Friendship Is Magic (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)

Did You Know?

• Shout! Factory released a DVD titled "The Friendship Express" in February 2012 containing both parts of the premiere and three other episodes.
• The premiere was also included in the first season DVD released in December 2012.

Plot

In Equestria, the studious unicorn Twilight Sparkle learns a prophecy that the evil Nightmare Moon will return during the Summer Sun Celebration after a thousand years imprisoned on the moon. She warns her mentor, Princess Celestia, who dismisses her concerns and sends her and her baby dragon assistant Spike to Ponyville to oversee celebration preparations and make friends. Twilight reluctantly meets five ponies handling the preparations: Applejack, a diligent earth pony; Rainbow Dash, a tomboyish pegasus; Rarity, a glamorous unicorn; Fluttershy, a shy pegasus; and Pinkie Pie, a hyperactive earth pony. After getting acquainted, Twilight hopes to study the Nightmare Moon legend at her new home, the Golden Oak Library, but Pinkie Pie throws her a welcome party, frustrating her. At the celebration, Celestia vanishes and Nightmare Moon appears, decreeing everlasting night. Twilight and her new friends return to the library, recalling the Elements of Harmony, artifacts used to defeat Nightmare Moon. Her guidebook says five elements are known—Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty—but the sixth is not, and their last known location is the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Background

The fairy tale-like drawings of the opening scene set the tone. A sea serpent with unusual hair and a very expressive face brings unexpected humor. The Manticore, designed in several versions by Lynne Naylor, balances silliness with ferocity; his sharp wings contrast with his round hair and body. Nightmare Moon, conceived by Paul Rudish, uses her anatomy, wings, and color scheme to signal her threatening nature. The sole musical number, "Laughter Song," was composed by Daniel Ingram. After being recommended for the role, he created a demo using lyrics from series creator Lauren Faust, which earned him the position.

Broadcast and reception

The first part aired on The Hub on October 10, 2010, and the second part twelve days later. Critics responded positively. Sherilyn Connelly called the episodes a "fun ride" and praised the climax, saying "the episode[s] ... fly off the rails in an orgy of oddly Spielbergian effects and philosophizing". Nicole Pucci of The Mary Sue called the episodes "a great setup for an RPG" despite finding the plot predictable, and noted Rarity's generosity toward the sea serpent as an example of the show addressing things she would not expect in today's overly-sterilized kids' fare. A study by Christian Valiente and Xeno Rasmusson considered the episodes to contest gender stereotypes, noting females in positions of authority and active roles, with only two male speaking characters and a female villain driving the story.