Does MLP have a darkness to it that most shows like it don't? (Read description)

[Magic Man 222]

I posted a somewhat similar topic earlier this month, asking about how 'dark' you all thought the series has went so fare. Asking seeing the answers and the debate over what is considered 'dark', I've decided to pose a different question, though on the same kind of topic.

 

I am aware that there are definitely much darker kids' shows out there, Invader Zim, Adventure Time and Regular Show to name but a few, and on the whole, I've noticed kids' shows in general are getting significantly darker, which I approve. Now, for MLP:FiM, I do not for one moment believe it is meant to be a 'dark' show, especially when you consider the target demographic, which despite the fanbase, is younger and more female than those intended by shows like Adventure Time. However, when you take into account the intended demographic, the comparison to the previous generations of MLP, the episodes we've seen so far and what this show in general is about - cute, colourful ponies - would you agree or disagree that this show has some dark elements to it?

 

I personally do believe it has some dark elements, as well as handling its episode situations with a lot more maturity than previous MLP generations. My biggest example for this is Canterlot Wedding, which certainly had a level of darkness to it out of all the episodes so far, i.e. Twilight sinking beneath the floor in a bright green flame, the villain(s) themselves and their plan in action.

 

Props to the writers, of course, for managing to give it some darkness and maturity but not making it overwhelmingly so and keep the show true to its upbeat and positive roots.

 

So what do you think? Do you think this kind of show is, or at points, has been 'dark' in any way?

[Radiance64 7,053]

I think so, the ponies get angry and crazy, and have real character flaws, which without those general things I don't think the show would have such a large periphery demographic audience like it has now.

[Wubsie 1,123]

Adventure Time will get dark at some points, but it's supposed to be adventurous.

Regular Show isn't all that dark it's mroe random. (But funny)

Invader Zim was intended to be dark, it was good that way.

MLP can get dark at sometimes but it's hilarious.

Like when Pinkie Pie and Twilight crack, thats funny.

But it's not that dark, canterlot wedding was a little bit dark, but it didn't go out of it's TV-Y7 area.

It's cool how they did that though.

[Dusty Soul 2,612]

I think MLP is pretty dark considering the target audience, but it uses it's darkness in a way that is usually hilarious. Like a lot of scenes in the Canterlot Wedding... They were pulled off ridiculously well.

[Regality 233]

Some episodes may be darker than others, but the show itself shouldn't be considered dark by any means. I don't think it should get any darker, but at the same time; I don't think they should take some any future darker moments in the show away either.

~~

[Tdroid 234]

I think the answer is yes and no. Many of the themes and situations used in the series can be seen as quite dark, but whether or not it really is will come down to the presentation of it.

Going by classic examples, can you imagine how much more unnerving and emotional they could have made the Pinkie Pie breakdown? A happy, funny and random character who is turned into a cynical and resentful one because she didn't trust her friends and believed they held her out of something or conspired against her? Put that in a different presentation than FiM gave and you could make it a psycological horror movie.

 

So my answer is that there are dark themes, but they are presented in a very harmless, and often comical, way. Not that I mind this

[NavelColt 22,883]

Significantly darker? If anything, things have tensed up a bit since the days of Courage the Cowardly Dog and the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. However, MLP does have subtle elements that break into that area of 'everything is not always hunky dory', usually one or two per episode, and the plots usually do revolve around things like that, whether an adventure theme or a more slice of life sort of thing.

[Rarietty 632]

Nope.

 

As I've mentioned before, If you take a look at Disney movies (or most animated theatrical movies targeted towards little kids and their families) or other cartoons that still air today such as Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Spongebob (all on different stations, mind you) or the like, they all have a "darkness" and "mature-ness" to them that can easily scare little kids. Disney has been doing it for decades and most little girls who would watch My Little Pony are also situated with Disney, whether it's just the princesses or not. For example, I recall when I was little I watched Snow White for the first time and I'm pretty sure the scene where she's running through the forest after the Huntsman found her made me really scared of forests for a long time. Also, Hunchback of Notre Dame. Now, I know that whole movie is about a man lusting over a younger woman and killing all of her people just because said woman refused his affections. That was my favorite (and I'm sure many others too) movie when I was a kid.

 

Maybe that's why I'm so messed up?

 

Yes, MLP is "dark" in it's own right, but it's nothing special. Sure does a lot of epic Disneyesque dark like Canterlot Wedding, Return of Harmony or the pilot, scary stuff such as Stare Master, sad/heart wrenching stuff such as, again, Canterlot Wedding, Sisterhooves Social or Hurricane Fluttershy, character driven to near-insanity by greed or OCD such as Party of One, Lesson Zero or even in a minor case Owls Well that Ends Well, but that's not the point of the show nor does it go very far.

 

The whole point of the show is the friendship between pastel ponies. I'm sure most of us weren't driven to the show due to it's "darkness", or at least I wasn't. That said, the maturity of the show is nothing to brag about and I'm sure the target audience has seen worse stuff.

Edited August 30, 2012 by Rarietty

[rainbow_hearts 148]

Well, The g1 piloit was pretty dark, So I don't see why Generation four can't be dark as well. Just as long nobody important dies.

[PonyEcho 1,610]

G1 was pretty dark with its story but MLP FIM hasnt done anything like that and when they get close turn to there greatest weapon 'comedy'.

if it was in anyway dark it wouldnt have even made it on the hub also stop degrading the word Dark damn it, its whats used for horror story's i'm aware that some show like Invader Zim have a Tim Burton like feel to it but it turns to comedy

 

Dark is something that should be use when scareing people is the main goal its not somthing accidental its always deliberate

Edited August 30, 2012 by PonyEcho

[Magic Man 222]

G1 was pretty dark with its story but MLP FIM hasnt done anything like that and when they get close turn to there greatest weapon 'comedy'.

if it was in anyway dark it wouldnt have even made it on the hub also stop degrading the word Dark damn it, its whats used for horror story's i'm aware that some show like Invader Zim have a Tim Burton like feel to it but it turns to comedy

 

Dark is something that should be use when scareing people is the main goal its not somthing accidental its always deliberate

 

Well, okay, fair enough, I admit that G1 should be given it's due.

 

And hey, sorry, I was not trying to degrade the word dark. I know its deliberate.

[Flying Whales 311]

I don’t think the show is as “dark” as it is realistic, like it’s been mentioned before about each character having their flaws, or Pinkie having her meltdown in Party of One isn’t that dark to me Pinkie was just over thinking everything that was happening and it was used as a comedic device. While I think the show does have it’s moments namely in A Canterlot Wedding, the play in Hearth’s Warming Eve and The Return of Harmony (personally I think turning your back on your friends is pretty dark even if it was due to Discord’s tricks) overall I don’t believe we could consider FiM “dark."

[Flame Blitz 85]

I don't think so. Invader Zim was dark by purpose. Adventure Time and Regular Show are a little bit dark, but not on all episodes. But MLP is not dark. Of course, there is some mature moments, like Pinkie/Twilight cracks and the Wedding, but that's all.

[My little pwny 1,392]

I see what you mean by "dark" OP. The writers are very skilled with inventing opposition in conflict into the show. Discord may not be evil evil, but he is an indirect threat to everything that exists in Equestria. Queen Chrysalis on the other hand is evil, but she's just trying to feed her herd of changlings. This complexity is what makes it somewhat dark to some viewers, and very entertaining to us bronies.

 

Also know, that compared to previous generations of MLP, G4 has had more perilous situations, and its also the most popular generation. Go figure.

[FedoraMemes 582]

I think that it handles some much maturer subjects than the previous generations did. However, Lauren Faust did state that she wanted the show to be more adventurous than the previous generations, which were all about ponies having tea parties.

 

I think dark is the wrong term to be used here. Mature would be better, because a dark show would make you think of something involving murder/horror, which MLP clearly doesn't contain any of.

[Arcanel 3,041]

Nope.

 

As I've mentioned before, If you take a look at Disney movies (or most animated theatrical movies targeted towards little kids and their families) or other cartoons that still air today such as Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Spongebob (all on different stations, mind you) or the like, they all have a "darkness" and "mature-ness" to them that can easily scare little kids. Disney has been doing it for decades and most little girls who would watch My Little Pony are also situated with Disney, whether it's just the princesses or not. For example, I recall when I was little I watched Snow White for the first time and I'm pretty sure the scene where she's running through the forest after the Huntsman found her made me really scared of forests for a long time. Also, Hunchback of Notre Dame. Now, I know that whole movie is about a man lusting over a younger woman and killing all of her people just because said woman refused his affections. That was my favorite (and I'm sure many others too) movie when I was a kid.

 

Maybe that's why I'm so messed up?

 

Yes, MLP is "dark" in it's own right, but it's nothing special. Sure does a lot of epic Disneyesque dark like Canterlot Wedding, Return of Harmony or the pilot, scary stuff such as Stare Master, sad/heart wrenching stuff such as, again, Canterlot Wedding, Sisterhooves Social or Hurricane Fluttershy, character driven to near-insanity by greed or OCD such as Party of One, Lesson Zero or even in a minor case Owls Well that Ends Well, but that's not the point of the show nor does it go very far.

 

The whole point of the show is the friendship between pastel ponies. I'm sure most of us weren't driven to the show due to it's "darkness", or at least I wasn't. That said, the maturity of the show is nothing to brag about and I'm sure the target audience has seen worse stuff.

 

You're more than right Rarietty. You ask me two movies that could easily be traumatizing for little children, and I could simplify it quite easily. The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Lion King. Just HOW many of us flinched when we saw Mufasa fall to his death? That's probably one of the darkest moments in children movie history, that's for sure.

 

I'm sure that's as dark as you could get for children WITHOUT breaking target audience. You do have to admit however, that for example, Pinkie's paranoid face, Twilight's absolute nutjob face WOULD be things that some children would just totally freak out. This is meant not so much for dark as it is meant for reality, because we KNOW that there is people outside who can act the same way the ponies did. I'm not totally sure "Canterlot Wedding" is as dark, however, it is, for me, the one chapter that breaks target the most out of them all. Closely behind are, very close in between them as well, "Lesson Zero", "Party of One", and "The Return of Harmony Parts 1 and 2". This could all a matter on opinion. But in the end, eh, I don't think it's getting darker. Rather, it's not so much as shows are changing (ecen though I'm sure there a lot more of "baby" shows than before), rather, children are changing. This could be me though.

[AnonBrony 1,468]

Adventure Time will get dark at some points, but it's supposed to be adventurous.

Regular Show isn't all that dark it's mroe random. (But funny)

Invader Zim was intended to be dark, it was good that way.

MLP can get dark at sometimes but it's hilarious.

Like when Pinkie Pie and Twilight crack, thats funny.

But it's not that dark, canterlot wedding was a little bit dark, but it didn't go out of it's TV-Y7 area.

It's cool how they did that though.

 

The show is TV-Y... no i'm serious. It has to say within TV-Y. yet its like TV-Y7

 

 

 

And people are forgetting, all the shows u all are listing, Adventure Time, and Regular Show are rated TV-PG. Invader Zim and practically evryother show everyone listed here are TV-Y7. They are suposed to be targeting for older children. Ones who can handle it.

MLP has its moments, like everyone said, but thing is, its target audeince is little, little kids. My opinion the show should be TV-Y7.

[Wubsie 1,123]

The show is TV-Y... no i'm serious. It has to say within TV-Y. yet its like TV-Y7

 

 

 

And people are forgetting, all the shows u all are listing, Adventure Time, and Regular Show are rated TV-PG. Invader Zim and practically evryother show everyone listed here are TV-Y7. They are suposed to be targeting for older children. Ones who can handle it.

MLP has its moments, like everyone said, but thing is, its target audeince is little, little kids. My opinion the show should be TV-Y7.

 

Oh ok I thought it was TV-Y7 because it sure does look like it is.

Regular Show could pass for an Adult Swim show if it had swearing in it.

Invader Zim is TV-Y7? I thought of it as TV-PG.

[мσℓт 40]

One cannot change the show rating just like that.

 

I'd suggest after the show seasons are all done make a new show.

 

Same characters,same everything.

 

BUT A DIFFERENT RATING.

 

That'll make it better.

 

And now they'll be able to put dark things in the show and not get sued or anything.

[Zygen 6,066]

Its a darker show yeah, and thats partly why i like it. Dark plots can add to charactor depth and thats another thing the show has alot of which i like.

Yeah they're restricted to what they can do due to the rating of the show, but I don't think they've passed it really ever. I like the show and they've done a great job making it so far so I certainly won't complain.

And I don't really think its to dark personally, but maybe its because I'm not the target demographic.

Still i'd let my kids watch the show at that age(If I had any )

 

Just my opinion.

Edited August 31, 2012 by Zygen

[Darker 1,352]

Nah, the previous generations were much darker and mature (mainly G1 and G2)

[Fractured 2,684]

It's only light in nature because of the audience the ratings are aimed at. You could make FIM almost grimdark without changing any of the characters or scenarios. Among other things:
Exploring the effects of eternal night(plants dying, ponies starving,etc.)
Showing the war between Celestia and Luna
Showing the war between the sisters and Discord
Placing Sombra's rule over the Crystal Empire in a realistic light, including him overthrowing Mi Amore
Applying realism to Tirek's magic sucking
Applying realism to Discord's chaotic powers
Applying realism to magic effects in general(magical blasts doing physical damage. Fancy that.)
Villains actually trying to harm the characters instead of setting traps for them
Explore any of the psychological effects presented in the show. Flight to the Finish comes to mind
And those are off the top of my head...