught the show from it's inception, what I would've thought watching those first episodes upon first airing, finding the community, watch it grow, taking in the show's lessons and applying them to my life sooner. 

 

Not sure where I would be if that's how things unfolded. 

[1Bit 1,531]

It would have been crazy cool to have joined earlier to be swept up in the craze as it just formed but sadly...I only joined (or even knew about it) during season 4 so I'm a latecomer here

[alpinefroggy 451]

Yeah, I am a latecomer but the fandom is still booming so Id rather be here late than not at all

[Trixie Heartstrings 433]

Yeah, I am a latecomer but the fandom is still booming so Id rather be here late than not at all

Or as they say, better late than never.

[OFFLINE 11]

I think I'm one of lastest people who joined the fandom (4 weeks ago). Yes I wish that I had joined the fandom earlier.

But like Trixie Heartstrings said better late than never.

Edited August 24, 2015 by DrunkenUnicorn

[Steve Piranha 28,787]

Definitely. I joined the fandom in 2012 and it changed my life, but I actually found the show exactly one year earlier in 2011 thanks to some YouTube videos. I was having a pretty rough time being happy then (still am having that issue but I have a bunch of friends here so that helps) so me embracing the show then would have been far better I think. Still, I am happy I was able to join the fandom before season 3 at least. One of the best decisions I have ever made.

We are in the same train here, poneh was the light in the despair. I'm still struggling with my happiness, but at least I'm more motivated in graduating and leaving the gettho  . YAY PONEH 

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

I kinda do...but it would've been harder because I was still in high school...and my parents already knew I was a major PokéNerd. 

[PROJECT: Simon 3,953]

Yes.. yes of course.. I love this fandom so much ^.^

[TFarrgon 57]

I knew about the fandom for a long time, but never got into it until March 2015. I deeply regret not getting into it earlier, everything about the show and the fandom is fantastic, I love it, this almost trumps my gamer side which has been a part of me for years.

[Paleopony 690]

I wish I watched the show and joined the herd back when it just came into existence (I would be 9 years old at that time though).

[AppleButt 8,669]

I joined in summer of 2011 before Season 2 came out when I was 18 and just graduated high school.  I’m highly content with when I discovered it.  

I was highly depressed in high school.  Had I discovered it then I’d have focused on it instead of my school work.  
 

Any later then I wouldn’t have had something to look forward to in time for when I desperately needed it to keep going.  
 

It was good times.  I miss when you couldn’t go anywhere on the internet without running into a pony reference.