User blog comment:NI97Wiki/Regarding Romance, Friendship, Fanfics and other stuff.../@comment-20047155-20131002024833/@comment-20047155-20131004041040

That's because Finn's relationship with Bubblegum never really like anything more then a middle school crush in the early seasons. Finn would blush at the mention of her name, but not much more then that. In fact, it could be compared to then Spike/Rarity relationship. Spike would go out of his way to help Rarity, just as Finn would for PB, while Rarity knows Spike is crushing on her, but treats him like a really close friend, just as PB does for Jake.

Adventure time is probably the best show to compare with FiM. After all, they're both kid shows that have attracted an adult audience, both have similar writing and character dynamics, and both have a fandom. AT went 2 seasons before starting to get serious with romantic plotlines (when PB was turned into a 13 year old), and even then, it never really felt forced or sudden.

As for Flame Princess, her natural element helped keep her romance from getting gross. Finn couldn't impulsively hug her or make out with her, so they expressed their love in other ways. They acted like two kids just hanging out. I suppose this is where FiM is different from AT. Most of the main characters in Adventure Time are/act like kids or teenagers, while the mane 6 are adults, so relationships need to be treated differently.

If the writers introduce a new character, develop him for a season or two, then pair him with someone, it could go well. If they introduce him ONLY as a love interest, it could go very bad.