My daughter loves “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” and while I’m not nearly as enamored with the show as she is, I’ll actually sit down and watch an episode or two with her. What’s interesting is my 9 year old son also enjoys the program. The show is occasionally recorded on the DVR for watching as the weekend allows, but it is the DVD releases that get the most play. Previously we got a few random episodes but now Shout Factory has released the full season one on DVD available exclusively through Amazon. I couldn’t even find it on Shout Factory’s own website.
So what do you get? All 26 episodes of a very good series aimed at girls but with a much broader appeal. Then you get some audio commentaries, and yes, they are worth it. Grown-ups who watch the show with their kids will certainly enjoy the insight provided. There are a lot of people who show up from time to time, a couple of voice actors, a couple of directors and producers, but interestingly show runner Lauren Faust who is credited with launching this revamp of the franchise is absent. The show is currently in its 3rd season, and she stepped down after the first season, had a diminished role in the second and is now gone, so it’s not too surprising, actually she is not present here, but it is a shame.
Normally I’m not a big fan of toy-inspired animated fare (I think Saturday morning cartoons were better before the 1983 FCC ruling) but this is clearly not just a marketing tool. “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” is a solid series with a full cast of distinct characters and a world that may not be as complex as some might want, but is much more involved than many programs geared towards girls.
Favorite characters? I asked my daughter and she listed of five or six. Then she came back a couple of hours later with a couple more names. My 5 and 9 year old sons don’t have favorite characters, they just like the show. There’s a good mix of horses, unicorns and pegasus ponies. Some are tomboyish, some are reckless, some are shy, but all are distinct and while there may not be direct lessons to learn every episode, there is solid character interaction which makes “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” a standout because it just isn’t just putting the same characters in the same situations over and over again.
And there is some progression as well. Season one deals with the buildup towards the Grand Galloping Gala which takes place in the season finale. There’s a couple of episodes that deal with dresses for the gala as an example. Of course there are stand-alone episodes and some that are just … well, they could be an ordinary episode of an ordinary series with regards to a “closed loop” continuity (meaning nothing really changes at the end of the episode). But it is the characters and their interactions that is at the heart of “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” and that’s why this series is so enjoyable.
Who is this for? If you have a kid who likes horses, get this. If you have Hub (formerly Discovery Kids if I remember correctly) try to catch an episode or two and you’ll see. “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” is an engaging animated series for kids, well done, and it’s nice to have it all together like this rather than having random episodes slapped together.