This turned the movie into a bit of a controversial mess among the My Little Pony fans, and so when the airing time for it finally came, we were all holding our breath, wondering how in the world this would turn out. So with everyone talking about it, and me finally seeing it, I thought, why not, I'm in the mood, how about I share my thoughts on this film, see how it all goes, eh?
Like all of my write ups on MLP, this won't be a review per say. If I may go on a small tangent, I don't like doing reviews. Everyone does reviews, and they give me the feeling of being opinionated, and I don't like that, I prefer write ups that get you thinking not about the quality of things and of arguing, but about deep life related things. I prefer to discuss stories my way, not by their quality, but by their themes and connections to our lives. So in the style of my previous write ups, this will be an Analysis of Themes in Equestria Girls. If however, despite all that, you are still very curious about my opinion on the movie, as you value my opinion that highly, I must show my appreciation to your generosity by quickly telling you that, I thought it was really flawed, and I can understand why some wouldn't like it, but I still really loved it, so much so that I think I will watch it a 2nd time. Now! Onto the interesting bits, let's get to it, and let's take a look at the themes of Equestria Girls:
After first watching the film, and thinking deeply about the whole ordeal, I came to the conclusion of there being 3 key themes in Equestria Girls; 3 themes that permeated (boy that's a big word) throughout the entire story, being a part of its characters, villains, world, climaxes, and more, and they gave me much to think about by the time the whole thing had finished. I'll go through them one by one, so let's see what conclusions I reached:
First, we have the theme of leadership. I was very curious and happy to see this, as Friendship is Magic is starting to head in the direction of leadership. Now that Twilight Sparkle has become an alicorn, she may have to end up leading something, in the same way Celestia, Luna, and Cadence rule. And now that all of the mane characters are growing up and developing, they need to learn more about being adults, and what it means to be a grown up.
In enters Sunset Shimmer, the main villain of the story, and the main contrast to Twilight. In being the villain, she is everything Twilight shouldn't be as a leader. She's mean, cruel, treats her subjects as if they are below her, and she separates her people. As we learn in the movie, Sunset is the leader of Canterlot High, and as a result, the people are separated and live in fear. As some say, the overall quality of a town and its people is reflective of its leader, and that is very true here.
It's made clear that in contrast to say, Celestia and Cadence, good leaders, Sunset is not leading the right way. The mane 6 in Canterlot High argue and hate each other, and the school itself is separated into groups of different people, with hardly anyone going between them. Not to mention, everyone lives in fear of Sunset. She wins any competition she enters because the people of the school fear her (this is completely unrelated in both subject and tone but, using the word 'people' so much in a pony write up feels so weird, I thought I should say that).
Twilight then comes in and does the exact opposite of what Sunset did. She united everyone, and helped them all to overcome their problems and differences to be friends. And the people of Canterlot High don't fear Twilight, rather, they love her, and truly want her to win, something never true of Sunset. As Principal Celestia (lol!) says, a leader doesn't force others to bow to her, rather, inspires others to stand with her. And as Twilight becomes an alicorn and prepares for a life of leading rather then following (as evidenced in Magical Mystery Cure when Twilight no longer bows to Celestia but vice versa), this is perfect for her character development. In the same way that The Crystal Empire taught Twilight to begin taking things seriously and not see everything as a test for studies, Equestria Girls offers a theme that is perfect for Twilight's character with what she is going through right now, and I loved that. She is beginning to learn what it means to be a princess, and I was pleased the writers seem to be taking Twilight's character arc seriously. I very much look forward to see where she goes in the coming 4th season.
First, we have the theme of leadership. I was very curious and happy to see this, as Friendship is Magic is starting to head in the direction of leadership. Now that Twilight Sparkle has become an alicorn, she may have to end up leading something, in the same way Celestia, Luna, and Cadence rule. And now that all of the mane characters are growing up and developing, they need to learn more about being adults, and what it means to be a grown up.
In enters Sunset Shimmer, the main villain of the story, and the main contrast to Twilight. In being the villain, she is everything Twilight shouldn't be as a leader. She's mean, cruel, treats her subjects as if they are below her, and she separates her people. As we learn in the movie, Sunset is the leader of Canterlot High, and as a result, the people are separated and live in fear. As some say, the overall quality of a town and its people is reflective of its leader, and that is very true here.
It's made clear that in contrast to say, Celestia and Cadence, good leaders, Sunset is not leading the right way. The mane 6 in Canterlot High argue and hate each other, and the school itself is separated into groups of different people, with hardly anyone going between them. Not to mention, everyone lives in fear of Sunset. She wins any competition she enters because the people of the school fear her (this is completely unrelated in both subject and tone but, using the word 'people' so much in a pony write up feels so weird, I thought I should say that).
Twilight then comes in and does the exact opposite of what Sunset did. She united everyone, and helped them all to overcome their problems and differences to be friends. And the people of Canterlot High don't fear Twilight, rather, they love her, and truly want her to win, something never true of Sunset. As Principal Celestia (lol!) says, a leader doesn't force others to bow to her, rather, inspires others to stand with her. And as Twilight becomes an alicorn and prepares for a life of leading rather then following (as evidenced in Magical Mystery Cure when Twilight no longer bows to Celestia but vice versa), this is perfect for her character development. In the same way that The Crystal Empire taught Twilight to begin taking things seriously and not see everything as a test for studies, Equestria Girls offers a theme that is perfect for Twilight's character with what she is going through right now, and I loved that. She is beginning to learn what it means to be a princess, and I was pleased the writers seem to be taking Twilight's character arc seriously. I very much look forward to see where she goes in the coming 4th season.
By being set in a weird alternate Majoras Mask esque world (which, like Majora, is awesome by the way), not only did the writing team have potential to show how a bad leader leads a world, but they also had the potential to show how truly powerful the magic of friendship is, and how it transcends worlds and can be used anywhere we go in many different ways for just about anything we find, cause well.....it's true!
Just about everything in life has friendship involved or as a part of it somehow, and learning how to easily befriend others and understand them is one of the greatest traits to have to do well in the world. Connecting with friends gives us help and assistance for our own problems and needs, as well as enjoyment that cannot be found elsewhere, and without friendship, who knows where we'd be! Learning that friendship is a powerful magic not just in Equestria, but in other worlds, was a large theme of the film, and one that I thought worked out very well.
Is this not what the entire movie is about? It is by far the largest change in the short history of this new My Little Pony show, and as a result, has been the one thing fans have had the most trouble accepting. And this isn't just a change for us, but for Twilight and Spike as well, the main characters of the story. To enter a world unlike anything they've ever seen, be in bodies they've never been in, they go through a great change just like we all did upon hearing of this film, and they've always been changing as well, just like us.
At the very start of the movie, Twilight voices her concerns for her recent change. The wings and title from Magical Mystery Cure will be hard to adjust to, and could mark a great change in her life, will she really be able to handle it? And her worries, all of them, they're shared by all of us as well. Who among the my little pony fans weren't nervous about Twilight becoming an alicorn? It's scary, it's a big change, and going into great new territory we've not seen. Twilight speaks for the many fans in this movie, and like us, she is scared of change.
And then, in a wonderfully poetic and ironic fashion, guess what happens after going through this great change? Twilight goes through an even greater change, a change that turns her whole world upside down. The journey to Canterlot High shocks both Twilight and ourselves, and as we begin watching, we're left wondering if this really is still the pony show we know and love, or if it's changed far too much for us to enjoy it the same way we did the show.
But guess what happens? Again, in an incredibly poetic and ironic fashion that I love love love, guess what happens as Twilight learns about this new world and experiences it, just as we experience it? She learns that it's not so bad, and that it's not so different, even being very similar to Equestria in many many ways. It features the same wonderful charm we are used to from the show, the same wonderful heartwarming moments, the same amazing musical numbers and fun references, and at its core, it is a story about Twilight Sparkle and friendship, the very same story we came to love years ago in the first 2 episodes.
And this was the entire climax of the film, the entire point it was trying to make. Despite how different the world is, Twilight is still able to make friends, still able to succeed, and still able to discover and learn about the magic of friendship, just like in Equestria. The high school world turns out to not be so different, and in the end, Twilight says that amazing line that completely sold me on the entire film's narrative:
"I've been walking on 2 legs and picking things up with these [hands], wings? I'm thrilled that's all I'll be dealing with back in Equestria."
The journey through Canterlot High taught Twilight that wings and being a princess are definitely a change, but they're ones that she can adjust to, ones that aren't as different and intimidating as they seem, and definitely ones that she shouldn't be afraid of. And you know what? I thought that was something being said to all of us as well.
When I heard that line for the first time, I instantly thought about how true that is of this show. If Equestria Girls is a change that I can handle, then Twilight as an alicorn is a piece of cake in comparison, and not something that different or worth worrying about at all. And you know what I learned about change from this film?
That change can still be good, and that change can still carry the same spirit and heart on the inside. See, in Equestria Girls, there was this extremely clever and smart parallel done, where there were many similarities Equestria Girls had with the very first episodes of the new My Little Pony; Friendship is Magic.
In Friendship is Magic, Twilight is unsure about friendship and against it, while the rest of the 5 mane characters are all for it. Then in Equestria Girls, we get the exact opposite scenario, in which none of the 6 want to be friends, save for Twilight, who goes far in helping to unite them all. It shows how far Twilight has come and grown as a character, and above all, it shows how much she's changed, and how much that change with her has been for the better.
In the most unique Friendship is Magic episode ever, and the one with the most change, it is also the one episode to have the most in common with the very start of the series, and the very core of the entire show. It's about multiple different friends coming together and discovering the magic of friendship. As I touched on above as the second theme, friendship was very integral to the entire movie, despite how different Equestria Girls seemed on the outside.
When I first saw the many comparisons to the first 2 episodes, and I saw how much Twilight has grown to accept friendship and change, I couldn't help but think of myself in that moment. The memory of when I first got into the show came back, and I remembered how unsure I was about a show for ponies, in the same way Twilight was unsure about friendship.
But just like Twilight grew to accept it, so too did I grow to accept this wonderful show about ponies and the magic of friendship. And seeing how easily Twilight can now use the magic of friendship, it reminded me of how easily I can now put up with things that would have phased me years ago. I remember when a pony show used to shock and scare me as such a great change, but now, I can watch a high school movie about pony human thingies and not mind it at all, look at how far I've come! Seeing this connection reminded me not just of how far Twilight has come in accepting friendship and change, but in how far I have come as well. My journey parallels Twilight's, and when I realized this, my mind would not stop racing at how many parallels Equestria Girls alluded to with the whole show of Friendship is Magic. But more then thinking about any of that, I thought about how far I've grown, and how a movie I would have laughed at and not given a chance years ago, I can now open with warm arms and love for what it is, thanks to this show.
And that, my friends, is how you do the themes for a movie, a series finale even, and even a sequel to Magical Mystery Cure. I walked away from Equestria Girls knowing that, no matter how much MLP changes, I change, you change, and no matter how much the fandom changes, a part of what made us all what we were will always be there inside, and that change will hardly be something to worry about, as we've come so far from it, and for the better too. It reminded me of this amazing show called Friendship is Magic, my experience with it, and why I've loved it so so much. It had me now 100% okay with Twilight as an alicorn, and okay with any of the changes the show goes through, and had me laughing, smiling, dawing, and having the absolute time of my life. The movie so perfectly captures the spirit and themes of the overall show, while giving such a wonderful theme of change as we all change and grow from this show, and as a result, I well, loved this whole thing to death. I could not have asked for a better way to have done Equestria Girls theme wise, and while it did have many things I wasn't a fan of, I still loved it, and I cannot wait to watch it again.
So to summarize, I thought Equestria Girls was about 3 big themes, learning to be a good leader, learning about the power and wonders of the magic of friendship, and above all, learning about change, and learning to accept it, and see that it's not so bad, and not so different from what you're used to. I walked into Equestria Girls nervous, hesitant, and a little scared, wondering if this change would be all right, and if it would still be the ponies I love. And I walked away from it happy, reassured, warm, and knowing that I just got quite possibly the best My Little Pony episode to perfectly capture the heart of the show. And now, I can fully trust the team to always make pony stories that I will love and adore, fully trust them to make Twilight's journey a fun deep relatable one, and trust them to continue making this show, about these wonderful wonderful themes. Here's to a long road of ponies, a road with lots of changes, and a road that enjoys all of them, as that's the one I plan to take.
When I first saw the many comparisons to the first 2 episodes, and I saw how much Twilight has grown to accept friendship and change, I couldn't help but think of myself in that moment. The memory of when I first got into the show came back, and I remembered how unsure I was about a show for ponies, in the same way Twilight was unsure about friendship.
But just like Twilight grew to accept it, so too did I grow to accept this wonderful show about ponies and the magic of friendship. And seeing how easily Twilight can now use the magic of friendship, it reminded me of how easily I can now put up with things that would have phased me years ago. I remember when a pony show used to shock and scare me as such a great change, but now, I can watch a high school movie about pony human thingies and not mind it at all, look at how far I've come! Seeing this connection reminded me not just of how far Twilight has come in accepting friendship and change, but in how far I have come as well. My journey parallels Twilight's, and when I realized this, my mind would not stop racing at how many parallels Equestria Girls alluded to with the whole show of Friendship is Magic. But more then thinking about any of that, I thought about how far I've grown, and how a movie I would have laughed at and not given a chance years ago, I can now open with warm arms and love for what it is, thanks to this show.
And that, my friends, is how you do the themes for a movie, a series finale even, and even a sequel to Magical Mystery Cure. I walked away from Equestria Girls knowing that, no matter how much MLP changes, I change, you change, and no matter how much the fandom changes, a part of what made us all what we were will always be there inside, and that change will hardly be something to worry about, as we've come so far from it, and for the better too. It reminded me of this amazing show called Friendship is Magic, my experience with it, and why I've loved it so so much. It had me now 100% okay with Twilight as an alicorn, and okay with any of the changes the show goes through, and had me laughing, smiling, dawing, and having the absolute time of my life. The movie so perfectly captures the spirit and themes of the overall show, while giving such a wonderful theme of change as we all change and grow from this show, and as a result, I well, loved this whole thing to death. I could not have asked for a better way to have done Equestria Girls theme wise, and while it did have many things I wasn't a fan of, I still loved it, and I cannot wait to watch it again.
So to summarize, I thought Equestria Girls was about 3 big themes, learning to be a good leader, learning about the power and wonders of the magic of friendship, and above all, learning about change, and learning to accept it, and see that it's not so bad, and not so different from what you're used to. I walked into Equestria Girls nervous, hesitant, and a little scared, wondering if this change would be all right, and if it would still be the ponies I love. And I walked away from it happy, reassured, warm, and knowing that I just got quite possibly the best My Little Pony episode to perfectly capture the heart of the show. And now, I can fully trust the team to always make pony stories that I will love and adore, fully trust them to make Twilight's journey a fun deep relatable one, and trust them to continue making this show, about these wonderful wonderful themes. Here's to a long road of ponies, a road with lots of changes, and a road that enjoys all of them, as that's the one I plan to take.
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