I think Fluttershy being a pony that is too scared to fly make sense because it literally references her name

Fluttershy having originally been an earth pony checks out, but I love the idea of a Pegasus who loves animals and wanted to live in a cottage on the ground. It demonstrates that what your born as isn't your destiny.

If Dash wasn't originally meant to join the Wonderbolts, that could have offered a different lesson to be learned. Sure, it's worth not knocking it until you try it, and don't let your dreams just be dreams. But sometimes, things just don't work out for one reason or another, and you shouldn't let yourself be too discouraged by it. If the path you wanted doesn't work, you can find a new one more incidentally. It's what happened to me, and I imagine plenty of other people who wanted one thing since they were kids.

11:49 Pretty sure Lauren said the reason why Queen Celestia was changed to Princess Celestia was because Hasbro thought little girls would associate queens with being evil (Ex. Disney)

AJ looking down on magic does actually make me wonder if removing that aspect of her is what led to her being perceived as boring, considering the other mane 6 had unique quirks about them, which might explain why they had presence in the show compared to her.
Personally, I think AJ's an absolute sweetheart and I love her for that so I'm perfectly fine with what we've got, but one can't imagine how different she would've felt if Adventure AJ did make it to the final cut.

The fact I miss from the first seasons was the fact they really felt like horses, in later seasons is uncanny how they move very human like even how they sit

One of my favourite things about the concept art is how medieval the setting feels, I really dislike it when the show feels more realistic/modern as it sucks out the fantasy of the setting. I understand the rich unicorns having technology as long as it’s magical technology, but concrete and glass skyscrapers?

I also love how the horses live in stable like houses and wear saddles (I know saddles don’t make much sense in universe but it really drives home that these are intelligent horses and not just four legged humans) I love seeing the ponies as actual equines and saddle usage just drives that home.

Lastly I love how clearly defined and restricted unicorn magic is, unicorn magic is not at all defined leaving the audience confused on just how easy and applicable it’s uses are. Sometimes it feels like unicorn magic is made up as it goes along. Meanwhile having unicorn magic be specifically defined by astronomy gives clear purpose and restrictions, great world building. It also ties unicorns into the whole pony ecosystem, instead of standing up as a master race.

- Earth Ponies (Earth)
- Pegasi (Atmosphere)
- Unicorns (Literally everything you can think of plus being able to manipulate the previous roles) ???

In the concept art unicorns make more sense in the trio.

- Earth
- Sky
- Space

Assuming unicorns were restricted to space, they would be very powerful, but also dependent on the other two pony races.

Someone on the writing staff definitely realized it was weird having a character with the name flutter in their name and not be able to fly

5:15 it seems like Twilights original design got thrown into shining armor and her parents a bit as well!

if I remember right the reason why Lauren changed Celestia's rule from Queen to Princess was because of how Disney pictured queens as being evil and princesses being kind, as well as Luna's name being Princess Selene rather then Luna, why it was changed I don't remember.

I had done a history of MLP for History class in high school when the teacher allowed us to pick whatever we wanted as long as we did the work into finding out who made it, why was it made, how it evolved over the years, who still uses it or in the case of MLP who still watches it.

And for anyone who might wonder, yes I did get a A on the project.

5:40 I don’t know if Twilight would’ve been given the role as a night princess (especially when luna’s role is fully established by the final product of the show). But if I remember right during the Twilight alicorn controversy I believe Lauren when asked on the matter then respond that she had always intended as Twilight…. to be Celestia’s successor…just not as an alicorn

9:30 Finally, someone else gets it! I see so many people ache and long for Pegasus Pinkie and Earth Pony Fluttershy, but them being swapped adds so much subversion to the expectations of their species and adds much more depth to their characters and the world!

4:54
Regarding the idea that unicorns would use the stars for long-distance communication. I wonder if the original idea was for Twilight to send her "letters" to Celestia using the stars, instead of Spike's dragonfire. Perhaps the idea was gotten rid of to give Spike more of a direct purpose.
Also, the prophecy of Nightmare Moon's return in the premier states "the stars shall aid in her escape". I don't think it was ever explained in the show or comics what was actually going on with those four stars that somehow released Nightmare Moon and allowed her to return to Equestria. I know Luna wasn't in the '08 pitch, but I wonder if this early idea of unicorns being able to control stars somehow inspired the method through which Nightmare Moon escaped.

This made me realize how much Faust actually contributed to mlp. Her world building and storytelling philosophy really made the show what it is now

8:26 wasn’t her “locate gemstones” power displayed in the show twice (and maybe more than that)? there’s a whole episode where she was used by the diamond dogs to look for gems. and in her cutie mark backstory, she was dragged by her horn that led her to a giant geode full of diamonds

It was interesting to see how strong the 60s/Victorian psychedelic aesthetic was in the original show bible, but didn't get through to the screen. It reminds me of Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. Which I guess makes sense, since some people central to A/FIM had worked on that show.

5:50 Lauren Faust never planned for any of the mane 6 to become alicorns/princesses, however, the network wanted twilight to become one.

7:40! In season 1, during the Winter Wrap-Up, we can still see this trait by AJ but toned down. She realizes that Twilight was using magic to move her plow faster and AJ tells Twilight that isn't the right way to do it in a traditionalist manner.

6:33 I'm pretty sure that is refrencing the fact that she will become a bearer of an Element of Harmony, something that is probably more significant than joining a flying stunt group

10:55 That was strongly implied throughout multiple episodes. Imo their ultimate cutie marks suck. They seem almost militant because of the shape and the colors clash with every single one of them. No wonder there was a singular toy of each of the crusaders sporting the cutie mark.