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How to Find Hidden References in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The 4th generation cartoon of the My Little Pony franchise is regarded as one of the best cartoons of the 2010 era. It has attracted a large audience with its story, humor, and subtle pop culture references. If you want to find out just what My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic references throughout its series, read below for steps to learn how to recognize them.

StepsEdit

1
Start off having a basic knowledge of what you're looking for. Be educated in pop culture history and trivia. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has almost no bounds when it comes to their references.
2
Begin watching the show. Have a keen eye, and pay attention to the slightest details.
3
Pay attention to the dialogue. Spoken lines sometimes indicate jokes or references meant to go over the heads of children, such as alcohol jokes, or pop culture quotes.
4
Listen carefully to background music. Depending on the theme of the situation in a particular episode, you may find music that is strikingly familiar. Daniel Ingram, the show's musical composer, has slipped in pieces based on music from Batman, Legend of Zelda, and even a few cult classics such as "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Road to Viridian City".
5
Look at the background ponies. Animating can be a stressful job. To liven things up, animators sometimes cook up designs for ponies that are inspired by historical figures or other fictional characters. Time Turner and Daring Do, for example, are modeled after Dr. Who and Indiana Jones, respectively.
6
Pay mind to the sound effects used. It's not uncommon for cartoons to use the Wilhelm Scream or zany cartoon sounds, but My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic occasionally borrows original sound effects from other fictional works, such as Star Trek and Five Nights at Freddy's.
7
Look at the title of episodes. Writers like to sneak in puns and jokes whenever they can. If you read the title, you may find puns such as Sleepless in Ponyville (a reference to Sleepless in Seattle) or Crusaders of the Lost Mark (a reference to Raiders of the Lost Ark).
8
Look carefully at attire donned by characters throughout the show. The fashion choices of characters in the series can dish out several hidden references. If you're observant, you may notice clothing that resembles designs from Harry Potter, Metal Gear Solid, and Mortal Kombat.

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TipsEdit

If you want to find a little more extra goodies, try keeping up with Brony jokes and references. The writers often slip in nods to the Brony fandom in the show.

1 Helpful? 0
For bonus, you can look for similar references in the spin-off series My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, the trading cards, and the comic book series.

1 Helpful? 0
Try looking for unique cutie marks. Cutie marks have also been used to give subtle references. For example, fans of The Big Lebowski may recognize that the Dude pony's cutie mark is that of a rug.

1 Helpful? 0
Remember the names of locations. Some names are rather obvious, such as Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Trottingham. Others can be a bit more discreet, such as Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, a sneaky X-Men reference.

1 Helpful? 0
References are more bountiful within the show post-season 4.

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WarningsEdit

Keep an eye out; most background references are only visible for a few frames.

4 Helpful? 0
Don't go ballistic trying to determine every single hidden reference in the show. It's just a cartoon.

5 Helpful? 1