a disorganised ramble to commemorate a decade of ponies on the brain

So, it's pretty much exactly ten years since I fell in love with MLP:FiM. Got on the ride halfway through January 2011, I think the first episode I watched new was "Call of the Cutie", but I'd spent a while watching the first half of season 1 on YouTube before then, and I knew it was the cartoon for small children I could give my eternal heart to. An entire decade of ponies on the brain. Dear lord.

I didn't have much to do with the fandom for most of that time, though -- I didn't (stiil don't) approve of the kind of grody tryhard internet behaviour that permeated everything back during the first three seasons in particular, but the stupider aspects of it were funny so I treated it more as a carnival sideshow to check out once in a while alongside the main event! (Apropos of nothing I'm convinced to this day that I knew and hated "Buttercup Dew" in an entirely different community long before "Nationalism is Magic" was a thing, but I really don't want to elaborate on that and I have no real proof) Things are a bit more chill these days but you know, you don't need to look far for it even now! That's just the internet at large though, go diving for turds and don't act too surprised when you find a world of shit, you know? At least Google results for "Pinkie Pie" aren't awash with pony porn for a kid to see now like they were c.2013. Pony porn's no crime -- I would not have written some of the stuff I have written if I thought it was -- but it needs to be kept in the correct avenues. I don't think that's a controversial point of view for a bunch of reasons!

But you know, you don't need to be involved in its fandom to get a lot out of something. I never tired of pony, and I always caught the latest episode a couple days after it aired in the States, for the entire run. I'm the best, give me a medal, I'm not sure where I'm going with that thought oh wait yes I do I AM THE BEST MLP FAN 😝. As far as I'm concerned things went from strength to strength for a long time, although I nearly quit after S3 when "Magical Mystery Cure" sucked out loud (glad I didn't -- sure it wasn't the best EQG film when all was said and done but the first Equestria Girls movie was entertaining enough to convince me to stick around) and again after half of season 8 slammed that m.f. mediocre-to-bad button too many times? Season 9 was a big improvement, though that's relative and the overarching plot with the Legion of Doom didn't really stick the landing, though it had its moments. Season 7 is best season, fight me. While I liked it well enough at the time and it has some very good episodes, season 1 can be tough to return to -- the animation is particularly "Flash" (rip to a real one in 2021) and kind of stiff, and the VAs aren't as comfortable in their roles as they'd become later on.

I still read the comics, not that there's much choice now if you want to keep up with current events in Equestria. By the way, that Season 10 Zecora arc that concluded right at the end of last year? While I have very mixed feelings about them leaving her in Farasi -- it's good she reconnected with her old friends back home among other things, but she'd better be back later, dammit! -- the worst thing about it was how it took approximately 500 years for the entire thing to be released, which really isn't anyone at IDW's fault. The newest one relitigating Scootaloo's relationship with her parents was over in a flash, but they at least compensated for that with a very early release! The comics can be a mixed bag (lol "Cosmos", lol Jay Fosgitt, lol "Anon-a-Miss") but by and large they're a fun time. I'm looking forward to Rarity giving a bunch of Diamond Dogs the glamorous makeover their namesake deserves

I bought the "Papercraft is Magic" book last week but I'm faintly intimidated by the prospect of destroying it to bring forth more ponies into the world. I'll get around to it. Moreover, I'm buying the "limited edition" Kotobukiya statues as they come out (waiting for shipping fulfilment on Twilight rn). I didn't care for how lily-white the original run was but if they're running with show-accurate colours, that suits me much better. The sparkly Pinkie Pie I have on my shelf now is very nice and I'm sure the rest will be great too! I never bought any of the Funko pony models because frankly, even the non-Pop Funko stuff is super boring. I need a nice pose or visual flourish to my plastic crap (I used to collect designer vinyl (not anime figurines, like Kidrobot urban design stuff etc) so I have some standards) and they don't provide that, whereas Kotobukiya does. Got most of the "Guardians of Magic Fan Series" stuff as it released though. You know, the Storm King statue they made, now there's an extremely nice model! Of course the best model from that range is the Starlight/Trixie rocket. It sucks that the line was discontinued but at least it went out on a high point! 🚀

Anyway the overall point of this message (thank you for reading this far, btw) is that I love the magical diminutive equines, I have done for an entire decade, and I am Hasbro's bitch and loving it. Lauren Faust devised a thing for children that was very good based on a long-standing toy property very long ago, the flame was kept alight ever since, and I am probably stuck thinking too hard about it for a long time to come! Pity me, fellow sufferers 😷