What do you dislike about Friendship is Magic?

[Starshine 16,334]

Too many writers working on the show. Ideally there should be only two or three. Something like the Mysterious Mare Do Well should never happens at all

[Cybertooth1960 4]

Before I get into this, I'd like to pick apart the things you dislike, because I can't really agree with some of your points.

 

1) What's so bad about this? It's a a kid's show, and that's basically a kid show's dynamic. Plus, most of the time these lessons are extremely useful for kids and grown ups alike.

2) This show is about *friendship*. It wouldn't represent the theme well if they were beaten any other way. Then the show would be dragged down to Adventure Time standards, and God knows I don't want that.

3) The songs appear always when necessary. When it is done out of nowhere, it's usually in an effort to make fun of itself in a clever way. Like most of Pinkie's frantic jingles.

 

If I could put in a nutshell what I dislike about this show, I'd have to pick the fact that it's pretty hit or miss. I've never really seen a "meh" episode. It either sucks or it doesn't. I'd like to make it clear that the bad episodes are in the minority, but what are ya gonna do.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Cybertooth1960

[Arcanel 3,041]

yeah but for Fluttershy it was done in different way Dragonshy was her over coming fear to defend her friends (and even then her fear was still there) Putting your hoof down was her becoming (more assertive and not being taken advantage of and she lernt that she doesn't need to be a bully for it Hurricane Fluttershy was her concurring her self doubt and resentment. with Rainbowdash it was very repetitive for season two, and almost seems like the writers didn't know what to do with her but spend 17 minutes building up her shallowness in order to have her redeem it in time for a lesson and even then it doesn't have a long impact and it doesn't fully redeem her, it just made her less

It seems you see through the Fluttershy episodes, that's great! (I was going to explain to you if you had told me otherwise, my opinion or not ).

Anyway, here's what I think of the RD episodes. The Rainbow Dash-centric episodes were "Sonic Rainboom", "May The Best Pet Win", "The Mysterious Mare Do Well", and "Read it and Weep" in that order.

 

Sonic Rainboom talked about the one thing only RD did, and is planning to it again, in front of the idols she has admired since forever, and in front of a LOT of people. Like others have said, the moment she saw Rarity gaining ALL the attention, BOOM! her confidence went down the toilet. Not to mention in front of the Wonderbolts, of Princess Celestia, of her friends, of the colts that bullied her since forever, and the rest of the ponies in Cloudsdale. AKA if she blew it, in her mind, it would have been over for her. This episode deals about her insecurity, rather than her being a jerk (if anything, that was Rarity). Besides, yes she was boastful, but not as bad as Rarity was on that moment (although hers is more vanity rather than pride).

 

May the Best Pet Win showed how much was RD wiling to do to get a pet that suited her. But in the end, there was two main things about the episode. One, she learned to trust those that stuck with her till the end (AKA loyal, as her element is), and two, while not showing it as much as Twilight or Pinkie probably would, she doesn't want to feel left out. The fact she did something so...radical to get a "cool" pet in her dictionary is part of her personality, if anything.

 

The Mysterious Mare Do Well. This episode generated a lot of controversy, not because of RD, but because of the rather "radical" way her friends decide to teach her a lesson. But anyway, back at the topic. This showed things that we should know of RD. Her pride, her look for glory, her jealousy, and her boastfulness. Yes, this are things that we know RD a lot for but. You know, while this ARE things that RD would probably be, truth is, this is the only chapter where RD is shown THIS directly to all those things. If the lesson doesn't work that much, is because she, like Applejack, have one thing in common. They are both HELLA stubborn, and hardheaded. There is a redemption in how she handled the whole fame thing, but hey, that's not gonna change her natural way of being, much like how Twilight doesn't stop reading so many books and being so worried about lotsa stuff, nor how Applejack is so stubborn and prideful.

 

And then Read it and Weap. This is something that, ironically, deals with something similar to Rarity. How others would see her if she was or did, such thing. In this case being an "egghead". The whole point is about this, and how she found that not ALL books are boring. helps that Daring Do is somewhat like RD.

 

The other episodes where she had bigger, but not centric, participation were "Griffon the Brush-Off" to which she learn to stay with her TRUE friends, and learned that your old friends might have changed, "Fall Weather Friends", that only shows just how competitive she and Applejack were, and "Hurricane Fluttershy", that shows how much trust she has in Fluttershy (and how much friends they are). In short, the ONLY chapter that dealt directly with her boastfulness was The Mysterious Mare Do Well so...there really isn't a reason to say she is under-developed, or under a same character structure that repeats over and over again. You're welcome to correct me though. IF we were to discuss it fully, we wouldn't end probably, especially because this are opinions, rather than facts.

 

Too many writers working on the show. Ideally there should be only two or three. Something like the Mysterious Mare Do Well should never happens at all

 

Why is it that everyone hates The Mysterious Mare Do Well? No, seriously, a lot really don't like that episode. What's wrong with it? (poor Merriwether...)

[Starshine 16,334]

Why is it that everyone hates The Mysterious Mare Do Well?

I have nothing on Merriwhether, but her writings are more suitable on something like Spongebob rather than FiM

 

In MMDW, the previously calm Ponyville somehow transformed into a death trap (sudden steep hill when we already know that Ponyville is a flat village, a construction site when there is no visible industrialisation, the instantaneous huge hydroelectric dam, things like that), and the lesson of friendship is taught to RD by others, instead of the usual method 'learn it by yourself'

 

Not to mention Rainbow Dash simply changes into another mare, all with that spiderman speech

[Arcanel 3,041]

I have nothing on Merriwhether, but her writings are more suitable on something like Spongebob rather than FiM

 

In MMDW, the previously calm Ponyville somehow transformed into a death trap (sudden steep hill when we already know that Ponyville is a flat village, a construction site when there is no visible industrialisation, the instantaneous huge hydroelectric dam, things like that), and the lesson of friendship is taught to RD by others, instead of the usual method 'learn it by yourself'

 

Not to mention Rainbow Dash simply changes into another mare, all with that spiderman speech

 

Let's see...Merriwether wrote MMDW, Putting Your Hoof Down, and Dragon Quest...honestly, those episodes some of the more "towards your future" lessons rather than an inmediate one. But I don't think it unsuits the show. Plus, ever since Season 2 came, I think it was well established that MLP: FIM had become "for everyone" rather than just "for girls and mothers", don't you think? This could be more of a matter of opinion rather than a fact, but I have no idea.

 

Alright, I can agree the "construction" stuff IS weird. On the RD point, what do you mean? You mean the way she talked WOULDN'T be something Rainbow Dash would say? And on the lesson point, well, how do you propose RD learns something that deals directly with her pride, stuborness AND fame altogether? She's more hard headed than Applejack at some points.

[Starshine 16,334]

Putting Your Hoof Down

Everypony in Ponyville suddenly a total jerk, including the rabbit Angel. Instant hedge-maze that was never seen before. Including a mythical creature that is clearly "half-man, half-bull" in any book, leading to an assumption that a man-like creature exists on Equestria

 

Dragon Quest

Rarity unneededly says that she is a fashionista. Spike abducted the baby phoenix, totally forgetting about his previous conflict of being raised in a pony household.

 

How the living muffin do you teach a phoenix to be a pony?

 

MLP: FIM had become "for everyone" rather than just "for girls and mothers", don't you think?

I agree that the season two is more... "brony-suitable" than season one, but Merriwhether's writings are just too over-the-top compared to all other episodes (except the royal wedding, that's a whole another level)

 

You mean the way she talked WOULDN'T be something Rainbow Dash would say?

Rainbow Dash loves to brag, but not THAT far.

 

In any other "RD brags about things" episode, like the Fall Weather Friends and the May the Best Pet Win, she never go as far as posing like a weirdo in the middle of a death zone. Saying that she's the best in front of her friends on a casual events, maybe, but screaming how cool she is while other ponies are under the risk of painful death? Unbelievable

[Arcanel 3,041]

Everypony in Ponyville suddenly a total jerk, including the rabbit Angel. Instant hedge-maze that was never seen before. Including a mythical creature that is clearly "half-man, half-bull" in any book, leading to an assumption that a man-like creature exists on Equestria

 

 

 

Rarity unneededly says that she is a fashionista. Spike abducted the baby phoenix, totally forgetting about his previous conflict of being raised in a pony household.

 

How the living muffin do you teach a phoenix to be a pony?

 

 

 

I agree that the season two is more... "brony-suitable" than season one, but Merriwhether's writings are just too over-the-top compared to all other episodes (except the royal wedding, that's a whole another level)

 

 

 

Rainbow Dash loves to brag, but not THAT far.

 

In any other "RD brags about things" episode, like the Fall Weather Friends and the May the Best Pet Win, she never go as far as posing like a weirdo in the middle of a death zone. Saying that she's the best in front of her friends on a casual events, maybe, but screaming how cool she is while other ponies are under the risk of painful death? Unbelievable

 

Okay, there HAVE been jerks in Ponyville, and it wasn't THE entire place (and Angel? Seriously? The one pet that is anything BUT his namesake?). The Maze-like thing was the garden seen in The Return of Harmony, isn't it? And as for Iron Will, he IS a mythological being, as there have been throughout the show, thus is not wrong at all, right? (it WOULD be weird if minotaurs, well known mythological creatures, didn't appear, considering it's not the first time they reference a Greek story. It DOES reference the well known myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, which involves it and a maze).

 

On Dragon Quest, wait, wasn't the only time she mentioned she liked fashion when she defended Spike? (in one of her most awesome, awesome quotes?). Also, you'd be surprised what entering into the group you feel you should belong to can do to your mind. It's not something uncommon, is it? As for raising the phoenix...er...same way Twilight raised Spike (okay, no, but hey, if Pee-Wee appears again, we might get some insight)

 

What do you mean by over-the-top? Besides, already by Party of One they showed that they weren't afraid of using some more darker stuff, that isn't necessarily for kids, to teach a lesson (it wouldn't be surprising if kids actually got scared when they saw Pinkamena and crazy Twilight).

 

As for the RD point...yeah, okay, posing might not have been the best thing she could have done. Although it could be debated she had nothing against posing like she wanted when she did so in May the Best Pet Win .

[Radiance64 7,053]

The theme song. I don't hate it, but I don't think we need to hear it in every episode; some shows have their theme song cut off a bit or shortened sometimes with repeated episodes, I think FiM could benefit from something like that too.

[NavelColt 22,881]

Oh look, it's these kind of topics again. Inb4 silly arguments.

 

Wait, maybe I'm a little too late on that one.

 

I guess my few and far between complaints aren't so much the show overall, but specific decisions the show's creators and story writers' chose to do, that I personally don't agree with. Just for one example, the sad excuse for a 'fight' that Celestia had with Chrysalis.

[Doctor XFizzle 8,669]

For having The Great and Powerful Trixie and the resulting fan base that worships her

 

As for a semi-real answer, for having an imbalance of episodes for one of the Mane 6 in season two. We had like two of Rarity in a row then two of Rainbow Dash then two of Applejack.

[Clarity 3,094]

You know what I really dislike?

 

JAPPLEPACK.. PALLPEAJCK.. I MEAN APPLEJACK

 

Y U NO GIB APPULJECK MOAR LUV?

 

We can't let her become a background character. I'm putting my hoof down.

 

This.

 

That's probably all I dislike about this show, but it's still something I dislike.

 

The shunning of developing characters. Applejack has been a background pony for the so far two seasons and it really isn't something to like, not at all.

 

Hasbro should work on her more. Give her more episodes. Yeah, basically what Wubmaster said.

 

EDIT: One more thing, adding Derpy as well. That means that the developers decided to add fanon stuff, which caused me to lose some respect for them.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Clarity

[Lightning Fluttershy 1,844]

The theme song... I can find the theme song a little annoying at times but other than that nothing really... I believe Applejack should get some more attention too. That's really it now. I can't see anything else wrong.

[PetGryphon 8]

I don't like how ponies just let Pinkie Pie get away with stuff. Like jumping on houses and making a mess out of Ponyville. I like Pinkie Pie but that mare is too random....or not random enough. :/

[Arcanel 3,041]

This.

 

That's probably all I dislike about this show, but it's still something I dislike.

 

The shunning of developing characters. Applejack has been a background pony for the so far two seasons and it really isn't something to like, not at all.

 

Hasbro should work on her more. Give her more episodes. Yeah, basically what Wubmaster said.

 

I could somewhat agree with the whole Applejack (she along with Luna and Celestia are the ones I wish to see more centric episodes) subject, but I look positive. While she has had the less amount of centric chapters, it also gives her a lot of potential for character development wise. Even though we'll have less episodes. We'll just have to wait and see

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

For having The Great and Powerful Trixie and the resulting fan base that worships her

 

As for a semi-real answer, for having an imbalance of episodes for one of the Mane 6 in season two. We had like two of Rarity in a row then two of Rainbow Dash then two of Applejack.

 

I don't mind the episodes in a row, but for the background characters especially Trixie I couldn't agree more. It kind of spits in the face of designing three dimensional complex characters when your favorite character is a minor villain from 45 episodes ago with no visible positive character traits or a character who didn't even talk until halfway through season 2 and then only did so for one scene

[None42069 520]

the show is usually great about its animation and continuity.

 

The timeline is still up in the air, we don't know the order of what happened between the founding of Equestria and Nightmare Moon's return.

 

Also, if I recall, trains are supposed to be pulled by ponies but I remember in S2E14 that the trains were steam-powered.

 

Sorry to say, Vy, but the show takes continuity and beats it with an aluminum bat.

 

As for me... What I dislike the most is the music.

I'm not saying it's bad by any length. It's good and they got good singers and even lampshaded the music thing twice (S1E2 and S1E9 IIRC). It's just not something I'd put in my music library and listen to constantly.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Xidphel

[Koori 156]

I don't have any general complaints about Friendship is Magic... unless you count how uncomfortable some episodes can make you feel for some reason (biggest one being Suited for Success).

[Vy'drach 133]

The timeline is still up in the air, we don't know the order of what happened between the founding of Equestria and Nightmare Moon's return.

 

Also, if I recall, trains are supposed to be pulled by ponies but I remember in S2E14 that the trains were steam-powered.

 

Sorry to say, Vy, but the show takes continuity and beats it with an aluminum bat.

 

Don't see what the founding of Equestria and Nightmare Moon have to do with anything.

 

And my point was that it has continuity faults, but the show is still damned good about it since most other shows like FiM have no continuity at all, and the ones that tend to be better about continuity are usually fully fleshed out shows that have their story arc planned out from beginning to end before the show is even started.

 

I stand by my opinion that for the type of show FiM is, and compared to other shows of its type, the continuity is great, just has some glaring inconsistencies.

[Ion 279]

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the opening title sequence, but other than that I can't think of anything major that I can criticise without seeming petty.