My Little Pony: Equestria Girls launched Friday, Nov. 17 on YouTube following this October’s release of My Little Pony: The Movie. The spinoff show takes Twilight Sparkle and the gang but puts them in humanoid forms, though their flashy mane/hair colors and wild skin/coat colors remain the same, keeping everyone recognizable.
Equestria Girls was previously an alternate universe version of My Little Pony comprised of a few films and standalone shorts. But the launch of this new digital series marks a full-fledged alternate reality portioned out into little 2 to 3 minute dollops of adorable, sometimes musical shenanigans. Is it necessary? No, not really. But is it cute, fun and definitely MLP? Heck yes.
When I got my digital screener, which had at least ten episodes’ worth of content, I assumed the screener simply showed slices of many different episodes. But no: the episodes really are all that short, making them a lot better suited for a younger audience who might not be able to concentrate on longer shows.
This isn’t Hasbro’s first time at the digital-first or Youtube-only formula: Hanazuki Full of Treasures launched in early 2017 with new episodes released based on the lunar cycle.
Any My Little Pony fans are sure to enjoy the alternate take on the Mane Six… or shall we say, the Mane Seven? Sunset Shimmer is part of the fun now and integrates seamlessly with the rest of the group. A former antagonist in Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks, Sunset Shimmer is an effortlessly cool and welcome presence, especially since she has yet to appear on the My Little Pony TV show.
For a taste of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Season 1, check out the YouTube vid below:
All of the Mane Six (sorry, Seven) still have the same generosity of spirit, wacky good humor, flashy style and magical shenanigans that make the My Little Pony TV show so popular. There’s plenty of sing-along material, too; my favorite has to be the take on Little Shop of Horrors , featuring Twilight Sparkle and a magical watering can.
There’s plenty of little moments to love, too, like Rarity having a meltdown over her attempts at a Banksy-styled (or “Flanksy”) apparel display and screaming, “I’M GOING HOME! AU REVOIR CAREER!” (relatable) or a Daria-esque geology presenter at a museum of natural history (a little unkind, but very funny).
Packing that much humor and a plot into these tiny web clips is no small feat (heh). My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is a great bit of fun for younger viewers or diehard fans, though those new to the series might want to look to the TV show to get some context for who all these characters are.
A new episode of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls drops every Friday on the Hasbro YouTube channel. It certainly won’t take you a whole lot of time to check out, so make sure to have a look at an episode or two and decide for yourself what you think. Feel free to let us know your thoughts: chat with me at @ndmedinaaa or with us at @PlayerDotOne, or leave a note in the comments section below.
