What do you love about MLP and its fandom?

[Mio Akiyama 145]

I'm a 15 year old dude and I do in fact watch My Little Pony. Why? Before I watched this show, I use to be such an a-hole. I was close to being a bully. I made fun of everyone whenever I had the chance. Basically I was a terrible person. Then one time I met this girl(who I later had a crush on) who showed me My Little Pony. At first I was gonna rank on her for watching "such a stupid show." But for some reason unknown to me I decided to watch it and thought it was stupid for the first time I watched it. But I didn't know why but I watched another episode. Then I grew to like it, and later it became one of my favorite shows. So in a nutshell, I watch it because it sort of changed me and also there are some moments which either make me laugh or go "awwwww." My Little Pony is another way for me to get away from the problems in life, becuase its so fluffy and so childish, it makes me feel 5 again and it puts a smile on my face. Other reasons why is because of the characters realistic personalities. No pony in this show is perfect. It also helps making new friends, since 99% of the brony community are some of the nicest people out there. I really suggest you watch the first two episodes.

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,627]

This post is no longer available.

Edited June 14, 2017 by Lord Magnus

[Mister G 101]

@Firespeed22 That's what I used to think back then before I became a brony. "How the heck would a little girls' show be famous to grown people, even males?"

I looked beyond the feminine exterior of this show, and found out that this is not your stereotypical "girl's show". The jokes and dialogues are witty, relatable stories, catchy songs, and to top it off with good animation.  The fanbase is also talented.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

@@Crazy Misty,

 

@,

 

@,

 

@,

 

@,

 

Hey all. We had several threads for this purpose, sharing why we love MLP and the fanbase and such, and for convenience I have merged them all into a central topic. Perhaps you can find some good explanations in here Firespeed. It has also been moved to Sugarcube Corner, as the oldest topic for discussing this was in Show Discussion.

 

As for me, for the fandom I love the sheer volume and level of creativity. I can always find new and exciting fics/videos/art, etc. Also I've met some incredible people through it.

 

As for the show itself, I love the lighthearted feel to it and the quality of the writing. The main characters are interesting, relatable and engaging. I just get a generally good feeling from watching it.

Edited April 19, 2013 by DashForever

[JournoPony 3]

Hi ponies.

 

I'm a student journalist writing a feature about bronies, and about the general trend of adults watching 'kids' shows, and I wanted to gauge from as many of you possible about the reasons you watch the show, and how you got into it in the first place.

 

So, what is it you love about the show? How did you get into it in the first place? What has made this such a large community?

 

Cheers,

Martin 

 

P.S. Feel free to put me right on anything I get wrong, I am researching the show, but I'm not exactly the experts all you guys must be! 

Edited April 29, 2013 by JournoPony

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,090]

Sup, JournoPony.

 

So, you're writing a feature about Bronies, are ya? Alright, well I guess I'll start you off by talking about myself.

 

I'll start with my own reasons for watching the show. I'm a stickler for good characters that I can relate to or that I find interesting, and this show has plenty of them. I love Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash not just because they're funny, but because they have interesting lives, aspirations, and problems that I can sympathize with. This deepens by bond with the show by pulling me in with good characters; whenever I talk to others about shows and why we like them, I always stress this aspect of entertainment. Characters are just so integral to enjoying a show for me, and this one pulled me in with likable and interesting characters. Another reason I love the show is the humor: it's spot on, and I find myself laughing every episode, whether it be because of an in your face joke, well-written dialogue, gags, or background humor. The animation is also a big plus; yes, there are mistakes in a lot of the episodes, and it's not the best animated show of all time, but the style of the show and the way it is animated just seems to pull me and make me want to watch it.

 

So there are just a few of the reasons that I believe I like the show itself. 

 

How did I get into the show? Well now...

 

I first heard about the show in April 2011 on another forum. I had taken a leave of absence from the forum, and when I came back, literally every member on the site had pony avatars. Now, I had no idea what they were, so they told me they were characters from My Little Pony. What was my reaction? Well, I didn't react negatively, because they were all my friends, so they told me to try an episode and I did; I watched the very first episode of the show. Did I like it? Well... I thought it was alright. I thought it was pretty funny and well done, but it didn't really pull me in. I told the people on the forum my feelings about it, and they that was cool. So I moved on and pretty much just forgot about the show in general.

 

Until college. When I came to college at the tail end of 2011, there was another student who just happened to be a Brony. Now, I didn't know he was one at first, but one day he came in with a shirt with Fluttershy on it, and my friends all started ragging on him because of it. I didn't really mind it myself, because I didn't mind Bronies or the show. Despite becoming friends with him, I still wasn't a Brony and just thought it was something that he liked that I didn't. About mid-2012, I was talking to someone I was watching on DeviantArt when she started telling me that I should give the show another chance. I knew she was a Brony, but she had started trying to get me to watch the show at about that time, and I kept saying I would but I kept putting it off. Eventually she got to me, so I sat down one night and watched the first episode over again as well as the second.

 

This time... it was different. Something just clicked, I found myself nodding with this stupid smile on my face. I found myself watching the next episode, The Ticket Master, and I thought it was funny and entertaining. The next episode, Applebuck Season... that was the one that got me hooked on the show. After that episode, I just started watching a few episodes every night, finding each one more enjoyable than the last. After I finished Season One, I watched all of Season Two one night on a weekend, and that's when I found the truth: I had become a Brony.

 

So, there's my story about becoming a Brony. As for the community...

 

You know, I'm not too sure about that. Granted, I obviously wasn't around in the community's very early days, but I can guess that it's because everyone who ended up liking the show found the need to connect with others to make sure they weren't going crazy to share their interest, and the explosion just sort of... happened.

 

Anywho, those are my two cents, and I hope I've been helpful.

[Pinkamena Dianne Pie 465]

I guess I'll start it off.

 

I watch MLP not because it's out of the social norm and I'm saying "screw you society", but I watch it as a genuinely liked show. Unlike most shows targeted towards towards kids, this show contains negativity and the physical and emotional ways that we would deal with those problems. Secondly, the characters have immense depth with their behaviors and attitudes that almost all of us can connect to and feel happy about ourselves. Lastly, as an adult, I can catch the little things in the show that kids wouldn't normally catch, which gives me a little chuckle every now and then.

[THSHappyFace 17]

The way society is, the things people do is considered normal, I don't like normal, if watching childrens shows at 17 years old makes me abnormal, then I'm proud to be that. When my friends introduced me to MLP, it seemed a bit of a girls show, but something I'd just sit there and watch. Then came certain enemies, rainbowdash doing a sonic rainboom, it made it all interesting. Then instantly I became a massive fan. I'm not quite sure why I watch it, but I guess its because others watch it too, people that understand that its not about age or gender. Not sure if the show is keeping me sane or making me just a little crazy, which ever, I couldn't care less.. I love it, my friends love it. This show just brings me intense happiness.

[NightOwl 911]

Here are the reasons why I watch and love My Little Pony 

 

1. Awesome music

2. Awesome characters 

3. Awesome animation 

4. Really good character development 

5. I can relate to Twilight in a way 

( People can relate to any of the characters is what I mean )

 

 

It's just a really awesome cartoon and it reminds me of amazing cartoons back when I was a lad. 

 

I kept on seeing pony related things on the internet so curiosity got the better of me and here I am now . 

 

I think the show has inspired a lot of people to be creative including myself and thus a community was inevitable. 

Edited April 29, 2013 by NightOwl

[JournoPony 3]

Thanks to both of you, some very interesting things in both your posts

 

 

 

I'm a stickler for good characters that I can relate to or that I find interesting, and this show has plenty of them. I love Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash not just because they're funny, but because they have interesting lives, aspirations, and problems that I can sympathize with.

.

 

Interesting point, do you think that's the main reason the show works on an adult level?

 

 

 

Lastly, as an adult, I can catch the little things in the show that kids wouldn't normally catch, which gives me a little chuckle every now and then.

 

 

Do you think the programme makers put that in deliberately since the adult fandom became apparent?

 

To both of you, do you watch any other kids shows that have been popular with teenagers and adults, like Adventure Time? (although it's debatable whether you can call that a kids show)

[FancyPhoenix 197]

Well why not? I'll give my two cents for this It's always cool to hear bronies getting more APPROPRIATE publicity (Buck you Fox News)

 

I had never even heard about the show until around the beginning of 2012. There was this one girl in my class, who I never really talked to, but whose DeviantArt and blog I liked to follow. Mainly it was because she's an amazing artist and I liked her style. Anyway, I started seeing pony-related drawings and links to YouTube videos on her gallery/blog, but I didn't really think it was anything different from her usual furry-drawings. Then at school one of my friends mentioned MLP in some conversation, I'd never really looked into it, but I asked what it was all about. He told me there was this "fanbase" of adult men who liked the new My Little Pony show. He wasn't really enthusiastic about it, in fact, he was straight out disgusted at it. I didn't think more of it and we laughed it off. That conversation roused my interest though. I started looking up information about it on the internet and found out about the fandom. I still thought it was just some kind of a joke, and completely forgot about it.

 

Then in July 2012 I had a small accident on my job, and got a 6 week sick-leave. There really wasn't anything fun for me to do, since I couldn't play xbox or anything on the computer because my hand was in... not so good condition One day, once again browsing that girl's DeviantArt gallery, I saw a new drawing of a pony she'd made. I decided to look up the first episode on YouTube and check it out. Before clicking the link I paused. I had a feeling in my gut that once I'd start watching it, I'd be hooked, because I have a tendency to get hooked on "strange" things. I did click the link however and watched the first two episodes.

 

It wasn't too bad. I thought it wasn't excellent, but it was definitely above the average standard for kids' shows. The animation was superb, the characters were really well thought out and easy to relate to. And the story wasn't too shabby either. I did stop for a minute, though, when the first song, "Giggle at the Ghostie" started to play. I usually didn't like songs in kids's programs. In fact, I hated it when there were songs in the shows my younger siblings watched. I almost left at that point, but decided to go through with what I had started. I was really surprised to find the song not be obnoxiously bad, or the lyrics stupid, like in most cases. I finished the second episode and thought it was okay, but nothing I'd get hyped over. I went to sleep and decided I'd forget about it.

 

The next day though, I found myself humming "Giggle at the Ghostie" and decided to listen to it again, to get it out of my head. What I didn't expect was to wake up from a trance-like state half an hour later, having listened to it several times in a row, and even looking up dubbed versions of it to see how well others had managed to pull it off. That night, I decided to watch the third episode, just to get a second opinion. Then I watched the fourth, then fifth, sixth... And so on, until I was halfway through season 1. By that time, I really thought the series was good, and decided to check out the rest of it. During the weekend, I watched the entire season 1 and 2, and re-listened to all the songs several times, because they were just that good

 

Later the next week, I found the channel of MicTheMicrophone on YouTube and his Dramatic Readings, which are basically readings of fan-written stories. I listened to a story called "My Little Dashie", since it seemed to have had the most attention, and I loved it. I looked up more about those fanfics and found the site fimfiction.net, which was filled with awesome fan-fiction. I read a few and loved almost every single one.

 

So I guess you could say what got me into watching and liking the show was the music. I've always been a musical person, and the songs in MLP just hit home for me. The thing that got me into the fandom, though was the fanfics. I got even more into the fandom after meeting a few people on Omegle, when listing MLP as my interest. Those people are currently my best friends, and I couldn't be happier I decided to click that link and give the show a chance 

[Circadian 1,273]

I watch My Little Pony because I'm a gay homo faggot that likes ponies. Obviously.

 

What, you thought there was something deeper than that? Fine, I'll humor you. Why do I watch My Little Pony?

 

Because it's a breath of fresh air. It has the spark that Futurama had in its original run; that genuine pathos at its core. It fills a void that a lot of us sorely needed to be filled.

 

I'll let John de Lancie take it from here.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV-OF9wZWDs

Edited April 29, 2013 by Circadian

[Tollhouse 79]

Well I only got into it because a few of my friends from another forum were posting pony gifs all the time plus other close friends of mine were really into it, so of course I gave it a chance.  I watched the first 2 episodes of season 1 to start off.  5 minutes into it, I was like why the hay am I watching this but as it went on I kind of started to enjoy it.  Then I watched episode 3 then 4 then 5 then 6 and after about a month I had seen seasons 1 and 2 and began waiting for season 3. 

 

These are the things that appeal to me about the show.  Not in any certain order.

 

1.  The art style -  I love cartoons and I go to art school to study illustration so shows that look unique would naturally get my attention.

 

2. The characters  -  The mane 6 are easily some of the most 3-Dimensional characters I have ever seen in animation.  All 6 of them are lovable, believable, and the actresses that voice and sing for them are amazing.  I think the characters are the biggest strenghth of this show in my opinion.

 

3. The story telling - This isn't your average kid's show story telling.  Nothing appears to be unoriginal plot-wise.  There are times where I've found some parts of the story to be predictable but that didn't ruin the episode for me.  The character interactions are never predictable and those are what makes the show that much more interesting.  I still await the day where we see Pinkie Pie locked in a room with Twilight for a day.  It'd be interesting to see how long it takes for Pinkie to drive Twilight insane.

 

3.  This show just makes me happy.  I can't put into better words. 

 

I'm a 22 year old guy who finds this show adorable.  I actually find this show funny because of how cute it is in nature aside from the jokes the show has.  To me it's kind of like a new kind of humor that's hard to find.  Kind of like the movie Enchanted that's funny because of how cheesy it is.  To me MLP is funny because of how cute it is.  I mean for pony's sake even the names are adorable.  Sweetie Bell, Applebloom, Pinkie Pie, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle.  Look me in the eye and tell me nothing about this show makes your heart melt.   I'm not obssessed with the show at all and I will usually watch a couple episodes a week but I don't buy toys, got to conventions, cosplay, or anything.  I just watch the show really. 

 

I will say it's a favorite of mine as far as cartoons go.  The show just has so much charm to it that it can't be ignored.

Edited April 29, 2013 by Tollhouse

[firesoxs 93]

I watch the show because it's innocence and all around fun and upbeat setting reminds me of my own childhood, and plus it just makes me smile. I also watch it for all the little Easter eggs that the target audience just won't get. All of these things along with the steller writing amazing animation and incredible voice acting are just the things that I tell others to try and get them to watch the show. the real reason and probably the most important one is that I enjoy it and it makes me happy, and really is't that all we could ask of a television show.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,090]

Thanks to both of you, some very interesting things in both your posts

 

Interesting point, do you think that's the main reason the show works on an adult level?

 

To both of you, do you watch any other kids shows that have been popular with teenagers and adults, like Adventure Time? (although it's debatable whether you can call that a kids show)

 

Not a problem.

 

Perhaps... that's not the whole picture for every Brony though, I'm sure. Even before I became obsessed with liked My Little Pony, I always loved characters that I found funny, relatable, interesting, or just entertaining to watch. I'm sure that's one of the reasons I started to like the show so much.

 

As for what other cartoons I like, I do indeed like Adventure Time, and I also like Regular Show. Other than those two, the one cartoon I can say that is almost on the same level as My Little Pony for me is Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, which I was a huge fan before My Little Pony came along. That used to be my favorite cartoon as well, but My Little Pony definitely took that spot a while back. As for why teenagers and adults would like those, I'm not sure. I can only really speak for myself in this case.

[An Old Head 4,815]

The principal appeal that MLP has to me is quite different from others. See, being born in 1996 and growing up in the UK, I felt like I was missing out on some great cartoon content. I never had my fill of US cartoons that would be enjoyed as a child; Rugrats, Dexter's Lab, Hey Arnold and all that stuff. I always had that feeling that I'd missed out on something great.

 

When I discovered MLP, I realised two things at first. One, it was very much like those 90's cartoons in terms of art style and clever writing. Two, it was still being released. This could be a cartoon that I could follow along with everyone else, sharing experiences and being able to have the feeling of innocently enjoying a cartoon with the masses that I was never able to have as a child. It was exactly the sort of thing I had wanted; it caused a great sense of attraction. Even right now when watching it, I don't love the animation for the skill behind it, but for what it tells me - cartoons are awesome!

 

In addition, unlike most other cartoons you get where flat 2D characters take the stage, these ponies are full to brimming with character. They display humanity in so many ways - a massive change from shows like the G3 MLP. They can display sarcasm, exasperation, wit and authenticity as characters. It's endlessly appealing.

[JournoPony 3]

Thanks to everyone so far, there's some really interesting stuff that's come up, it's all going to be really useful for my story. Can't thank you guys enough. 

[True Rarity 1,239]

I mostly started watching it after I found out there was a show.

One of my best friends told me she enjoyed it, and so for like a year I wanted to watch it.

Finally I got around to watching the first episode (which is also the most obnoxious episode) and even though it was the WORST episode I LOVED it!

I enjoy the animation. It reminds me of "Martha Speaks" and the facial expressions crack me up because they remind me of "The Powerpuff Girls" (thanks to Lauren Faust).

The music is also amazing, and the voices fit all the characters really well!

I love most of the jokes as well. I know it's supposed to be a children's show but a lot of the jokes and lines indicate things little kids wouldn't get. I was telling this to my brother and mentioned a joke (The punch has been Spiked!) and my little sisters did not get it at all.

I also saw small clips from one of the older series(BLEH) and it gave me great joy to see a MLP even better.

[Bigmethod 239]

Animation

 

Characters

 

Nostalgia

 

Plot devices

 

Comedy

 

( not in order)

 

And most importantly... The fandom! It's just soooo fantastic !

[Yamato 1,347]

You know, I ask myself the very same question quite often... I really have no idea. I watched one episode (I can't remember precisely which one it was), wondering the whole time "What the heck am I doing?" I then proceeded to watch a second for reasons unbeknownst to me, at which point it started growing on me. I kinda dismissed it for a while, then about a week later I watched a third episode, after which I knew without a doubt that I had stumbled upon something golden. Nay, better than golden. 

 

I think the reason I continue to watch the show is because it provides a most excellent escape from reality. Few things take one's mind off the stresses of life quite like the adventures of brightly colored ponies. To paraphrase Hank Hill, "Why would anyone do drugs when they could just watch ponies?" Well, that and the fact that the fandom is freakin' awesome. You guys are great, you know that?

Edited April 29, 2013 by Jimmy Carter

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

@@JournoPony,

 

Hello there. As you can see, we already has a thread for sharing reasons for our interest in MLP, what we like most about it, and the appeal behind the fandom. For convenience, I have merged your topic with the older one. Good luck, and I hope you can get some good answers. Feel free to look through back pages of this thread as well, if you're curious

[King 5,625]

It's multiple things that made me fall in love with MLP and it's community....

Lets get started with the show shall we?

 

 

MLP The Show

I was immediatly attracted to the animation which is superb, then I was taken in by the believable voice acting which only added to the characters. After that I was sucked in by the amazing characters and story and in the end one of the biggest things that contributed to me loving MLP were the teachings of equality and friendship which I truly admire.

 

Brony Fandom

This is very simple to explain.While not all Bronies are like this, I definitely noticed how well we get together and work as a community. The vast outpouring of art,music and fan fictions only increased my enjoyment of the community, but the thing that will always keep me here is the closeness we generally have, most of us form strong friendships with each other and practise what we preach..so to say.

[Thrashy 2,800]

My main reasons for watching the show:

 

The following (my initial reason). It very much intrigued me that a bunch of grown men could see something in a "little girl's show", so naturally, I got curious. I thought, if these guys can watch such a show, why not I? Am I not secure enough in my own masculinity to at least give it a try? And so I did give it a try...it took a few episodes for my love for the show to really kick in, but it happened. As much as I love the show itself, the community itself is one of the things I enjoy most about it all.

 

The animation, as many others have stated, is pretty damn stunning for Flash animation. Sure, I've noted slight animation errors here and there that only a nitpicker such as myself would even notice, but otherwise it's extremely fluid and is miles ahead of some of its own contemporaries.

 

The humor is on a level with many other "kids'" cartoons I love, such as Spongebob. Sure, it has plenty of your typical zany cartoon elements to keep the kiddies entertained, but it also has a plethora of jokes and references that only adults would understand. This is the sign of a great show that's designed for the whole family to enjoy, not just little girls. And speaking of the more childish, cartoony aspects of the show, even those are quite a nice throwback to classic cartoons such as Looney Toons. When I saw a piano get dropped on Twi's head, I was just like  "Whoa, shout-out to Warner Bros.! You just don't see that in cartoons anymore."

 

The characters have personality, are relatable, and are always developing. Each of them has lessons to teach as well as lessons to learn. Let's take Rainbow Dash, for example. She represents loyalty, which she often demonstrates in the show. But by her very nature, she can be cocky and often borderline arrogant...i.e., she's not perfect. She has her flaws, like all of us. And like most of us, she develops; these negative qualities diminish ever so slightly with every lesson in humility she receives. That's not to say she loses any of her confidence or determination, she just becomes a bit more humble about it. And personally, I can relate to that: I'm a bit of a cocky bastard myself, who likes to fancy himself as being the best at what he does. I, too, have heroes whom I aspire to be like. And I, too, have developed with every slice of humble pie I'm fed.

 

Character development...what a novelty, right?

 

It has its moments of pure epicness. Sure, it doesn't have Michael Bay-esque explosions going off every 5 seconds of every episode, but if you watch some of the action scenes peppered throughout the series, you'd be forced to acknowledge that even ponies can THROW DOWN every once in a while.

 

Aaaand that's why I watch the show. Haters be damned!

[Mushy Giant Friend 206]

I love the show simply because of its adorable-ness and brilliance, but I hate the fandom. I have said it once and I'll say it again. I hate everyone.

 

 

Nah, just kidding. Kind of. I tolerate you guys, it's a hard job but sometime the fandom is actually pretty cool.

[RollingPony 100]

I love the show because of the brilliant writing the exceptional good humar and the cute and relatable charakters who actualy have some personlaity and a brain unlike most TV show for kids today and also Bronies are awesome!

 

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