150-625: The My Little Pony franchise debuted in 1982, the creation of American illustrator and designer Bonnie Zacherle . Together with sculptor Charles Muenchinger and manager Steve D'Aguanno, Bonnie submitted a design patent in August 1981 for "an ornamental design for a toy animal". She was then working for Hasbro. The patent was granted in August 1983. Flutter Ponies are fairy ponies with tiny bodies, curly hair, longer legs than regular ponies and fairy-like wings. They were first released in 1986. The Flutter Ponies may appear delicate, but in truth, they possess
300-464: A blind audition to Hasbro for Friendship Is Magic ; the company admired his incidental music , and selected him. After the first season's finale aired, Faust announced that she had stepped down as executive producer to become consulting producer. Her involvement in the second season consisted primarily of story concepts and scripts, and she left after that season. In an interview with New York magazine , Faust said that her reasons for leaving were
450-594: A "hybrid sub-species" of ponies able to shapechange between forms to better adapt to an aquatic or mountainous environment. Crystal Ponies are inhabitants of the Crystal Empire in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic . They appear as Earth Ponies with a few distinctive features. Their form changes depending on their mood. When they are sad and depressed, their manes and tails are flat and unstyled, their ears are always folded down, and their coats have
600-570: A 3D CG-animated film (produced by Entertainment One and animated by Boulder Media ) and a follow-up television series. Unlike previous generation changes which have generally featured a completely new set of characters, Generation Five will build upon the world and stories established in Generation Four from Friendship Is Magic , but will include a time jump as to introduce new characters and themes. According to Hasbro's Emily Thompson, vice president of global brand management for Entertainment One,
750-457: A Day , a video game by Gameloft , and a collectible card game . In 2012, IDW Publishing began releasing monthly My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic comics ; the series ended in September 2021. The comics were replaced by My Little Pony: Generations the following month. A crossover comic of Friendship Is Magic and Transformers was released in 2020 and 2021. Hasbro observed from
900-431: A Sonic Rainboom; Fluttershy's hair, indicating her bounciness, gentleness, and optimism; Applejack's cutie mark, symbolizing her simplicity; Pinkie Pie's shape (similar to a bubble, balloon, or cloud), reflecting her cheerfulness and buoyancy; and Spike's design, embodying his difference from the ponies. The director and supervising director managed half of the episodes each, working together on two-part episodes, and
1050-417: A baby dragon, was becoming worried with his inability to control his fire-breath so set out to find a dragon to teach him how to control his powers - unfortunately he came across a gang of particularly brutish dragons, complete with a leader who fancied himself a king (wearing a crown). The Dragon Gang were rude and unwelcoming to Spike but their leader decided to allow Spike to come with them to see what being
1200-535: A beast-like form referred to as "Nirik" ("kirin" spelled backwards). They were formally introduced in the season eight episode "Sounds of Silence", where the Kirin character Autumn Blaze revealed that after their anger and bickering destroyed their own village, the elder Rain Shine forced them to bathe in an enchanted river that suppressed their ability to express emotions or speak (however, "foal's-breath" flowers are able to reverse
1350-548: A blue ram who ruled Equestria several millennia ago until he was defeated by Gusty the Great. He then tricks the three villains into forming an alliance with each other so the Mane Six can defeat them and Twilight would have the confidence needed to succeed Celestia and Luna as ruler of Equestria. In the season six finale, "To Where and Back Again", as an act of revenge against Twilight, whom she holds responsible for her defeat, she launches
1500-444: A brainstorming session with each episode's writer to flesh out scenes and dialogue. They worked with the writer to finalize the script and provide basic storyboard instructions. Hasbro was involved throughout the process, laying down concepts for incorporation into the show. Examples included Celestia as a princess instead of a queen; a fashion-focused pony; and toy sets in the story, such as Rarity's boutique. Hasbro sometimes asked for
1650-446: A combination of hectic production schedules and a lack of creative control. McCracken said that Faust's departure was due to its being a toy company-driven show, and there was "still some frustration" with being unable to bring some of her ideas to the screen. Initially scheduled to work on its fifth season, McCarthy gave up most of her work on the series to write My Little Pony: The Movie (2017). After Thiessen also left to work on
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#17328766569701800-489: A cult following by an unintended audience of adult, mostly male fans . Following the original My Pretty Pony toy that was introduced in 1981, My Little Pony was launched in 1982 and the line became popular during the 1980s. The original toy line ran from 1982 to 1992 in the United States and to 1995 globally, and two animated specials, an animated feature-length film and two animated television series produced during
1950-519: A dragon was about - however to Spike's dismay the Dragon Gang raided a nearby village, terrorizing the villagers and stealing their food. The Dragon Gang proceeded to leave the still burning village and laughed despite Spike saying what they were doing was wrong - Spike suggested that the Dragon Gang be more like the Little Ponies, which sparked the Dragon Gang's interest and they had Spike take them to
2100-497: A fifth generation of toys and associated media starting September 24, 2021. My Pretty Pony is a pony figurine introduced by Hasbro in 1981 that was created by illustrator Bonnie Zacherle and sculptor Charles Muenchinger. My Pretty Pony is a ten-inch-tall hard plastic figurine that can wiggle its ears, swish its tail, and wink one eye. The original My Pretty Pony was followed by My Pretty Pony and Beautiful Baby , which came with an additional smaller "baby" pony figure. This
2250-489: A fragmented viewing audience, "an admission of defeat for the entire movement [of creator-driven animation]", and a " white flag -waving moment for the TV animation industry". Friendship Is Magic was included on a number of best-of lists. TV Guide (top sixty), IndieWire (forty-fifth), and Rotten Tomatoes (sixty-fourth) listed it as one of the top animated series of all time, and readers of Television Without Pity voted it
2400-575: A greyish hue. When they're happy (without the Crystal Heart), their manes and tails revert to different styles, their ears are up as normal, and their coats have a brighter hue. Additionally, mares get their decorations on their heads/hair. When in a more jubilant mood (with the Crystal Heart fully powered), all the Crystal Ponies retain their "happy mood" form and their bodies magically transform into
2550-462: A line of My Little Pony toys, which were released in two types: Osharena Pony ( おしゃれなポニー , Osharena ponī ) and Kawaii Pony ( かわいいポニー , Kawaī ponī ) . Only released in Japan, Bushiroad would eventually acquire the property from Takara Tomy 27 years later. As of Friendship is Magic, there are three, then four and now five dragon characters who appeared in the whole franchise. Spike, however,
2700-418: A magic explosion powered by their friendship. "Grogar" does not revive him again, using him as a warning to secure Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow's loyalty. In the official IDW comic series , Sombra was revealed to be a shadow pony (or umbrum), created to free an army of shadow ponies imprisoned below the Crystal Empire. Born with no knowledge of his true purpose, Sombra was taken in by the Crystal Ponies, but
2850-548: A mass invasion on Equestria, replacing the Mane 6, Spike, the Princesses, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart with changelings. However, she is ultimately defeated and dethroned as the changeling's ruler by Thorax, a benevolent changeling who, along with Starlight Glimmer, convinces the changelings to share love rather than steal it. Starlight offers Chrysalis a chance for redemption, but she rejects it and flees, vowing revenge on Starlight. In
3000-518: A moose named Oakly, a dinosaur named Cutesaurus, and a llama named Cha Cha. Each of the Pony Friends never made an appearance in the animated series, until My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic . The first one in the show was a zebra. The Fairy Tails is a short-lived sub-line, consisting of My Little Pony-esque birds, which are the titular Fairy Tails. The line was in stores from 1986 to 1987, corresponding with Year Five of original toy line. This year saw
3150-488: A nearby waterfall they drenched the dragons, who hated being wet and fled the scene complaining that they were only "having fun". Spike decides he is better off without the Dragon Gang and says he wanted to learn how to be a dragon and not a bully. In the season one premiere, "Friendship is Magic", Nightmare Moon escapes a thousand years later and attempts to take over Equestria. Twilight Sparkle and her new friends eventually manage to defeat Nightmare Moon by finding and using
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#17328766569703300-401: A plant that will cure him of a disease he made up. In the season four finale, "Twilight's Kingdom" Discord is tasked by Celestia with finding and capturing Lord Tirek. However, Tirek tricks him into betraying his friends, giving him a necklace as a token of gratitude and loyalty. After he captures the non-princess ponies for Tirek, he double-crosses Discord by stealing his powers and admits that
3450-417: A positive view on the franchise; psychologist John Rosemond described My Little Pony toys as "great, soothing, quiet-time toys", having none of the violence or sexuality of other toy franchises. The first animated series is often given as the worst example of a Saturday-morning cartoon , despite never airing on Saturday mornings. Even though no My Little Pony adaptation was airing on television for much of
3600-592: A powerful ability called the "Utter Flutter", which allows them to blow away everything in their path by flapping their wings rapidly. They are rarely seen, preferring to live in seclusion, usually in Flutter Valley. Honeysuckle, Morning Glory and Rosedust were the only notable ones in the first My Little Pony series. The Breezies are small fairy ponies living in Breezy Blossom. These ponies usually have butterfly-like wings and antennae on their heads. Notable ones in
3750-694: A problematic aspect of the fandom, fearing it might taint the fandom's reputation. Friendship is Magic My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series based on Hasbro 's My Little Pony franchise. The series follows a studious pony named Twilight Sparkle ( Tara Strong ), her dragon assistant Spike ( Cathy Weseluck ) and her friends, Applejack ( Ashleigh Ball ), Rarity ( Tabitha St. Germain ), Fluttershy ( Andrea Libman ), Rainbow Dash (Ball) and Pinkie Pie (Libman). They go on adventures and help others around Equestria , solving problems with their friendships. Animated in Flash ,
3900-425: A puddle of smooshy, cutesy-wootsy, goody-two-shoeness" like the original series. Faust incorporated many elements contradicting stereotypes of girls – diverse personalities, the message that friends can differ and remain friends, and the idea that girls should not be limited by what others say – into the design of the characters and the series. Elements of the characters' personalities and
4050-872: A schedule twice as fast as Faust had previously experienced. Communication between the Los Angeles writing offices and the animation studio in Vancouver was frequently remote. The two teams sometimes held "writer's summits" to propose ideas for characters and situations, at which the animation team provided suggestions on visuals, body language, and characterization. Larson said that his writing often used "ridiculous shorthand" for conciseness, and he referred to other works. The series' background music and songs were composed by William Kevin Anderson and Daniel Ingram , respectively. The production team identified parts of each episode where they wanted music cues, allowing Anderson to provide
4200-490: A setting, allowing Faust and her team to create its visual style and basing a toy set (such as the Ponyville schoolhouse) on it. As Faust adhered to the educational and informational standards which Hasbro required of the show, she found creating situations more difficult; having a character call another an " egghead " was "treading a very delicate line", and a character's cheating was "worrisome to some". When DHX Media went into
4350-591: A studious unicorn (later an alicorn), travels to Ponyville to learn about friendship at the urging of Equestria's ruler (and her mentor) Princess Celestia . Twilight and Spike , her dragon assistant, become close friends with five other ponies: Applejack , Rarity , Fluttershy , Rainbow Dash , and Pinkie Pie. The ponies discover that they represent different facets of friendship, with magical artifacts known as Elements of Harmony. They go on adventures and help others in and around Equestria, solving problems in their friendships. Hasbro has produced several incarnations of
4500-494: A target of derision, regardless of its other qualities. Ellen Seiter, professor of media studies, observed that girl's television shows are a ghettoization of girl culture, and the attacks on these shows is often aimed at their femininity. My Little Pony has been perceived as an icon of femininity and "girlie-girls", particularly in the United Kingdom. The franchise has alternately been described as asexual and too sexual by
4650-475: A third season which premiered on November 10, 2012, and ended on February 16, 2013. One month later, The Hub renewed the show for a fourth season to air during the 2013–2014 television season . On May 7, 2014, the series was renewed for a fifth season. On August 4–8, 2014, The Hub aired "My Little Pony Mega Mare-a-thon": a 50-hour marathon of every episode from the first four seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and specials from
List of My Little Pony characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4800-527: A translucent crystallized form. The Crystal Heart also crystallizes the Mane Six, Spike, Shining Armor, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadance as well, albeit briefly (possibly reverting to their original forms as they exit the Crystal Empire). Kirins are a race of unicorn-like creatures with lion-like traits. They are known for being kind and truthful, and their culture emphasizes theatrical and musical entertainment. When angered, they take on
4950-586: A two-minute pitch to Hasbro, which approved the production. Faust estimated the time between being asked to develop the show and its approval at about one year. The foundation of the series took roughly two years. Faust's initial writing staff at Hasbro Studios included several with whom she had worked on other shows and were approved by Hasbro, such as Amy Keating Rogers , Cindy Morrow, Meghan McCarthy , Chris Savino , Charlotte Fullerton , M.A. Larson , and Dave Polsky . McCarthy accepted Faust's invitation due to her dedication. Composer William Anderson presented
5100-402: A unique style to Friendship Is Magic . Pennsylvania Dutch design, steampunk fantasy art, European fairy tales, and Bavarian folk art influenced the original pony world. Designing the settings, Faust sent photos to artist Dave Dunnet. Ponyville was based on German cottages, with a fairy-tale quality and equine elements such as horseshoe-shaped archways, hay bales, and troughs. Canterlot
5250-414: A unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks . Such symbols are referred to in the three most recent incarnations as "cutie marks". My Little Pony has been revamped several times with new and more modern looks to continue its appeal to the market, with each new look called a "generation" by the show's collectors and fans. The franchise is mainly targeted at young girls, although in the 2010s, it gained
5400-498: A villain who appears in the premiere episode " Friendship Is Magic ", and the pegasus ponies' control of the weather; she then imagined the ponies as stewards of their world who made weather happen, flowers grow, and animals thrive. She also consulted her husband Craig McCracken , creator of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends . In six weeks, Faust sketched over 40 pages of "the universe that had existed in her 8-year-old mind". The visual collaboration brought
5550-535: A young female audience. Using her childhood as a guide, she imagined the three types of ponies—unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies—with different cultures and living in different places. Faust pictured the unicorns in the mountains, the pegasi in the clouds, and the earth ponies on the ground. She envisioned them as realistic horses who ate hay, lived in barns, pulled carts, wore saddles, and picked up objects with their mouths. Faust said that Hasbro's positive response to non-traditional elements inspired her as she gave
5700-500: Is a virtual pet game developed by Artech Studios and published by Hasbro Interactive . The third incarnation of My Little Pony , which is often unofficially referred to as "Generation Three" or "G3" by collectors, began in 2003. The revamped line of dolls was targeted to a younger audience than the previous lines. Before the generation's end in 2009, there were at least two minor revamps. A series of direct-to-video animated films (mostly produced by SD Entertainment ) accompanied
5850-560: Is also revealed to be capable of corrupting other beings into serving her, which she did so with the Nyx, creatures who inhabit the moon and create dreams for ponies. After Luna was freed by the Elements of Harmony, Nightmare Moon survived and hatched a plot to take control of one of the Element bearers, rendering the other Elements of Harmony useless against her. She ultimately ends up possessing Rarity when
6000-637: Is later defeated by Twilight and her friends and imprisoned back in Tartarus. In the season eight finale, "School Raze", Lord Tirek conspires with Cozy Glow all for the sake of revenge against the Mane Six, trapping them in Tartarus alongside him. But after suffering from Pinkie Pie's antics, Tirek reluctantly helps them escape and Cozy Glow is defeated, imprisoned in Tartarus alongside the evil centaur. In season nine, Cozy Glow and Tirek are freed by "Grogar" (Discord in disguise) who tricks them into joining his team of villains, bent on conquering Equestria and defeating
6150-581: Is on display in the gardens around the royal palace, until the inharmonious aura caused by the quarrels of the Cutie Mark Crusaders give him enough strength to break free of his prison. He lures the Mane 6 into a maze and is able to make them abandon the qualities that make them bearers of the Elements. The result ends pitting them against one another, rendering the Elements of Harmony useless. However, despite his efforts, Twilight manages to restore all of her friend's true elements and they face Discord using
List of My Little Pony characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
6300-574: Is revealed to have planted powerful plants known as Plunderseeds in an attempt to destroy the Tree of Harmony, from which the Elements originated. After the Mane 6 destroy them by returning the Elements to the tree, Discord admits that he didn't tell this to Twilight because he wanted her to learn that even though she is now an alicorn princess, her friendship with the others will not change. Later in "Three's A Crowd", he tests Twilight to see if she really cares for him by tricking her and Princess Cadance into finding
6450-456: Is the most notable. Since the first toy line of My Little Pony, human characters were present in the franchise. The Williams siblings were the first set of human characters created for the entire series, and appeared in the original TV series. The Equestria Girls are the second set of human characters that were created for the franchise, which are featured in Friendship is Magic . They appear in
6600-662: The My Little Pony franchise, often called "generations" by the toy line's collectors. With many brands, including My Little Pony, the company uses a multi-generational plan. The Transformers film (2007) inspired Hasbro, since it helped to increase sales of the Transformers toy line; the company wanted to retool the My Little Pony franchise to appeal to the young-girl demographic . According to Margaret Loesch , CEO of The Hub, revisiting properties which had been successful
6750-479: The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series generated an unexpected fandom , with many male fans between 13 and 35 creating a large fanbase and a multitude of creative works, fan sites, and conventions. The fanbase has adopted the name "brony", a blend of "bro" and "pony", to describe themselves. The older fanbase had come as a surprise to Hasbro and staff members involved with
6900-855: The COVID-19 pandemic . It was sold to Netflix , with the film's release date being set on September 24, 2021. Netflix also greenlit its follow-up CG-animated series, which will also debut on the streaming service. The film was succeeded by a special and streaming television series titled My Little Pony: Make Your Mark in May and September 2022 respectively, and a Christmas -themed special, titled My Little Pony: Winter Wishday in November, on Netflix. A YouTube exclusive series titled, My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale premiered in April 2022. The second season of Make Your Mark , alongside its 44-minute special Bridlewoodstock ,
7050-462: The Friendship Is Magic series. Changes included songs with more emotional depth than those typical of children's animation, which could also be enjoyed outside the episode. Ingram said that his songs had become "bigger and more epic, more Broadway and more cinematic over time", and Hasbro endorsed the effort to try "something groundbreaking for daytime television". "Putting it Together" from
7200-517: The My Little Pony toy line of figurines and play sets. Due in part to older fans, Hasbro saw My Little Pony as a "lifestyle" brand with over 200 licenses in 15 categories of products which included clothing, housewares, and digital media. The brand grossed over US$ 650 million in retail sales in 2013, and US$ 1 billion in 2014 and 2016. The series gave Hasbro several opportunities for spin-offs and other works. The company released games such as My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle, Teacher for
7350-432: The "Generation One" or "G1" of My Little Pony among collectors. This incarnation ended in 1992 in the United States, but was marketed internationally until 1995. Animations from mid-1980s ( My Little Pony animated special , My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina , My Little Pony: The Movie and My Little Pony segment within My Little Pony 'n Friends anthology series) and My Little Pony Tales from 1992 accompanied
7500-638: The 1990s and no toys were being produced, it was still often brought up as a contemporary example of aggressive marketing through television. Connelly contends that My Little Pony is singled out not because the franchise's business methods or content standards are particularly different from other franchises', but because it is overtly girly. Replying to criticism that My Little Pony is "junk" while Star Wars stems from "integrity and creative vision", cartoonist Craig McCracken noted that both franchises can have integrity or be junk, depending on how they're produced. Character designer Chris Battle pointed out that
7650-519: The Bewitching Bell that once belonged to the real Grogar, and they use it in their scheme to gain its magic and betray "Grogar", which also exposes him as Discord. Chrysalis and her cohorts are briefly victorious when they defeat the Mane Six and their allies and imprison them while Twilight Sparkle escapes. However, after the rest of the Mane Six escape and the windigos appear as a result of their evil scheme to create distrust among ponies, Chrysalis and
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#17328766569707800-403: The Crystal Empire and is seemingly destroyed by the Elements of Harmony, but this turns out to be a trick so they'll lead him to the Tree of Harmony, which he destroys. Sombra proceeds to take over Ponyville, brainwashing the ponies to attack Canterlot. After Sombra "injures" Discord while attacking Fluttershy, the Mane 6 discover they have the power to defeat Sombra themselves, and destroy him with
7950-586: The Crystal Heart), Sombra enslaved the Empire after turning its original ruler, Princess Amore, into a black crystal statue that he broke into several pieces and scattered around the world. Radiant Hope informed the Royal Sisters of what had happened, sealing Sombra's fate. In the present day, Sombra is revealed to have survived his defeat and Radiant Hope leads an attack on the Crystal Empire during which she restores Sombra to his physical form. He quickly manages to defeat
8100-541: The Crystal Ponies, who are able to power up the heart and defeat Sombra with a blast of light which causes him to shatter into several pieces. In the season nine premiere, "The Beginning of the End", he is resurrected by "Grogar" (Discord in disguise), who tries to persuade him into working together with Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow to defeat the Mane 6 and take over Equestria. Sombra refuses, preferring to take over Equestria himself, proving to be pompous and arrogant. He takes over
8250-480: The Easter eggs deepened the viewing experience. Ashby and Amid Amidi (writing for Cartoon Brew ) expressed concerns with the show's embedded marketing. Ashby warned parents to be wary of the effect Friendship Is Magic could have on their children's wants; Amidi believed that assigning a talent like Faust to a toy-centered show was part of a trend focusing on profitable animation genres (such as toy tie-ins) to deal with
8400-442: The Elements of Harmony against her. After being restored to her original form and sharing a tearful reunion with Celestia, Luna returns to ruling alongside her once more. Nightmare Moon appears in nightmares and flashbacks onwards. In the official IDW comic series , Nightmare Moon is shown to be a symbiotic force that convinced Luna to turn against her sister, feeding off of her insecurities to take control of her mind and body. She
8550-468: The Elements of Harmony, defeating him by sealing him back to his original stone form, albeit this time with a look of horror frozen on his face. He reappears in the season three episode "Keep Calm and Flutter On" when Celestia gives the girls the task to reform Discord. Fluttershy is eventually able to do so, becoming his first friend and showing him how important friendship is to him. In the two-part season four premiere, "Princess Twilight Sparkle", Discord
8700-523: The Little Ponies: though they were secretly planning on robbing the Ponies and were simply using Spike. However the Ponies were aware of what was happening and arranged a feast for the Dragon Gang, who greedily took the food and began to bully the Ponies - causing Spike to stand up to them: yet they refused to leave and so the Ponies let loose a trap they had set specifically for the troublesome dragons. Using
8850-595: The Mane 6 after rallying Queen Chrysalis, the Changelings, Iron Will, the Flim-Flam Brothers, and Lightning Dust under him. Celestia and Luna try to stop him, but interference from Hope allows Sombra to turn them both to stone. He then retires to his private study to rest. Meanwhile, Hope takes Cadence to the umbrum's home where they learn of the umbrum's true nature and are forced to escape, ending up in Sombra's study, where
9000-447: The Mane 6, Spike, and Shining Armor arrive after being freed from imprisonment. After Hope takes a blast from Twilight meant for him, Sombra unleashes the umbrum on the assembled ponies. Sombra successfully retakes the empire, but Hope resents him for his decisions and informs him that she gave up her future as a princess to try and save him from his fate. When the Mane 6 return to the Empire with reinforcements to free Twilight, Shining, and
9150-487: The Mane Six and their allies and imprison them while Twilight Sparkle escapes. However, after the rest of the Mane Six escaped and the windigos appear as a result of their evil scheme to create distrust among ponies, Tirek and the other villains face off against the Mane Six and their army of allies in a grand battle. Tirek and his cohorts are defeated and de-powered back to his weakest form. As punishment for their crimes, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow are imprisoned in stone by
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#17328766569709300-470: The Mane Six's allies face off against Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow and defeat them and then in the episode, "The Last Problem", she attends Twilight's coronation. My Little Pony My Little Pony ( MLP ) is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro . The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle , Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature colorful bodies, manes and
9450-513: The Mane Six. Tirek initially has issues working with Cozy Glow and Chrysalis, but he later learns to cooperate with them in order to finally conquer Equestria, steal magic, and defeat his enemies once and for all. Tirek and his cohorts are sent to retrieve an ancient artifact known as the Bewitching Bell that once belonged to the real Grogar, and they use it in their scheme to gain its magic and betray "Grogar", which also exposes him as Discord. Tirek and his cohorts are briefly victorious when they defeat
9600-487: The Nightmare Forces convince her that her friends will eventually abandon her. Dubbed Nightmare Rarity , she leads an assault on Ponyville, but is ultimately defeated when the other Element bearers use memories of Rarity to free her from Nightmare Moon's control, with some added help from Celestia and Luna. Her status after Rarity was freed is unknown. In the season two premiere, "The Return of Harmony", Discord's statue
9750-514: The UK media. The aforementioned fandom is known for its numerous pornographic and erotic fan works, collectively termed as clop . It includes art, fan fiction, and games. The term clop , based on the onomatopoeic hoofbeat sound, also means masturbation in this context. Clop content emerged on the web around 2012 and typically focuses more on character romance. A study suggests about 19% of these fans, have engaged in " clopping ". Critics view it as
9900-560: The United States about television advertising targeted at children. Relaxed regulation in the 1980s on cross-referencing between programming and commercials led to toy-based shows, such as Mattel 's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe , Hasbro's Transformers , G. I. Joe , and later My Little Pony 'n' Friends . While He-Man initially drew the most controversy, My Little Pony remained controversial for many decades later, even when it
10050-565: The Volcano of Gloom again. Later, Ahgg helps Hydia, Reeka and Draggle take over Flutter Valley and captures the visiting ponies and Spike. He was then sent by Hydia to prevent the other ponies humans and their friends from bringing the Sun Stone back to Flutter Valley and making him not ticklish this time. However, Megan has the Stonebacks dig under him and it causes him to fall. Unknown Spike, being
10200-415: The actors to play the characters without limitations; Libman said that she was allowed be as exaggerated as she wanted without the animators stopping her. The actors received songs before recording, and practiced them at home. The songs were recorded with the dialogue. Completed scripts were sent to Studio B for pre-production and animation with Macromedia Flash Professional 8 . Thiessen's production team
10350-566: The ages of 13 and 35 during the 2010s. The Internet response has been traced to cartoon and animation fans on 4chan responding to Amidi's essay on the show and current animation trends. As a result of the 4chan discussion, interest in the show spread throughout the Internet and inspired a fan base, creative works, fan sites, and conventions. Male fans adopted the name "brony" (a portmanteau of "bro" and "pony") to describe themselves. The term "pegasister" (a portmanteau of "pegasus" and "sister")
10500-641: The analysis Orienting Feminism , Kevin Fletcher wrote: " Friendship is Magic exhibits a feminist sensibility rather than an individualistic post-feminist one." Fletcher added that by focusing on the value of community, the series abstains from post-feminism. A study by Christian Valiente and Xeno Rasmusson which sampled 13 episodes found that the series has characters in circumstances which dispute gender stereotypes; females often play primary, active roles in positions of authority. Valiente and Rasmusson said that although some male characters have abilities and authority,
10650-617: The animations. Each of the main characters had distinctive expressions and mannerisms, and shared general ones. According to the DHX Media team, they "avoid[ed] certain expressions if it [went] outside [the ponies'] personality". The creative team interpreted each character's personality as mannerisms, facial expressions, props, and home environment; Twilight's purple color signified royalty and mystical awareness, and her hard, angular edges personified her as tidy. Other examples include Rainbow Dash's rainbow hair, representing her ability to cause
10800-536: The attendees. When updating the toy line, Hasbro reassured collectors that it will produce My Little Pony editions for collectors. Over 4,000 My Little Pony objects are on display until 2025 in Croydon, London in the Come As You Really Are exhibition. Despite Hasbro's target demographic of young girls and their parents, the fourth incarnation of the franchise became a cultural and Internet phenomenon as
10950-580: The baby ponies were sold in the United States. In Europe, the main location was renamed Ponyland instead of Friendship Gardens, and were discontinued with the inception of the "G3" toyline in 2003. Many ponies released in the last years of the line are considered rare. A number of playsets were introduced, including a mansion and a castle. Some of the licensed merchandise released in Europe included beanbag plushes, magazines, clothing, perfume, wrapping paper and coloring books. A CD-ROM game for PC, Friendship Gardens ,
11100-462: The background and characters. After the pitch bible was completed, Hasbro and Faust evaluated animation studios. Studio B Productions (renamed DHX Media Vancouver on September 8, 2010) worked on Macromedia Flash -based animations and shows featuring animals. Faust felt that the studio would be a good fit, and agreed that Jayson Thiessen should direct the series. Faust, Thiessen, and James Wootton (who later became series co-director) presented
11250-461: The best animated show on television. IndieWire ranked it the twentieth-best animated series of the 21st century. Other rankings are Time Out 's list of best kids' shows (twenty-fourth) and Paste's list of best Netflix children's shows (eighth). Friendship Is Magic premiered with an average viewership of 1.4 million per month, increasing to 4 million per month by the end of its first season (the highest-rated Hasbro show at
11400-531: The brony fandom that some fan-produced art was a humanized version of the show's characters, and was inspired to develop the My Little Pony: Equestria Girls spin-off series of movies and shorts which ran with Friendship Is Magic for six years. My Little Pony: The Movie was released on October 6, 2017, in the United States. Hasbro and Discovery Family announced a subsequent animated series, My Little Pony: Pony Life . The series, based on
11550-608: The celebration of differences, faith, and inclusion as prominent themes. Megan Crouse described the series for Den of Geek as " 'serious' fantasy", drawing comparisons to The Lord of the Rings and The Sword in the Stone . According to Crouse, Friendship Is Magic 's consistency and system of magic made it work well as a fantasy story. The Cut 's Lisa Miller said that the series could be compared to almost any children's fairy tale or fantasy story. Faust said that mythology and
11700-490: The chest at the Tree of Harmony. The Mane 6 take it as Tirek starts going on a mindless rampage and they use the newly unlocked Rainbow Power to transport Tirek back to his imprisonment and save Equestria. Discord appears in later episodes as a reluctant ally of the Mane Six, occasionally causing mischief while struggling to become a better friend to them. In season nine, he helps Twilight track down and defeat Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow by disguising himself as Grogar,
11850-598: The combined magic of Discord, Celestia, and Luna. In the IDW comics, a younger Tirek appears in FIENDship is Magic #2, where he had a poor relationship with his own family and is trained to steal magic by his mentor, Sendak the Elder. In the episode "The Last Problem", he attends Twilight's coronation, along with the Pillars. In the season nine finale, "The Ending of the End", she along with
12000-581: The company more ideas for the show. Although she pitched a balance of adventure and relationship stories, she de-emphasized adventures and focused on exchanges between characters for pragmatic reasons. The show incorporated creatures intended to frighten children, such as dragons and hydras , but emphasized friendships among the characters which were leavened with humor. When the series was approved, Faust had developed three scripts. Faust drew concept sketches, several of which appeared on her fyre-flye DeviantArt page. They included ideas about how she envisioned
12150-457: The current line-up. This era generated a fandom among grown-ups with the success of the television series. My Little Pony: Equestria Girls , the anthropomorphic spin-off, was launched in 2013. My Little Pony: Pony Life , a spin-off comedy series, launched in 2020 featuring a new, animation style. Hasbro announced the start of the current "Generation Five" toy line in February 2021, with
12300-405: The design phase of an episode, scripts were finalized. Each episode generally included a moral or life lesson, chosen to "cross a broad spectrum of personal experiences" and not just aimed at children. Because intellectual-property issues had caused Hasbro to lose some rights to the original pony names, the show included a mix of original characters from the toy line and new characters developed for
12450-404: The effects). The Pony Friends is a sub-line of My Little Pony , first released in 1986. They are composed of animals bearing the same brushable hair and cutie marks as the ponies, such as a giraffe named Creamsicle, a lion named Kingsley, a zebra named Zig Zag, a camel named Spunky, a panda named Nectar, a sheep named Woolly, a cow calf named Leafy, a kangaroo named Hoppy, an elephant named Edgar,
12600-487: The fantasy genre influenced all of Friendship Is Magic . Several writers have called the show's setting a matriarchy . In the OpenEdition.org journal Transatlantica , Isabelle Licari-Guillaume wrote that the series counters sexist portrayals which are common in media for children. Lewis considered the characters some of television's "best representations" of females, neither stereotypically feminine nor masculine. In
12750-585: The film series of the same name as their respective ponies' human counterparts. During Rainbow Rocks , Twilight Sparkle learned through research that the Dazzlings were sirens from Equestria who used their music to cause disharmony. They were banished to the human world by Star Swirl the Bearded. In the final battle against the Rainbooms, the band was defeated, causing the ruby gem pendants with which they controlled
12900-505: The film, his co-director Jim Miller became supervising director with animation director Denny Lu taking Miller's spot as co-director. During season six, layout supervisor Tim Stuby was also appointed as co-director to assist Miller and Lu before leaving during season 7, leading to Mike Myhre taking his spot for the rest of the series. Writing began with the premise and "getting a nugget of a story to build upon" at Hasbro. Faust and Rob Renzetti conceived broad plots for each episode, and held
13050-542: The franchise were Tiddly Wink, Tra La La and Zipzee. They were first released in 2006. In Friendship is Magic , they are mentioned by Fluttershy in the episode called "Three's A Crowd" and they are featured in episode "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" where they are shown to have their own language. The Seaponies are brightly colored seahorse-like creatures who dwell in the rivers and lakes of Dream Valley. They love underwater polo and can perform elaborate songs and dance numbers. They were first released in 1983 and only appeared in
13200-422: The job, because she thought that shows based on girls' toys were dull. Although My Little Pony was one of her favorite childhood toys, Faust was disappointed by the television shows; the characters "just had endless tea parties, giggled over nothing and defeated villains by either sharing with them or crying". With the chance to work on My Little Pony , she hoped to prove that "cartoons for girls don't have to be
13350-438: The lead singer's vocals. Writers sometimes suggested lyrics and overall musical themes, including two songs written by Amy Keating Rogers. Music composition substantially preceded the broadcast of an episode; songs for the series' third season, which began airing in November 2012, were composed in 2011. Ingram thought the songs from previous My Little Pony shows were "a little bit dated", and decided to bring more-modern work to
13500-406: The line-up. The 1997 incarnation was marketed by Hasbro as "Friendship Garden" and designated "Generation 2" by collectors. They were manufactured in redesigned poses with jewel eyes and turning heads and are smaller, slimmer, and longer-legged than their 1982 counterparts. The line was not successful in the U.S. and was discontinued in 1999, although it continued overseas for several years. Since
13650-443: The line-up. The next incarnation of My Little Pony , unofficially known as the "Generation Four", was launched in 2010. It is set in a fictional location named Equestria , and the main characters include Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy. Television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , theatrical film My Little Pony: The Movie , as well as other related media accompany
13800-420: The media adaptation of My Little Pony is seen as less valid because it is aimed at girls. Director Lauren Faust , who was creative developer of the relaunch of the My Little Pony franchise in 2010, wrote that she expected people who have not even watched the animated series "to instantly label it girly, stupid, cheap, for babies or an evil corporate commercial." Faust feels that the show's femininity makes it
13950-427: The music. The score was composed after each episode's initial animation, and was reviewed by Hasbro. Ingram worked with Anderson's compositions to create songs which meshed with the background music and fleshed out the show's fantasy setting. Ingram's songs usually began with a piano and a basic melody. The creative team received the song and provided input; background voices and instrumentation were then layered before
14100-564: The musical Sunday in the Park with George inspired "The Art of the Dress" in the first-season episode "Suited for Success", and "At The Gala" from the first-season finale was based on Into the Woods . A musical number in "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" paid homage to " Ya Got Trouble " from The Music Man . Voice casting and production was handled by Voicebox Productions , with Terry Klassen
14250-399: The necklace has no meaning to him, for it was given to him by his traitorous brother, Scorpan. After a fight between Twilight and Tirek that results in a draw, Tirek trades all of Twilight's magic for her friends and Discord. Discord admits that he now understands the true meaning of friendship and gives Twilight the necklace. The necklace turns out to be the sixth and final key needed to access
14400-457: The new line is aimed at Generation Alpha , which "has a higher emotional intelligence, and they expect a lot more from their entertainment"; to that end, the themes of the show will be aimed around diversity and inclusion but will still include nods and Easter eggs to the prior generation. The film and series takes place sometime after the end of Friendship Is Magic , where "friendship and harmony have been replaced by paranoia and mistrust" and
14550-579: The original series' ponies – Applejack, the cowgirl; Firefly, the "badass"; the bubbly, enthusiastic Surprise; Posey, the kind, shy pony who loved other animals; and Sparkler, the fashion artist – which inspired this series' main cast. Hasbro approved the show with Faust as executive producer, and asked her to complete the pitch bible. She hired Martin Ansolabehere and Paul Rudish , with whom she had worked on other animated shows. Faust credited Rudish with inspiring Nightmare Moon,
14700-431: The original toy line, which sold approximately 100 million pony toys globally by 2010. Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of the franchise in 2010 , which started with the animated series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , which ended on October 12, 2019. The brand grossed over $ 650 million in retail sales in 2013, and over $ 1 billion annually in retail sales in 2014 and 2015. Hasbro launched
14850-420: The other princesses, Sombra has a change of heart and uses the Crystal Heart to banish the umbrum back to their prison. As Sombra is about to be killed by the Crystal Heart's energies, Hope uses her magic to hold his physical form together and the princesses turn him into a real unicorn as a sign of forgiveness. Sombra and Hope then leave to find the pieces of Princess Amore's statue and eventually restore her. In
15000-445: The other villains face off against the Mane Six and their army of allies in a grand battle. Chrysalis and her cohorts are defeated and de-powered back to her normal form. As punishment for their crimes, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow are imprisoned in stone by the combined magic of Discord, Celestia, and Luna. In the official IDW comic series , Chrysalis is a recurring villain who again seeks revenge on Twilight for defeating her. In
15150-460: The parenting aspect of children's media, emphasized the show's themes of loyalty, friendliness, friendship, tolerance, and respect. Den of Geek's Anna Dobbie appreciated the ponies' different personalities (which she believed worked well to achieve stability) and the series' focus on self-discovery and acceptance; According to Screen Rant writer Carly Olsen, the show develops both its major and minor characters well. Jamie Spain similarly applauded
15300-415: The period up until 1992. The first incarnation's popularity peaked in 1990, but the following year Hasbro decided to discontinue the toy line due to increased competition. One hundred fifty million ponies were sold in the 1980s. The toy line was revived in 1997, but these toys proved unpopular and were discontinued in 1999. The brand saw a more popular revival in 2003 with toys that more closely resembled
15450-607: The ponies, humans, Spike, Bushwoolies, Furbobs and Stonebacks defeat Hydia and her daughters again by sending them back to the Volcano of Gloom again. Later, she and Reeka helped Hydia and Queen Bumble in stealing the Sunstone and use its power to direct the sun to allow plants and flowers to grow in Bumbleland, also slowly destroying Flutter Valley in the process. However, the ponies, humans, Spike, Bushwoolies, Furbobs and Stonebacks defeat Hydia and her daughters again by sending them back to
15600-401: The process. However, the ponies, humans, Spike, Bushwoolies, Furbobs and Stonebacks defeat her and her daughters again by sending them back to the Volcano of Gloom again. Later, she and Draggle helped Hydia and Queen Bumble in stealing the Sunstone and use its power to direct the sun to allow plants and flowers to grow in Bumbleland, also slowly destroying Flutter Valley in the process. However,
15750-414: The production team in Los Angeles for review by Hasbro with suggestions from the writers. Hasbro also received rough black-and-white drawings, colored and finalized character and prop designs, and animatics and a rough cut . Thiessen credited much of the technical expertise to Wooton, who created Flash programs to optimize the placement and posing of the pony characters and other elements; this simplified
15900-509: The release of the Pony Friends in the My Little Pony line, making it a distinct possibility that they and Fairy Tails were part of the same investigation into an expansion of My Little Pony that offered more than only ponies. Dream Beauties is another sub-line of My Little Pony, released in 1988. These were Hasbro's attempt at a more realistic version of My Little Pony. In 1984, Takara (Later merged with Tomy to form Takara Tomy ) released
16050-460: The role. When Cathy Weseluck auditioned for Spike, she envisioned him as a baby with a high voice. The director later told her to "boy him up a bit", "chang[ing] everything". The series was recorded in Vancouver. Voice work was done after writing and before animation, with the animators providing direction. According to Andrea Libman (the voices of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie), this approach enabled
16200-520: The same characters (with most of the voice actors returning), has a new animation style and depicts more stories about mundane experiences . After the show's finale aired, Hasbro began working on a fifth generation which began with the feature film My Little Pony: A New Generation . Like Friendship Is Magic , it is set in Equestria because the production team wanted to further explore the fourth generation's lore and world-building. The fifth generation
16350-686: The season eight episode, "The Mean 6", Chrysalis creates clones of the Mane Six to take control of the Elements of Harmony but the clones betray her before they are destroyed by the Tree of Harmony and Chrysalis escapes again. In season nine, Chrysalis is summoned by "Grogar" (Discord in disguise) who tricks her into joining his team of villains, bent on conquering Equestria and defeating the Mane Six. Chrysalis initially has issues working with Cozy Glow and Tirek, but she later learns to cooperate with them in order to finally conquer Equestria, steal magic, and defeat her enemies once and for all. Chrysalis and her cohorts are sent to retrieve an ancient artifact known as
16500-458: The season four finale, "Twilight's Kingdom", it is revealed that Tirek managed to escape Tartarus and he is able to convince Discord to join forces with him and steals magic from the ponies of Equestria, growing progressively larger and more powerful with each attack, but later double-crosses Discord and steals his magic. Soon, Tirek finds Twilight, and after a long fight that results in a draw, he trades Twilight's friends in exchange for her magic. He
16650-456: The season three premiere, "The Crystal Empire", he and the Crystal Empire return one thousand years later, and Twilight Sparkle and Spike search for the Crystal Heart, the only thing capable of defeating him. Due to a trap at the top of the Crystal Castle, Sombra manages to capture Twilight, but Spike is able to take the Crystal Heart to Cadance. Cadance flies Spike and the Crystal Heart down to
16800-522: The second generation was more popular in Western Europe, Hasbro continued to produce and sell them in Western Europe after 1998. Most were Earth Ponies, but a few unicorns were made internationally. Although no Pegasus Ponies were made, some adults had clip-on wings. In the early 2000s, several unicorns with clip-on wings (called the Magic Unicorns) were made. Two baby ponies were introduced, and none of
16950-452: The second season as soon as the first was completed to prevent staff turnover. Female friendship is a central theme of the series. Faust said that its deeper message is that friendship means being oneself and accepting others. According to Ethan Lewis of Den of Geek , the show often "takes on very morally complicated situations [...] that don't seem to have easy answers as opposed to very cut and dried children's messages". Lewis added that
17100-419: The series aired on Discovery Family (formerly The Hub) from October 10, 2010, to October 12, 2019. Hasbro selected animator Lauren Faust to head the show. Faust created deeper characters and adventurous settings, seeking a show resembling how she had played with her toys as a child, and incorporated fantasy elements. However, due to a hectic production schedule and a lack of creative control, she left
17250-449: The series during its second season. Friendship Is Magic became one of the highest-rated productions in The Hub's history. Despite its target demographic of young girls, the series attracted an unexpectedly large following of older viewers, mainly adult men, known as " bronies ". The series gave Hasbro new merchandising opportunities. A spin-off franchise ( My Little Pony: Equestria Girls )
17400-481: The series focuses on females often shown in positions of strength and leadership while maintaining traditional feminine traits. According to Valiente and Rasmusson, gender is "[no]thing more than an aesthetic story element" in Friendship Is Magic . My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , which is primarily targeted at girls aged 4–7, was one of several animated shows which aired on The Hub (a retooling of Discovery Kids owned by Discovery Communications ). The network
17550-877: The series in Region 1 . Twenty-three five-episode DVDs and three six-episode DVDs have been released. The series' first seven seasons have been released in DVD box sets. United Kingdom-based Clear Vision has the publishing rights in Region 2 (which includes most of Western Europe and the Middle East), but the company entered administration in December 2013. Madman Entertainment has the Region 4 DVD and digital-download rights. Friendship Is Magic has been praised for its animation style, stories, characterization, and exploration of feminism. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 100 percent of 10 critics gave
17700-434: The series taught lessons about friendship which some adults would be unable to comprehend. The A.V. Club 's Emily St. James compared Friendship Is Magic to "an owner's manual to being a kind person". St. James said that making friends could be difficult for children; the series broke it down to its most basic aspects, demonstrating the importance of a few friendly gestures. Den of Geek writer Alana Joli Abott cited
17850-401: The series' voice director. Faust, Thiessen, and others participated in selecting voice actors, with Hasbro giving final approval. Tara Strong was cast as Twilight Sparkle after Faust, who had worked with her on The Powerpuff Girls , asked her to help pitch the show by voicing Twilight, Pinkie Pie and "Applejack [or] Rainbow Dash". After Faust heard Strong as Twilight, she knew she wanted her for
18000-421: The show "blessed with great looking characters and brightly colored backgrounds", and IndieWire 's Liza Shannon Miller and Hanh Hguyen and Entertainment Weekly 's Hillary Busis credited its style and homages as contributing factors to the show's position as a pop-culture phenomenon. Lewis agreed, highlighting the series' "vintage" style and "geek references". For Wired , Matt Morgan wrote that
18150-471: The show's elements of growth, learning, and social skills on BuzzFeed , which she considered uncommon in children's television. The characters, messages, and morals have been called "super cool", relatable, "absolutely genuine", inspiring, positive, and enjoyable. Kathleen Richter of Ms. , however, disagreed with the praise; she wrote that Friendship Is Magic promoted sexism, racism, and heteronormativity , saying that Rainbow Dash's character encouraged
18300-431: The show's first season a positive review, with an average score of 8/10. According to the website's critical consensus, "Smart and sweet, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 's [ sic ] proves that children's entertainment can be fun for adults, too." Critics responded positively to the series' characters, messages, and morals. A review by Emily Ashby on Common Sense Media , an organization focusing on
18450-425: The show's settings were based on her childhood imagination of the ponies' adventures, inspired by shows such as Transformers (1984–1987) and G.I. Joe (1983–1986) which her brothers watched. According to Faust, she was making Friendship Is Magic "for [herself] as an eight-year-old". Faust wanted the characters to be relatable, using "icons of girliness" (such as a waif or a bookworm) to broaden their appeal to
18600-408: The show. They have appreciated and embraced the fandom, adding nods to the fans within the show and the toys. Sherilyn Connelly and others have noted that bronies alienate other fans of the franchise by focusing on the fandom itself rather than the show. My Little Pony is often derided for promoting consumerism. When the media adaptations of the franchise debuted, there was much controversy in
18750-438: The show. Hasbro and Faust planned for episodes to be 11 minutes long before the series was approved, and Faust observed the limit in "The Ticket Master" (her first full-length script). Faust preferred 22-minute episodes, however, and Hasbro eventually agreed. Scripts were written around the episode runtime, and Miller said that most editing removed supplementary dialogue and action. Initial production stages were tight, requiring
18900-421: The stereotype that "all feminists are angry, tomboyish lesbians " and criticizing other aspects. Faust responded to these claims, stating that although Rainbow Dash is a tomboy , her sexual orientation is never identified; Richter's assumption that tomboys become lesbians is "extremely unfair to both straight and lesbian tomboys". The series' visual designs and references have also been praised. St. James found
19050-500: The students to shatter and explode. As a result, their inability to sing led to them being chased off in disgrace. The Dazzlings also return reformed performing a new song called "Find the Magic". These villains appear in the My Little Pony series. Later, Hydia decided to work with Queen Bumble to steal the Sunstone and use its power to direct the sun to allow plants and flowers to grow in Bumbleland, also slowly destroying Flutter Valley in
19200-455: The supervising director oversaw all episodes. Faust estimated the time to complete one episode at one year. The team simultaneously worked on various stages of all 26 first-season episodes; when the second season was approved, that number rose temporarily to 32. Episodes were originally aired about one month after completion, with the timeframe becoming six to eight weeks by the sixth season. According to Thiessen, they had pushed to start work on
19350-433: The time). Advertising Age reported that the series' audience doubled between its first and second seasons. According to Vox , its peak years were 2012 to 2014. In March 2013, The Hub reported that the series had triple- and quadruple-digit-percent year-to-year growth. In September of that year, it was the second most-watched show on The Hub for girls ages 2–11 and women ages 18–49. A month later, Friendship Is Magic
19500-423: The toy line's third generation . The fifth season premiered on April 4, 2015, and ended on November 28, 2015. A month before the prior season's airing, Discovery Family renewed the series for a sixth season which was broadcast from March 26 to October 22, 2016. In October 2016, the show was renewed for a seventh season which aired from April 15 to October 28, 2017. An eighth season
19650-634: The two original specials. The Seaponies are based on the Hippocamp , a mythological creature shared by Phoenician and Greek mythology . A sub-line of the Seaponies called Baby Seaponies debuted in 1985 and later in My Little Pony: The Movie . Some additional Seaponies are shaped like merfolk. Hippogriffs and Hippocamps are introduced in the 2017 My Little Pony: The Movie and Season 7 onwards of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic . They are
19800-401: The various pony species have segregated into their own tribes. The main characters of Generation Five includes Sunny Starscout (a female earth pony), Izzy Moonbow (a female unicorn) and Hitch Trailblazer, (a male earth pony), alongside Pegasus siblings Pipp Petals and Zipp Storm. The film was originally slated for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures , but the release was canceled due to
19950-525: The work needed from other animators. The ponies' manes and tails are generally fixed shapes, animated by bending and stretching them in curves; this gave them movement without the need to animate individual hairs. According to Timothy Packford of DHX Media, storyboarding action scenes was difficult because the stories' important points might be lost; storyboarding and intent needed to be clear. Episodes with large amounts of dialogue could "sort of slog and grind because there's so much talking". A crucial point
20100-552: Was allowed to select key personnel, subject to Hasbro approval; one of those selected was art director Ridd Sorensen. The Studio B team storyboarded the provided scripts, incorporating direction and creating scenes that the writers believed were impossible to animate. The DHX Media team went through the storyboard and design process, recorded dialogue, and created a storyboard animatic from the voice recordings. The animators then prepared key-character poses, layout, background art, and other major elements. These versions were sent back to
20250-550: Was also released, which involved taking care of a pony and playing games along the way. Some "Generation Two" ponies were sold as detachable key chains, including Morning Glory, Sundance, Light Heart and Ivy. Each pony comes with a comb attached to her neck by a string. The back of the package says, "My Little Pony Logo and Pony Names are Trademarks of Hasbro Inc. Copyright 1998." They were produced under license by Fun-4-All Corporation and made in China. My Little Pony: Friendship Gardens
20400-888: Was an important decision; it was somewhat influenced by the network's programming executives, several of whom were fans of the shows. According to Hasbro senior vice president Linda Steiner, the company "intended to have the show appeal to a larger demographic"; the network was trying to create shows that parents and children would watch together. Central themes Hasbro sought for the show included friendship and cooperation, determined from market research in how girls played with toys. Animator and writer Lauren Faust approached Hasbro to develop "Galaxy Girls", her girls'-toy property, into an animated series. Faust, who had worked on Cartoon Network 's The Powerpuff Girls (1998–2005) and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (2004–2009), had unsuccessfully pitched animation aimed at girls for years. When Faust approached Lisa Licht of Hasbro Studios, Licht
20550-419: Was available at Target stores with toys from the franchise. With several other Hasbro properties, Friendship Is Magic was added to Netflix on April 1, 2012, in the United States. In 2015, the series and several other shows based on Hasbro properties were planned to be dropped from the streaming service. However, Hasbro and Netflix later decided to keep the shows on the latter. Friendship Is Magic
20700-404: Was based on castles and cathedrals, giving it a European feel; its location on a mountain and its purple-and-gold palette conveyed royalty and aspiration. Fantasy inspired elements of the series which were modified to suit its setting, story, and target audience. After seeing the initial version of the pitch bible, Hasbro requested more character designs and hired Dunnet and Lynne Naylor to refine
20850-465: Was broadcast from March 24 to October 6, 2018. Discovery Family announced the ninth and final season on March 8, 2019, which premiered on April 6 of that year. Before its finale, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic — A Decade of Pony (a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the series) was aired on October 11, 2019. The 90-minute finale was broadcast the following day. In 2011, Celebration at Canterlot (a two-episode DVD )
21000-522: Was followed by pink and yellow versions of the original that have the now-hallmark symbol on the ponies' backsides, which preceded the My Little Pony figurines. After the relative lack of success of the My Pretty Pony toy line, Hasbro introduced six smaller and colorful versions of the toy in 1982, sold under the title My Little Pony . The toy line led to many more merchandise under the My Little Pony brand, which later became unofficially known as
21150-410: Was intended to be removed in August 2018; a few seasons were dropped before they were brought back. Most of the series was removed from Netflix worldwide on January 31, 2022. This most likely happened because Hasbro feared that the changes in entertainment delivery formats and consumer behavior in the entertainment industry would "harm their business". Shout! Factory has the DVD rights for
21300-409: Was later adopted to refer to older female fans of the show. The older fan base surprised Hasbro and staff members involved with the series, who appreciated the fandom by adding acknowledgements to fans in the show and toys. Bronies were a meme early in the series, but their Internet popularity gradually faded as the show continued. Friendship Is Magic is associated with the 2010 relaunch of
21450-507: Was launched in 2013 and ran alongside the series for six years. A feature-length film adaptation based on the television series, My Little Pony: The Movie , was released in October 2017 in the United States. My Little Pony: Pony Life , a spin-off comedy series, premiered on Discovery Family in November 2020. In the kingdom of Equestria , its three species of ponies— earth ponies , pegasi , and unicorns —live harmoniously. Twilight Sparkle ,
21600-537: Was not being produced; the criticism is much more harsh and enduring than similar franchises with toy lines. Sherilyn Connelly cites examples from authors and journalists who single out My Little Pony for being tied to toys and merchandise, often putting it "first against the wall" while sparing such criticism from the aforementioned Hasbro franchises, or franchises such as Star Wars , Toy Story , and Lego . Connelly notes that professionals who work with children, for example psychologists and librarians, often have
21750-430: Was one of the most co-viewed television series and the best-performing show on The Hub (with Littlest Pet Shop ). In the first quarter of 2014, the show had an American viewership of over 12 million. Ratings began to decline after that year. Despite Hasbro's target demographic of young girls and their parents, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic became a cultural and Internet phenomenon with male fans between
21900-406: Was rebranded Discovery Family on October 13, 2014. Each episode is about 22 minutes long. Friendship Is Magic premiered on October 10, 2010. In March 2011, less than two months before the season finale aired, the series was renewed for a second season which aired from September 17, 2011, to April 21, 2012. A month before the second season ended, the series was renewed for
22050-636: Was released in June 2023. The final episodes of the Make Your Mark were released on November 23, 2023, alongside the special Secrets of Starlight . A Tell Your Tale special, The Blockywockys was released on April 4, 2024. My Little Pony toys drew the attention of collectors from their initial release. Media coverage in the 2000s reported on collectors' conventions, finding it odd that adult women are interested in My Little Pony . The 2004 My Little Pony Collectors' Convention reportedly had only one man among
22200-494: Was ridiculed by his classmates for his strangeness. The only friend he had among them was a fellow unicorn named Radiant Hope, who gained powerful healing magic as she got older. Fearing that Hope would abandon him upon learning that she was invited to study under Celestia and Luna, Sombra ran off into the Frozen North in fear and discovered a red crystal claiming to be his mother. Learning of his true heritage and mission (to destroy
22350-416: Was to keep the shots interesting, with a good flow of one into another, and action sequences tended to have more cuts than dialogue. The storyboard artists and animators also added unscripted background characters to populate the world. According to McCarthy, many fandom acknowledgements, pop-culture references or other Easter eggs were added by the studio. Filipino animation studio Top Draw also worked on
22500-416: Was uninterested but showed Faust the My Little Pony special Princess Promenade (2006). Licht thought that Faust's style was suitable for the brand and asked her to consider "some ideas [on] where to take a new version of the franchise". Faust was initially hired by Hasbro to create a pitch bible for the show, enabling her to get additional help with ideas. She was "extremely skeptical" about taking
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