My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 2


The second season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on The Hub, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro. The series is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works and is often referred by collectors to be the fourth generation, or "G4", of the My Little Pony franchise. Season 2 of the series premiered on September 17, 2011 and concluded on April 21, 2012.
The show follows a studious unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as her mentor Princess Celestia guides her to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Each represents a different face of friendship, and Twilight discovers herself to be a key part of the magical artifacts, the Elements of Harmony. The ponies share adventures and help out other residents of Ponyville, while working out the troublesome moments in their own friendships.

Concept

Hasbro selected animator Lauren Faust as the creative director and executive producer for the show. Faust sought to challenge the established "girly" nature of the existing My Little Pony line, creating more in-depth characters and adventurous settings, incorporating Hasbro's suggestions for marketing of the toy line. From season 2 onward, E/I content was dropped in favor of only TV-Y, designed for ages 2 and up.

Production

Lauren Faust left the show after the conclusion of the first season. She was credited in the second season as Consulting Producer. Her involvement in the second season consisted mainly of story conception and scripts, and the involvement ceased after the second season. Despite leaving, she still has high hopes for the staff members, stating that "the gaps I have left are being filled by the same amazing artists, writers, and directors who brought you Season 1. I'm certain the show will be as entertaining as ever".

Cast

Main

Recurring

Minor

Guest stars

Episodes


Reception

Reception for the second season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has generally been positive. Episodes "The Return of Harmony" and "A Canterlot Wedding" received widely positive reviews. We Got This Covered said the series was "plain awesome", calling it "The Lord of the Rings| Lord of the Rings with ponies" and SF Weekly stated the series "never stops kicking at its envelope to see what it can get away with, nor does it ever underestimate the intelligence of its audience."