>>118985 (OP)
The two have more in common than they do not, even if some vocal part among the ponyfriends would vehemently claim that it's "totally different". Their arguments don't have much ground to stand on, especially now that those >no hooves canon spin-offs came out (well, like a decade ago ig).
The show and the fandom were great, at least initially:
>came out at the right time
>helped viewers fend off the kind of cynicism that we all eventually adopt, for a time
>easy segway to enjoying other kinds of anthros and media involving thereof
>served as a major stepping stone to notoriety for a number of talented artists and musicians; scrolling through the galleries of quite a few accomplished artists one often finds ponies on the last page
>adding to the above, in some cases it served as inspiration to get started in the first place
>>119000
Nice.