What convinced you that this show could be good?

[Denim&Venöm 17,353]

Heading to MyLittleBrony, seeing the responses to Canterlot wedding, and finding Queen Chrysalis there. I looked at her and went, "Okay, there has to be more to this show then a bunch of immature childishness if there's something like her walking around on screen." 

Edited November 12, 2015 by Denim&Venom

[Celtore 2,770]

The first episode and an open mind was the hook, but the simple episode structure charmed me. I was more used to the classic structure where there's an antagonist that shows up in every episode, like no-tail no-goodnik. I liked how the episode focused on the main characters and realistic problems that were actually relatable.

 

And as for my superficial reasons, I love the animation style and the characters are adorable. I thought that even before I watched an episode.

[RarityFan01 2,444]

It's a cartoon with talking animals. 

 

I like cartoons with talking animals.

[Venomous 18,843]

Nothing particular convinced me.

I just kept watching until I found myself liking the show.

[Steel Accord 6,659]

@@chirox the pony,

 

For me it was finally looking up the TV Tropes page and A ) discovering the brony fandom's existence and B ) Lauren Faust created it. 

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

The outhouse joke in Winter Wrap Up.  I couldn't believe they would put a joke like that in. 

[Celli 4,336]

I saw that it was popular, saw a YTP, watched the episode it was made from, liked it, and then watched a couple more random episodes and loved them.

[Rainboom Dash 1,055]

Seeing how so many people liked it drove me to see what all the fuss was about. I sure found it.

[Biggybrony 244]

I watched it. Before that I thought it was thought of as a 'so bad it's good' kind of thing.

[Trixio 443]

Meh,I don't know exactly.I think the characters.

[Merion 783]

Lauren Faust's character designs!

 

I grew up with MLP's Gen 1 and Gen 2 and I loved ponies to bits... But then, when I was in my teens, Gen 3 and 3.5 struck and I lost all interest in the franchise. I wasn't a very girly teenager so MLP didn't appeal to me... plus I just genuinely disliked the Gen 3 character designs.

 

And then Faust came and turned the show around! I loved how she redesigned the ponies and just had to watch the show. 

 

It's a cartoon with talking animals. 

I like cartoons with talking animals.

 

Oh yeah. This too. 

[Flying_Endeavor 73]

For me, it would have to be the different character interactions which goes with every episode. How the story line gradually progresses and moves forward. I also like how Hasbro takes their fanbase into account, hence the countless fan services during the Background Pony episode. Hopefully, we would see more involvement from ponies other than the Mane 6 in the future. Basically, all the ponies tying the nation of Equestria together. 

 

And oh, not to mention the characters are also nice.  

Edited November 12, 2015 by Flying_Endeavor

[Steve Piranha 29,384]

Well, I've watched some episodes, before becoming a brony officially. I wasn't hooked up at first, but I've noticed the Mane6 deviated from female protagonist stereotypes and I've kept giving it a try.... until Canterlot Wedding, where I can say....

[cider float 2,537]

I guess it can be because of anime like One Piece. When I first saw the art I was like ugh I don't like this. But when I watched it I'm like damn this is a good show. And then from then on any anime that looked weird or meh turned out I liked it. This show was no different and it basically comes to pass that don't judge a show by it's art or even animation it comes down to the story and how good the characters entertain you.

[Kivil 1,721]

I was convinced at th time because I guess I was the targeted audience but nowadays I love it for the all ages appeal

[Dawnchaser 🌄 8,088]

Simple answer - watching it.

 

There are cartoons I like and those I dislike.

 

I watched my first episode.

I liked it.

 

First episode was S1E04 - found AJs stubbornness and attempts to please everyone reminded me of my wife.

Went back to S1E01 and binge-watched the rest.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

At first, I dont think I will like the show (I watched some fantastic ss1 ep but those still couldnt convince me). After watching Rainbow Rocks, im a fanboy of this show for 1 year until now... Equestria Girls series made me come to show but then I love the show more than EQ.

[redshell 195]

The characters, the story and the art style

[GeekySonic 1,150]

The fact that someone could make a cross-over with it and one of my favorite video games (Fallout) with it being so enjoyable. I've never been very interested in reading fanfiction, but I kept hearing about My Little Pony this, and My Little Pony that. Eventually, I caught wind of Fallout Equestria somewhere on the Internet.

 

I watched the AnYPony's video on it (I delved deep into the fandom before ever watching the show), and decided I'd go for it.

 

As soon as I finished reading Fallout Equestria, my first thought was, "I'm now a Brony." I really couldn't believe what I had just read. I wanted to know how anyone could look at that show and expertly weave Fallout themes into it.

 

A couple months later, I watched The Cutie Map, and I guess I officially became a Brony.

[SteveMorison 404]

I watched the show and it was good.

[AnArtisticPontato 91]

I heard the animation quality was pretty good, so I started watching and here I am now, watching pastel-colored horses and enjoying it.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

I was a lurker on many sites back in the ripe old year of 2011 when I started seeing some of my favorite reviewers and artists referencing MLP more and more. I had heard of the Hub Network back then and didn't think much of it, I had thought either Pound Puppies or The Twisted Whiskers Show would have become their highest rated and/or best-known show, so I watched a few episodes of those and hedged bets on those becoming popular. I was surprised to see MLP:FiM, out of all of its shows, catching on with audiences.

 

I didn't have much of a barrier, considering I was usually indifferent to girls' shows and franchises (didn't actively loathe them like some people did), and seeing how The Powerpuff Girls did become popular outside of its target demographic and proved that a cartoon with young girl characters and "girly" iconography can have crossover appeal, I thought it was fully possible that this MLP show could follow that precedent.

 

I had seen a couple of episodes and forgot about it for a few months at first, until I started looking up the MLP Wiki and compilation videos on YouTube. It was mainly the humor of Pinkie Pie that drew me in at first, then the other characters really started to grow on me once I got to know them. Once I found that all of the episodes were on YouTube at the time, I had watched every episode in the series, something I rarely ever do.

 

I didn't grow up when G1 was around, nor did I see anything G3 other than the occasional commercial, so I had nothing going into this that could dissuade me.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Wind Chaser

[Trottermare Galamane 12,004]

someone made me watch "Lullaby for a Princess" and i genuinely felt sorry for both Celestia and Luna

[pony.colin 156]

Huh, this is funny, but I can't really come up with a solid reason to answer this question.   But honestly ..... I'm not really sure if there was one single thing that convinced me that I could like the show after a certain point  ...... that sounds pretty strange doesn't it?

 

Like even thinking about it back (I started watching in summer of 2011, just before Season 2 started) and I only started watching because TVtropes (that place is a horrible place to lose your life and time)

 

And I just decided why not, I'll just watch the first episode to know what everyone is talking about. Watching chronologically, I had finished Applebuck Season and was really reaching for a reason to continue (I was thinking people were watching it because it was more adventure, due to the first two episodes seeming like they would be adventure fantasy so I was onboard for that initially, didn't expect SOL afterwards until later).

 

Hmm detracting from OP, umm. I think it was due to mix of a few different reasons as to when I thought I could 'like the show'. 

 

1. I wasn't watching anything else at the time, and there wasn't anything I found to be interesting or that I seemed to find enjoyable, or at least interesting.  (Pone took a really long slow build-up). But it was gradual thing, not an instantaneous interest that grew.

2. I'm pretty sure, Fluttershy suckered me into staying. And later Pinkie Pie kept me around.  But good interesting characters overall as well.

3. It wasn't a terrible show (I had expectations that kept switching between low to modest for the first turn around. )

4. This might be one of the stronger reasons that influenced me to think I could like it more, was the fandom artwork. Which I kept running into constantly and found some to be fantastic (I think I kept a folder, but lost it during a HDD crash and never got back up with it). Also a lot of fandom music as well spurred more interest to sway that I could probably end up liking pone.  But, the thing is, I can't remember if that was during the first little while that I started watching or if that actually happened after I was already interested enough in pone to say I was liking it.  (can't remember). But this one is probably the strongest reason to feed my interest and to later change opinion about the show, which fed back into 1, 2 and 3. (just don't recall when it started to affect things.  Granted, I'm a huge lurker on these things).  But you know, a relatively good enthusiastic fandom might have been the biggest influence for me to come around and see what was all the fuzz about.

5. I think it took until like 'Party of One' to stop having such low or switching expectations.  And maybe to say, okay I guess I'm comfortable with this (cause seriously, Party of One).

 

Probably a side thing but 2011 was not a great time in my life, so I maybe need some thing to balance out what I was feeling on a personal level.

Edited November 15, 2015 by pony.colin

[Broken Gear 29]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6GILnGHW4I - this video. Also discovering that the last (well maybe second-last) person I would have suspected of watching it is a fan.