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I know there's already been a lot of talk about this, but feel the need to give my two cents.

Those of you who aren't aware, the trailer for Equestria Girls, a spin-off movie of Friendship is Magic, came out. And naturally, this has sparked yet another mad debate on the fate of the current incarnation My Little Pony. There's the typical "It's gonna suck" or "Looks fine to me" or "Meh, I'll pass" crowds, nothing too special, every fanbase has those. But there's one crowd that really overstepped their boundaries: the "You deserve to die for this" crowd. Unlike that one incident which shall not be named again, vile threats were not made just against Hasbro, but to the actual cast and crew. Regardless of whether or not you like the show, you really have to admit, this is the lowest that people in any fanbase can go. It's one thing to bite the hand that feeds you, it's another to gobble up the whole body.

The extreme negativity has been so bad that some of the staff of DHX have considered leaving MLP. It's hard to believe, but change can be difficult for everyone, even the people in charge. Things may or may not work, but it's never known unless it's given the chance to prove itself. And based on what I've seen, a large chunk of the brony fanbase has already given up on the movie based on the concept itself.

So in the midst of all this chaos, a new Twitter hashtag has been trending sending personal appeals to the cast and crew not to give up. Though seeing as 1) there's so many things the staff has done that it's gonna take more than 150 characters to say it without looking like spam and 2) I don't have nor do I plan to have a Twitter account in the first place, I'm going to list the things they've done that have made more of a person than I was before FiM. In the past three years, FiM has:

Proved that a cartoon marketed to girls CAN be enjoyable for all ages and genders
Introduced me to a new art program and helped me understand the concepts of character design
Inspired me to create new art again
Made me appreciate the importance of music in children's programming
Made me love the cartoons and games I grew up with even more
Convinced me to look at some other girls cartoons (Namely LPS and Sailor Moon)
Helped me realise how much I have to improve my connections with my siblings, both near and far
Look for the good in everything, be it person or project
View the world around me in a different light, both good and bad, and take a stand
Help me realize that giving up isn't the answer to everything
Helped me make wonderful new friends, and maintaining connections with my most loyal old ones
Made me understand the importance of friendship, working with and being there for others.

So #ThankYouDHX. In all my 23 years of living, I have never felt so empowered to do my best and find the people who are willing to stand by me. And it's all because of you. Don't give into the "fans" who believe more about their fan fictions and their collectables than the love and care behind their "favorite" show. Let your actions speak for yourselves and your work. I wouldn't trust FiM, LPS, or even EG to any other studio. Not after all you've all done.

Here's to a bright future ahead, for all of us.