Why do people like MLP:FiM?

[Jeremy]

I'm not saying it's bad, I'm a brony myself, but I have absolutely no idea why I enjoy it. Does anyone here know?

[Bradley P]

Here's some of my thoughts:

--Some of it really is the visuals. The cartoon's drawn and animated natively in HD (well, 720p currently) at a high frame rate (last I checked, 28 frames per second on ones) with a high level of quality usually. Some of this is pure eye candy--the cartoon's a Warm Medium show where you react emotionally first, and think later, if at all. Old-school TV cartoons in Standard Definition were the opposite of this, a Cool Medium thing where you thought first, felt later (if at all).

This plays right into the art style of the show too--the early decisions Lauren Faust made to have an art style inspired by Magical School Girl Anime, where everyone has big eyes and expressive faces, and where one or more characters hit the "D'awww/So CUTE!!" nerve repeatedly and flagrantly. Moe schoolgirl characters in a Warm Medium cartoon.

--Then there's the character-oriented side of the show. Unlike previous versions of MLP, the Ponies have personalities and are individuals on the show. This changes a lot about the cartoon--it lets voice actors do something other than Cute/Squeaky when they act, and it lets writers actually put out coherent narratives that mean something more than "buy the toys". And since the Elements/Mane 6 are a thing? And there isn't a rotating cast like so many older versions of it?

The main characters end up charming, with lots of personality, and they stick around. Instead of having to memorize dozens of names of lookalike ponies, you get to narrow it down to 2 or 3 Best Ponies that you look forward to seeing every week.

--Mainly though? The show fills a niche. Hardly anyone in _television_ does slice-of-life comedy these days, and fewer people still pull that off and aren't sexist. Combine that with the _sincere_, non-cynical approach the show usually takes--the idea that the show usually takes itself seriously and assumes it's not a joke--and you get something that almost nobody else does, really.

And consider the points hit: It's a comedy in a fantasy setting that's usually bright and cheerful itself. It's slice of life and you're encouraged to get to know characters as much as possible. And well....lots of bronies are _younger_ men who may or may not know as many women in their real lives. So there's a bit of....not a "forbidden fruit" thing, but a "secret lives" thing going on. And since they're Ponies there's no social or peer pressure even on an implicit level.

So you get to actually LOOK at the characters in a non-sexist, if not feminist way. I'm not sure anyone else even does this these days: slice of life comedy that encourages you to get close to the characters. Comedy isn't usually this _friendly_, you know?

But hey, what do I know? I just watch the cartoon--I'm really not one to dote on brony culture as such.

[Owlvenom]

They want to stand out and be special in some way, so they decide to watch a little girls tv show.

[Andrew]

What Bradely P said! Plus I'd add the show crew almost entirely earned their stripes in the cartoons of the 90s and early 00s that most bronies grew up on, so it's partly nostalgic for large amounts of bronies. Check out this chart: http://i.imgur.com/YZa8j.jpg Add Tara Strong and the other VAs' résumés and you have yourself a rockstar team for a nostalgia bomb.

Then there's the fandom side of things like writing, art, animation, music, etc. that feeds off of the show and is huge fun in and of itself with a generally very supportive community.

Beyond that, catchy music, lightheartedness, morals to live by dialogue that doesn't talk down to its audience, the all-ages appeal, interesting setting, and the adult and other "intelligent" references (e.g. Mythology, Lord of the Rings, The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, Mad Men, etc. are all sprinkled in there) are all possible reasons for liking it!

[Chell]

Most of it is the animation that actually drew people to the show. Good Flash animation is really rare in TV right now (look at Monster High and Teen Titans Go. The animation is really stiff sometimes).
People kept watching it because it had a few moments of good character development and of course, pop culture references, such as episodes based on the Avengers and Indiana Jones.

I don't see why the fans are so hated. If they really only wanted attention, they'd be robbing banks and shooting people, not hiding inside and watching a cartoon.

[simon]

I too enjoy the show a lot for it's animation properties. But that is not the main reason as to why. And actually the show is rendered at 1080P, at 23.97fps to be exact. iTunes sells the 1080P versions. The HUB would use a 2:3 pull down effect for TV broadcast. But the show itself, comes off with a 23.97fps frame rate, which is why the Google Play and iTunes MP4 videos of the show, keep the 23.97fps.

I like the show for the excellent staff and writers. The storytelling is wonderful. The show always tries to relate in some way, to real life complications. And the music is phenomenal. And the show puts of a positive message in all of there episodes. The characters are adorable. And I love the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They are so funny and truly see the world as a young child would. So there is such an innocence to the show that is brought forth by these characters. It makes my day to watch something that puts off such a positive feeling.