Does the series focus too much on the families?

[Slashy 101]

Though while I appreciate what they did, season 2 making the friendship lessons an individual journey for all major characters as well as the increased significance of Spike and the CMC (particularly Apple Bloom) lead to the writers starting to focus on their families.

 

We have seen a great deal of focus on the characters' families with it practically becoming an expectation now to see Apple Family or Twilight family episodes. We have regressed to the relationships these characters had before the pilot, and feel they are more important. While this may be treated as a good thing, it is odd when AJ has probably had more significance in the series being the leader of the Apple Family than as a member of the mane 6. After Twilight made all these new friends the fate of Equestria is better determined by all of the friends she made as a child (Spike, Shining Armor, Cadance).

 

It is beginning to seem like the Pie family is going the same route now, and Fluttershy will go the same route if the fans love her brother.

[cmarston1 5,952]

No.

We know so little about Scootaloo's family that people that the idea of her being either homeless and or an orphan is or was a highly accepted fan canon.

Until the show bothers to so much as mention Scootaloo having a mom and or dad, I can't say that they show focuses too much on families.

Plus we also know next to nothing about Rainbow's family either.  The closest we have is from a brief cameo in Games Ponies Play with a character who could possibly her father.

Also Twilight's parents are virtually nonentities at this point.

The only families that get a decent amount of screentime are Pinkies (who only got to it during and after season 4, and even then it is mostly Maud) and the Apples, as well as Shining Armor sometimes popping up now and again to support Princess Cadence.

As well as how it took 6 seasons for us to actually get any episode regarding Fluttershy having any sort of relatives is also kind of sad.

I don't think the series focuses too much on the families.

Edited May 26, 2016 by cmarston1

[Grepper 3,192]

To the contrary.

 

The series should focus on the mane six's families more, not less. Only Applejack's and Pinkie's families have been shown in depth.

[Megas 27,081]

Only AJ's, who's probably the only family I'd respond with "yeah, I'm tired of these guys". Hell I remember back in season 4 when they teased another family member of the mane 6 was appearing, quite a few people asked "is it just another Apple or will we actually see someone new?".

 

Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie are fair game though, we already get plenty of Maud, Shining, and Sweetie, but the rest of their families could use some exposure.

 

The pegasi are the only families I care about at this point though, as they've got jack shit for 5 seasons apart from some guy who looks like he's related to Rainbow Dash. I mean, we're six seasons in and only now we're finally gonna find out more about Fluttershy's family

Edited May 26, 2016 by Megas

[Stardust* 3,302]

There has only been a handful of episodes going in depth of the families of AJ and Pinkie Pie. With AJ's farm a huge source of food and beverages for Ponyville and beyond it does go back to the farm a lot just because it is such a big part of the sustainability of the ponies as a whole. 

 

As for Pinkie's family, it isn't as big of a deal, we saw them all together what? Once? maybe twice. We have seen Maud a grand total of maybe four times. 

 

Twilight's family is a large part now due to the fact that her brother is now "king" of the Crystal Empire. As for her parents they have been in also, four episodes. 

 

We have only seen Rarity's parents once. 

 

 

I don't really think this is such a bad thing either. It is good to understand where the ponies come from. I mean come on. Look at where Pinkie Pie came from, DRASTIC changes and personalities. But we now understand more about her because of her family. Same thing with AJ.

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

This is only true in Applejack's case, and to an extent we still don't a lot about many background family members, though they're just background characters for all intents and purposes. Pinkie's family plays a supporting role, Rarity and Twilight's families are background characters, and Fluttershy and Scootaloo both have no known families. In Rainbow Dash's case, a shown family member was only implied by character design and fan speculation, and has never been confirmed or denied by the show staff.

 

In all truth, we don't see enough of the ponies' families, and it would be nice to see them in order to get more of a background on who they are and where they come from, and to show a certain synergy between family and friendship. But since friendship is the main theme of the show, it's merely a side plot of the main mission.

[Kimi Vulpine 219]

I don't see what's wrong with that.

[Luminance 2,181]

The show focused on friendships and reformed antagonists but family theme episodes are far in between and usually consists of AJ and Pinkie's respectable families only. Sure, the series focus on family but not specifically expanding to the other main character's families which is still unknown.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

not at all. after all. we never got to see fluttershy's and dashie's families at all

[Thrond 3,257]

There's still a lot we don't know about many of the mane six's families. Certainly I would like to see more focus on new dynamics between the mane six (which the show has been doing lately - Rarity/Rainbow Dash, anyone?), but I also want to know a bit more about, say, Rainbow Dash's family. There are maybe too many episodes about Pinkie's family now, but Applejack's family has always been important to her. I want to know more about the ponies' families and upbringings, and I don't think that comes at odds with their new friendships. 

[Splashee 28,537]

I think we got a few family episodes, but the most i can remember was Applejack having a too large family?

And when it comes to best parents, caring about the achievements of their daughter, it was Scootaloo's

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

I don’t think they focus on the families enough, to be quite honest. I still wish they gave Rarity’s parents at least one more episode where they actually talked.

[DubWolf 16,636]

I never cared too much about having to go through each character's family if they weren't already involved majorly in the plot  . I never even watched the episode about Starlight's parents  . I guess such episodes were usually boring to me unless they were just on the side instead of focusing on them. I don't think I quite know how I feel about it.  .

Like I could have lived if Scootaloo's parents never appeared on the show  . That episode supposedly wasn't all that great too many. Like certain episodes were only made because people "wondered" about their relatives.... again I don't know why I don't care, can't say much  .