My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic & Express

I love this series, it's quick, witty, and it has something for both the adults and the children (something that has long been an issue with a lot of tv shows) this dvd is also quite good.first off the price, at $9.99 your getting 5 episodes (6 if you count the bonus episode of pound puppies, a different series, that is included in the bonus features) so it's the price of buying the episodes on itunes (about $2 each episode) this dvd features the first two episodes (a 2-part episode that introduces the characters) along with three episodes that appear to have been selected solely due to the fact that they have trains in them (the insert inside the dvd case advertises a toy train with the ponies which is why I draw this conclusion) but that isn't to say that they're bad, in fact they're all great episodes (the whole show is amazing but I digress) for instance the episode over a barrel is about a group of ponies that plant an apple orchard on the traditional stampeding grounds of a group of buffalo, the two groups bicker which builds up to a large scale battle (involving apple pies mind you) the whole episode flows really well and it has both a lot of great laughs and a solid ending. one episode on this set is actually (in a weird way) controversial. see the series became very popular with older audiences for it's humor (there are references that no child will understand but an adult will completely get and jokes that children will get that parents might not) and one of those humorous bits was a pony named derpy hooves by the fans (it was a background pony that has one eye looking up while the other is looking down, it was originally a flub by an animator who thought the face was going to be obscurred and decided not to fix it but since then the amount of people who enjoyed the specific pony exploded to the point that in other episodes where the pony appeared (with correct eyes) they actually went back and "derped" them so that they matched the first episode. it was an interesting instance of where the creators of the show were interacting with the fans. as the show grew bigger and reached an even wider audience the episode the last roundup was released, in it derpy hooves is not only spoken of by name (shortened to Derpy) but she actually has a speaking role with a slightly in-effeminate voice. fans were overjoyed that the character had been portrayed not only as they had expected her to but voiced in a similar way. the problem was that a very small minority of people felt that the character was portrayed as retarded and that it was insulting the mentally disabled. (though to be clear while derp was originally a rude gesture towards the mentally disabled, it has since become almost unknown to that meaning, instead meaning clumsy or ditzy (for instance if you were to bump into a door you'd say derp, at your own clumsiness, it's not a derogatory word anymore, instead just being the new "butterfingers") the episode was edited to remove her name, fix her eyes, and change her voice to a more feminine one for the itunes release but this dvd version still contains the unedited original. personally I prefer the original but it might be different for someone with a disabled child or with a different background so I thought I'd mention it.the bonus features are also quite good, there's an extended opening sing-a-long video, profile videos for all the ponies, a printable coloring page, and a bonus episode of the new pound puppies tv show.all in all this is a great set, it's not overly expensive and contains a decent amount of content, and the show itself is quite fun and can be watched over and over without feeling stale.

With My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic being such a popular show these days, one question that a lot of people wonder is "What episodes should I use to introduce someone to the show?" Luckily, the first DVD release from Shout Factory is a good "starter" set for anyone who is new to the show.The DVD begins off with the two-part series premiere, in which Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn student of Princess Celestia, arrives at Ponyville to make some friends, with her meeting up with five fellow ponies: the speedy weather-Pegasus Rainbow Dash; the crazy, party-loving Earth Pony Pinkie Pie; the fashion designing Unicorn Rarity; the apple farming Earth Pony Applejack; and the mousy, animal loving Pegasus Fluttershy. Together, the six venture out to find the Elements of Harmony, the key items needed to defeat Nightmare Moon, who has returned to Equestria after 1,000 in hopes of bringing eternal night. If you're already have some familiarity with the show, the episode may not be interesting, but it does set things up for the rest of the series.The rest of the DVD consists of two Western-themed episodes and the show's Xmas episode. In Over a Barrel, the Mane Six (the nickname for the six main characters of the show) head to a Western town to deliver a tree to an orchard handled by one of Applejack's cousins, only for them to get involved in a crisis between the pony in the town and the buffaloes over the land (as the orchard is built over land that has been used for the buffaloes' annual tribal run). In Hearth's Warming Eve, the Mane Six takes part in Cantorlot's version of the the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant, which tells the tale of how the three main pony types (Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi) put aside their differences and founded Equestria. Rounding out the DVD is The Last Roundup, a tale in which Applejack's decision to not return home after taking part in a rodeo in Cantorlot leads to her friends heading off to find her and learn the reason for why she doesn't want to return to Ponyville.While these may not be the best episodes in the opinions of some fans, with two of the episodes being controversial (Over a Barrel due to its Cowboy and Indians theme; The Last Roundup due to a scene involving popular background pony Derpy that may be considered offensive when it comes to mentally disabled people), these three episodes are good starter episodes for a few reasons. The three episodes involves all six of the show's main characters (with Hearth's Warming Eve definitely showing off their personalities). The episodes gives people a good example of the humor and heart that's put into the show (especially in Hearth's Warming Eve and The Last Roundup). Finally, the episodes do give you an idea of some of the inside jokes among My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fans (i.e. what's with all the "Fluttershy is a tree" jokes, why do fans connect Pinkie Pie with Marvel Comics character Deadpool, just who is that grey Pegasus that is popular with the viewers). Trust me: if you really want a good idea of what My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has to offer, this DVD is a good starting point.P.S. The DVD also includes the first episode of the 2010 version of Pound Puppies, which you may want to check out as well to see if the show will interest you (as well as understand another popular in-joke among the Friendship is Magic fandom).

I find this DVD is a nice escape from the day-to-day grind. I loved the whole DVD and it's nice that a whole new generation can know MLP. Each pony adds a bit of something special to the show. I love that each episode teaches a valuable lesson and amusing to the young and young at heart alike.

Just bought this for a family member and just reading the reviews why put one star just for the fact that you cant read BIG print that it is a US DVD which means it will not work on UK DVD players just shows why we need to have HOT Tap warning stickers.Ways it will work are if you change the Region of your DVD player to 0 which you can do on most cheap DVD players but check first on net if you can. or just buy one that already is set to multi region.The sellers of this says in many places that it is a US import, if people cant read these simple words then don't complain as you are only makeing your self look like a plonker.Is a great show and thanks for importing it so we dont have to wait for a long time.

good product

Aimed at the children but plenty in the for the adults. The singing can get annoying but for pure entertainment value and to keep the little ones amused for a while its always a plus for the money. Need more released in the uk as a box set.

Perfect.