The episodes follow Twilight Sparkle, a studious, antisocial unicorn, who reluctantly travels to the town of Ponyville at the insistence of her mentor, Princess Celestia. There, she meets five ponies—Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie—with whom she becomes close friends.Together, the six defeat Nightmare Moon, a villain who has returned after a thousand years of imprisonment in the moon, with magical artifacts known as the "Elements of Harmony". Many of the creatures that appear in these episodes have designs that convey humor or silliness. Aired in two parts, on October 10 and October 22, 2010, the episodes received positive reviews from critics.
The opening scene of "Friendship Is Magic" presents drawings that are similar to fairy tale ones. The episodes feature a sea serpent, whose peculiar hair and expressive face "reflect the unexpected humor he lends the story". The Manticore, studied by Lynne Naylor in various incarnations, is intended to depict a silly but ferocious attitude; his sharp wings are a contrast from his circular hair and body structure. Nightmare Moon, an idea from Paul Rudish, has an anatomy, wings, and color palette that represent her menace. The episodes' only song, "Laughter Song", in which Pinkie sings to convince her friends to laugh instead of fear, was written by Daniel Ingram after he was suggested as a songwriter for the show; he wrote a demo based on lyrics by the series creator, Lauren Faust, which ultimately secured him the job.
