My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Analyzing Themes - The Saddle Row Review

The Saddle Row Review is one of the more charming episodes Friendship is Magic has seen in its run, and it’s one I feel many will remember fondly. It’s silly and easy going, yet amongst all the drama and humor it never feels cynical, and there’s always a feeling of lightheartedness and innocence in the many gags and scenarios that play out, and it feels like an episode that really captures the purity and fun of childhood. And while that is a great element to have that already lets the episode shine, there’s a heartwarming and sweet core within, once which, upon examination, reveals a lot about the show’s characters and their development.

Boss Battles in Undertale - More Than Just an Obstacle

I’ve spent the past few weeks reading everything I can about Undertale; its secrets and lore, various analyses and interpretations of its story and mechanics, and of course, reviews. And one thing I’ve noticed mentioned frequently in the reviews or fan gushes of the game, is that a lot of them have trouble pointing out the one thing that makes Undertale great. They can’t summarize and simplify the magic of Undertale into one core concept, and I find this very interesting. It got me thinking, if I had to pick one thing, one core thing about Undertale that makes it so special and unique…what would that be?

I thought about this a lot, and I have to admit, the more I think about it, the more I understand the struggles of others, because well…I can’t think of an answer! There’s really no one simple thing Undertale does to make it special, it’s well…everything it does! It’s the way it constantly surprises you with great fun dialogue, an emphasis on exploring the mechanics and characters through choice, a unique battle system, the music, a fresh air of simplicity, there’s a lot that Undertale does to make it special.

But then I thought, if I can’t say “what” makes Undertale special, maybe I can say “when” Undertale feels special; the moments in which Undertale really shines, and explore why that is. And after mulling on this question, I think I can come up with a sufficient answer. The moments in which Undertale really shines, I would say, is during the boss battles.

The Message of Undertale

Warning: The following analysis contains spoilers for the story of Undertale. Do not read this if you have not completed Undertale to its full true ending.

I’ve already done an analysis of what Undertale taught me, and while thinking about it, I can think of another thought I gained from this experience; something that I feel is the main and core theme of the tale of Undertale. And that little message was, well, simply put, that we’re all human, and that there are no monsters deserving of pain and violence.

What I Learned From Undertale

My favorite works of art have always been those which have the greatest effect on me. Those that change the way I look at things, put thoughts in my head that haven’t been there before, and cause me to reevaluate myself and how I interact with the world. It is the main reason why I feel My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic will forever be my favorite piece of art, simply because it changed me more than any story has yet to, and perhaps ever will.

And I think this is core to what makes Undertale such a beautiful work of art. It’s effected and changed people in so many ways, that it can’t help but be an experience to cherish. I may do an analysis of why it’s able to do this so well and what makes art “memorable” to us, but that’s for another analysis. No, for my first write up of Undertale, I’d like to get super personal, and simply talk of…how Undertale affected me, and what new thoughts it gave me.

Note: The following contains very minor spoilers, including gameplay mechanics and battle set ups. With how little it is, it should be fine to read if you have not played Undertale.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Analyzing Themes - On Your Marks

The concept of change has always been something that most cartoon shows have struggled to embrace. Many television shows in general prefer to stick to a set structure and keep it for their whole duration. They use the same characters, same conflicts and climaxes, same worlds, etc. This is appealing in part because it is easier to write and create stories with, but another appeal of it is the safety and security that comes from this familiarity. There’s always a familiar setting to return to, a familiar story, and familiar faces and friends. It offers a comforting place to retreat to whenever things feel uncertain, and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine this as a large part of its appeal.

Despite this, there have been a lot of recent cartoons that are taking the gamble and creating shows with change. Characters that change, worlds that change, and stories that change, it’s slowly becoming more and more common. Cartoons such as Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and its sequel The Legend of Korra show a shift in cartoon storytelling, with a greater degree of change being present. And they aren’t the only ones, there is another show that’s embracing this theme of change, and in nowhere is this more apparent than in the episode of On Your Marks from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 6: The True Lab

Helloooooooooooooooo! This is the final segment of my recap of my first Undertale playthrough, and my initial thoughts and experiences with the game. Hope you are ready, this is the biggest one of them all, heh. Without further ado, let’s end this!

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 5: The Core

Hello, and welcome! This is Part 5 of my telling of my Undertale playthrough; the choices I made, the initial thoughts I had, etc. Hope you enjoy it! Without further ado, let’s get to the core.

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 4: Hotland

Hello! Welcome to the fourth part of my Undertale playthrough, in which I detail my choices and initial thoughts and experiences of this wonderful game. For this part I focus on Hotland, and the silliness this area featured.

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 3: Waterfall

Hello and welcome! This is part 3 of my Undertale experience, where here I shall share my journey through the Waterfall segment of the game. Without further ado, let’s a go!

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 2: Snowdin

Welcome, to part 2 of my Undertale experience! This part focuses on Snowdin and the skeleton brothers, so let’s get to it!

My Undertale Playthrough - Part 1: The Ruins

So I’ve done 2 write ups on Undertale now, and I wasn’t sure where to go with this third one. As I watched reviews and analyses on Undertale though, it became apparent to me how cool it is that everyone had a different playthrough in little ways. I feel like few games highlight the power of choice you have as a player, and so you know, for this one I’m going to keep it simple. While it’s fresh in my mind, I’m going to recount and share every important detail I can remember about my first playthrough of Undertale, and detail why I did what I did. I’ll be doing it in multiple parts since I wrote so much, but yeah!