Thoughts about the Ending,How I Became a Brony, the Show, and the Future · 2:34am Oct 13th, 2019
Dear Bronies and Pegasisters,
Normally I don't do this sort of thing where I give my views on the show. Because with every single episode aired, you'd always get at least one person out there that would take it too seriously to the point that if they find something that contradicts what they think, they take it as a personal attack. However, given that I have seen the last remaining episodes, I think that given the unique circumstance that for this generation that, this is it, I figured that it's time I give my two-cents on the matter.
Now before anyone panics that they may not have seen it yet, don't worry, I'm not gonna spoil it for ya. I will say, however, that given what I had seen, with some unexpected twists, how many things come together, and an idea once our favorite cast of characters does by the very last episode... I'm satisfied. Could have some the stuff that happened been written better or could do something a little different, of course. On the other hand, I think we do have to remind ourselves that this show is, in a way, a fairy-tale. And speaking as someone who has seen the show, I'd say that overall, do like it. I was entertained, I laughed, I was on edge, I was surprised - and in a way, just as so the day I first watched the first two episodes in how maturely this show took itself.
So, for months I have heard about how fans are worried that once this show as basically said, "The End," it would all disintegrate from there because, well, there's no more pony content from the main source to make. That these stories and artwork would only get fewer and fewer until nobody is left at all.
To that, if anyone out there is still thinking that I have to ask you (as well as myself) a question: What drew you to this show about colorful, magical ponies meant for little girls in the first place?
So, boys and girls, I'm gonna tell you all, a story. A true story. Let me explain to all of you how I became a Brony.
Once upon a time, roughly around... 2012 - 2013 during the winter, I had recently graduated high school and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. Although I had a part-time job, I wanted to be an author. Since I was 11, I have been experimenting with writing styles and genres, however, by the time that fateful year came, I was running dangerously low on inspiration. I wasn't completing any of my short stories that I started, I grew disinterested to the point I wondered that if writing wasn't my talent, then what point in my life? Back then, I had no audience whatsoever for them to read, and on top of that, I was afraid to talk to anyone about my sexuality.
Then, by accident, I came across a particular video on YouTube. It was during a time that I was getting into CreepyPastas for the sake of looking for a good story. Well, at the time, I was subscribed to someone called MrCreepyPasta, and as I was scrolling through the content he uploaded, I noticed a particular video that seemed out of place. This was the very video that I saw:
Now I know what you're thinking: "How in the Hell did this get you into the Brony fandom?! If this was your introduction to it, shouldn't it had destroyed your interests in us for life?!" I confess that when I first heard it through, I was indeed disgusted and I didn't dare to listen to it again for a good... 8 or so months. However, it's important to know that at the time, I didn't know that there was a Friendship is Magic. I didn't know what Equestria was, what Sugar Cube Corner looked like, or even who Pikie Pie and Rainbow Dash was. This very thing was morbidly curious to me as I've never encountered a story like it where it takes something so babishly cutesy and turns it into the equivalent of Hostel. This thing was so odd to me that I just had to get my best friend to hear it because if I just told him, he wouldn't believe me. And while his reaction was more or less the same, he, on the other hand, had heard these characters before but couldn't figure out why.
Two weeks later in January of 2013, I got a text from him saying that he's now a Brony. Back then I didn't know what that was and I asked him to explain what he was talking about. Apparently, he did some research and found out that there's a show that's got these crazy ratings from not only kids but from grown men too. He urged me to check it out. Now, I was skeptical from the start. 'Oh c'mon,' I thought, 'a little girl's show about talking ponies meant for seven-year-olds? How on earth could this possibly be any good?' I ended up telling him that I will, to be fair, checking at least the first two episodes thinking that if one sucks then the other could be decent and told him that I will email a review of me looking at it critically. So I found the first two episodes from season one with low expectations, and... to my utter shock and surprise... it wasn't as bad as I thought.
What shocked me was how this show was told. I expected it to be something like... well... like Dora the Explorer kind of level. The kind where it talks down to kids as if they're stupid but being polite about it. That it would have these lame characters that bounce around and smile, where if it had a villain that it would be easily be defeated by the power of love - that sort of stuff. However... while it did had the look of something like that, how it was done, however... it had smart writing, it had likable if not funny characters that I actually found myself laughing, and as I looked onto the others... a good chunk of them had morals that were not only done well but were something that I could relate to.
However, that wasn't what got me into the fandom. What did, however, was that I found about Dr. Hooves, the fan comics ranging from disgustingly dark to adorably light, and, perhaps most importantly of all - this site. When I came across this site, I was shocked by how good the ideas and writings were with some of these stories here that I got more invested in. But what sold it for me, was, believe it or not, the shipping.
(Let me explain. Before I found this site, I was scared to be able to write anything about gay characters without getting death threats. But here, not only are there stories in abundant that focused on lesbian couples and showing how they could work with the characters in the show, but male ones too! And not only were they weren't at a Mature rating, but they were getting good views as well. So, in a way, this site gave me the courage to write whatever story I wanted without fear. Even though there was a good chunk of stories that I thought were good, I decided to write fanfiction on here because I thought I could do one better.)
Although I joined during the time the whole "Twilight becomes an Alicorn" fiasco among the fandom, I was still blown away by the level of creativity among this fandom that took the show so seriously. And I joined in at a time where it had a long hiatus. Chances are you might have forgotten this period in the Brony history, but during season 4 - 5, I was caught up in that wave of creativity to the point that I decided to give my shot at this too. It was a slow climb for me, but with the show and its fans with their theories, their ideas, and such, I found a cornucopia of inspiration for me to write about.
I have learned how to write on this site. This place has taught me more about storytelling than any English class I've taken. It taught me to be bold, to not be afraid to write what I feel passionate about, and that I shouldn't take my audience for granted. Over time, I got to meet fellow writers that I'm a fan of. That at one point, I temporarily found love with a few of them that, even though we drifted apart it was still civil and I never have forgotten what it was like. That from this fandom, it helped me gain the courage to come out to my friends and I found acceptance among them.
So what does any of that have to do with this show's future? I've come to realize that if anyone out there is scared and wondering what they could do to save the Brony fandom, I have the following advice - Do nothing! I've realized that this show was never in danger or out of balance, to begin with. Now I know that there's likely gonna be a Gen 5, but for me, considering the My Little Ponies of the past, to me there's only one - Friendship is Magic. It had great animation; a good chunk of the songs are great; the characters lovable; the humor is mostly funny; its analysis on all sorts of love and friendship is incredible; the storytelling took risks; and left behind characters that once you've seen them, you're not gonna forget them. As much as people and those in the analysis community scream how this or that episode is the worst ever, my argument is that even at it's lowest point, the fans always found something good in them. Be it an expression, a joke, music, dialogue, or even to give inspiration to future stories, every episode always gives something back to us.
While we have to remember that this is still a version of several, to me, it's still damn good. So much so, that if one were to change its flaws, it's like trying to make a symphony by Beethoven better, you can't do it because every note is where its suppose to be. In a way, like the original Twilight Zone, the Loonytoons, or even Avatar: The Last Airbender, this show has made an impact on us culturally that although there's no doubt gonna be different versions. But whenever anybody speaks the name "My Little Pony," I'm immediately gonna be thinking of this version. I think that no matter what variations are gonna happen in the future, nothing could take away that, for me at least, is already perfect.
And what of me?
While I can't claim to know the true future of this site or its fandom, I'd say that as long as there's an audience out there that wants to read the stories I have, as long as there are others still making fanfics about magical talking ponies, I doubt that I'll be going away anytime soon.
Signed, your fellow writer and Brony,
- CrackedInkWell
To the author - omg i discovered in 2012 - 13 too! although mine differs from yours...greatly *laughs*
wrote about how i discovered mlp at two different points here on this site but Nobody ever reads my blogs or notices anyways! just click on my name and you'll find them. i'm glad you're sticking around:)