I just spent my morning watching 7 episodes of this show... and I am strangely compelled to continue watching it. And I don't watch cartoons, or even TV, with any regularity. Why, ponies... why?!
Seriously though, it's nice to see good writing like this still exists; shows that can appeal to kids with values and lessons and all that hooplah, without being dumbed down or made into empty entertainment. It's enough that I can enjoy watching this, and not feel like I'm getting nothing out of the experience.
Hear me, world. I am a man, and I watch My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic.
Does anyone else thing this show feels a lot like a magic girl anime?
I can see some similar qualities, though I'd say the first 2 bore the strongest resemblance, with the magic relics and amulets/crystals and all that. After that, episodes have gone from self-contained conflicts with Aesop-esc resolutions, to mini-adventures that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of individual characters... and for little multicolored magical ponies, they have reasonably complex characters. The 'tagonists have sensible motives, and though the plots are episodic, details carry over from the past, so there's a sense of a greater plot at work.
I admit that after watching the first 2 episodes I figured it was all going to revolve around the whole "endless night" plot, with a single major villain... but the variety of plot and characters has kept it interesting. The show also makes good use of the rarely-seen Redeemable Villain, which is a nice change of pace. Not all of the antagonists turn out "good" in the end either, judging by the bit with the Gryphon, and it's precisely that sort of complexity and variety that makes the show a good watch.