This topic was enough to get me to crawl out of the woodwork and say something about ponies...For the most part, I like and enjoy the series; it's one of the few I keep tabs on, as well as one of the cartoons I'd consider part of a hopeful series of steps towards another golden era of animation. Season 3 had its' pitfalls, but it had very strong points, too: I'll readily admit that I support alicorn Twilight Sparkle and the potential character arcs or stories that come with her as a character. I'm especially looking forward to more Discord appearances, more about Queen Chrysalis or Lord Sombra, and, hopefully, an episode building more onto Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Both characters thus far have had little screen time and development, which is a shame since both have incredible potential and intrigue as characters. Season 4 could easily lead to face time and development for them: Cadence might give Twilight sisterly advice and princess tips that Celestia can't and we'd get to see true one-on-one interaction between Twilight and Shining Armor, perhaps leading to flashbacks, and a better understanding of their relationship as siblings. Yes, they get along and are extremely close, but why is that is my question. It's worth building onto and establishing.

After the big wall of fan ramble text, I'll get to what my true topic is now: I can't help being one of the skeptics and naysayers (No pun intended; shut up, Josh!) in regards to Equestria Girls...

It feels like such an obvious, far-reaching cash grab. In a way, the idea is absolutely ingenious: Take the unexpected popularity of MLP:FiM and combine it with the trendy, popular setting of a series like Monster High. Even the character designs seem fairly similar, but then again, it would be fairly difficult to 'humanize' the ponies without keeping their crazy mane colors in tact! At the very least, I'm not going to rag on the designs...While fan interpretations are more appealing, keep in mind Hasbro's intent. Though, honestly, human Twilight is wearing an outfit I could see her choosing to wear as a teenage girl...

Now, to be honest, I'm willing to give it a chance; I fully intend to go see the movie. Morbid curiosity is eating away at me. Despite my expectations being incredibly low, it may very well be much better scripted and executed than I'm giving it credit for.The premise is that Twilight dimension hops, becomes human, and has to obtain some magical artifact to keep it away from the newest threat to Ponyville. That alone intrigues me; I'd gladly read an adventure-based, well-written fan fiction with a similar premise. But, what makes me hesitate is just the fact that everything takes place at high school level. I'm fully aware that the ponies are technically the same age as high school teens, but what makes the base show interesting are the character interactions, adventures, humor, and fantasy element. Here, some elements are in tact, but by placing it in high school: You're ushering in petty teen drama, relationships, catty rivalry, etc.

By bringing that in, there enlies the rut: How do you successfully mix the two? The two different worlds can clash and create a frustrating tangle when one is given more focus than the other (arguably, that'd be the teen girl drama here), or unnecessary plot threads are brought up, then left dangling in favor of resolving a relationship or dramatic event.

I'm not necessarily against teen drama being mixed with supernatural; my past fixation with Total Drama and my fangirlism for The Infernal Devices book series testifies this. What makes the mix work, though, is that the major impetus and focus is placed on the supernatural and adventure aspects. There's still teen drama (Infernal Devices takes you and plays you like a violin; read them if you haven't!), but it's strategically spliced in and woven with the other aspects. Cohesively, if Equestria Girls took this approach, it'd still have the factors Hasbro is seeking, but it'd still have the same supernatural/fantasy elements that enter the original show. Fingers crossed, I'm hoping for exactly that: that the 'teenage girl' factor doesn't completely eclipse Twilight's true intent for being in the human world in the first place.

One last thing: There's no excuse for Equestria Girls not being able to pull this off. As a cartoon enthusiast, I strongly encourage the idea of thoughtful and intelligent cartoons for all ages. If I was able to watch, empathize with, and love a well-built and fairly story-driven cartoon like Samurai Jack at age nine, I don't see why a nine-year-old in 2013 can't have the same experience with MLP:FiM. For the most part, that's exactly what I love about the main series: It can be very intelligent, clever, and story-driven; the show can take risks and expand. It's more than just a simple toy vehicle. Of course, I understand that merchandise is the main driver, but little girls deserve shows with action, adventure, and strong female heroes. MLP:FiM presents just this to an extent, so why can't Equestria Girls be an alternate and intriguing extension, only with a different setting and perspective?