My Little Pony is nothing new. The toys and cartoons have been around for a long time.
The show, to me at least, was pretty typical 80's fodder. Chatty, constant background music, and it seemed to lack enthusiasm. The characters all sounded bored. And with the strange fad lately of reviving 80's cartoons, the new show is...well, it's actually a lot better! Take a look at some of the characters. These are ones that were both in the old cartoon and the new cartoon.
Applejack the pony.
Applejack in 2010. Notice the hat and the simplified apples on the flank.
80's era Spike the dragon didn't seem to serve much purpose, but neither did the ponies. They all mostly talked. And talked.
2010 Spike the dragon, after being hit with an extreme cuteness beam. He alternates between helping out the pony Twilight Sparkle and making fun of her.
The new show also has no fear of giving the characters silly expressions. Interestingly enough, this show seems to serve the exact same purpose as the old one--sell a hundred billion toys a day. But it's approached differently. Expressions and cuteness aside, the show is not afraid to show female characters having personality. The fashion-centered character isn't a shallow enemy like in a lot of girls' shows. The girls can be brave, they can take care of themselves...but they can also be cowardly, need assistance, or just be jerks now and then. There isn't much point in me going on because there's stuff about this show all over the internet. It's widely popular among men in their early 20's, of all people.
So maybe 80's cartoons, and toy-driven cartoons can be good. We just need people like Lauren Faust behind them!
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