Pony Talk > Pony Corral
Unpopular Pony Opinions
Taffeta:
@MJNSEIFER - I'm going to just touch on a couple of things so we don't continue taking this thread on an unexpected tour of ponyland on its way back on topic but...
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_2
Her 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.
Bear in mind in the UK Majesty was also extremely magical, so if MS was more magical than Majesty, she had some serious tricks in her spellbook.
I guess making this on topic, my Unpopular Opinion is that I don't see either animated Magic Star, nor So Soft Magic Star, as the 'real' Magic Star ;) I like SS Magic Star, I just can't see her as the same pony I used to write stories about when I was eight or nine :)
brightberry:
Magic Star's backcard did make me think she was incredibly powerful. She gave another pony wings and poured chocolate milk from the Milky Way. She could probably chose to be a unicorn or alicorn whenever she wanted. :frolic: For me, earth ponies were just as powerful as unicorns but it was a different kind of magic for them. Just as fairy magic and dragon magic might be.
Taffeta:
I think it's sad that a lot of these lovely magical stories about Earth ponies come from the US production canon, yet they just eradicated it for the animation, and even in the audio cassettes I've heard for the US release (the one with Glory, and the Picnic at PE) the magic thing is weirdly handled.
I'm glad the UK did use some of those concepts, and create some of their own, but...yeah. Why should Earth ponies not be powerful? Come on G5. Make Earth ponies actually powerful.
(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).
MJNSEIFER:
@Taffeta - Thank you for answering, I will try mostly (if not completely) turn the thread back on topic after this.
--- Quote ---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.
--- End quote ---
Understandable, it makes sense that ones interests would influence how one sees something at times. I've basically gotten used to seeing each canon of MLP to be pretty much equal value as each other, and I've had the idea that canon in general doesn't have to be obeyed to the letter, so... I guess that's just how I see things. I had a lot more to say about this, but I kept going in circles, but it's mostly to do with the fact that (due to starting MLP with the cartoons?) I never really felt that G4s cartoon was any more or less the focus than the previous generation cartoons were, despite MLP being a toyline first. I honestly can't go any further without rambling and going off topic, so I'll leave it here for now.
--- Quote ---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.
--- End quote ---
Agree completely. I was more focused on the "MLP can be whatever you want it to be" angle, that I missed that I was giving the impression I thought this about children's shows in general - that was not my intention, and I'm sorry. Children's shows definitely need, and in my experience often have, nuances - I would definitely never write something off as just a children's show or use as reason why you can't take it seriously, or critique it or something (even today, there's kind of an off balance of how seriously children's shows are taken, or how much people allow each other to do so.) I do agree that you need to be careful you're not giving the kids - the target audience - the wrong message, especially (as I didn't consider before) they might not even know or be thinking of the fact that you don't need to obey canon, they might not even know what "canon" is at that age so the show might be the only version for some (although obviously some kids could just play with the toys independently from the show), but yeah... you are right to say the message has to spread correctly, so thanks for pointing that out.
--- Quote ---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_2
Her US backcard story also suggests she can grant wishes, so I suspect the UK team took that and evolved it.
--- End quote ---
Oh yes, Magic Star! I saw that about her when I checked her out for research a while ago, I'm sure (my research basically consisted of; that very page you linked me to) It's just one fanseries of course, but it would be cool if I could somehow find a way to incorporate the magical earth pony side to her character in my project, if I can (I already know that I'm including her at some point...) I'll try to see if I can find some of her comic book appearances too, basically see which "Magic Star" inspires me and/or fits in to the storyline (but it would be cool if I could do what I said it would be cool to do.)
--- Quote ---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.
--- End quote ---
Not just G1, that's pretty much how it is with all generations, but in short I do agree that we can choose as much or as little as we want from all canons, that's pretty much what I was saying throughout the conversation, but I guess it got lost in the babble, sorry about that.
--- Quote ---(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).
--- End quote ---
Yeah, it is shame this never really went anywhere, again it's only one fanmade version, but I'll see if I can expand on that (thanks for mentioning seasons, I'll see if I can do something with that - weather is harder, because the pegasi have kind of stuck their flag in that, but... you never know; the only limited to storytelling is our own imagination, of course.)
Again, I'll try to be at least mostly on topic now.
Cobblestone:
Let's see...
I like flocked ponies. I know they can be disasters if they're not taken care of but something about them works for me. I'd love to try making my own someday.
I don't care for the sister style bodies (are we still calling them that?) The longer legs just make me think of other toy lines.
Don't care for G4. It's not for me. I pretty much exist in G1 world though a few g2s and g3s are appealing to me.
Wish I could say I don't get the hype for certain ponies but I REALLY want Icy Crystal haha I know mimic is always fluxing price wise. Not sure who else is coveted RN aside from Punz (though I know a lot of people don't care for her anymore)
I'm excited about the idea of new classic style ponies although I'm not sure yet how I feel about reproducing the old ones. I can see this causing issues with honesty during sales and I'd much rather see new fun ideas. The old line was limited by what they thought was marketable to little girls at the time but now there's a chance to expand since I think G1 is largely older fans or younger people who picked it up from older fans etc.
Probably not unpopular but I don't like the hard plastic types of toys that are super popular right now will all kinds of toy lines.
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