It's extremely well animated: Flash has always been infamous for it's less-than-stellar use in modern animation, and when I first watched it, I expected more of the same cut-and-paste, flat, boring animation. What I got instead was quite astounding. Lush, detailed, original artwork, every episode (heck, every frame) getting the attention it deserves. In one episode, the animators were to create a scene where a massive explosion of light is created by a pony far in the distance. Rather than taking the ordinary route of cutting corners and simply showing the distant explosion, the animators drew in, for a single frame, the image of the pony as they were flying at incredible speeds. It was unnecessary, quick and nearly unnoticeable, but all the little touches like that (there are many of them) help raise the show to a new level of quality not often seen in animation, let alone a show made for children.
The writing is incredible: As a writer all my life, I could never stand a bad script. Childrens shows never hooked me partially because their writing was formulaic, lazy and repetitious. It spoke down to the audience (Dora, anyone?) and the jokes, if present at all, were silly and meaningless. Every episode, every week, followed a strict formula and shoved messages down your throat. Certain cartoons have stood the test of time partially because of their writing, including gems like Dexter's Lab, which many adults enjoyed as much as their kids. FIM is one of these gems (no pun intended). The writers obviously care about the quality of the show, and the dialogue is natural, interesting, and speaks on even terms with the audience: They don't treat the audience like idiots, but rather, equals. The humor is quite hilarious, and there are jokes for everyone: The slapstick laughs of The Three Stooges, the quick-wit dialogue of Dexter's Lab and Spongebob Squarepants (without ever descending into rudeness or, God Forbid, toilet humor) and the deeply layered jokes not often seen outside of adult comedy, the kind that you only notice the second time, and chuckle at while your children innocently stare. ("The punch has been...spiked!") A large part of the appeal of the show is it's feel-good nature, which is rarely seen in today's cynical society. The messages behind every episode are relevant to everyone (sometimes I feel adults need them more than the intended audience), and are never shoved down your throat. The messages are derived from the plot, not the other way around. You don't see light messages like "Sharing is Caring" and "Never tell a fib!" but rather, deeper ones such as "Never lose faith in your friends. They can be an amazing source of strength, and can help you overcome even your greatest fears." Now THAT'S a message.
The voice acting...impeccable: In the animation field (at least in children's television) you don't often see really incredible voice actors. Many are rather cookie cutter: You couldn't pick the voice out of a crowd, and even if the lead character has a wonderful voice actor or actress, the supporting characters all sound the same and show no real emotion. In Friendship is Magic, every cast member gives their all to every performance. With a cast consisting of the incredible, talented Tara Strong, the wonderful Ashleigh Ball (who is one of the greatest singers I've ever seen in the animation field, ever), the underappreciated Andrea Eva Libman (who plays both the loudest and softest-spoken characters on the show, equally brilliantly) and the famed Tabitha St. Germain, you simply can't go wrong. The voices are all perfectly fit for the characters, and never once do you question the reality and sincerity of the voices you hear from the screen.
The characters are hilarious and multilayered: As I've said before, television is quite repetitive. Nearly all child-oriented animation is bland, particularly in this category. The characters only serve to move the "plot" forward, possessing whatever flaw needs to be utelized to present the lesson-of-the-day. In FIM, the cast is diverse, interesting, relatable and each member has a distinct, consistant personality. From the introverted but incredibly intellegent and loyal Twilight Sparkle, to the hardworking, family-oriented and honest Applejack; from the excitable party pony with a good heart and inner demons, Pinkie Pie, to the quiet, shy, kind and inwardly courageous Fluttershy; from the outward diva with a great taste in fashion and incredible inner strength and deepness, Rarity, to the overly confident, athletic, strong willed Pegasus with hidden insecurities, Rainbow Dash. The fact that, in that long summary, I only scratched the surface of the characters and their traits goes to show that the characters were created with care, not to deliver a cookie-cutter message but to make the viewer think, laugh and enjoy every episode.
The music is really, really catchy: As a brother to two very young children and a musician, I can tell you that the music on their favorite children shows drives me utterly insane. It's repetitious, obnoxious, loud and is, quite frankly, an insult to the art of music and the rules thereof. My Little Pony's music, created by Daniel Ingram, is always an utter pleasure to listen to. It's catchy, well written, and draws influence from greats like Sondheim. Even though it's been months since I first heard "Winter Wrap Up" I frequently find myself whistling the tune aloud, much to the chagrine of my parents. Best of all, it doesn't end with the show: If you go online, you'll find endless remixes and songs inspired by FiM. Many are some of the highest quality tunes I've ever heard on the Internet. Which brings me to my last point...
The Community is wonderful: As has been mentioned by others, the community is amazing. While there are some who are a bit more obsessed with the ponies than I think healthy, the overall fanbase is kind, fun, thoughtful, clever and talented. I've always hated Fanfictions, but even I have picked up and enjoyed a few in this fanbase. As mentioned, the music is phenomenal, and the art is also exceptional. Many of the pieces have inspired me to improve my own work. After a hard day of cynicism and cold attitudes, it's refreshing to come online and chill with everyone in the FiM community. I mean, you can't go wrong with a slogan like "Love and Tolerance", can you?
To sum it all up: My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic is mercifilly completely unlike it's predecessors in all but name. It is innocent, interesting, well written, an island in an ocean of crappy shows and low standards and, best of all, extremely entertaining. Don't let the surface stuff fool you: You can never judge a book by it's cover; particularly when it's a show, particularly when it's a show created by the incredible Lauren Faust, and most particularly of all, when it's a show created by the incredible Lauren Faust about f***ing ponies! Well, thus ends my rant. Thanks for listening in. Love and Tolerance, everyone!
