Are My Little Ponies truly ponies? What would someone new think?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Sure, we know better, but someone who might be new to My Little Pony....may not. After all, first impressions are everything, or so they say, and what draws a person right off the bat, aside from colors, is how a character is drawn. We get a sense of understanding if we see something drawn in harsh, jagged shapes, or smooth, rounded ones, and make judgements off of that. The ponies of FiM.....certainly do have a unique style of their own- one that is actually reminiscent to the smooth curves and rounded bodies of gen 3, much as everyone just loves to  drag that gen under the bus....

But here's the thing.....MLP has adopted this style so much that it appears at first  glance, that these creatures wouldn't (or shouldn't) even be considered ponies, given their proportions. (not enough space between the length of forelegs and hind, to allow for proper room of the barrel, very non-horse-like muzzle, oddly thick, tree trunk hooves) As one who has been on the pony wagon for a long time, even I question whether these ponies are meant to be ponies. They have significantly short muzzles and wonky leg structure that is only barely reminiscent of real life ponies'. Now this, of course, may all be chalked up to 'art style', but even their behavior seems more like that of domesticated dogs or cats rather than horses. I question whether someone new to the MLP franchise might think the same way.

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Nightmare Muffin

[Midnight Solace 5,132]

Sure, Hasbro tried to make G1 realistic, but I think G4 has it's own style, and maybe that's why we like it so much. Well, In my opinion I think equestrian ponies are different from earth ponies. When G1 started out, MLP had ponies that look like... Earth ponies. As time passed by, the ponies in the show started to look more cartoon-ish.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Midnight Solace

[Jeric 46,856]

Proportion accuracy is rare in animation. Nearly unheard of. 

[MangoFoalix 25,033]

Yes, they are ponies. What else would they be? They look like ponies and are smaller than regular horses.

What point are you trying to make here, NMM?

[DonMaguz 1,023]

I was drawn to FiM because of its style, which I first watched on Pokémon fanart crossovers.

Back then, I immediately thought of the My Little Pony franchise but cuter. It was no surprise to discover that it was a newer version of the little ponies.

[TBD 17,256]

Well technically the title gave it away. So they would automatic think it's about ponies.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

1 hour ago, TBD said:

Well technically the title gave it away. So they would automatic think it's about ponies.

but I'm saying- at first glance, you wouldn't think they are, because they don't really look (or act, sometimes) like ponies. (though again, the argument is the same, I know, for g.5, so just know that I'm not singling g4 out for this)

2 hours ago, Midnight Solace said:

Sure, Hasbro tried to make G1 realistic, but I think G4 has it's own style, and maybe that's why we like it so much. Well, In my opinion I think equestrian ponies are different from earth ponies. When G1 started out, MLP had ponies that look like... Earth ponies. As time passed by, the ponies in the show started to look more cartoon-ish.

I wouldn't necessarily call g1 'earth ponies' because the series took place in a fantasy world, just like g4, and had its share of earth, unicorn, and pegasi ponies. So even though they were fantasy creatures, they still had more realistic proportions that made it look like an actual pony. g4 (and g3, admittedly) look nothing like horses, really.....huge alien grey heads, large eyes, non-existent muzzles.....one would barely call  them ponies. The Saddle Arabians look much more horse-like, in fact.

[TBD 17,256]

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

but I'm saying- at first glance, you wouldn't think they are, because they don't really look (or act, sometimes) like ponies. (though again, the argument is the same, I know, for g.5, so just know that I'm not singling g4 out for this)

While I see what you're saying, there has been a debut too if Princess celestia and luna are even ponies. SInce they are both pretty long to be a "pony". I think having  to called them "pony" just  sound it cuter than calling them a horse. Even when some hardly looks like a pony but we still call them pony just because it's cute.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

8 minutes ago, TBD said:

While I see what you're saying, there has been a debut too if Princess celestia and luna are even ponies. SInce they are both pretty long to be a "pony". I think having  to called them "pony" just  sound it cuter than calling them a horse. Even when some hardly looks like a pony but we still call them pony just because it's cute.

i think it can be argued that since they're not real focus of the show, and given their massively different proportions, the Princesses really aren't ponies, but horses, as you said. Not to mention there's the fact that they came from outside of Equestria, with lends credit to that theory (as, again- Saddle Arabians are also not from Equestria, and look more like Celestia and Luna do, than the ponies...or pony aliens....) Whatever the majority of those stubby, hooved, big-eyed short muzzled things are,they're not ponies.

 

but I digress, the topic was about what an outsider to the fandom might initially think of them

[TBD 17,256]

8 minutes ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

but I digress, the topic was about what an outsider to the fandom might initially think of them

Not sure if this will help answering your question but coming from my own experiences, I grew up with mlp so I didn't give too much thought if they are ponies or not. As long there are horses, since I like horse. However, after years of forgetting about mlp, G4 was introduced. And I remember my first reaction was "What kind of design is that for a pony??" Honesty it look pretty odd to me since it was HUGE transformations. At the first second glance I didn't think they were ponies but some oddly looking creatures. Till after a few seconds of glancing over it and noticing  their cutie marks , I realized they're ponies from MLP.  So that was my initial reaction, I assume some has experienced the same(?) 

Edited November 7, 2018 by TBD

[BastementSparkle 20,328]

Well, when I started seeing MLP gif's and pictures popping up before I had ever watched the show or really heard anything said about it, I did indeed recognize them as ponies. Yes, they're very cartoony and stylized, not exactly a realistic depiction but I think they're recognizable enough that most people would be able to guess they're ponies, or at the very least horses. I'm not really sure what else you'd assume they were.

[Sondash Studios 4,838]

This is a pony. Period. 

[RDDash 19,195]

if we are talking about technicalities, they are extraterrestrial intelligent equines who may or may not be evolved on the far future Earth.

[Thrond 3,263]

Maybe someone would be confused from a front view. But they seem pretty recognizably equine to me, even as stylized as they are; the rounded ears, the broad muzzle, the flat-bottomed legs, the hairy tail, and the general posture all give it away. 

7 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

Now this, of course, may all be chalked up to 'art style', but even their behavior seems more like that of domesticated dogs or cats rather than horses. 

I know you meant this as an aside, but it seems futile to judge cartoon animals by their behaviour patterns. Though for all I know, My Little Pony is an outlier in this regard. 

Edited November 7, 2018 by AlexanderThrond

[ZethaPonderer 2,199]

This is more of a "It Depends" kind of question. To me as a Non-Brony (Anti Brony originally), the ponies in MLP FIM (Gen 4) don't look like ponies compared to the previous generations.

They look like a bi-product of what happens when a Cat and a Horse mate. Possibly a Dog and a Camel as well. This is what their babies look like.

[FuchsiaPalette 9]

As someone who’s watched the show since 2012 and has drawn ponies ever since... I kinda agree. IMO, the only bothering part of the MLP pony anatomy is the female muzzle. The body is fine (hooves are just like G1, tail and mane are also ok, belly and cutie marks are fine, etc), however, muzzles are a little bit too short. Not that I don’t like their design, I really do, MLP ponies are ADORABLE, but not very pony-sh (muzzle wise). Though G4 is by far more ponyish than G3.5 (those have EVERYTHING wrong — hooves are too exaggerated, their torso is way too small, and they have human faces). 

 

Stallion muzzles are spot on though. I still love the rounded muzzle design, but if we wanted the show to be more pony-sh, female muzzles should look like Cadance’s. Like the G5 redesigns.

[PiratePony 8,475]

They kind of look like bugs, in all honesty

[Phosphor 11,531]

I've noticed the proportions (especially the snout at front view) but they definitely look like ponies to me.

[MangoFoalix 25,033]

2 hours ago, PiratePony said:

They kind of look like bugs, in all honesty

I agree with you here. Most ponies are actually changelings.

[RDDash 19,195]

 They look like cats to me.

Edited November 8, 2018 by R.D.Dash