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I also basically agree with what LAW said about the G4 stuff. But while I'm riding the unpopular opinion train, I'm opposed to the idea of popularity clique friendship magic generally. So yeah. I guess I have a harder time with some of the G4 concepts anyway, because I also don't like the idea of symbols dictating destiny.
I am not going to pretend like I have as good a knowledge of G4 as you do, MJSNEIFER, so everything I'm about to say is couched in the disclaimer that this is my impression from the two and a halfish seasons plus odd episodes I have seen of FIM.
I would more associate the CM problem to a class system hierarchy. I don't know how rigid they are, but they are permanent and my impression was that they were a key coming of age event (given the young one and all the flap about them not having them yet). It's almost like they are anticipating them to give them some direction in life.
It may be more nuanced but my overall impression (see above disclaimer) is that FIM is a bit bad at joining the dots with their ideas to add nuances. So the nuances are for people to intuit, but they're not canonically explained. And that's where the issues are.
Whether the concept is the problem or the fact FIM doesn't seem to really explain it in a nuanced way I'm not sure. But I just don't really like it.
The race issue in FIM for me is another one completely, it's to do with ponies/other species, as I've mentioned before, Colonialism 101 and the like. Imposing friendship culture on other cultures as 'the best way' is kind of tone deaf, especially in the world we currently inhabit. I didn't like that (speaking as a British person from a nation with a horribly bloody history of colonising the world.)Again I think this is partly because FIM doesn't explain things well, and broad strokes the idea of friendship being the answer to everything (it's not) and the ponies being great ambassadors of friendship (they're not) instead of recognising where maybe that narrative doesn't fit. Twilight especially, as she is not qualified to be the Princess of Friendship. None of them are, but especially not her. (I mean, Twilight and the pirates in the movie...just...no.).
I like the idea of the magic with pegasus ponies being superspeed and somersaults, although the G1 person inside of me also feels that invalidates Firefly and Whizzer's natural talents.
But honestly I'm really sad G5 didn't give magic to earth ponies. It's a UK-centric G1 opinion but it has always felt odd to me that earth ponies haven't been given magic since G1
It's a UK-centric G1 opinion but it has always felt odd to me that earth ponies haven't been given magic since G1. The most magical pony in G1, according to UK lore, was an Earth Pony. It's a shame this didn't happen in the US lore, because Sunny could have been that pony without having to change her species to conform to type. (Still hope that isn't meant to be permanent, but anyway).
I never really thought about the role of the Princesses, Luna and Celestia. I kind of saw them as quasi-deity figures, rather than dictatorial leaders. But I don't know whether growing up in a state with a monarchy means I have a different view towards the idea of an unelected head of state. But that could become a political discussion, so I'll leave that there. In essence ,I don't know if they are immortal (if they are, then they'd need to be in G5), but I don't see their role as a problem as regards the sun, moon etc. I like less the idea they have a court in equestria and integrate with the ponies and then make Twilight a princess, because for me that blurs the lines of what we're meant to see them as. But that's a different problem.
I am a historian, it probably influences my reactions to certain things. I do agree in general that MLP is a toy line and I have said that many times, but G4 has a tv show at its core, unlike the generations prior. I have no problem with gaps for nuances unless they create uncomfortable political issues (see Colonialism 101) but because G4 is so show-centric I would expect them to try harder to close those loopholes.
I would disagree that a child's show doesn't need the nuances. If you don't want to teach kids problematic misconceptions then you need to close the story gaps that suggest it.
Onto the G1 question. The pony is Magic Star, as per her fact file entry 1987. Her comic appearances also suggest she can grant wishes and do other things.http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/Magic_Star#Backcard_Stories_2Her US backcard story also suggests she can grant wishes, so I suspect the UK team took that and evolved it.
Of course, with G1, we're all welcome to choose the version we want or make our own, since these several canons don't knit together - but I had the fact file as a 5 year old so that was always my impression.
(I actually really love the idea of them being connected to earth, nature, maybe even seasons or weather. What a shame G4 didn't follow that through).