@lina @lich I disagree with just about all of this post
>combatting the stigma requires doing more than just aping how anime does stuff
it doesn't do that? western shows around that time started being likened to anime a lot because they finally started loosing the gag-of-the-week formula they've been beholden to for so long (and even now do a meh job at it), and anime was one of few common points of reference. FiM participated in that, but not to combat the stigma - that required merely discarding the fucking insane "girls like pink and rainbows" writing. Brony culture, despite being horrid, is still a testament to FiM success in this endeavor as it's spawned countless neat crossovers utilizing FiMs themes and world, many of great quality on their own (if you're not prejudiced against cartoon horses in the first place...)
>sure they made a slice of life with cartoon horses, it's still about cartoon horses and the association with little girls
it's neither a sol, nor about little girls liking horses. again, it's any-audience, and about importance of friendship. the main characters are girls I guess... some are grown women and sometimes deal with grown women problems too, but then other episodes are like "we go to spooky forest to fight and save our asses" which is not sol.
>it's not like they made something actually epic featuring said cartoon horses that could elevate it beyond being a show for little girls
bronies believed it did all the way back in 2011, and I maintain this belief. maybe your bar for moving an all-female cast, no lewds, no swearing show above "a show for little girls" is a bit high for gay western media?
>but it's just a slice of life like every other show for little girls and as a result it's not combatting anything
aside from FiM not being a sol in my belief, can you name some of the many other sol shows for little girls? If you actually put them side by side I think it's very easy to spot how the writing differs.