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Description
When the new decade arrived, I bet very few people, if any, expected that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the latest entry of a series normally marketed at girls, would not only be one of the most popular cartoons of the decade, but one of the biggest cultural icons of the 2010s. How did it do it?

Well, I'd like to think part of that is thanks to the show's creator, Lauren Faust. Having previously worked on beloved animated works like The Powerpuff Girls or The Iron Giant, Mrs. Faust managed to make her show a massive success by stop marketing only towards little girls, and expand it to audiences of any age, by giving the characters distinctive and likeable personalities, introduce a vast and interesting setting, and writing stories that anyone can relate to.

But to do all of that, first you have to make a good first impression. And luckily, Season 1 is a very good first impression of the show.

I really like the setting of the show. Places like Ponyville, the Everfree Forest and even Canterlot seem like some interesting places to live or have adventures in. And it introduces some little bits of world-building that make the setting more rich. Folk tales like Nightmare Moon's legend, the Winter Wrap-Up celebration, Cutie-Marks, different sentient species like dragons or griffons, and many more. It almost seems like it came straight out of a Disney movie, or a fantasy novel. Something else I find interesting is how the ponies seem to have some control of nature, like they make the plants grow, control the weather, even the princesses control the sun and the moon.

And with a fascinating world, you gotta have interesting characters, something they also manage to accomplish. Each of the Mane Six have distinctive personalities that make them stand out. We have Twilight Sparkle, an overachieving bookworm who seeks to learn all about frienship, Applejack, a hardworking mare who's the most level-headed of her friends, Rainbow Dash, the most competitive and overconfident but with an immense sense of loyalty, Rarity, the most ladylike of her friends, but also generous, passionate for her work, and capable of overcoming obstacles on her own, Fluttershy, the most introverted and kind of the mane ponies, with a love for nature and animals in particular, and Pinkie Pie, the most hyperactive character in the show so far, and always willing to put a smile on anyone she comes across. There's also Spike, Twilight's number one assistant, and always supportive of the Mane Six when they need him, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the younger sisters of Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity (or honorary sister in Rainbow's case), who's mission is to earn their Cutie-Marks, and by extension, discover what they're meant to be.

And it's also really funny. Each of the main characters, particularly Pinkie, get some memorable scenes and lines that make them the more endearing to the audience. The six ponies all have some good chemistry with each other, and often have some really funny and often really touching moments that make us see why they are friends in the first place.

So that means this season is perfect, and it doesn't have flaws whatsoever, right?... wrong. One of my main problems here is sometimes the pacing of the episodes can feel slow and drag on from time to time, which makes the episode feel a little longer than it actually is.

There's also the bad habit this season has of shoehorning Twilight into the plot of every episode. Before Season 2, the only one who could write letters to Princess Celestia was Twilight, and thus, she was the one who had to give the moral of every single episode. It might seem like a minor thing at first, but it becomes noticable later on, especially since she's put on episodes where she doesn't do much, and that honestly would work much better if they didn't include her at all. For example, Look Before You Sleep, Fall Weather Friends and Green Isn't Your Color. Twilight didn't need to have a big role on those episodes, and she often comes off as annoying rather than helpful.

But with that said, I think this was a great start for the show, and it would only get better from here.

Now let's see what are the episodes I reccomend watching, and what episodes are worth skipping:

Bottom 5:

5. A Bird in the Hoof - Philomena is extremely disgusting, and it honestly feels like a Fluttershy torture porn at parts, but it's a harmless enough episode, and there are decent jokes to be found here. It's not the worst here, but you wouldn't miss anything by skipping it.

4. Boast Busters - I don't know what's more of an accomplishment, how this introduced the most annoying characters in the show, or how it makes the characters we're supposed to root for even more despicable than the actual antagonist. And while I do like the showcase of Twilight's magic, the resolution feels unsatisfying for not giving the characters that caused the most trouble a proper punishment.

3. Look Before You Sleep - Like I mentioned above, this episode didn't need Twilight's precense. She did nothing to help in the climax, and was only concerned about a sleepover she shouldn't be interested in considering past episodes. And Applejack and Rarity are unbareable. Acting like children when the two of them are supposed to be responsible enough to not fall into that. This is honestly a huge waste of time.

2. Owl's Well That Ends Well - And thus, the bad reputation of Spike episodes begins. Aside from the main ponies praising Owlowiscious like they praise Spike, despite the fact that they've only met him recently, Twilight feels too blind and insensitive towards Spike's feelings that honestly, her apology in the end is hard to buy. I believe Spike deserves to be treated better than this... but hey, it's not as bad as-

1. The Show Stoppers - Ugghh... out of all the episodes this season, this is the one I have the least positive things to say about. Not only are the CMC so blind to what's obvious that they come off as idiots rather than naive children, but it's also pretty boring and it has very little substance to it. And the song, while it does have nice lyrics, it's so cringeworthy and off-key that it's honestly hard to enjoy on its own. At least Look Before You Sleep and Owl's Well That Ends Well have sort of nice resolutions. This episode's resolution feel like a slap in the face, and it resolves nothing. If you're looking for the single guilty for me not liking the CMC episodes as much as everyone else, you can blame it on this one.

Top 5:

5. Dragonshy - The episode that made me fall in love with Fluttershy. While Rainbow does come off like kind of a jerkass here, it has some pretty funny gags that make me entertained, and it shows not only that Fluttershy would stick up for her friends when she needs them, but it also shows how much the other ponies care about each other. It's also the first episode to show that other races in Equestria can be as good people as the ponies (besides Spike of course).

4. Winter Wrap-Up - An interesting showcase of world-building, and an excellent example of how Twilight can be a good leader not just for her friends, but also anyone who's in need of organization. The Winter Wrap-Up seems like an interesting hcelebration, with creative ways for everyone to be involved. And the song works so well with the episode that it almost feels like something Disney would do. While I don't particularly care about Spike here, it's a great episode that shows Twilight's capabilities and how she can benefit the lives of others.

3. Party Of One - The funniest episode of this season. Every joke is clever, has good pacing, and hits the mark every time. And it shows some of Pinkie's insecurities, and shows that she's not simply a plucky comic relief who's only meant to make people laugh. But aside from that, it's also one of the most disturbing episodes of the show, with a scene that has nothing to envy to an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. While there are a few flaws (I personally think the moral could've be worded better,) this is an episode you must watch to get a good laugh... or scare, if you prefer.

2. Sonic Rainboom - One of the fan-favorites, and for a good reason. Rainbow Dash is presented with a good conflict about fear of failure, Cloudsdale is an amazingly designed place, it showcases some positive interactions between the Mane cast (particularly Rainbow and Fluttershy,) and it's all wrapped up in a satisfying resolution, with some excellent animation on top of that. This is one of the episodes I reccomend the most from this season... but not as much as-

1. The Cutie Mark Chronicles - With the previous episodes, there are a few things that I wish could've been done better, or differently than it was. With this episode, though, I have literally nothing to complain about. This episode gives some excellent backstories to all of the Mane Six, not only showing off their special talents, but also how they became the way they are now. It also shows how the special connection each of them has with each other, and how inadvertedly they all have to thank each other for discovering their talents. It shows that even if you don't see it, everyone is connected one way or another, and how the people in your life can influence you in a positive way. This is honestly an episode that shows the best qualities of the series, and one you should definitely give a chance.

And that's it for Season 1. Join me next time when I take a look at what most people consider an improvement over the last season.

Description
When the new decade arrived, I bet very few people, if any, expected that My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the latest entry of a series normally marketed at girls, would not only be one of the most popular cartoons of the decade, but one of the biggest cultural icons of the 2010s. How did it do it?

Well, I'd like to think part of that is thanks to the show's creator, Lauren Faust. Having previously worked on beloved animated works like The Powerpuff Girls or The Iron Giant, Mrs. Faust managed to make her show a massive success by stop marketing only towards little girls, and expand it to audiences of any age, by giving the characters distinctive and likeable personalities, introduce a vast and interesting setting, and writing stories that anyone can relate to.

But to do all of that, first you have to make a good first impression. And luckily, Season 1 is a very good first impression of the show.

I really like the setting of the show. Places like Ponyville, the Everfree Forest and even Canterlot seem like some interesting places to live or have adventures in. And it introduces some little bits of world-building that make the setting more rich. Folk tales like Nightmare Moon's legend, the Winter Wrap-Up celebration, Cutie-Marks, different sentient species like dragons or griffons, and many more. It almost seems like it came straight out of a Disney movie, or a fantasy novel. Something else I find interesting is how the ponies seem to have some control of nature, like they make the plants grow, control the weather, even the princesses control the sun and the moon.

And with a fascinating world, you gotta have interesting characters, something they also manage to accomplish. Each of the Mane Six have distinctive personalities that make them stand out. We have Twilight Sparkle, an overachieving bookworm who seeks to learn all about frienship, Applejack, a hardworking mare who's the most level-headed of her friends, Rainbow Dash, the most competitive and overconfident but with an immense sense of loyalty, Rarity, the most ladylike of her friends, but also generous, passionate for her work, and capable of overcoming obstacles on her own, Fluttershy, the most introverted and kind of the mane ponies, with a love for nature and animals in particular, and Pinkie Pie, the most hyperactive character in the show so far, and always willing to put a smile on anyone she comes across. There's also Spike, Twilight's number one assistant, and always supportive of the Mane Six when they need him, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the younger sisters of Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity (or honorary sister in Rainbow's case), who's mission is to earn their Cutie-Marks, and by extension, discover what they're meant to be.

And it's also really funny. Each of the main characters, particularly Pinkie, get some memorable scenes and lines that make them the more endearing to the audience. The six ponies all have some good chemistry with each other, and often have some really funny and often really touching moments that make us see why they are friends in the first place.

So that means this season is perfect, and it doesn't have flaws whatsoever, right?... wrong. One of my main problems here is sometimes the pacing of the episodes can feel slow and drag on from time to time, which makes the episode feel a little longer than it actually is.

There's also the bad habit this season has of shoehorning Twilight into the plot of every episode. Before Season 2, the only one who could write letters to Princess Celestia was Twilight, and thus, she was the one who had to give the moral of every single episode. It might seem like a minor thing at first, but it becomes noticable later on, especially since she's put on episodes where she doesn't do much, and that honestly would work much better if they didn't include her at all. For example, Look Before You Sleep, Fall Weather Friends and Green Isn't Your Color. Twilight didn't need to have a big role on those episodes, and she often comes off as annoying rather than helpful.

But with that said, I think this was a great start for the show, and it would only get better from here.

Now let's see what are the episodes I reccomend watching, and what episodes are worth skipping:

Bottom 5:

5. A Bird in the Hoof - Philomena is extremely disgusting, and it honestly feels like a Fluttershy torture porn at parts, but it's a harmless enough episode, and there are decent jokes to be found here. It's not the worst here, but you wouldn't miss anything by skipping it.

4. Boast Busters - I don't know what's more of an accomplishment, how this introduced the most annoying characters in the show, or how it makes the characters we're supposed to root for even more despicable than the actual antagonist. And while I do like the showcase of Twilight's magic, the resolution feels unsatisfying for not giving the characters that caused the most trouble a proper punishment.

3. Look Before You Sleep - Like I mentioned above, this episode didn't need Twilight's precense. She did nothing to help in the climax, and was only concerned about a sleepover she shouldn't be interested in considering past episodes. And Applejack and Rarity are unbareable. Acting like children when the two of them are supposed to be responsible enough to not fall into that. This is honestly a huge waste of time.

2. Owl's Well That Ends Well - And thus, the bad reputation of Spike episodes begins. Aside from the main ponies praising Owlowiscious like they praise Spike, despite the fact that they've only met him recently, Twilight feels too blind and insensitive towards Spike's feelings that honestly, her apology in the end is hard to buy. I believe Spike deserves to be treated better than this... but hey, it's not as bad as-

1. The Show Stoppers - Ugghh... out of all the episodes this season, this is the one I have the least positive things to say about. Not only are the CMC so blind to what's obvious that they come off as idiots rather than naive children, but it's also pretty boring and it has very little substance to it. And the song, while it does have nice lyrics, it's so cringeworthy and off-key that it's honestly hard to enjoy on its own. At least Look Before You Sleep and Owl's Well That Ends Well have sort of nice resolutions. This episode's resolution feel like a slap in the face, and it resolves nothing. If you're looking for the single guilty for me not liking the CMC episodes as much as everyone else, you can blame it on this one.

Top 5:

5. Dragonshy - The episode that made me fall in love with Fluttershy. While Rainbow does come off like kind of a jerkass here, it has some pretty funny gags that make me entertained, and it shows not only that Fluttershy would stick up for her friends when she needs them, but it also shows how much the other ponies care about each other. It's also the first episode to show that other races in Equestria can be as good people as the ponies (besides Spike of course).

4. Winter Wrap-Up - An interesting showcase of world-building, and an excellent example of how Twilight can be a good leader not just for her friends, but also anyone who's in need of organization. The Winter Wrap-Up seems like an interesting hcelebration, with creative ways for everyone to be involved. And the song works so well with the episode that it almost feels like something Disney would do. While I don't particularly care about Spike here, it's a great episode that shows Twilight's capabilities and how she can benefit the lives of others.

3. Party Of One - The funniest episode of this season. Every joke is clever, has good pacing, and hits the mark every time. And it shows some of Pinkie's insecurities, and shows that she's not simply a plucky comic relief who's only meant to make people laugh. But aside from that, it's also one of the most disturbing episodes of the show, with a scene that has nothing to envy to an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. While there are a few flaws (I personally think the moral could've be worded better,) this is an episode you must watch to get a good laugh... or scare, if you prefer.

2. Sonic Rainboom - One of the fan-favorites, and for a good reason. Rainbow Dash is presented with a good conflict about fear of failure, Cloudsdale is an amazingly designed place, it showcases some positive interactions between the Mane cast (particularly Rainbow and Fluttershy,) and it's all wrapped up in a satisfying resolution, with some excellent animation on top of that. This is one of the episodes I reccomend the most from this season... but not as much as-

1. The Cutie Mark Chronicles - With the previous episodes, there are a few things that I wish could've been done better, or differently than it was. With this episode, though, I have literally nothing to complain about. This episode gives some excellent backstories to all of the Mane Six, not only showing off their special talents, but also how they became the way they are now. It also shows how the special connection each of them has with each other, and how inadvertedly they all have to thank each other for discovering their talents. It shows that even if you don't see it, everyone is connected one way or another, and how the people in your life can influence you in a positive way. This is honestly an episode that shows the best qualities of the series, and one you should definitely give a chance.

And that's it for Season 1. Join me next time when I take a look at what most people consider an improvement over the last season.