The television
show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
has generated a wide fan base beyond the target audience. Entire documentaries
have been made about the reasons behind this phenomena, but the one that struck
me the most is that My Little Pony: Friendship
is Magic (or MLP:FiM for short) delivers messages with unusual depth for a
children’s show. As the title implies, the show focuses on the adventures and
escapades of six ponies. The episodes generally involve the characters learning
something about the meaning and value of friendship. This may sound very simple
at first, but does this show contain more subtle wisdom than the average viewer
might guess? After viewing the show itself, I believe it does, and would like
to elaborate on the subject here.
The main character
Twilight Sparkle is a dedicated student to the majestic-looking mare Princess
Celestia, and she is given an assignment in a town called Ponyville. While
there, she meets five other ponies and together they represent “The Elements of
Harmony.” Each pony has her own “element” all of which include loyalty,
honesty, generosity, laughter, and kindness.
These elements play a significant role throughout the series, and often
the characters rely on them to overcome conflicts and havoc-wreaking
adversaries such as the villain Discord. (Does any of this sound familiar?
Regular readers may recall my article “Elements of Harmony” from several weeks
ago J )
The characters are
very relatable and the animation style is superb. Both of these things contribute
greatly to the overwhelming popularity of MLP:FiM, but perhaps the greatest
charm of this show comes from the actual storytelling regarding the virtues (or
Elements) of each character. There are many instances in which the pony friends
face great and overwhelming difficulties. Many times these troubles are
overcome when they are reminded that the Elements of Harmony exist within
themselves. They are there; they just need to be “tapped into” for them to
flourish. I believe this is the type of encouraging and empowering message that
children- and people of all ages, for that matter- need today. MLP:Fim delivers
that message in a delightful, expertly executed children’s show.
As someone who has
lived periods of my life in deep negativity and also great happiness, I find
that I much prefer the latter. That is a major reason why I appreciate MLP:FiM.
It’s something positive. Also, as an artist and fiction writer, I enjoy
anything that has strong and representative characters. The show has that too.
Last but not least, in the title of my blog I identify myself as a “sincere
seeker.” Twilight Sparkle is the “seeker” of MLP:FiM. She looks for the truth
in things, and she is devoted to her teacher and mentor. She is smart, but is
not conceited and open to learning new things. This allows her to grow and
develop as a character, and watching her do so was one of my favorite aspects
of the show.
Aside from all
that, what can I say? Those ponies are just darn cute!
For anyone
interested in learning more about MLP:FiM and the “Brony” fandom that emerged
around it, check out the link to the trailer below:
No comments:
Post a Comment