Elina - Week 11: Friendship Is Magic
I’ve always loved to watch the various episodes of My Little Pony, featuring their catchy theme song and their memorable cutie marks. I’ll admit–I am rather biased towards Fluttershy–her baby pink hair and light
yellow coat instantly captured my attention. Her shy personality made me feel rather sympathetic towards her in times when she was afraid to speak up. However, none of the ponies could work alone; they often depended on each other, coming to the conclusion that “friendship is magic.” Credits: My Little Pony Fandom Wiki
Their cooperation together to defeat the evil dragons and traverse intimidating mountains and terrains brought them so much closer together, and their individual powers all combine together to make every mission a success. Captured in a short three-minute theme song, their personality traits each encapsulate the qualities that create the best team; specifically, it beautifully illustrates the kindness in Fluttershy’s heart that brings the entire team of ponies together to save Equestria. With her desire to help others, their friendship is only strengthened as they embark on new adventures to complete various whimsical quests.
The diverse audience of the show are equally entertained through the diverse characteristics that are explored through the six original ponies, with each pony exhibiting a unique personality to teach the audience about the value of friendship and benevolence. Despite the arguments that take root because of minor disagreements, they overcome their differences through expressing their deepest beliefs and sharing the prodigious burden amongst them all. Audiences of all ages can relate to arguments within their families and friends, even though times can be rough, they still stick together in the end. Like Celeste Ng says in her work Everything I Never Told You, “the things that go unsaid are the things that eat at you,” which is proved through the ponies’ clear communication with each other about their likes and dislikes.
For me, Fluttershy’s embodiment of kindness and teamwork is the principal quality that brings their bond of friendship together, beyond a simple children’s cartoon.
Hi Elina. Who would've thought it was possible to connect My Little Pony with Everything I Never Told You! I thought your blog post was really unique and though I have not watched My Little Pony, I can completely understand as shows I watched in my childhood like Wild Krats had similar characters. Each person has their own specific strengths but only when they work together can they realize their true potential. This is not limited to TV shows or literature only though. Even in real life, I've observed this. During group projects, different perspectives from different people and good communication help create the best results. Great blog post.
ReplyDeleteHi Elina! I enjoyed reading your blog! I’ve only watched short clips of My Little Pony on Youtube, but your descriptions really allowed me to envision how friendship is depicted in that show. I agree that relationships formed through teamwork are almost magical as it allows us to accomplish great milestones that seem impossible when being done by ourselves. I also agree that relationships are often strengthened after surviving difficulties together, such as “defeating the evil dragons” or “traversing intimidating mountains.” I could relate this to my personal experience of forming the best friendships through team sports and how the thought of “we’re all going through this together” brings us closer! Just like how different pieces of puzzles come together to form one complete product, teamwork is especially beautiful when each character member possesses a unique trait/strength. The differences between the characters is what allows one’s unique trait to truly shine! The image of Fluttershy—which you mentioned is your favorite character because of her appearance and personality traits—looks absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteHi Elina! I love how you analytically approached a simple (and dare I say childish) cartoon to uncover incredible depth in terms of the characteristics of the ponies in the show. I only know of this show through my sister, which we used to watch together when I was younger. I love how you single out Fluttershy for her quality of kindness and how that sort of binds all the other ponies together into this powerful and formidable team.
ReplyDeleteI would say that my favorite pony from the show is Twilight Sparkle, mainly because of the fact that she was regarded as the intellectual of the group. On top of that, she was also quite outspoken and had great leadership skills, which automatically proved to be appealing in my eyes. In a way, I feel like Twilight was rather blunt and spoke what’s on her mind, instead of holding things back due to her reticent nature, unlike Fluttershy.