Why Does MLP:FiM "Click" For You?

[Nightfall Gloam 18,265]

MLP really clicks with me because I enjoy the characters and I find the show to be a little "different" to other shows like it in some way. I also like the animation style as well as some music and the shows generally pretty happy and cheerful vibes. The show is the perfect escape from reality! ^^

[ShadowPhoenix 153]

Oh, so many things. I have not addressed this question in some years so I’ll try:

 

I guess what really makes MLP click is its scope. For an animated show with children as it’s intended demographic, it has managed to transcend both the limitations artificially imposed upon it by its parent company and dismissive pre-conceptions held by the periphery. The creators of this show have managed to immerse the viewers in the magical world of Equestria rife with seemingly boundless opportunities and settings for its stories and its unwillingness to be restricted to one format or genre. The hard work and dedication infused is evident with the sheer volume of allusions, visual gags and references packed within each episode and the gradual improvements in animation over the last eight years. Just the fact that this body of work spans eight years, including Equestria Girls, the comics, the chapter books and other merchandise… and the fact Generation Four managed to un-fuck and completely revitalise a progressively declining and saccharine franchise from the 1980s speaks for itself.

 

More importantly, MLP presents us with a representation of a better, more utopian, world. It requires surprising effort and courage to govern one’s own life with such joy as the ponies do and demand for more meaningful and long-lasting interpersonal relationships and friendships. The unbridled effervescence exuded by the show is a light in the general darkness amidst the uncertainty and tribulations of life. The show provides a shelter from the real world where it is not ridiculous to hope that events will turn out okay. Keeping that in mind, MLP does not shy away from darker premises, underlying themes and emotions nor does it generally obfuscate the truth or talk down to its viewers. It’s refusal to just be another by the numbers program for children aids it greatly. There are too many examples to cite, but the resolution to Rarity’s dilemma in Sweet and Elite, and Rainbow’s coping mechanism and emotional response in Tanks For The Memories are just some of the instances where the show has dared to be different. The general direction of the show does indeed meander along the lines of merchandise and toy sales but it has managed to surmount that limitation by adapting and growing through the years.

 

Eight seasons on, and MLP stands pretty much alone in terms of achieving the delicate balance of juggling a huge ensemble cast of side characters, visual and narrative consistency, continuity, nuance, action and humour. Dialogue has become extremely snappy and witty along with pacing in recent seasons. As a true musical, this show is unparalleled. Unlike constant fears of seasonal rot and turning into other shows too obvious to be named, I genuinely feel that the show has kept up if not improved it’s quality over the years. Obviously, objective quality is subjective and unquantifiable so forgive me if all this seems like overreaching.

 

Even more importantly, as an entity, the Mane Six possibly have one of the closest bonds ever forged in fiction. Holy shit, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, these ponies, do their organic and complementary personalities bounce perfectly off one another. Each of them, despite their individual weaknesses possess an inexplicable charm that coupled with amazing chemistry with the others: no matter with another, a few or all five, that simply allows to work naturally in the varied shenanigans and scenarios they are often thrown into. I have grown to have an emotional investment in them, which is not something that happens easily.

 

If anything, the quality MLP is only reinforced and further fleshed out with the creative output produced by the community despite some of its less than savoury fringe elements. I have never seen such a collection of fan produced fanfiction, art, music, animation, games and other projects. Others will disagree with the overall assessment but it does not really matter. At the end of the day, I suppose the show clicks for me because it boils down to the sense of inspiration and fun induced every time it comes on and I look for more.

Edited July 29, 2018 by ShadowPhoenix

[Ziltoid the Omniscient 286]

I like the characters.  The art and animation style. And the writing. 

[Paleopony 703]

1. It reminds me of the cartoons I watched when I was younger.
2. It has characters that I can relate to.
3. It's a relaxing show with no violence or sex.
4. It has bright colors.
5. The flash animation is good. 
6. It's like a mashup of my favorite shows.
7. It has morals that can help you in life.

[Tom Gallagher 33,588]

Because it’s beautiful. Very beautiful. It teaches amazing lessons, the stories immediately grab your attention and most importantly, it stars the six best characters to ever grace our screens! 

[JMTV99 1,354]

-The appealing character designs from Lauren Faust.

-Reminds me of old cartoons that I grew up like Powerpuff Girls and Fosters Home

-The characters are so likable and interesting 

-The clever and witty humor 

-The animation was fluid, vibrant, colorful, and expressive

- The slice of life stories and the fantasy adventure stories is what got me intrigued.

-It has a very warm, comfy environment 

- It feels like an escapism from the harshness of reality 

[Sparklefan1234 171,628]

The reason My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic "clicks" with me is because it reminds me of "comfort shows" like

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, where I can just watch without having to think too much.

[Cash In 22,394]

What clicks for me are the characters, writing, animation and how it completely surpassed my expectations. It's a mark of a high quality show when it can successfully cater to its target demographic while managing to be enjoyable to people completely outside of it.

 

[AppleButt 8,675]

The characters just resounded with me more than with any other show I’ve ever seen.   

[Will Guide 21,360]

1 hour ago, Sparklefan1234 said:

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, where I can just watch without having to think too much.

Agreed

[TotallyNotGrogar 11]

It's a good show to watch when feeling stressed out or sad. The cheerfulness of this show is intoxicating (in a good way ofc). It has a fun animation style, witty humor, good writing and great music. This is the kind of show that never fails to cheer you up.

[Eazy 18]

What exactly makes the show click might be a bit complicated to formulate, but if I were to try and simplify it down I'd say its definitely the world- and characterbuilding the show has done. From introducing to new races, to exploring and showing off new and interesting locations and showing how the creatures living in them go about their life, its all incredibly interesting and not something a lot of shows do, especially in the realm of cartoon shows.

And the characters! So many great ones. The regular testing of relationships in terms of their limits and effects on all parties involved made it such an incredible show that I enjoyed being pulled into each episode when they came out. Might even be why I honestly enjoyed the seasons after twilight had become an alicorn that bit more then the ones coming before it - that event, as well as the start of the friendship quest episodes just opened up and embraced the entirety of the equestrian world.

[abronymouse 5,489]

The characters and lore have been mentioned quite a bit. Also I love the character voices, designs and music which all work together so well. These aspect were best demonstrated in season 1 with the gala stuff:

 

Also it's silly. "Ok guys why does AJ want to go to the gala? She's a hard-headed no-nonsense business pony who lives to work. Why do they want to do anything? Why do they do what they do? What do they want?" *rubs chin*

"Maybe she'd just enjoy letting her mane down for once?

"I've got it! Those hard heads work for dollars. How can you make money at a dance? By hawking your product no matter what."

[Savy 5,080]

Idk, it's honestly just a good show, and I made friends from it.

[Splashee 28,564]

It used the art style of Macromedia (later Adobe) Flash, but incorporated it into the actual design of the ponies rather than just use it as a tool. That means both the show, characters, and animation was tied to Flash, and when Flash was nuked by Steve Jobs (from his grave), so was FIM. The Toon Bloom! designs (MLP The Movie 2017) never clicked with me at all.

[dead account 2,711]

It's really simple, FiM is the perfect show. The designs, graphics and animations are perfect. The songs are beautiful, unique and catchy. The sound effects and voices are perfect. And I see myself in the show and most characters, which makes it the most relatable media ever. And on top of that, the show is all about friendship, love and good feelings. And! It's entirely unique. It's not a simple kids show like the others, FiM is full of detail and complexity. It grabs your attention after a few seconds and won't let you go. It's a show that stimulates even a person with the highest standards like me. You could analyze it if you want to, there is so much to discover! So much depth! It's simply a joy to watch. Always.

[ExplosionMare 18,065]

I always find myself relating to some of the stories and characters in a complex way and the animation is very eye-catching. I love simply watching the animation and studying it.