SixCentScribbles, now that would be a valid comment if someone was arguing that the morals or characters were childish or if someone believed the show was a soapbox for objectivism, and if you are criticizing anyone who made comments like that then please excuse me, but saying a children's show is above analyze is silly. I already argued above why a show being for kids is why it should be analyzed.
@SCS: I still disagree, even though many animations are aimed at children doesn't mean others views of them arn't important, the MLP team and many other people who have worked on cartoons over the years have stated they write something they would want to watch with their kids, so in a way cartoons are made just as much for the elder siblings and parents watching as the children. Also there are times a child can make a good point about an "adult" TV show or movie, no reason to dismiss it because its not for their "demographic" Again I find such views somewhat limiting and small minded, but hey, thats just me, and i'm eccentric as buck, so to each their own. @Tempest: Oh stop being such a negative Nancy! Yes people are far from perfect, but theres still a few good apples out there.
I've asked you before to stop pretending like you know anything about me. Someone's goodness is only determined by the opinion of others. I used to be Mr. Positive all the time because I genuinely cared about the members of this forum, and then I say a few negative things here and there and then the members who knew me just write me off. Now I'm being Mr. Dramatic. No point in trying to explain it to someone who can't understand. On topic: I liked every episode this season except the most recent one because they made Spike look like a clumsy retard. I don't much care for Spike, but he was completely out of character in "Spike At Your Service." With all those chores he does for Twilight, you'd think he'd be perfect at helping Applejack.
Once more I'm brought to thinking that you're missing my point entirely, as well as misinterpreting my thoughts for insults, considering the fact that you both seem to be getting quite snappy with me. What I'm trying to ultimately get across is that, no, the creators of this show have repeated time and time again that, in spite of the fact that a majority of the watchers are adult, the demographic is still in the child persuasion, and they're not going to be making the show mature anytime soon. And what I'm trying to get you guys to pick up is that, frankly, they don't have to. And I apologize if I misinterpreted your comment, Tiger, but I'm afraid that the characters and morals, while admittedly done in a fashion that can be partial to adults, are both quite childish. Shy, bookworm, confident, country, pretty princess, and crazy are all archetypes that aren't exactly complex to a degree that is suitable for the "mature". They're definitely molded to the tastes of adolescents, and even though I like them, they're no where near my taste of "intricate". And you, stereo, have missed my point more than anything. I clearly stated that it's all well and good for an adult to enjoy a children's park meant for children, because an adult is still capable of being able to let himself be free in the sandbox or some such shtick, but as I said, complaining about how the slide doesn't suit you (or how the pacing is rushed) isn't fair, because it was meant more for the kids than for you. Meaning, the pacing is rushed because most children aren't philosophically adept enough to stand long scenes of dialogue and plot build up. Those are things that the more mature crowd likes, just like kids prefer small slides.
Well now I feel convinced that I missed your point entirely. My apologies. I agree 100% about the show's characters being very childish, as it's supposed to be. And I think there's been a miscommuncation somewhere here on the word mature. I do not use the word mature to mean mature audience R-rated stuff which I'm assuming is what you're talking about with others but mature as in decision making and responsibility. Take for example what you just said about a children's park that's about children. I'm the kind of guy inspecting that park to make sure none of the playground equipment is poorly made, jagged, likely to fall apart or in any other way harmful to kids, if that makes any sense. And that is what I mean about why a show being for children is a reason why it should be analyzed.
@sixscents: Mature in the stereotypical sex & violence sense, no. Mature in the sense it teaches kids life lessons as well as trying to get them to better themselves, YES! the word maturity has been so skewed and perverse in modern times it almost means the opposite of what it should these days. MLP is more "Mature" in the most pure sense then most "Adult" programs. As for characters being childish, some are kids (CMC, possibly Spike) and Faust herself said the mane six are the human equivalent to teenagers, given their far more mature & idealized then most real teens, but still. They do have instances where they act childish, but even that is much more natural in feel then in most live action sitcoms and many other all-ages/children's animations. But hey to each their own, guess this is just one of those instances where I shall have to respectfully agree to disagree with you on most things. But thats part of what makes media fun in general, conflicting/differing views & opinions.
No worries, mate. That seems to happen a lot around me. Now I realize that this entire argument it derived literally from nothing but misunderstanding XD. Yes, it's perfectly fine to analyze a show "like that", I was more so referring to people complaining about consistency and pacing, than whether or not it was appropriate for our children. I apologize for the mix up.
It's not bad; it's had one episode I despised, one that I found pretty boring, two that I found okay, two that I found fairly good, and three that I absolutely loved.
Despised: Spike at Your Service Boring: Apple Family Reunion Okay: The Crystal Empire 1 and 2 Fairly Good: Too Many Pinkie Pies One Bad Apple Loved: Magic Duel Sleepless in Ponyville Wonderbolt Academy If I guessed right, I deserve a cookie.
So far, I give it a 8.5/10. Love most of the episodes "Flutter On", "Bad Seed", "Too Many Pinkies", "Magic Duel", "Wonderbolts Academy", and "Sleepless In Ponyville". "Just For Sidekicks" was ok, I never been crazy about Spike, I loved it cause of Winona & Tank. I do wish Rarity to have an episode, even if she is my least favorite, I really didn't give her much of a chance. I also want more Lyra, best non-M6 pony in my book. (bring BB in more as well). I am glad to see Zecora get some good parts, and how she helped against Trixie. I also like that Trixie could possibly be a good pony. Despite I like Apple Jack, I believe this is her season more than anypony else. I predicted that. Two things I miss are Derpy (yeah, I said it), and the telegrams to Celestia. I'm not saying for them to be in EVERY episode, but they need to be in more than they have this season. I am glad Discord is back, and he is my favorite male character, and he has the best voice after Apple Jack (me saying AJ's voice is the best is actually very bias of me, and you will find out why soon ). Really enjoyed both Fluttershy and the CMC more and this season put Flutter as 2nd best after Dash in my book.
It was good, but Season 2 was much better. A more in-depth review/rating would require me to re-watch it, and I don't really have the time or the patience.
I'm pretty pleased so far. There have been a couple 'meh' episodes but overall it's been very enjoyable. I'll give it 8/10.
I've liked Season 3 for the most part. There's been a few misses on some of the episodes for me, but altogether its been pretty good. I'd give it a 7/10.
Newly updated list now that S3 is officially over. 1. Sleepless in Ponyville (This episode was pretty much perfect. Fantastic moral lesson, wonderful integration of Luna into the show's continuity, captivating dream sequences, a well-executed plot, and a focus on a character who is usually overlooked.) 2. Magic Duel (I kind of wish this had been a two-parter, but it's still a fun and action-packed episode. Loved seeing Trixie return. The Alicorn amulet was creepy and neat. Loved the Star Wars references. I also liked that Twilight had to outsmart Trixie. The only reason this isn't first is because I felt the ending was a bit rushed.) 3. The Crystal Empire parts one and two (TWO new songs (three, if you count the reprise at the end), an epic plot, good world-building (putting aside the show's everything-happened-a-thousand-years-ago syndrome), a lot of fun character moments, and surprisingly dark. My only complaints are that some of the ponies seemed completely useless this episode and that the villain wasn't terribly compelling.) 4. Keep Calm and Flutter On (While it did seem a tad rushed and I'm still iffy about this whole reforming Discord thing, I do think the episode managed to combine a strong plot with an interesting dialogue about the possibility of change and moral redemption. And, of course, de Lancie returns as one of the most interesting characters in the show's run.) 5. Magical Mystery Cure (Extremely rushed, yes, and of course the Alicorn Twilight thing was forced on the writers. With that said, the episode was spectacularly animated, had a ton of very strong songs, and quite a bit of heart. Moreover, for better or for worse, this really changes the status quo of the characters quite a bit. We'll see where they go from here, but I was fairly impressed with how much this episode did VERY well.) 6. Wonderbolt Academy (Good moral lesson, fun plot, hilarious Pinkie Pie, and Lightning Dust was a fun character. Loved the Top Gun-ish feel of the episode.) 7. Too Many Pinkie Pies (A lot of fun with multiple memorable moments, almost exclusively from Pinkie Pie(s). This episode seemed very self-aware, from RD calling attention to Pinkie's defiance of basic physics to the G3 Pinkie Pie face and hoof-fingers. I still can't believe that the others weren't able to figure out which Pinkie Pie was VERY different from all of the identical clones. Also, the episode was a bit lacking in any sort of substance. Still a lot of fun, though.) 8. One Bad Apple (I like the focus on bullying and the addition of a new pony. The new song was cute. This episode didn't do much to impress me, though.) 9. Games Ponies Play (Enjoyable episode. Not much of substance happened, but the chemistry in-between the characters is strong enough to carry it and make it fun to watch. I loved the continuity between this and "Just for Sidekicks." Plot is very predictable, though.) 10. Apple Family Reunion (Applejack gets a song! A ...bad... song. I liked seeing the various members of the Apple family, including the return of Babs Seed. Plot is basically Applejack acting like a bit of a dolt, not as bad as "Apple Buck Season" was, but still not great.) 11. Just for Sidekicks (Another Spike episode. It was entertaining, to be sure, and one of the show's better Spike-oriented episodes, but there's nothing much to really love here.) 12. Spike At Your Service (Horrendous plot. The little character moments kept it from being a stinker, though. And the Timber Wolves are really cool.) The season was the weakest so far, but it is also hard to judge the relative quality compared to the other seasons when it is so short. Season Two is still definitely on top for me.
The only negative things I have to say about the whole season was: -No Rarity episode. -Spike episodes really just can't be made good. -Most of the episodes felt rushed, almost like they all needed to be 2 parters. I enjoyed the last episode, but the season 2 finale was just perfect in every way. The main reason why this season didn't compare to the others was because it was only half as long.
This season was just awesome. I really enjoyed it. Not quite as good as season two, but I still really enjoyed it
The season, overall, was acceptable. More importantly, despite Hasbro's meddling, the writers kept the show entertaining. What more could you ask for? 8/10 for the season.
I would do a top ten but as there are thirteen episodes i'll do a top thirteen. 13. Magical Mystery Cure 12. Games Ponies Play 11. Sleepless in Ponyville 10. Too Many Pinkie Pies 9. Keep Calm and Flutter On 8. Magic Duel 7. Crystal Empire Part One 6. Crystal Empire Part Two 5. One Bad Apple 4. Wonderbolt Academy 3. Apple Family Reunion 2. Spike At Your Service 1. Just For Sidekicks
Now that i've thought about it some more I want to redo my top thirteen list ok here we go. 13. Spike At Your Service 12. Just For Sidekicks 11. Crystal Empire Part One 10. Crystal Empire Part Two 9. Wonderbolts Academy 8. Apple Family Reunion 7. One Bad Apple 6. Games Ponies Play 5. Magic Duel 4. Keep Calm and Flutter One 3. Too Many Pinkie Pies 2. Sleepless in Ponyville 1. Magical Mystery Cure
