Here's What Aimee Probably Liked Best This Year, I Guess? Includes things that were released in other years, but that she got around to late, for reasons such as not existing at the time.
I may not do this again, though the idea of keeping it up when she's 27 and living in a different country, based on an old man's poor comprehension of social media memes, amuses me.
~ Best Toy of 2023 ~
She's more into her ever-growing fetlock family than I ever remember being into toys. After making do with random charity shop playset settings and imagination for most of the year, her bedroom transformed into Ponyville overnight in an economical second-hand birthday blowout. She was happy to donate her outgrown toddler toys back into the system to make the space.
~ Best Game of 2023 ~
Making her dreams a glitchy, trial-limited reality, this was a more relaxing alternative to the repetitive screen-tapping of My Little Pony's Harmony Quest and Rainbow Runners (2016–17). I introduced her to some of the 16-bit classics via emulation, but My Little Pony: The Runaway Rainbow (2006) and Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (2005) proved to be her favourite oldies. In the real world, My Little Pony Top Trumps cards (2016) were a flexible foundation for various activities.
~ Best TV of 2023 ~
She enjoys the various generations to varying degrees, but "Twilight" is the most prolific and merchandised, as is plain to see in our house. The baddie-free comfort zone of the "Minty ponies" (2003–09) was the runner up. If she's not watching them or making her own toy stories, she's watching other children playing with theirs, under bored parental scrutiny to avoid an Elsagate situation.
~ Best Film of 2023 ~
This soft-rock fairy tale enchanted her, despite the pervading sadness and gloom. My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) was the inevitable challenger, not so much the '80s version, and Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale (2023) was a gateway to live action. Disney didn't stand a chance against unicorns, the only new addition that merited repeats being the menstrual metaphor Turning Red (2021) early in the year, for whatever reasons. Alice in Wonderland (1951), Frozen (2013) and Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) were the only pre-preschool favourites still in occasional rotation.
Edit: She says the My Little Pony movie is better after all, just to eliminate any variety.
~ Best Book of 2023 ~
Combining puzzles, stories, colouring and tons of worthless padding, all her Christmases and Christmases she wasn't even around for came at once as these were distributed through the year for gifts and rewards, along with general adaptation storybooks and early readers. Multiple-choice adventures Where the Bugaboo Lives (2015) and Pick a Story (2022–23) got plenty of mileage, and she also likes books that shout at her: Never Touch a T-rex (2020), The Pigeon Has to Go to School (2019), et al.
~ Best Song of 2023 ~
Pony songs filled house and head throughout the year. 'The Magic of Friendship Grows' is her other favourite, and the Equestria Girls spin-off (2013–20) even rivals the main show. KCirtap28 made a bitchin' if outdated medley.
What do you presume somebody else liked this year, and why?!
