Everything I Like About My Little Pony

Due to recent incidents, some people have been questioning me and my love for the show, just because I said a few... erm, not nice things. Well people, if you feel that way about me, I'm going to tell everybody what I like about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and I don't care if it gets people to shut up; I just want people to listen.

THE OPINIONS, THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS IN THIS BLOG POST ARE SOLELY THOSE OF ZACK WANZER; NOT THE MY LITTLE PONY FANDOM IN GENERAL

One thing I'll point out is that I'm focusing on Generation 4 only; I probably won't check out the first three any time soon. So... where do I start?

1. I owe a very big thanks to Lauren Faust for starting the show in the first place; it began when she was a girl, and her world of My Little Pony eventually became a reality in 2010. Starting off as a little girl's fantasy world, it became a worldwide phenomenon created by a redhead woman (and that's a compliment).
2. On top of that, Lauren brought in some of the best people to write for the show - like Foster's Home co-writers Amy Keating Rogers and Cindy Morrow - and some of the best voice actors for the characters, from veterans like Tara Strong to up-and-coming voice artists like Michelle Creber. 
3. Friendship is Magic (or Mare in the Moon and Elements of Harmony, if you prefer) was a great start to the show; there were issues like pacing and a few plot holes, but even then, you got to start somewhere, hence I give it an 8/10.
4. The rest of season one was quite good as well. It was 7.5/10 mostly due to the quality of writing and a couple of bad episodes (Swarm of the Century and Owl's Well That Ends Well), but still, you gotta start somewhere, and small mistakes I can forgive for the most part.
5. It's amazing to how they got a few A-list celebrities to guest star on the show; they brought in John de Lancie from Star Trek as Discord, "Weird Al" Yankovic as Cheese Sandwich, Jan Rabson as Wind Rider, and they're bringing in Lena Hall for Amy's last episode of the show later in the year for season five (at the time of writing).
6. After Lauren Faust left, she left the show under the control of Meghan McCarthy, which was a strong move, I feel. Lauren was giving away the world she created and wanted to move on to other projects, which is very understanding. Plus, episodes like Pinkie Pride proved the show can be great without Lauren's presence (well, you can try saying that to some Thomas fans who want Britt Allcroft back, but I digress.)
7. Season two is less my least favorite and more the least good season of the show; in fairness, the fact that it was building on the foundations of season one was great, and it took its morals to the next level by being just a little bit more mature - in the cases of Dragon Quest and Ponyville Confidential, they backfired miserably, but episodes like Family Appreciation Day and Read It and Weep did fantastically; in the case of Read It and Weep, that was something I actually went through with the show itself!
8. With A Canterlot Wedding, I like how the writers were also willing to expand on the cast with characters like Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. Yeah, they weren't appreciated at first, but since then, they've gained some love. (Regarding Flash Sentry? It's been two years people - let it go already!) I'm somewhat grateful not to get into the show back then cause I probably would've reacted similarly, but come 2014, I'm actually glad they took that risk. Plus, it adds a little more to Twilight in regards to her family and past.
9. Although shorter than the previous two, season three was the real icebreaker for the show. It even handled brilliantly what fans have wanted for a while - Scootaloo becoming closer to Rainbow Dash, the latter getting closer to joining the Wonderbolts, the return of Discord, and even a hinting towards Applejack's dead parents (how they died, we may not know; maybe in season six?)
10. This was very controversial, but the idea of Twilight Sparkle becoming an alicorn was a very good move; it shows that she is growing as a character and she definitely deserved it.
11. I really like the idea of the Equestria Girls spinoff; it very much opens up more possibilities for story-telling and it introduced my second and third favorite characters overall. (On a sidenote, please give both Sunset and Flash respective episodes of their own, that's all I ask of you writers!) My only problem is that it feels like it's being treated like a spinoff; if they somehow tie it up to the actual show (if a certain scene in a certain movie is anything to go by) that wouldn't be such a problem to me. Despite this, it actually got me into the show in the first place back in 2013! No, really!
12. Season four is my most favorite of the entire show; the idea of two story-arcs in one season was a fantastic move, and it ended very strong with its two best episodes - Equestria Games and Twilight's Kingdom. Sure, the former wasn't about the games, but if it had, we would've gotten little character development. Plus, I personally believe Spike deserved that role, and he's a character who deserves respect. On whole, season four combined the best of what made the previous three good.
13. Rainbow Rocks is my favorite of the films; it made my love for Sunset Shimmer stronger, it had some of the franchise's greatest songs, and it had three of the best villains overall.
14. Come season five, and it's taken the world of Equestria to new heights now that Twilight has a castle of her own. The idea of the map was brilliant, and it brought in unexplored territory to the show. Plus, the season even brought in characters who haven't had much screentime since their initial debuts back in the first four seasons.
15. Yes, I still hate Slice of Life (as if people didn't know that already), but despite what I think of it, the fact that the show even made it to a hundred episodes (although it felt more like 93, but still) was astounding. The episode itself just didn't work within the show.
16. I really love Amending Fences, my second move favorite episode in the show. I had read an unpublished comment (that I deleted) saying the episode was bad because of a continuity error. I didn't understand his complaint - not wholly, at least - but he was missing something important; Twilight didn't see Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine as friends, she saw them more as acquaintances (although Moon Dancer could be argued). Plus, she couldn't remember her Canterlot friends too well and wanted to make amends with them, which she did by the end. So yeah, I'm sticking by my original review, and the 10/10 rating I gave it.
17. With the current season overall, it looks as though they're revisiting older episodes that didn't work in the past and making them better - for example, Appleoosa's Most Wanted did right what Somepony to Watch Over Me didn't, and Rarity Investigates! was a superior MMMystery on the Friendship Express. Party Pooped could've also been great if it weren't so messy, but I digress. The fact that they're even calling back to past episodes is great.
18. Having confirmed that a movie will be made with a 2017 release, it could be a testament to the show we've grown to love for seven years (when it comes out, of course).

But what's important to me most of all? Whenever I'm feeling down, upset, or just simply bored, I may sometimes look at some fan art, read a few fanfics, or watch an actual episode (most of them). I've had a lot of dark days, (they're becoming more frequent apparently) whether I've had a rough day at school, got into a few arguments, or heard some very sad news. But like Thomas and Friends, My Little Pony can help me forget my woes and cheer me up, regardless as to what I think about certain characters and episodes.

And those are all the reasons as to why I really love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If you still think that I'm a "bad fan", well, I'd rather be one for speaking my mind rather than be a "good fan" claiming everything is perfect, especially when Lauren Faust was around. Bear in mind that everyone has different tastes and that every episode has it's flaws, even the best. If you do like the show despite problems you might have, good for you. However, I do have a few issues with a certain movie, but that's another story...