Inevitable topic.
Since this show is absolutely exploding right now, I just have to point out why it is so many people are enjoying a show from the MLP franchise. And here it is:
1. The people behind the show
Yes, Lauren Faust is pretty much heading up the whole show, designed the characters and so on, but the rest of the staff has worked on many other shows (one even has credits on season 1 of South Park, IIRC) in the cartoon world and their experience shines through here. Every aspect of the show is polished to a shine, making it just a joy to watch.
2. It's fun, dammit!
Seriously fun. The characters were all given stock tropes as personalities but within mere episodes had already transcended them into fun characters, and not just them, the side characters and plots are all well established within mere episodes as well. But of course none of that wouldn't matter if the writing wasn't as strong as it is here, not to mention the clever animation and direction that knows exactly what works. The show is just fun to watch.
3. How about th-OH ENOUGH OF THIS, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE CONVINCING YOU THAT IT'S GOOD!
Watch an episode or two! Unless you have some kind of a weird bias against the color pink or ponies, then this shouldn't even be a freaking discussion. Go watch it and bring back some impressions, and don't just shrug it off because of the title!
Now, who else is ready to discus this?
Is it appropriate for little kids, or is this an adult show spoofing?
Quote from: Angus on March 28, 2011, 11:58:30 PM
Is it appropriate for little kids, or is this an adult show spoofing?
Yep, it's perfect for kids. There's nothing objectional here whatsoever.
It just happens to appeal to all ages very well.
Quote from: Angus on March 28, 2011, 11:58:30 PM
Is it appropriate for little kids, or is this an adult show spoofing?
It's rated TV-Y with an E/I image appearing on the corner of every broadcast, has a moral that the main characters learned through the episode, which mostly are about social skills, it airs on a network that likes to promote kids and families bonding together, and it airs around the same time that Nick Jr is still on. With that said, I think it's safe to say that this is pretty much a kid's series. But it does have a very high adult fan base attached to it. Besides, I highly doubt that Hasbro would approve of something like that.
To help Desensitized get this topic rolling, let's talk favorite ponies/characters. Right now my favorites are Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy has been growing on me recently. Episodes like Staremaster and Green Isn't Your Color are great episodes that show case what Fluttershy is capable of doing in any given episode. As for Pinkie Pie, everything she does make me laugh. From things like popping out of nowhere in Green Isn't Your Color to the Sharing song in the recent episode with the Buffalo tribe, she always makes me laugh. It also helps that she is pretty cartoony for a pony, considering that she has had her moments where she sort of acknowledges that she is a character on a cartoon show. As for Rarity, what I like about her is how despite having the attitude of most fashion designers, she really subverts that with being good pals with the main cast and using her talents to her advantage, aka the Dog and Pony Show episode. That and she is one giant ham.
I watched 3 episodes, and wished I hadn't eaten my pizza at the same time.
Nice. Haven't seen a kids cartoon in that range with such addictive appeal since Wonder Pets, and Peep and the Big Wide World.
I think A Dog & Pony Show was the best episode so far. It made Rarity from the classic fashion obsessed character into probably the funniest character on the show. Well, that and the episode where she turned into a crazy cat lady. She probably has the funniest dialogue of any character. And then there's Pinkie Pie... What do you say about Pinkie? She breaks into song at the drop of a hat, she always seems to be just out of the loop, she's always ready to have fun and throw a party, and she frequently carries the weirdest plots.
All the characters are really good, though.
Part of the appeal is that they never talk down to the audience, aren't afraid to throw in a joke anywhere ("You gotta caaaaaare, you gotta shaaaaaare") out of nowhere, but they do it in a universal way that works for all audiences.
I finally sat down to watch the first 3 episodes, and my overall thoughts are this:
So this is what the internet has been raving about for months now? I... don't get it. Really.
To me, the first 2 episodes are cock teases due to how I was expecting something like a magic girl show from them. Then they became more episodic due to how Hasbro wanted the series to be more accessible to their audience and for anyone else to jump in. Personally, I would recommend Griffon the Brush-Off, A Dog and Pony Show, Bridle Gossip, and Swarm of the Century.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 01:19:23 AM
I finally sat down to watch the first 3 episodes, and my overall thoughts are this:
So this is what the internet has been raving about for months now? I... don't get it. Really.
Keep watching. Seriously. The first 3 episodes are just set up episodes, they aren't as good as what comes later. Watch the episodes Dax mentioned.
I'm on episode 7 now, and passed through one of the eps Dax mentioned. I can see some appeal here, but I still don't get it.
I haven't laughed once, and none of the characters have wowed me so far.
There's an article in here, which is why I'm watching so much of it, and why I'm not delving much on what I like and don't like about the show. But yeah, so far, not really feeling it.
Well, maybe it just isn't for you. All I know is that by Griffon The Brush Off I was really into it.
To me, it still feels like a show for little girls. I'm sure it's great for its demographic, but I'm not understanding the fascination people in my age group have with it.
I don't think I'm going to get into it, but I'll admit that it's loads better than Panty & Stocking. I wasn't disgusted by the show after it's first episode to the point where I the thought of watching any more physically hurts me.
Well, that is the main demographic after all. I appreciate the amount of effort and quality packed into the series, but the first few episodes definitely seem a bit smaller in scope compared to later. As they went along they opened it up more and made the humor more universal, rarely does the humor revolve around "girly" ideas but I could see one finding it too "kiddy" for their tastes.
Still, if you're looking to get an article out of it, at least watch all of them. I do think it gets better as it goes and the characters get more comfortable in the universe.
Eh, I feel like there's some better things I can do in between living my life, like listen to more music, catch up on Level E, or start Macross, but I might as well finish the season. I do find good here, but I'm just not feeling it.
I do see why you guys like Pinkie Pie, though. Looking through the show's threads, Huntsy seems to be a typical killjoy by skipping her songs. Those are usually the best part, too.
That's fine if it's not your thing, I just hope you are able to see why people like me or Dax like it so much. I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I did when I first watched it.
If you don't want to watch em all, at least watch the ones Dax listed. Those are the best ones. Those and Over A Barrel.
Just watched the cutie mark episode.
That was certainly an interesting take on menstruation, I can say that much.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 10:33:47 PM
Just watched the cutie mark episode.
That was certainly an interesting take on menstruation, I can say that much.
:sly:
I'm actually kinda surprised they allowed that one out.
Quote from: Desensitized on March 30, 2011, 10:44:22 PM
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 10:33:47 PM
Just watched the cutie mark episode.
That was certainly an interesting take on menstruation, I can say that much.
:sly:
I'm actually kinda surprised they allowed that one out.
Yeah. I'm especially surprised that no one else on tz caught it. I mean, cut out the religious aspects, and this was basically a ponified adaptation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 10:54:26 PM
Quote from: Desensitized on March 30, 2011, 10:44:22 PM
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 10:33:47 PM
Just watched the cutie mark episode.
That was certainly an interesting take on menstruation, I can say that much.
:sly:
I'm actually kinda surprised they allowed that one out.
Yeah. I'm especially surprised that no one else on tz caught it. I mean, cut out the religious aspects, and this was basically a ponified adaptation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
It's also quite interesting when you notice all the overreaction to "Feelin' Pinkie Keen" where anti-religious types missed the entire point of the message. Though that was mostly the reaction outside of tz.
Sometimes I think adults should watch these shows, because they really don't seem to get some really obvious morals. :wth:
Heh.
I think Flutterfly is my favorite. I like when she shows her intelligence and personality off and proves that she isn't just shy. Pinkie Pie has her moments, too, as does Rarity. Only Rainbow and Applejack haven't really done anything special for me yet.
Fluttershy's best moments for me always come from when she's overwhelmed. Like, you'd expect the shy character to just fall apart, but usually she manages to come through and she can actually be quite terrifying (in her own way)
Angel Bunny's a dick, though.
Who?
I'm on the one where Rarity makes dresses for everyone (tell me, why am I still watching this?), and I see that Fluttershy knows her stuff when it comes to fashion as well. It's something you wouldn't expect since until then, all we know about her interests is that she likes animals, but it comes out, makes complete sense, and is just cute.
She definitely has her moments, and since I've always been hit or miss on the shy characters, that's saying something.
Angel Bunny first appears in Dragonshy. That's a good episode to watch if you like Fluttershy. It also has some good Rarity and Pinkie moments.
The episode you're watching was the episode where I came around to Rarity. Specifically the scene after the fashion show. Her VA is just amazing, as is her animation.
Oh, I did see that, but don't remember Angel Bunny. And yeah, that was a good ep for her.
The one thing I don't get about Rarity is her voice. It sounds like she has an accent that fluctuates between British, generic American, and something undetectable. But yeah, I can see why you like her.
I'm still not really impressed with the show, but it's fairly easy to sit down and watch it.
Yeah, Angel Bunny is her bunny at the beginning of the episode.
Rarity's accent is weird, but it kind of settles in later. It's like Botan's accent in YYH's dub, kinda weird at first until it settles.
Shame it's not quite you're thing, but at least you gave it a chance! Right? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb1ShW3NUME) :humhumhum:
EDIT: Why so slow tonight?
That kind of reminds me of Bubbles, for some reason. Since this Lauren Faust, that's not too surprising.
And yeah, dunno what's up with the board tonight. We have more people on than usual, that could be it.
Quote from: Desensitized on March 30, 2011, 11:58:11 PM
EDIT: Why so slow tonight?
The host has been doing server maintenance/upgrades recently. According to the statement they made earlier this month, this was to be expected.
If you keep watching, let us know how it's going, Avaitor. I'd prolly be doing it to a KOTH or TB&TB thread too, since it's that kind of show (easy to discuss) for me.
Quote from: Foggle on March 31, 2011, 12:31:30 AM
Quote from: Desensitized on March 30, 2011, 11:58:11 PM
EDIT: Why so slow tonight?
The host has been doing server maintenance/upgrades recently. According to the statement they made earlier this month, this was to be expected.
Ah, okay. Thanks for the heads up.
I'm on "Feeling Pinkie Keen" now.
She's got the Shinning. >_<
Quote from: Avaitor on March 30, 2011, 10:33:47 PM
Just watched the cutie mark episode.
That was certainly an interesting take on menstruation, I can say that much.
I don't know why I thought that getting a Cutie Mark was a metaphor for getting boobs, or puberty in general, mostly puberty. But then again, I never read "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret " but still, it's a pretty odd episode to watch and truly a moment of getting crap past the radar. I guess the moral of them being fulled of potential and finding out who your true friends are was something that glossed it over.
Also, I heard for Feeling Pinkie Keen, Lauren Faust was kind of freaked out that people were misinterpreting the message. She said if she knew that it would cause that, she would have reworked the moral in that episode.
I can see what she was talking about there. There's some issues on faith being discussed there, but I don't think Lauren or the rest of the staff had any real intention on expanding upon that. Maybe she should have messed with that a little, I dunno.
And the cutie mark one can probably be interpreted for puberty in general, but I got a Judy Blume vibe from it, especially since it was about a bunch of girls talking about not getting their "cutie marks" yet and "not being special". There was definitely some connotation to menstruation and breasts in there.
And yet the thing I enjoyed from that ep most were the gummy gator and Twilight getting a piano dropped on her.
Someponies need to lighten the fuck up.
Hey, a Fluttershy ep. Cool.
When did Rarity have a little sister, though?
I don't think she was ever established before, but I think it's only Rarity and Applejack that have sisters.
Yeah, the Cutie Crusaders aren't too great but I don't think they're so annoying.
Not liking that this is the second episode in a row they have, though. Already not off to a great start.
The last CMC episode aired so far is probably the best one overall, but yeah I agree. The episodes should have been spaced out better in terms of characters, I'm not sure why they aired them in pairs like that.
Okay, I see why you all like Rarity. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csPPqdbcVwM)
Quote from: Avaitor on March 31, 2011, 08:13:43 PM
Okay, I see why you all like Rarity. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csPPqdbcVwM)
Damn straight. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THAL7ZN7Eh8&feature=related)
I like it when characters play with the cliche, and she all about destroyed them in that episode.
And this is why Fluttershy is the best pony. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BpquDZEyUI)
I like using the show to mess around with my friends. Some of them actually enjoy what they've seen from the clips I send to them, and one of them is already a big fan to begin with. Her fav is Rarity as well. :awesome:
So yeah, I've been infected with the Pony plague. So far, Pinkie Pie's my favorite character.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on April 07, 2011, 10:23:34 AM
So yeah, I've been infected with the Pony plague. So far, Pinkie Pie's my favorite character.
It's surprisingly good, huh?
It's too bad some of the crazier fans are ruining the fun of the show by spamming memes around it, but it's a really good show.
New episode was great, other than the usual awesomeness of Rarity and Pinkie (Who cartwheel kicks someone in the face, wtf) it was nice seeing another episode centered on Fluttershy and the bird was a great comedic foil. It was also funny seeing Twilight be absolutely at wits end trying to help Fluttershy return the bird to Celestia.
I also enjoyed the remix of the Benny Hill style theme from the ticket episode.
Watching it now.
Heh, I like the Alice reference in the opening. And Fluttershy. :)
The party scene was great. The core ponies each get a chance to shine with their personalities.
Anyone else notice how the medicine looks like candy corn?
Well, that was alright. The party scene and a little of the end aside, there wasn't much with any of the ponies besides Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, but what we got when they appeared was good, and I like how they skipped Twilight's moral at the end. Not one of the best, but enjoyable.
Just watched the new one. Eh, it was more cute than funny, which I feel is true for most of the Cutie Mark Crusader eps so far. I liked discovering how the ponies got their cutie marks, but it wasn't one of the better ones.
It was more of a fan service episode. Though Twilight's segment was probably the best one from a casual fan standpoint.
It was funny to see her bounce around.
Don't know why she did, though.
Twilight's a bit unhinged, dude. That's fine with me, because that's when she's at her best. :thumbup:
This week's ep was blah. I find Spike and Twilight to be two of the least interesting characters, and neither did much for me here. Even the couple of scenes where the rest of the ponies appeared wasn't any special. Pinkie got one or two funny bits, but that's about it.
While I do like Spike, I do agree that this episode was the weakest of the bunch. I think if I were to rank the episodes, this one would be bottom tier. Really, I'm just glad that the owl character wasn't the clichéd "I'm just acting nice, but deep down... I'M FUCKING EVIL AND WANT TO TAKE OVER YOUR SPOT!" to Spike. That's the only positive thing I can say. Well, that and Spike's plan to get rid of the owl. I thought that was funny.
Yeah, this was a boring one. It was a lot like Griffin The Brush Off only not as funny or memorable. Next week's should be great, though. That sounds like it could be a good episode idea.
I actually would have been more surprised if the owl was out to get Spike. He was so quiet and small that I severely doubted that it was going to be a baddy.
Psychotic Pinkie Pie is glorious.
And there's only 1 episode left until sometime around December. :whuh:
That was one of the best episodes so far. Pinkie Pie is still one of the best parts of the show.
Such a shame we're going to have to wait so long for season 2, though. But it should be worth the wait. :)
That was good. Dunno about one of the best since I saw the ending come a mile away, but I think it's a true quality of the show that a character like Pinkie can hold her own episode without feeling annoying once.
December? Really? Well, that'll sting a little.
Yeah, the ending was pretty obvious, but it was probably because it was the most in depth Pinkie episode yet where you get to see her go all over the map that makes it so good for me.
Sir Lintsalot is the weirdest fucking thing I think I've ever seen on this show.
Hey guys have you seen this AMV (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCpdDS3L2xs)?
I'm not the biggest fan of them in general, but I think the mash up is really nice. Especially for those of us that like classic cartoons.
Heh, that's pretty good.
This is my favorite MLP AMV so far (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc8qE7_fVvQ). Pinkie being a girl with daddy issues makes so much sense.
And that's the season! Hard to believe how a show like this literally came out of nowhere to become so popular, but here we are talking about it.
I thought this was a pretty cool finale altogether with lots of good character moments for every character, and a nice culmination of unfortunate events at the end. It's actually quite nice to see how far along they came since the episode 1, the series has improved a lot as a show since then and I can't wait to see how they handle season 2.
So who do you find scarier? Crazy Fluttershy or unbalanced Pinkie Pie?
Honestly, I find unbalanced Pinkie Pie to be more scary, since with Crazy Fluttershy, I have a feeling that if she kills me, she'll make it quick and painless. While unbalance Pinkie would probably torture me before killing me.
As for the episode, it was a great way to end the season. My highlights were the two musical numbers we got. As for what pony had it rough, I will go with Rarity, since she had to deal with a stuck up jerk throughout the whole episode.
That was one hell of a finale. Everyone had great stuff, especially Pinkie and Fluttershy. The wait for season 2 will be painful.
Bad news: Lauren Faust is "leaving" the show, as of today:
http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/40428056/ (http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/40428056/)
I know she's technically not walking away from the whole thing altogether (I guess she'll still work on a few of the scrips and what not), but still; I just... wow. I don't even know what to say here. I didn't see this coming at all (really, who could have?), and I almost fear for the future of this series without her manning the ship.
There are some pretty talented people working on it, outisde of Lauren (naturally, lot of former PPG staff involved; IE Chris Savino, Rob Renzetti, etc.), but I'm still a little worried. The fact that we have to wait all the way until December for Season 2 (to see just exactly how this does without her involvement) certainly doesn't help matters, either.
This doesn't really bode too well for the show. Lauren was a big reason it turned out so well, and without her being so hands-on, it won't be the same. At the same time though, it's too early to call it out right now, since the wait for season 2 is so long, and the staff is very talented themselves.
I have a feeling the show might be affected somewhat by Lauren stepping down, but hopefully not too much.
Well, she apparently did work on planning season 2 and about 7 eps are already done, so hopefully the rest of the staff can still pull it together.
It's disheartening to hear, but I still hope they can make a good follow up season. At the very least if Hasbro doesn't force too many changes in there.
Well, this sucks major donkey balls. Excuse me, I'm going into a corner. I'm just hoping that Hasbro doesn't fuck it up, considering that they were reason that certain ponies got an aspect on the show, like the CMC, Cheerilee (She the teacher at that school and the one pony that managed to get a McDonald's Happy Meal toy besides the mane cast and Celestia.) I wonder if this means we'll see the Mermaid/Sea Ponies now, considering that Lauren said that she wanted to focus on the Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorn ponies and nothing more. I think Hasbro still has the rights to use the Sea Ponies because they do have a toy from the previous toyline.
From all I can gather, season two is already basically in the can, as she has overseen all the scripts, already had story meetings to plan it out and apparently waited until they were done to leave. So season 2 will most likely still be mostly untouched for the most part, I think. It's beyond season 2 we'd have to worry about, so lets hope we can at least get a good second season from the original staff.
It's still a shame, though. :(
Well, I guess it's my turn to take a look at this and see what the hubbub is all about. I don't really know why I've held out on this for so long, but after completing my download of season three of The Simpsons(gots to have priorities man), I started up my download of the show.
And I'm not really going into this wondering what I should expect, I've kind of already heard all the spiel about how once you get past the surface of the ponies there's some really good writing, characterization, and storytelling. So here we go, onward with the My Little Pony. As soon as the download is done. In approx. one and a half hours.
Just make sure you don't quit after the two part premiere. The show gets much better after that point.
Considerably better but also the first two episodes are very different from the rest of the series.
Quote from: Sketch on June 28, 2011, 03:04:45 AM
Considerably better but also the first two episodes are very different from the rest of the series.
True; the two-part pilot is really only meant to introduce the characters.
Oh yeah, I finished watching this. It's pretty good, I'll admit, and I can definitely see why it's being compared to PPG, but I still don't get all the noise surrounding the show. True fans of the series don't bother me, but all the others that seem to be forming some sort of cult out of this annoy me. Hopefully the internet finds something new to latch onto soon, it always does eventually.
Well, for a lot of people it's the whole irony thing of it being a MLP show.
For a lot of other people it's a real breath of fresh air in a currently pretty stale animation environment. The characters aren't obnoxious, the jokes are well written, and it's just plain fun. It also helps that the show seemed to get much better as it went along.
Personally if the next season has more episodes like Dragonshy and Over A Barrel (with character eps like A Dog & Pony Show) then it could very well be a great. It has the potential.
Well, I myself (and all of the fans I've encountered online) like it for all the reasons Desen mentions. Heck, some have even been fans of MLP since G1 and like what Lauren Faust did to it.
No irony, I really do enjoy it, despite SOME executive meddling (the Cutie Mark Crusaders were not in Lauren's original plans - only Apple Bloom would have been, but she ended up liking what that turned out to be).
I've had plans on an opinion piece on why I personally watch it, but haven't really had much time to work on lately.
I think it's a quality show with a lot of laughs and a big heart, and deserves a lot of the praise it gets. The show reminds me of the Cartoon Cartoons a lot in terms of nature and timing, and not just PPG in that regard. I think that's what brings a lot of older viewers in, since they grew up watching those shows and this keeps in tune to them without added shock value, cruelty, or unneeded pop culture references like other popular cartoons from today like to add in.
On that note, I think the reason I'm not as big on it as some fans is that I've rewatched a lot of those shows on and off for over the past few years, so the charm runs off for me a little. It's still a damn good show, but I might just take Dexter and Powerpuff and Eds and Courage over MLP on most days of the week.
I just wanted to chime in and say that adore this show. I can't remember the last time I got this much into a cartoon series where I would go out of my way to watch the latest episode or join discussions online about it. It definitely has the feeling of a 90s Cartoon Network cartoon, which I think is a reason behind a lot of its charm. It's a cartoon that, on the surface, is for little girls but it doesn't dumb itself down for the audience like so many other children's shows today. And despite being done in Flash (something I've grown to hate) it doesn't feel like a crutch or an easy way out and they actually take the time to animate it well.
The characters also have depth and personality. They aren't one-note stereotypes. At first glance, Fluttershy may seem like the typical "shy" character, but she tries to teach herself to be more assertive and overcome her phobia of socializing (and when pushed too far she will fight back!). Pinkie Pie may come off as just another random silly character, but she's no idiot. Pinkie has a rhyme and reason for what she does and lives to make everyone she can smile and be happy. Rarity is quite possibly the most surprising character on the show. In any other cartoon, Rarity would be the run-of-the-mill shallow "bitch" character with nothing on her mind but fashion. But Rarity is so much more--she's an artist. She cares about her friends more than anything and puts their needs before her own. And these are characters aren't perfect. They have flaws and they need to learn how to deal with those flaws.
There are always going to be people who just don't get it. And I can't say I blame them, I mean, this IS My Little Pony. Since its creation in the 80s My Little Pony has always been for little girls and was far from quality entertainment. That's one of the things that makes Friendship is Magic so amazing: they were able to take one of the most asinine franchises of all time and turn it into a high quality, entertaining cartoon series.
I was a upset upon hearing about Lauren Faust's departure but I don't think this means the show is doomed. Lauren may have had the vision and gave birth to this wonderful show, but she hasn't been working on it alone. She's had an amazing staff of artists and writers working with her throughout season one so I'm certain season two is going to be nothing but golden.
But please, if there's a season three, for the love of God don't let Chris Savino take over. We all saw what he did to Dexter's Lab.
Oh right, and Fluttershy is the best pony. And Rarity is the second best.
Quote from: Eddy on June 30, 2011, 09:02:00 PM
There are always going to be people who just don't get it. And I can't say I blame them, I mean, this IS My Little Pony. Since its creation in the 80s My Little Pony has always been for little girls and was far from quality entertainment. That's one of the things that makes Friendship is Magic so amazing: they were able to take one of the most asinine franchises of all time and turn it into a high quality, entertaining cartoon series.
Heh, that right there. I mean, even Faust hates the original cartoon. She played with the toys as a kid but even then she thought the cartoon was trash.
The Hub has been putting out some real great commercials for Friendship is Magic. First there was the Katy Perry parody of "Equestria Girls" and now there's a pony for that (http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/07/my-little-pony-iphone-parody/) with this iPhone ad parody.
Don't forget the Bridlemaids billboard.
They really seem to be catching onto the fact that plenty of older viewers exist, which gives me hope for season 2.
Oh, right, that was great too.
Their ads for this show have been some of the best I've seen since the classic Cartoon Network ads.
I really want a "Brony Edition" DVD set of season 1. I wonder what are the odds for such thing.
Yeah, I'm a FIM fan. This is pretty much the only toy-based cartoon that I take seriously. I have a deep hatred of toy-cartoons so the fact that I enjoy this is a miracle.
I'm probably the only person in the world who enjoys "Feeling Pinkie Keen". But I'm a huge fan of old-school cartoon slapsticks (I'm one of the GAC guys ;D )
Yeah, I recognized your e-mail, even though I can't quite put my name on which member you are.
This is easily one of the best toyetic cartoons to ever be made. It's completely respectful to older fans and collectors of the toys, while it's entertaining in its own right for all audiences, and has characters and ideas that are desirable to buy without forcing you to get them. That's the perfect toy commercial, and MLP hits that perfectly.
He's Charles Brubaker, aka cbrubaker aka nakak. Duh.
Welcome to the boards, btw.
Thanks for the welcome :)
Seeing how the Hub is aware of the show's fanbase, what are the odds that the show will get a better timeslot when season 2 begins?
Hopefully very good.
I still find it hilarious that a cartoon about ponies which airs premieres at 2 PM can become such a sensation with older viewers. Only someone like Lauren Faust could pull that off.
Oh, hey; good to see you here nakak. Welcome welcome. :happytime:
...and yeah, a collectors edition set for the adult base would be pretty great. If they decide to go the cheap route with a bare-bones digital babysitter (ala, in the same vein as the Shout Factory/Nicktoons sets), I'll still take it... but I'd much rather see my money go towards a release with actual effort behind it. Plus, 'ya know, I'd love to get some insight into the production of this series. Lauren Faust turned something as forgettable as an 80's girls toyline into a work of art. Let's meet the cast and crew behind such a feat, I say.
Now that it's airing daily I'm pretty content without DVDs and I probably wouldn't buy a soccer mom DVD of the show unless it had episodes that were among my favorites and I found it cheap. I would like to see a collectors set with some special features discussing production of the show though. That'd be fantastic and worth the purchase by itself.
Quote from: Mr. Big on July 24, 2011, 05:12:02 PM
I'm probably the only person in the world who enjoys "Feeling Pinkie Keen".
No you're not.
And welcome.
ETA: As for a DVD release (there IS one coming as far as I know), while a few extras would be cool, I don't really expect much. It'd get my money regardless, though, as it's possible I might be losing TV soon, and I really have a bit of a personal attachment to this show like no other.
Screw the haters, I loved "Feeling Pinkie Keen".
And I really hope this gets a decent season one set on DVD/Blu Ray.
I also liked Feelin Pinkie Keen, an screw you to the people that misinterpreted the episode and read way too deep thinking it was some allegory for God vs Science. It was just some goofy fun, and I will admit that they did botch the lesson at the end.
Quote from: Daxdiv on July 26, 2011, 01:12:32 PM
I also liked Feelin Pinkie Keen, an screw you to the people that misinterpreted the episode and read way too deep thinking it was some allegory for God vs Science. It was just some goofy fun, and I will admit that they did botch the lesson at the end.
:srs:
Yeah, that whole debate was... quite ridiculous, really. I loved Feeling Pinkie Keen as well; lot of good visual gags and slapstick fun. Probably one of my favorite episodes of FiM, as a whole.
All the debate proved is that people really didn't get the meaning of the episode at all.
But yeah, it was funny.
Heh, so one of my friends hated Feeling Pinkie Keen. Explained to him that he kinda over-analyzed the whole thing and took the message way out of context.
...he wouldn't have it.
I quote: "It was essentially saying "HEY, WHAT I SAY SOUNDS LIKE TOTAL BULLSHIT, but I'm your friend so you ought to believe me!""
Yeah, really.
People just naturally seem to over-analyze this series in general.
Colorful cartoon ponies will apparently do that to you. :humhumhum:
Heh, he also thinks the episode is a bunch of propaganda.
Well technically, it is propaganda. Except instead of "Faith over Skepticism", it's just "Buy Our Toys... NOW."
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on July 28, 2011, 03:41:23 PM
Well technically, it is propaganda. Except instead of "Faith over Skepticism", it's just "Buy Our Toys... NOW."
NOT UNTIL THE TOYS LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM THE SHOW!!!
/typical brony reaction :P
Quote from: Daxdiv on July 28, 2011, 03:55:54 PM
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on July 28, 2011, 03:41:23 PM
Well technically, it is propaganda. Except instead of "Faith over Skepticism", it's just "Buy Our Toys... NOW."
NOT UNTIL THE TOYS LOOK LIKE THE CHARACTERS FROM THE SHOW!!!
/typical brony reaction :P
Hey now; that's a fair argument. If I wanted to buy, say, an Applejack figure, I expect 2010-2011 Applejack; not 1986 Applejack. Big difference; biiiiig difference.
...not that I
do, mind you (I'd be too embarrassed to even approach a cashier with a My Little Pony toy under my arm); just sayin'. :awesome:
The episode is about tolerance and understanding those that have different viewpoints than you. The entire point of Twilight getting hurt was because she was obsessed with not leaving well enough alone and just letting Pinkie be Pinkie. She was convinced that just was in the right, and refused to just stop being a bitch and hounding her friend. The ending was supposed to be Twilight accepting Pinkie just being who she is even though she doesn't quite understand what that means herself.
Not complicated. You don't need to over-analyze the fucking thing to get the simple point. I will give you that the speech at the end could be misconstrued, but if you actually payed attention to the episode you would get it.
People raging about this episode need to remove their heads from their asses, and probably learn a little perspective on how the world really works. Not everyone is out to shatter your world view. Sometimes, they really just want to teach kids lessons about tolerance with cartoon ponies.
So yeah, just had my best friend over, and made him watch "Party of One" with me. I've been linking him to videos and stuff for a while now, but never a full episode until today.
Overall, he liked it. Especially Gummy. ;) And I'll be getting him to watch more later.
Haha, I love Party Of One. Pinkie can sure be scary when she's paranoid.
I haven't seen Party of One yet. In fact, I missed the last couple of episodes from the tail end of Season 1 ('cept the season finale, I did see that; Best Night Ever was pretty fun).
It's still on Youtube; I guess the Hub isn't going to take these down. I should try and get caught up.
Quote from: Kiddington on July 28, 2011, 09:39:18 PM
It's still on Youtube; I guess the Hub isn't going to take these down. I should try and get caught up.
Correct. Hasbro sees it as free promotion, as a matter of fact. I wish more companies would take Hasbro's stance, really.
I wish I could get more friends to watch this show. I was able to get my brother into the show and another friend of mine (who by turn got her boyfriend into it) but my two closest friends won't even give the show the chance. They've watched plenty of movies, played plenty of games, etc. based on my recommendation but this seems to be where they draw the line. When I asked them why they gave the reasons "it's stupid" and "I'm sure it's a good show, but I don't want to watch it". The latter excuse makes no sense at all (why would you refuse to watch something that you think could be good?) and the first excuse is laughable because they watch plenty of things that I find more "stupid" than FiM.
I know it's hard to believe this show could be any good, since it is based on MLP, but it kind of bums me out that my friends are just disregarding my suggestion for no real reason and refusing to even give this show a chance.
The one friend I gave a suggestion to watch this show just shrugged his shoulders and watched it. He liked it.
I dunno why most people insist on judging a book by its cover, but take away the title and you'd be hard pressed to find so many obvious haters.
Yeah, the amount of people that won't even watch an episode because the characters are bright-colored ponies saddens me.
Basically I'm like, just watch an episode before you judge.
So I just found a sociology thesis about Bronies... (http://asociologist.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/guest-post-my-little-bronies-why-the-internet-is-magic/) Kind of assumed something like this would happen.
In case ya missed it, Stephen Colbert gave a shoutout to bronies the other night. Freakin' awesome!
One of my favorite posters at the Excel Saga Forum made something pretty cool relating to this series. Everyone should check it out! (http://www.excelsagaforum.com/index.php?topic=979.msg52209#msg52209)
Whoa, that's crazy!
Quote from: beau on August 03, 2011, 12:24:42 AM
In case ya missed it, Stephen Colbert gave a shoutout to bronies the other night. Freakin' awesome!
Oh yes... that he did, that he did. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8WrKIvSEWI)
Freakin' awesome indeed.
Tried to get the cousin into My Little Pony. Explained to him the concept of the cutie mark by saying "uh, the little ponies have to find out their life choice and get a magical tattoo on their ass". For some reason, I decide the best introduction is one of Dikekike's YTPs. And he proceeds to play League of Legends instead for the next 3 hours.
Yeah, I suck at converting.
Don't feel so bad, apparently, my brother thinks I'm diseased for even remotely liking this series. So my chances to get him into this show was shot down :whuh:
Sometimes it can take awhile to fully "convert" someone. The problem is that you don't want to force them to watch it because then they're more likely to dislike it, so you want to try to get them to watch it at their own pace. After I "converted" my brother he said that FiM is "a damn good show that everyone should give a chance and they should watch a few episodes before fully passing judgment on it".
Most people seem to think that "The Ticket Master" and "Dragonshy" are good starter episodes. "The Ticket Master" may have a cliche set up, but the journey has got some great writing and each of the main characters really gets to shine. Dragonshy maybe a Fluttershy focused episode, but the rest of the cast gets a decent amount of screentime as well. I've also heard "Bridle Gossip" and "Party of One" are good ideas, but I think "Bridle Gossip" only really works after you already know the characters to see why the poison joke effects are funny for each pony.
The two-part pilot is usually frowned upon as a starter since the "Sailor Moon-vibe" doesn't really carry on for the rest of the series. Cutie Mark Crusader episodes like "Call of the Cutie", "Show Stoppers", etc. are regarded as the absolute worst episodes to start someone off with. Episodes with a more "girly" set-up are also not recommended like "Suited for Success" dealing with a fashion show.
Of course, "Suited for Success" was my first episode and it was enough to get me to watch more (and it's also one of my favorites) so take that as you will.
Yeah... if you're going to try and get somebody into FiM, don't ever start them off on the pilot episode; steer as far clear of that as possible. It's not indicative of what the show has to offer at all, and is really quite boring, all things considered. In fact, I might go as far as to say it's a good way to turn people off from ever wanting to give it another chance; it's not "terrible", by any means, but it definitely is more "girly" (and less funny) than any other episode of the series, by far.
If I were trying to get people into this (unfortunately, a losing battle with my family, so I don't even attempt it), I'd start off with the funniest of what the show has to offer. "Feeling Pinkie Keen", "Over a Barrel", "A Dog and Pony Show", "Stare Master"... those are just a couple of my favorites I'd recommend, each for their own reasons.
Quote from: Kiddington on August 06, 2011, 02:40:18 PMIf I were trying to get people into this (unfortunately, a losing battle with my family, so I don't even attempt it), I'd start off with the funniest of what the show has to offer. "Feeling Pinkie Keen", "Over a Barrel", "A Dog and Pony Show", "Stare Master"... those are just a couple of my favorites I'd recommend, each for their own reasons.
"Stare Master", maybe I'd wait until after watching other episodes. But the same can be said for all the other CMC episodes.
I agree with the other choices, tho...
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on August 05, 2011, 08:14:19 PM
Tried to get the cousin into My Little Pony. Explained to him the concept of the cutie mark by saying "uh, the little ponies have to find out their life choice and get a magical tattoo on their ass".
Just show him this. (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7217632/1/Trixies_Funhouse) Should work.
QuoteAnd he proceeds to play League of Legends instead for the next 3 hours.
League of Legends' grip is powerful. It destroys both lives and friendships. But at least it has a better fanbase than DotA.
Quote from: Foggle on August 06, 2011, 04:57:10 PM
Just show him this. (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7217632/1/Trixies_Funhouse) Should work.
...Uh... :whuh:
I'm not touching this.
Lauren Faust was obviously a very important part of this show, but people sometimes don't realize some of the great team members they also have on the show and their past works.
They've got writers like Amy Keating Rogers (Powerpuff Girls), David Polsky (South Park), and many others. They have some very talented animators and storyboard artists, including those who have worked on Ed, Edd n Eddy like "Big Jim" Miller (no wonder this show has so many great facial expressions).
I guess my point is that people shouldn't be too worried over Faust being gone in season two and beyond. I have confidence in the team behind this show.
I'm not really worried about season 2 at all. Season 3, well I won't be expecting it to be great out of the gate, but I'm sure it won't be terrible or anything.
Unless it gets arbitrarily canceled like so many other shows in this day and age after 65 episodes despite fantastic ratings and critical praise.
Season 2 was already in pre-production when Lauren was still onboard. That should be fine.
Season 3... well, that I'm a bit more worried about (assuming we even get to that point). Especially if they hand the keys to the city to Chris Savino. :whuh:
Quote from: Kiddington on August 15, 2011, 12:51:19 AM
Season 3... well, that I'm a bit more worried about (assuming we even get to that point). Especially if they hand the keys to the city to Chris Savino. :whuh:
You don't need to worry. I asked Savino on Facebook if he wrote for season 2 and he said no, the two from season 1 was it as far as his involvement on the show is concerned.
That's at least one thing to feel relieved over.
Good. He was alright as a writer for PPG and early Dexter, but as a showrunner, he failed... and he failed hard.
It's for the best.
Well, looks like September 17th is going to be the premiere date for the newest episodes of My Little Pony Season 2. Hell yeah, this easily beats the prediction of it coming back in December right in the nads,.
Yeah, heard that bit of news yesterday as well. My reaction:
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-aOMIeoh4Pwc%2FTgUM7KOf0aI%2FAAAAAAAAAmE%2Fld31oLN1VKs%2Fs1600%2FAWWW-YEAH-Now-thats-what-i-call-20-cooler.jpg&hash=4c6b64d64a6df4072dd7bc3599c1868e9044a83e)
Can't wait, man. I've been in pony withdrawal since May; this has been a loooooooooong summer, if ya know what I mean. :sly:
That's...... a LOT sooner than I was expecting.
Great news, though!
September 17? Three days before Unbroken comes out.
Should be a great few days.
I sometimes wonder if most of us would hate FIM it it was a slice-of-life anime. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAJFkpJX8K0)
Well, it more or less is the western equivalent of one, so... could go either way.
Pretty much. I remember one of my friends on another board I go to made the joke that he liked FiM when it was called K-On, and even one guy said FiM is basically K-On in horse form. In a way, it's mostly like that in the sense of friends hanging out with friends and such.
As for video, check out this nice use of Baccano theme with clips from Over a Barrel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elCj-Y97neI&feature=mh_lolz&list=LLVdtQDgdIAy3tN-xOJ-4bTQ). I really liked how they labeled Fluttershy in this video as.
Hmm. Maybe one of us should do an article explaining the differences between FIM and K-On! and why we like a show about ponies being friends with each other yet hate a show about high school girls being friends with each other.
...Desen? :sly:
The one with actual jokes and writing wins. ;)
My buddy and I spent a couple days at our friend's house. She and her boyfriend (the ones we were staying with) already like ponies but my friend had refused to ever watch the show. Whether he liked it or not, one of the things we planned on doing while visiting was watching some pony. Maybe I could get him to see what it is about the show that makes it so good?
Unfortunately, I don't think it worked. :whuh:
We watched a handful of different episodes: "Friendship is Magic - Part 1 and 2", "Applebuck Season", "Dragonshy", "Winter Wrap-Up", "Swarm of the Century", "Bridle Gossip", etc.
He seemed to have already decided that he didn't like the show before even watching it. He couldn't, or didn't want to, open his mind to the idea that a cartoon based on My Little Pony could be good and most of the time he wasn't even paying attention to the show because he was busy fiddling away on his iPhone. I heard him laugh at a couple parts (Fluttershy's introduction, "Choooocoooolate chiiiiiips!", etc.) but overall he didn't seem interested at all. I understand this show isn't for everyone, but he didn't seem to even want to give it a chance. And this is a guy who likes Spongebob, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Ed Edd n Eddy, and plenty of other cartoons. I really think if he opened his mind and gave it a fair shot he would really enjoy it. The friend I was staying with agreed, this was the problem. He wasn't even trying to enjoy it.
I hate to say it, but I think he might not be comfortable with the feminine nature of the show. :imnothappy:
Well, at least we planted ponies in his head. Maybe we'll see what happens from there.
ANYWAY, it's great to hear season two is basically right around the corner. Can't wait! :blush:
"Pinkie Pie's really annoying. I wanna just, like, sleep with her so she'll be quiet." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4fRYSeIpIQ)
Had the talking Pinkie Pie for a bunch of years. Were we glad the batteries went out.
I can't bring myself to actually go into a store, and buy MLP toys. I just... can't. For one thing, the figures kinda suck; they don't look very authentic to the new series at all, and just feel very outdated when I look at them. Of course, my other reasons (the main ones) for not buying them should be pretty obvious, I'd say. :humhumhum:
The series is great, and will unabashedly admit to all of my non-believer friends that I watch it, and love it. But the toys? Erm... no thanks. I'll stick to that Season 1 DVD set, whenever we get it.
I'll admit, I did buy myself a Fluttershy and Rarity and have them sitting on my computer desk right now. They really blend in with my BioShock and Resident Evil figurines. I found buying the toys surprisingly easy. I think most clerks just assume you're buying them for a little sister or something.
But yeah, I really wish the toys were more show accurate or I'd have an easier time buying them. Plus, I hate trying to style the hair. As much as I love the show I still have some dignity left in my manhood and styling pony hair is going a little too far.
Quote from: Eddy on August 24, 2011, 06:14:41 PM
My buddy and I spent a couple days at our friend's house. She and her boyfriend (the ones we were staying with) already like ponies but my friend had refused to ever watch the show. Whether he liked it or not, one of the things we planned on doing while visiting was watching some pony. Maybe I could get him to see what it is about the show that makes it so good?
Unfortunately, I don't think it worked. :whuh:
We watched a handful of different episodes: "Friendship is Magic - Part 1 and 2", "Applebuck Season", "Dragonshy", "Winter Wrap-Up", "Swarm of the Century", "Bridle Gossip", etc.
He seemed to have already decided that he didn't like the show before even watching it. He couldn't, or didn't want to, open his mind to the idea that a cartoon based on My Little Pony could be good and most of the time he wasn't even paying attention to the show because he was busy fiddling away on his iPhone. I heard him laugh at a couple parts (Fluttershy's introduction, "Choooocoooolate chiiiiiips!", etc.) but overall he didn't seem interested at all. I understand this show isn't for everyone, but he didn't seem to even want to give it a chance. And this is a guy who likes Spongebob, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Ed Edd n Eddy, and plenty of other cartoons. I really think if he opened his mind and gave it a fair shot he would really enjoy it. The friend I was staying with agreed, this was the problem. He wasn't even trying to enjoy it.
I hate to say it, but I think he might not be comfortable with the feminine nature of the show. :imnothappy:
Well, at least we planted ponies in his head. Maybe we'll see what happens from there.
ANYWAY, it's great to hear season two is basically right around the corner. Can't wait! :blush:
sup ponygoons buddy :awesome:
Hey there! :>
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ghuAwzSQ_f0%2FTlwQUKBEhsI%2FAAAAAAAALLI%2FZJmIxNR0RM8%2Fs1600%2Fi-svwr3ps-XL.jpg&hash=7c9b1b27dc5fa029007870025afbe6e83f9d1685)
Oh God, they got Gabe.
Not even the WWE is safe from making references at the Pony phenomenon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKpR9YnNcE&feature=related)
...was kinda hoping it was coming from Vince McMahon, but, uh... eh, still cool anyway.
I went to Target last night, and saw that there's a MLP subsection there now. There's a lot more merch for the show now, which is good. Some of it looks a lot better than the toys, too, at least for girls in the show's main demographic.
There's even a Twilight Sparkle pillow pet. I shit you not.
It seems like they want TS to be the breakout character, which I don't think will really turn out well. I know she's the lead, but she's not as relatable as Fluttershy, admirable as Rarity, or as cute as Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash. I dunno.
Quote from: Avaitor on September 02, 2011, 10:12:32 AM
There's even a Twilight Sparkle pillow pet. I shit you not.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reece-eu.net%2Fgallery%2Fvar%2Fresizes%2Ffunny%2Fsort-of-want.jpg%3Fm%3D1272645181&hash=c7b885e9a051c5fac64134e3e9f470c542af436b)
In all seriousness, though... yeah, I agree; I'm not sure if Twilight is the marketing route I'd take either. She's... I dunno, she's alright, but all things considered, she's kinda boring in comparison to the rest of the cast (yes yes, this is coming from the same guy who likes Applejack; sue me).
Honestly, I'd go with Fluttershy myself. There's great marketing potential in her quirkiness, and she's already had a dozen or so "stand-out" moments in the series that they could play off of.
I'd go with either Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie myself. Fluttershy for her all-around adorableness, and Pinkie to appeal to the PINK IS LOVE crowd with younger girls. Rainbow Dash could stand a chance as well, for big rainbow fans.
Twilight just doesn't seem like the most desirable character to own everything of. She isn't really much of a character to begin with.
I'd much rather have a Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy pillow pet.
Twilight is a rather boring character unless she's A)Snarking, or B)Panicing.
Quote from: Eddy on August 24, 2011, 06:14:41 PM
My buddy and I spent a couple days at our friend's house. She and her boyfriend (the ones we were staying with) already like ponies but my friend had refused to ever watch the show. Whether he liked it or not, one of the things we planned on doing while visiting was watching some pony. Maybe I could get him to see what it is about the show that makes it so good?
Unfortunately, I don't think it worked. :whuh:
We watched a handful of different episodes: "Friendship is Magic - Part 1 and 2", "Applebuck Season", "Dragonshy", "Winter Wrap-Up", "Swarm of the Century", "Bridle Gossip", etc.
He seemed to have already decided that he didn't like the show before even watching it. He couldn't, or didn't want to, open his mind to the idea that a cartoon based on My Little Pony could be good and most of the time he wasn't even paying attention to the show because he was busy fiddling away on his iPhone. I heard him laugh at a couple parts (Fluttershy's introduction, "Choooocoooolate chiiiiiips!", etc.) but overall he didn't seem interested at all. I understand this show isn't for everyone, but he didn't seem to even want to give it a chance. And this is a guy who likes Spongebob, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, Ed Edd n Eddy, and plenty of other cartoons. I really think if he opened his mind and gave it a fair shot he would really enjoy it. The friend I was staying with agreed, this was the problem. He wasn't even trying to enjoy it.
I hate to say it, but I think he might not be comfortable with the feminine nature of the show. :imnothappy:
Well, at least we planted ponies in his head. Maybe we'll see what happens from there.
ANYWAY, it's great to hear season two is basically right around the corner. Can't wait! :blush:
I know this kind of late to quote, but that was my experience watching the show, more or less. The reason why your friend probably hated it probably wasn't because "it was too feminine" or "he wanted to hate it", but rather "it wasn't funny".
A couple people gave me a few episodes to watch and I didn't laugh once. Except for a smile once or twice, I was pretty much stone-faced ( :unimpressed: not :imnothappy:) the whole time.
It's like an above-average moe show (with actual story structure); your entire enjoyment of the show depends on whether you think cute girls doing cute things are funny. It's competently made for what it is, but when you take it outside of its niche, it gets blown to shit by shows that do things (animation, art, humor, characters, you name it) much better than it. I didn't even hate the show; it was just such a boring and disappointing experience for me that I eventually stopped bothering watching the show and waiting for things to "click".
Or at least, that's my opinion.
If it wasn't for Toonzone having dibs on chdr, I think AR could have had a writer for that K-On! vs MLP:FiM thing I threw out.
Quote from: chdr on September 02, 2011, 02:50:57 PM
I know this kind of late to quote, but that was my experience watching the show, more or less. The reason why your friend probably hated it probably wasn't because "it was too feminine" or "he wanted to hate it", but rather "it wasn't funny".
A couple people gave me a few episodes to watch and I didn't laugh once. Except for a smile once or twice, I was pretty much stone-faced ( :unimpressed: not :imnothappy:) the whole time.
It's like an above-average moe show (with actual story structure); your entire enjoyment of the show depends on whether you think cute girls doing cute things are funny. It's competently made for what it is, but when you take it outside of its niche, it gets blown to shit by shows that do things (animation, art, humor, characters, you name it) much better than it. I didn't even hate the show; it was just such a boring and disappointing experience for me that I eventually stopped bothering watching the show and waiting for things to "click".
Or at least, that's my opinion.
I just want to say that I respect your opinion but I must humbly disagree with it.
I can't speak for everyone else, but I really don't care for "moe shows" and wouldn't really compare FiM with the likes of them. As for the animation, art, humor, and characters being blown away by plenty of other shows, I also disagree. I'm not going to say FiM has the best animation I've ever seen, but it's helped me realize that just because a show is done in Flash doesn't mean it has to look like shit. I can't think of any cartoon series done in Flash that has better animation than FiM, except for Superjail!, seeing how that is all hand drawn and then traced in Flash.
The art and humor gives me a real 90s Cartoon Network vibe that you just don't see in too many cartoons today. It's a show for kids, yeah, but it doesn't talk down to the audience and manages to make it humorous and enjoyable no matter what your age group. As for the characters, I find them to be surprisingly deep. Sure, at first they seem like one-note stereotypes (the shy one, the crazy one, the fashion one, etc.) but you watch enough episodes and you realize that there's more to these characters than meets the eye. Episodes like
Suited For Success,
Stare Master,
A Dog and Pony Show, and
Party of One really show that.
My brother actually took a bit to warm up to the show but he eventually told me that "it's a damn good show that I think everyone should give a chance and they should watch a good amount of episodes before passing judgment on it". But it is perfectly fine if the show just isn't your thing.
But, trust me, my friend really was not even trying to enjoy it. The majority of the time he wasn't even paying attention to it. He spent most of the time fiddling on his iPhone and looking up Street Fighter videos.
Quote from: Eddy on September 03, 2011, 02:11:26 AM
Quote from: chdr on September 02, 2011, 02:50:57 PM
I know this kind of late to quote, but that was my experience watching the show, more or less. The reason why your friend probably hated it probably wasn't because "it was too feminine" or "he wanted to hate it", but rather "it wasn't funny".
A couple people gave me a few episodes to watch and I didn't laugh once. Except for a smile once or twice, I was pretty much stone-faced ( :unimpressed: not :imnothappy:) the whole time.
It's like an above-average moe show (with actual story structure); your entire enjoyment of the show depends on whether you think cute girls doing cute things are funny. It's competently made for what it is, but when you take it outside of its niche, it gets blown to shit by shows that do things (animation, art, humor, characters, you name it) much better than it. I didn't even hate the show; it was just such a boring and disappointing experience for me that I eventually stopped bothering watching the show and waiting for things to "click".
Or at least, that's my opinion.
I just want to say that I respect your opinion but I must humbly disagree with it.
I can't speak for everyone else, but I really don't care for "moe shows" and wouldn't really compare FiM with the likes of them. As for the animation, art, humor, and characters being blown away by plenty of other shows, I also disagree. I'm not going to say FiM has the best animation I've ever seen, but it's helped me realize that just because a show is done in Flash doesn't mean it has to look like shit. I can't think of any cartoon series done in Flash that has better animation than FiM, except for Superjail!, seeing how that is all hand drawn and then traced in Flash.
The art and humor gives me a real 90s Cartoon Network vibe that you just don't see in too many cartoons today. It's a show for kids, yeah, but it doesn't talk down to the audience and manages to make it humorous and enjoyable no matter what your age group. As for the characters, I find them to be surprisingly deep. Sure, at first they seem like one-note stereotypes (the shy one, the crazy one, the fashion one, etc.) but you watch enough episodes and you realize that there's more to these characters than meets the eye. Episodes like Suited For Success, Stare Master, A Dog and Pony Show, and Party of One really show that.
On the topic of animation, I think you could have had a point ten years ago when Flash was still a fledgling art-form, but I would say that MLP's animation is now the norm and should be expected of all Flash shows (other examples of shows with the same or higher level of Flash animation: Metalocalypse, Jimmy Two-Shoes, Ugly Americans, Harvey Birdman, a lot of webtoons). MLP as a franchise improved, but I still wouldn't say it's that great IMO. It just became on par with most shows out there.
(And I'm gonna have to agree to disagree with you on the humor. I walked in expecting that 90's Cartoon Network feel, but the episodes I watched mostly played it annoyingly safe, humor-wise)
It's not a moe show on the basis that its plots actually go somewhere and events occur within it that lead to something. The show also features the unique gimmick of having writing. ;)
But I can see why some wouldn't find it funny, like pretty much everything, it's not going to hook everyone.
Oh yes, I know the show isn't for everyone. No show is, after all!
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F26.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lr5m5jsZlk1qk38iso1_500.jpg&hash=6b9be7627a37dc6d3385f1e12b745a4cc10ee933)
That boy ain't right, I tell you what.
That would have totally happened in the show, too. :)
That is brilliant.
"Ugh, so Bobby is into this My Little Pony cartoon. I can handle him running around in capes and such but watching a girls cartoon show? That is just asinine."
"Friendship is Magic? Ohh! Who is favorite pony? Fluttershy? Pinkie Pie? I like Twilight Sparkle."
"Once again, Bill, you are incorrect. The best pony is Rainbow Dash."
"Dagnabbit, don't tell me you idiots are into this nonsense too. Can you believe this, Boomhower?"
"Itellyouwhutmandon'tgojudginabookbyitscoverIusedtothink'man,nowaythiscanbegood',soIsitdownandwatchitandit'sall 'My Little Pony~, My Little Pony~, Ahhhh~', andI'mthinkin'man,IshouldjuststopwatchinnowwhenIstillhavesomedignityleft,man. ButIkeepwatchinitandthenRarityisall 'this is whiiiiniiing' andI'msittingtherelaughinmanandI'mthinkin... ya know, this ain't half bad, man."
Hank's favorite would be Apple Jack. You know it.
Of course it would. He would admire her strong will and work ethic. And a passion for apples similar to his passion for propane.
I don't know if anyone here saw it, but a group known as The Bronyville Show recently had a livestream marathoning through season one and they even had members of the show staff come on via Skype and talk with them. Two notable ones were "Sibsy" and "Raven", two of the lead storyboard artists (they also both worked on Ed, Edd n Eddy). Obviously they couldn't say too much about season two, but they had no problem saying that season two basically blows season one away in terms of quality and character development. They both seemed really excited about it and hated that they couldn't talk about it more.
Man, it's a season 2. The chances of it being a letdown are low, if we're judging on past examples.
Unless they pull a Chowder. :o
SPOILER ALERT: Here's a clip from the season two premiere, featuring the new villain Discord. I've never watched Star Trek but apparently he's voiced by John de Lancie who played a character named Q. Anyway, I love him already.
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/09/my-little-pony-season-two-clip/
Huh. So that explains all this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b5ZjGdjz1k)
And yay! Q! Always fun to see one of my favorite Trek characters randomly pop up somewhere.
Neat, I can't wait to watch it!
Okay, I really hope Discord will make more appearances throughout season 2. Already he's one of my favorite characters in the show.
I love that Fluttershy is so hard to corrupt that Discord went "screw it. Magic!" on her.
What a great episode! Discord's an awesome villain (love his voice!) and seeing the ponies lose their elements was great, especially Fluttershy and Rarity.
"I know where you live!"
That's what I like about the show. Everything in that episode was what I like about FIM. The character gags and the fun adventure style plot, and Discord being a pretty good bad guy pretty much clinched the episode for me. Way better than the premiere of season 1 already.
Gotta love Pinkie's obsession with the chocolate rain, too.
http://skyfireaboveicebelow.tumblr.com/post/10324607138/hold-on-a-second-eternal-chaos-comes-with-chocolate
Yep, great premiere. The characters are back and more fun than ever. Even the opening with the CMC was funny.
Yeah... yeah... and I fucking MISSED IT. :wth:
...and I call myself a brony. I don't know how it possibly slipped my mind this badly; I had been looking forward to this for WEEKS.
Is it on Youtube yet? =P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegHN1AU-WQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegHN1AU-WQ)
Here ya go fellow brony.
Quote from: Rynnec on September 17, 2011, 09:59:09 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegHN1AU-WQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xegHN1AU-WQ)
Here ya go fellow brony.
Awwwwwwwwww yeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah. :happytime:
Thanks much, good sir.
Not to oppose the action of legally watching it, but you're probably better off being late and watching it on YouTube instead of seeing it live. I was catching the simulcast on SynchTube, and it was aggravating just how numerous the ads were. Like bloody Hell, how many times do I have to be reminded about Family Game Night or the amount I can save on my car insurance?
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lrp9kpqmsi1r194uko1_500.png&hash=448216f99e5bebae3e2ca5e17dc91876b4942fac)
About time someone else made the connection.
Somebody needs to make a Fluttershy/Judy Garland image to go with that. And maybe a Pinkie/Lucille Ball.
I think Rarity and Barbara Stanwyck could also work.
Oh man, cross Spike and Fred MacMurray together, and I think you could make an epic recreation of the Double Indemnity poster.
Oh god... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG35VKg62GA)
Word.
New meme?
Yes please.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWgvOi.png&hash=8337c731e227ff2d53a86b736274a59e014e14a3)
Yep, he sure didn't know what he was getting into.
As for my thoughts on the opener, it was pretty good one. I really like Discord as a character right now.
Yeah, Discord is pretty awesome. More of him, plz.
...as for the premiere, loved it. Good 'ole FiM that we've all come to know and love. Not a whole lot else I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'll let this video sum up my feelings. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oggEFjAJeXo)
Maybe if the Gala had him as a guest, the ponies wouldn't have been so pissed about it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAjhwvv-_Do&feature=player_detailpage#t=81s)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fchzbronies.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fmy-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-season-one-reincarnated1.jpg&hash=54fdee2f94ebb3851dc810142d415949483df157)
...well, damn. Think the Celestia comparison is stretching it though.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on September 17, 2011, 10:19:56 PM
Not to oppose the action of legally watching it, but you're probably better off being late and watching it on YouTube instead of seeing it live. I was catching the simulcast on SynchTube, and it was aggravating just how numerous the ads were. Like bloody Hell, how many times do I have to be reminded about Family Game Night or the amount I can save on my car insurance?
One reason why I DVR and fast-forward :)
Quote from: Avaitor on September 17, 2011, 11:30:09 PM
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lrp9kpqmsi1r194uko1_500.png&hash=448216f99e5bebae3e2ca5e17dc91876b4942fac)
About time someone else made the connection.
Aha. That was made by a friend of mine a couple months ago. Nice to see it again.
Finishing up the next episode now. It's a fitting conclusion to the previous ep, and a great start for season 2.
Seeing the ponies acting as they do while under Discord's power make it seem like they're all on their period, though.
That was a great conclusion to the premiere. I know some people don't like these more adventure oriented episodes, but I really do.
I also really enjoyed Rarity's relationship with Tom and Fluttershy being a total jerk.
One of the best episodes yet, no doubt. Discord was a great villain (way better than Nightmare Moon) and part two had plenty of hilarious moments. I loved the shot-for-shot homage to the ending scene from Star Wars too.
My only complaint here was the ending. Felt really rushed and I was hoping they'd go a different route than turn Discord to stone again. This really felt like it could have been a three-parter (or a direct to DVD movie) to reach its full potential.
So a member of the Ponygoons forum attended the recent broNYcon and was able to get several details from Jayson Thiessen about upcoming episodes. Equestria Daily linked to the post, but I'll summarize what I read:
*Hasbro does not put much money into FiM at all, it's more of a shoestring budget. It could've very well ended up like G3.5 in the hands of another creative team.
*"Applebuck Season" initially had Applejack ramming into trees with her head, instead of kicking them. Hasbro nixed that - and that is actually a very rare occasion of them interjecting.
*All the little 'bits' they put in, meaning Sondheim-inspired songs to adult references, that's just them entertaining themselves, not actually concentrating on the periphery demo at all.
*Hasbro is actually very lax when it comes to most things. They actually have a "Why not?" attitude. For example: Discord was completely Lauren Faust's idea. She had Star Trek: TNG on her mind and wanted to have a villain character inspired by Q. Hasbro said "why not?" so they let her do it. Speaking of which, Faust initially had a John de Lancie soundalike in mind for his voice, but Hasbro told the team they could try to get the real deal even though it would cost more money. He just happened to be free and was down with it. The rest is history.
*The cast and crew are not performing for us, or even kids, they're performing for themselves. They just do what they think is best and entertaining each other in the process. They really do have lots of fun making it.
*Mr. Thiessen's creative team that he works with, he mostly knows very well and has worked with them before. He says the better they know each other, the better they can work together to put together a high-quality show, most especially in the comedy department. They have an absolute blast.
*Hasbro's toy division and entertainment division are nearly two separate entities, which could explain the toys not being up to par. Hasbro thinks they would have to make a huge investment they don't think they can make simply because they're already in production and it would cost a lot to recall them and make new ones, but they're "looking into it".
*Lauren Faust left for personal reasons and nothing more. He said she was basically feeling burned out from everything and needed a break. He said that it was a total shock to everyone when she initially told them of her departure last October.
*Mr. Thiessen knows now why so many of us older males like the show as much as we do, that it gives us an excuse to escape the real world for a bit. (He used a lot more wordier statement, but that's the gist of what he said. And that's true at least in my case and several others I know.)
*The early S1 episodes were very chaotic and they didn't have everything done the way they could have. He says if they could go back and redo them, they would try to perfect them.
Some tidbits about the season itself:
*More 2-parters are confirmed
*There is a "scary" episode coming
*Derpy will definitely be around, and may even have her own bit.
*He doesn't foresee any "heavy" stories (things like divorce, death, etc.)
*He wouldn't mind having John de Lancie back
*A soundtrack CD has been planned from the start
*Someone asked about season 3. His response was "Answering that would probably get me fired." (in other words, most likely happening)
*The CMC probably will never actually get their cutie marks
*There will be a "new villain" (though he may have let that slip accidentally)
*They have not seriously discussed adding humans, seaponies, what have you (but he's not familiar with G1, so yeah.)
Yeah, the "we make it for us" attitude in cartoons often brings in better than usual stuff. Chuck Jones said the same thing when he was asked who they were making the cartoons for.
I agree. The best material comes from those who enjoy what they're doing and have a lot of fun doing it.
I'm excited to see the rest of the season if they continue on this streak of theirs.
My god, they really loved to mess with Twilight's face in the new episode. Had me in stitches.
"Hi giiirrrrrlllls"
Yeah, it was another good one. I do like that apparently Big Macintosh apparently really liked the doll regardless of the spell. :D
Honestly, I didn't like this one much at all. It kind of seemed like a rehash of "Party of One" to me, and Twilight just doesn't work in that way for me at all. And the rest of it just wasn't that funny.
I do like how now she doesn't have to be the glue that holds every episode together now, though. I always hated when she got shoehorned in to tell the moral of the day when she held no ties to the plot.
So it seems that SF Debris, probably the blip reviewer whom I most respect, has turned his eyes on FIM. (http://blip.tv/sf-debris-opinionated-reviews/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-review-5658418#disqus_thread) Other than a failed joke with "Sparkle, Twilight", fair analysis. Was expecting him to rip it apart like he does with his Enterprise reviews.
So they just aired what is probably the most anticipated episode of the season, Luna's return.
Overall it wasn't exactly the best episode of the show, but I loved how Luna was portrayed. I can see why Twilight wanted to help her out; she was just as socially awkward as she was.
There seems to be mixed feelings about the new character, Pipsqueak, though. I think he's cute, and he'll be fine as an occasional character. Remember, alot of fans hated the Cutie Mark Crusaders, too.
The lack of Rarity surprised me, tho... (apparently she was in the script, but they took her out)
Princess Luna's a trip. She's kind of how I want Twilight Sparkle to have been handled- as in not boring.
Pipsqueak didn't leave much of an impression on me here. If anyone annoyed me this episode, it was Rainbow Dash. I liked how she got her comeuppance in the end, though.
Luna made the episode for me, especially her "lesson" with Fluttershy. I want to see more of her.
All in all, it was a pretty fun Halloween episode. Could've used some Rarity, though.
Quote from: Desensitized on October 22, 2011, 09:26:14 PM
Luna made the episode for me, especially her "lesson" with Fluttershy. I want to see more of her.
All in all, it was a pretty fun Halloween episode. Could've used some Rarity, though.
Yeah, odd how an episode where almost everybody was in costume lacked Rarity. Though since the episode had Granny Smith and Zecora to go along with the ROYAL CANTERLOT ACCENT, Tabitha St Germain probably needed a break.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on October 22, 2011, 09:28:55 PM
Quote from: Desensitized on October 22, 2011, 09:26:14 PM
Luna made the episode for me, especially her "lesson" with Fluttershy. I want to see more of her.
All in all, it was a pretty fun Halloween episode. Could've used some Rarity, though.
Yeah, odd how an episode where almost everybody was in costume lacked Rarity. Though since the episode had Granny Smith and Zecora to go along with the ROYAL CANTERLOT ACCENT, Tabitha St Germain probably needed a break.
According to Lauren, Rarity was in the script and she guesses there was a literal last-minute change not made on her watch.
Yeah, she said that there was a scene where Luna and Twilight visited Rarity's shop (she was still working on her costume), hoping to get a dress that would lighten up the Night Princess's image. Rarity went overboard and made her very pink. Luna hated it and tore out the dress, but Pinkie and the kids showed up just as Luna has a piece of cloth on her mouth, making the party pony shout "Nightmare Moon ate the princess!" and run away.
Okay, I'm liking this season quite a bit, but Pinkie Pie isn't doing enough. Even in episodes she wasn't featured in before she would at least have a good moment or two and she hasn't really had all that many so far this season. On the other hand, I like Rarity having more appearances, but Pinkie isn't getting the spotlight she deserves.
Yeah, Pinkie's in need of some action.
Also, Fluttershy hasn't appeared in 2 episodes. The hell's with that?
Yo, where the FUCK is Fluttershy?
That said, I really enjoyed the past two episodes and the season itself so far. "Sisterhooves Social" has been my favorite of the season so far for being such a character driven episode and giving more development to Rarity who, after Fluttershy, is my favorite character. "The Cutie Pox" was easily the best Cutie Mark Crusader episode yet (not that that's saying much) and was actually really entertaining.
They're really heavy character focused episodes so far. After Cutie Pox we're having two episodes with Rainbow Dash, one with Rarity (again), and one with Spike.
Not that I have problems with it; I prefer cartoons that focus on one or two characters rather than ensemble. I'm looking forward to the ones with Dash and Spike. These two are amongst my favorite characters (along with Pinkie Pie).
Judging by the amount of episodes dedicated to Rarity, I'm guessing she's the "breakout character" of the show.
Well, lets be honest, before the show started has anyone here ever liked a character like Rarity before? It says a lot when they managed to take a character from one of my least favorite archetypes and managed to make her my favorite character. Also, Tabitha St. Germain knocks it out of the park every time.
Still, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie seem to be getting a bit hosed this season so far. They haven't appeared all that much, and they aren't getting focus any time soon.
Maybe Andrea Libman wasn't available for most of the recording of this first batch of episodes? That's the only justification I can see for Fluttershy and Pinkie not having any focus episodes by now.
So I gave up on the show after the Halloween episode. Am I missing anything, or have my previous beliefs been confirmed?
Quote from: Avaitor on November 23, 2011, 06:38:25 PM
So I gave up on the show after the Halloween episode. Am I missing anything, or have my previous beliefs been confirmed?
What were those previous beliefs?
But if the show isn't really your thing, that's cool, man. No show is for everyone no matter how many people like it. Kudos for sticking with it throughout the entire first season and into season two.
The past few episodes have actually been pretty awesome. "Sisterhooves Social" was a great episode for Rarity (and even Applejack). "The Cutie Pox" was alright... if you don't mind Cutie Mark Crusader episodes, that is. But it did have some pretty amusing gags. "May the Best Pet Win" was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be, even though it was mostly just Rainbow Dash being a bitch to animals for 20 minutes. But Fluttershy was great in it.
We need a damn Fluttershy episode already though.
Like I said in the unpopular opinions thread, I'm starting to completely agree with Thad's thoughts on the show, in that it's nothing special at all. Instead of hating it though, I've just become lukewarm.
I don't know what to tell you, I'm still enjoying it a lot.
Quote from: Desensitized on November 24, 2011, 12:00:49 PM
I don't know what to tell you, I'm still enjoying it a lot.
Yeah, actually kind of liking it a bit more than the first season.
This is one of those shows that's not everyone can get into, so if you haven't enjoyed it before you'll never will. Oh well. (I was never into Nick's Avatar, so what do I know?)
I loved "Sisterhooves Social".
Not that big on "The Cutie Pox". It had Zecora, though, which is a plus, and things did get funnier in the final act.
"May the Best Pet Win" had amusing moments but it was predictable even by FIM standards.
Overall, though, I think season 2 is pretty strong.
I'm enjoying the current season as well. So far I love Sisterhooves Social and consider it the episode of the season. Cutie Pox was decent enough and had some interesting gags. May the Best Pet Win was cute and even though it was predictable that Dash would get the Tortoise, it was still fun. Wasn't really all that wild about the Halloween episode.
Well this is weird. Apparently the Hub used a fanart of Discord in their commercial (presumably) without realizing it.
http://briskby.deviantart.com/journal/My-Art-was-used-in-a-HUB-commercial-270557210
I'd probably feel the same way they feel. That's awesome.
Anyway, I'm still enjoying the show a lot too. This season even more than the first.
Man, I want a party cannon.
I really enjoyed the most recent episode since it was more or less the Rarity show for most of it with her friends making cameos near the end. Basically, she carried the entire thing quite well.
I also thought this one was great. Rarity is amazing and her voice actress, Tabitha St. Germaine, is really quite incredible.
And, yes, PARTY CANNON. I loved Twilight's Elaine dance too.
Finally saw Sweet And Elite.
One of my favorite episodes of the season. Rarity is almost able to carry a whole episode by herself, her song was awesome, the other ponies were great with the little screen time they had (Twilight was so freaking adorable here), and Fancy Pants (and his trophy horse? That's what I'm calling her.) is a surprisingly cool character. I wouldn't mind if he showed up again.
I just wish someone would have called out Upper Crust and her hubby for being complete and utter tools.
And I honestly thought trophy horse was a pink-haired Celestia when she first showed up. o.o
So I saw some back on forth on my Twitter feed about that Derpy character being made canon and how its suddenly offensive. Saw a clip of her on Jake's Facebook and I can't see it at all. When I heard about her sounding retarded, I thought she'd sound like Opie from Family Guy, or that retarded cousin from Drawn Together. She just sounds like Jimmy Neutron to me.
Here's the actual clip in question, if anyone cares (or hasn't seen it yet for themselves). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgcO4HD5rE)
My word; THAT'S it? After finally seeing it myself, I have to agree; I cannot believe this is what actually spawned an entire day's worth of (at times) nasty and bitter argument.
She really does sound a lot like Debi Derryberry (although it's not). Man, people take this show way too seriously.
That's it? There's nothing offensive about her voice at all. Got nothing on Patrick.
I'm just surprised that they really called her Derpy. I mean it has the word "Derp in it. As for the voice, I just found it more funny than anything else. Then again, you're talking to the guy who's rambling on about Katawa Shoujo on Twitter.
Quote from: Kiddington on January 25, 2012, 06:46:43 AM
Man, people take this show way too seriously.
Understatement of the year.
Ooooooooffffff coooooooouuuuuuuuurrrrrrrsssssseeeee, beeeecaaaaaaaaaauuuussssseeee taaaaalllkiiiinnnnnnnng liiikeeee thiiiiis iiiiis reeeeaaaaallly ooooooffeeeeeensssssssiiiiiiiiveeeee.
I also can't believe how much of a shitstorm Derpy caused. Not the "holy crap I can't believe Derpy is canon" shitstorm because honestly it was pretty awesome, but the "Derpy is offensive and a mockery of the mentally disabled" shitstorm. Did these people freak out over characters like Ed? Or Pinky? Or Patrick?
If people were honestly offended by Derpy they were looking way too into things. It's also worth noting that writer of said episode, Amy Keating Rogers, has a son who is mentally disabled. So, yeah, I don't think she would mock something so close to home for her.
Looking back, the only hilarious thing about the Derpy situation is that Tabitha St. Germaine thought that Derpy was supposed to have a penis. Well, that does explain why the voice felt like a grown woman trying to do a young boy's voice, like other voices in this industry.
Funny how the morning I get my "Have a Derpy day!" t-shirt I saw that all that drama had popped up on Equestria Daily. o.o;
I have to say, I enjoyed the latest episode. Some really funny Dash moments (Ninja Dash kills it)
I'm really looking forward to the next one, though. Big Macintosh finally gets an episode!
I finally managed to catch up and the ending to The Last Roundup proves to me that we need a Rarity/Pinkie Pie episode. It's the dynamic with the most potential that is barely ever used!
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on February 05, 2012, 10:14:28 PM
I finally managed to catch up and the ending to The Last Roundup proves to me that we need a Rarity/Pinkie Pie episode. It's the dynamic with the most potential that is barely ever used!
Yeah, it's one of the funniest scenes in the show.
I agree, we need to see an episode about Pinkie and Rarity. What would it be about, tho'?
Quote from: Mr. Big on February 06, 2012, 05:59:24 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on February 05, 2012, 10:14:28 PM
I finally managed to catch up and the ending to The Last Roundup proves to me that we need a Rarity/Pinkie Pie episode. It's the dynamic with the most potential that is barely ever used!
Yeah, it's one of the funniest scenes in the show.
I agree, we need to see an episode about Pinkie and Rarity. What would it be about, tho'?
A road movie parody would be fun.
But really, the playful and overbearing Pinkie Pie and the proper and dignified Rarity make for a great combo and I think that episode was the first episode to use the two together at all.
I'm gonna have "Raritycatchme" in my head for a while. ;D
I think they had some scenes together in Dragonshy, and all of those were pretty hilarious too.
The newest episode was great, one of the best ones, IMO. But then, most Pinkie episodes are. I also enjoyed the addition of Cranky, and I hope he appears again.
That was fucking Bear Hugger from Punch-Out! that played Cranky Doodle Donkey. That was just awesome right there.
And Rhinox from Beast Wars. ;D
That was surprisingly violent and as close to a Rarity and Pinkie team up as I think I'm gonna get, but still really good and probably one of my favorites.
I had actually watched Dragonshy recently and forgot how much I liked their interaction there, so I was so happy to see them hanging out in this one. The whole episode was pretty awesome.
This thread doesn't seem to get much discussion anymore but I am loving this season. These past few episodes have been really top notch.
Yeah, I loved the latest episode. I think Pinkie and Rarity need their own "Odd Couple" style episode in the future.
I'm looking forward to the next two episodes. "It's About Time" because I literally have no idea how that's going to play out. "Dragon Quest" because, c'mon, it's Spike meeting other dragons.
Here's a sneak peek to tomorrow's episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4igWjESBpsg
My god, Twilight is such a NERD ;D
So since season 2's almost done I'd like to say that I'm impressed with the show. Even though Lauren Faust left the show, season 2 managed to remain just as good as season 1 throughout its run and even managed to improve on it as it went along. Unfortunately if rumors are to be believed, season 3 will most likely be its last (I'm hearing 13 to bring it up to 65) but I'm still glad that the show was made at all despite all the insane reactions there has been to it. At the end of the day, it's a good show.
Nonetheless, whoever they get to do another MLP show is going to have a tough time of it.
It's stopping at 3 seasons? Really? I always figured this show received astronomical ratings judging by how hardcore the fanbase is.
Quote from: Foggle on March 10, 2012, 10:43:42 PM
It's stopping at 3 seasons? Really? I always figured this show received astronomical ratings judging by how hardcore the fanbase is.
Most of the staff has indicated that they're wrapping up with the show (as season 3 is currently done writing-wise), which leads me to believe they're capping it off at 65. I'm not sure why no recent animated show seems to go passed 65 episodes anymore, but like TB&TB I find it a total waste to cut it off so early.
I'm going to wait to hear something official before I write it off as canceled. I mean, if the toys are selling (which I understand they are) Hasbro's going to want to keep the show going.
It would be a shame to end the show so soon.
Yeah, I'd like to remain hopeful too. I guess we'll have to wait and see after season 2 is completed.
It'd be a shame to see the show end after a short time. Second season's been fantastic. The time travel episode is probably the funniest the show has done. Even though the focus was on Twilight, Pinkie and Spike really stole the show.
That's a shame if it's true, though admittedly I haven't been keeping up with the series for a while now (though not due to any decline in quality; just kinda thought I needed a break). I should get back into watching it soon; sounds like I've been missing a lot these past couple of months.
After a string of pretty good episodes, this weeks was probably the weakest one of the season by far. There's really nothing noteworthy about the episode at all.
Yeah, it wasn't as strong as the last few, but at least it had more of an adventure focus than some of the recent ones.
And I can't dislike any episode with Rarity in it. :D
"Dragon Quest" probably the most mixed-review episode so far. Alot of people ranks it as one of the best, while others rank it as the worst. There's absolutely no middle-ground here. I fall into the "love it" camp. It's not the best episode in the world, but it's in my "high" list.
Fluttershy cold open
Rarity's suit at the ditch
Spike's cute little apron
Twi, Rarity, and Rainbow's strained smile when waving goodbye, as well as them saying "We're going to follow him, right?" "Of course"
The montage of Spike's journey, complete with Cranky Doodle's cameo.
Their disguise, and the fact that it ctually works because it resembled another dragon
Phoenixes
Spike being glued to one of the photos in the end.
I love how Tabitha delivered Rarity's "I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES IF YOU TOUCH ONE SCALE OF HIS CUTE LITTLE HEAD!"
I'll never understand the complaints about how the dragons were represented, though. I'll just never get that.
Although I do see the overall story as a metaphor for boys liking girly things, and how that's okay. Hmmm, sound familiar? ;D
I think we can agree that this week's was great.
How would you rank season 2 so far? Here's mine:
It's About Time
Hurricane Fluttershy
Hearts and Hooves Day
Putting Your Hoof Down
Sisterhooves Social
Family Appreciation Day
Lesson Zero
Secret of My Excess
Baby Cakes
Dragon Quest
A Friend in Deed
Luna Eclipsed
The Last Roundup
The Return of Harmony
The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
Hearth's Warming Eve
Sweet and Elite
May the Best Pet Win!
Read it and Weep
The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well
The Cutie Pox
Sure, why not? I like randomly ranking things.
Putting Your Hoof Down
The Last Roundup
A Friend in Deed
Hurricane Fluttershy
The Return of Harmony
It's About Time
Baby Cakes
Sisterhooves Social
Hearts and Hooves Day
Lesson Zero
Family Appreciation Day
Secret of My Excess
Luna Eclipsed
Hearth's Warming Eve
Dragon Quest
The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
Sweet and Elite
Read it and Weep
The Cutie Pox
May the Best Pet Win!
The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well
I don't think Rainbow Dash-centric episodes fared as well this season as last. I think mainly because they all had the same concept. Fluttershy's were better since they all played on her traits, Pinkie Pie's were less focused on taking her out of her element and just being challenges for her, Applejack's were good because they usually had a lot of the other characters, and Rarity's were usually only lacking because they lacked other characters for the most part (her stuff was good), while CMC stuff was mixed as usual. Twilight's were standard fare outside of the Time and Lesson Zero episodes because Twlight is only really fun to see when she has no idea what's going on.
Quote from: Mr. Big on March 24, 2012, 09:43:49 PM
I think we can agree that this week's was great.
Hell yes we can. ;D That had to be one of my favorites of the series, let alone the season.
Had funny visual gags (constant Derpy, roid rage pony, creepy pony masks), little nods to the fandom (Fluttershy disguised as a tree, anyone?), Angel not being a jerk, great emotional moments, Dash being incredibly likable, an appearance by Spitfire (one of my favorite side characters), and a pretty good lesson. It avoided them actually breaking the record, and Fluttershy's improvement was believable.
I also enjoyed the designs of the background characters, specifically those twin pegasi, and I liked that we had different supporting characters here than in the last Fluttershy episode (Twilight and RD instead of PP and Rarity. Mixing it up like this is nice).
Must order... (http://www.welovefine.com/1879-escape-from-ponyville.html) :drool:
Oh, it was Escape From New York! I knew her weird outfit in that episode was from something.
Season two has really been hitting it out of the park. This weeks episode has become one of my favorites.
Damn, they're promoting the hell out of the season finale. (http://www.mlponies.com/2012/03/27/the-hub-reveals-another-season-2-finale-clip/)
So will FIM eventually become the Hub's SpongeBob?
Quote from: Mr. Big on March 27, 2012, 02:18:32 PM
Damn, they're promoting the hell out of the season finale. (http://www.mlponies.com/2012/03/27/the-hub-reveals-another-season-2-finale-clip/)
So will FIM eventually become the Hub's SpongeBob?
Not if they stop after Season 3, it won't.
They could milk this thing to no end if they really wanted to, though; the show is popular enough that the online presence alone could keep it going years down the line. I'm still not sure why they'd want to end it so early considering that (if those rumors actually do turn out to be true), unless they really care that much more about quality over a steady paycheck, something that the Spongebob crew obviously doesn't.
Guess we'll see.
Quote from: Kiddington on March 27, 2012, 02:41:11 PM
Quote from: Mr. Big on March 27, 2012, 02:18:32 PM
Damn, they're promoting the hell out of the season finale. (http://www.mlponies.com/2012/03/27/the-hub-reveals-another-season-2-finale-clip/)
So will FIM eventually become the Hub's SpongeBob?
Not if they stop after Season 3, it won't.
They could milk this thing to no end if they really wanted to, though; the show is popular enough that the online presence alone could keep it going years down the line. I'm still not sure why they'd want to end it so early considering that (if those rumors actually do turn out to be true), unless they really care that much more about quality over a steady paycheck, something that the Spongebob crew obviously doesn't.
Guess we'll see.
I'm betting that the "65 episode" rule was the plan in the beginning, before the show aired. But after all this, I wouldn't be surprised if the Hub decides to order more episodes. Whether they'll expand season 3 or greenlight season 4, I do not know.
Honestly, when you take into consideration how many shows have gone south once they surpass the 65 episode rule, maybe it wouldn't be a good thing that MLP doesn't go that far. It does seem like the kind of show that can easily run out of ideas or get stale if it overstays its welcome.
If the staff is leaving, then I absolutely do hope it ends. For all the good the show has done for the brand, letting it go downhill would put it almost back to where it was.
But first I guess we'll see how long season 3 will be first.
I dunno. Just because the original staff leaves doesn't always mean the new people will be terrible. Simpsons still stayed fresh for at least five years after the original team of writers left (post-Cape Feare episodes).
It's one of those "we'll see" moments.
I would just be worried that they would hire people who care about as much as they did when they made the old MLP shows.
Oh, so I've been catching up on the season now. I wasn't crazy on the two CMC, but the two Rainbow Dash ones fared better for me. Especially because I thought she was getting into bitch territory this season, and I thought her eps humanized her a little.
Glad to hear that you're enjoying it. The season mirrors the first in how it seems to get better as it goes. Though the beginning of this season was better than the beginning of the first.
I'm starting to remember why I took a break in the first place. I get tired of hearing "everypony" a lot.
Quote from: Avaitor on March 28, 2012, 05:16:15 PM
I'm starting to remember why I took a break in the first place. I get tired of hearing "everypony" a lot.
To quote myself, words such as "somebody" would also apply to horses. Disputing this fact is like saying that a Macintosh desktop computer isn't a PC. I actually get 20% madder every time I see or hear a pony version of a word. ;)
Oh shell, don't be such a shell-brain.
Shut the smurf up.
Smurf you, man. I smurfin smurfed that smurf all smurfin night smurf.
...okay, I'll stop.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F27.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m1gyw6ZjjL1qdoy3ao1_500.gif&hash=e8481a279e9d64f259238f4cc04c8e090552871e)
Smurf yeah!
Out of curiosity, what's your opinion on the Cutie Mark Crusaders?
I have to say, their episodes have been great this season. The only one I didn't like much was "The Cutie Pox", but the others were gold. So I have high hopes for tomorrow's.
If they were to get a spinoff, would you watch it if, say, it's on-par with their season 2 episodes?
As characters, I don't really mind them, but I don't care much for their episode's either. Granted, their episodes have improved this season, and I hope Scootaloo gets an episode to herself.
They've greatly improved them this season. I know it's an absurd comparison, but the CMC remind me of the kids from South Park. The best episodes of South Park, to me, have always been the ones where it's just the kids being kids. I feel the same away about the CMC. I like to see them just, you know, being kids. Much better than being stuck in Cutie Mark mode.
(BTW, Mr. Big, I don't know if I told you but I'm DarkMatter from Ponygoons! Assuming you're the same Mr. Big. ;))
Quote from: Eddy on March 30, 2012, 08:05:43 PM(BTW, Mr. Big, I don't know if I told you but I'm DarkMatter from Ponygoons! Assuming you're the same Mr. Big. ;))
Yeah, it's me. Nice to see another Ponygoon here!
Yeah, I like how the CMCs act like real kids.
I've probably said it a million times on TZ, but I'll say it here. Why the hell not? I think they're the best written "annoying kid characters" in animation right now. They have pretty funny banter between themselves, and Sweetie Belle was a riot in the Hearts and Hooves episode. However, they're not who I'm watching the show for. I watch it for the Mane Six, and while having a CMC episode once in a while is okay, I hate how many episodes they take up per season. And I pretty much group the three of them as a whole, so in my book, an Apple Bloom episode or a Sweetie Belle episode still registers as CMC in my brain. That's unfair, I guess, but it's pretty much registering as "not a Mane 6 episode" to me. To further that, Spike episodes set off the same signal, and I lose interest in those too.
Granted, I don't mind it if the members of the Mane Six get involved. At least I'm still getting what I like, then. So as stupid as this sounds, I enjoy them, but begrudgingly so. It's like getting a taco when you wanted pizza. Sure, it's still quality, but I wanted pizza.
And if any of that can not be related to at all, I don't blame you. :sweat:
Heh, tomorrow's "FoxTrot" did a FIM joke.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F8U41S.jpg&hash=e17db0419153451f92d302d1c5b353e6c94efd44)
hahaha, oh wow.
And I don't really hate the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but I'm usually not so hot on their actual episodes. I prefer it when they stick to the sidelines than hold their own stories, because theirs tend to get extraordinarily predictable.
First off, looks like we're going beyond 65 episodes. They hired a new writer named Natasha Levinger on the show (http://natashalevinger.tumblr.com/post/20015243203/i-never-thought-id-say-this-but-guys-im-going). Here's her imdb profile (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1573093/). It seems that she has no animation experience prior to FIM. That can be good or bad; I mean, everyone has to start somewhere.
Anyway, I enjoyed this week's episode, personally. I found it funny that Rarity instantly began hating the gossip when she was the target. She does have a hypocritical streak for these things. And wow, you know you goofed up big time when Big Macintosh chews you out. I was expecting the ending to have the paper print an embarrassing story about Diamond Tiara instead. I was surprised that it wasn't even brought up.
I don't mind the CMC, but yeah I'm not the biggest fan of their episodes either. Still, the most recent one was probably one of the best ones. There were a lot of good character moments and jokes.
Though good news on the new writers. That might mean that season 3 might not actually be only 13 episodes but the full 26 if it is still going.
They really need to release a couple of soundtracks for this show already.
I'm really missing Fluttershy this season. Her assertive episode was my favorite so far, but she's been given the shaft otherwise this time.
Yeah, the balance of episodes hasn't been all that generous. Like Rarity had a few of her own episodes but wasn't in a lot of others where she wasn't the main character, Pinkie was really underused this season (last season she had a moment in like EVERY episode), and Fluttershy seems resigned to minor role in almost every episode. Which is why that episode was my favorite since I think they're the best characters on the show.
I really liked season 2 so far, but it hasn't been all that balanced for every character to star in episodes.
I think Pinkie's been given a lot of screentime though. Maybe not as much as last season, but moreso than Fluttershy or RD and Rarity lately.
I do like that they don't find a lame way to shoehorn every character in, like The Simpsons does now, but yeah, it isn't really all that balanced in terms of appearances.
Pinkie wasn't really in much of the first half of the season, and when she was she didn't really have many moments. But yeah, she did have more than Fluttershy.
I did find it kind of annoying they found a way to shoehorn "Derpy" into an episode, but sometimes have episodes missing half the cast. Not to say every episode needs every character, but it does suck when I watch an episode wanting to see how a certain character will react to a situation only to not have them appear at all in it.
They put Derpy in every episode to appease the bronies. It's easier to add her into an episode because she doesn't need to speak to appear.
I do like that Cheerilee and Big Mac are getting more appearances and lines however. The Valentines episode was a hoot.
Oh yeah, I have no problem with expanding the secondary characters (Big Mac in the most recent episode was hilarious), but I would like to see more of the main group interacting. There's only been a few episodes with all six this season.
But hey, I guess that could change by season's end. It's not over yet.
Yeah, Fluttershy has been getting the shaft this season, but the past few episodes she's been really great in. I think Hurricane Fluttershy may be my favorite episode of the series.
Yeah, Hurricane Fluttershy's probably in my top 5 of the series. I really need to re-watch season one, though. This season feels like it has higher highs, but lower lows. I just hope that in season three, we either get more episodes featuring all six or at least have the character focus a bit more balanced. I'd say give us less CMC too, but they'll get the most episodes again no matter what. XD
Oh, and am I the only one that thought it was kind of bitchy when Applejack said that she didn't learn anything a few episodes back?
It kinda was, but the delivery of the line coupled with Applejack trotting across the screen with a hillarious expression made that momet priceless.
Yeah, the way that moment was executed made it work.
There was a fan comic I read where Celestia got that letter, and her response was basically "well why did you even fucking write to me then?" that made me laugh pretty hard. And maybe the Apple family could learn to maybe limit the amount they sell to Pinkie Pie, so others can get some. :P
haha, that reminds me of a great YouTube comment response to the episode where Princess Celestia saw the lesson Fluttershy and the rest of the ponies learned in person.
TS: "Do you want me to write you a letter about what I learned today, Princess Celestia?"
PC: "Uh, Twilight, are you fucking retarded?"
I'd say season 2's better than season 1. This is one of those shows where it gets better as time goes on.
The distribution of how the characters are used doesn't bother me. It gives the show more variety in terms of storylines. Although it can get annoying if your favorite character goes missing for few episodes.
I'd say season 2 as a whole was stronger than season 1. The first half of season 1 was pretty slow, whereas the first half of season 2 was merely slow burn.
The best new character was easily Iron Will, I'd have to say.
I'd also say that, as a whole, season two has been stronger than season one. I do miss seeing the main six characters interact with each other as much as they did in season one, but the pacing and writing has greatly improved and the last few episodes especially have been top notch.
I agree that season 2 has had higher highs and lower lows than the first. I always find it hard to decide if a season with consistency like that is better than a more stagnate consistency. As for now, I'm still undecided.
Anybody enjoy the new episode? Last one before the two part finale!
I really enjoyed this one, it was a bit different than the usual episode and it was nice seeing the whole group together again. Line of the episode: "FINE, I'M GUILTY! I WEAR FALSE EYELASHES!... Oh, and I took a bite of the cake."
I thought today's episode was pretty good but the ending seemed a little... off. I don't know, even if they really wanted the cake, Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy sneaking to eat it seemed really out of character for them.
The movie parodies were great though and I really loved that Rarity line.
Yeah, it was a bit out of character for Fluttershy, but I could see Dash and Rarity making the mistake. Though, I think it would have been even more out of character for AJ to do it.
The James Bond parody was really good, though. Particularly because it made by far the least sense of any of Pinkie's explanations.
It was a bit bland. I really wish they had spent more time on finding clues and piecing things together in place of Pinkie's imaginary scenarios. Twilight solved it so freaking fast after that. The beginning and ending were still enjoyable, though, even if I do agree that the three culprits should have had some kind of consequence. I get that the show is preaching forgiveness, but they weren't even coming forward about it when everything was going down. XD
And that griffon chef is awesome. Glad we got another one besides Gilda.
So, as you guys may know, season one of the show is available for streaming on Netflix. After season two ends they will be adding the second season to Netflix as well. Nice to see the Hub getting the show out there!
I hope I won't have to wait long for it. I'm also glad to see the Hub pushing the show, it really will benefit them to keep it in the limelight as long as possible.
Yep, I know that my local cable company is pushing the Royal Wedding 2 parter by giving it a cross promotion for people to win a trip to London and calling it the 2nd biggest wedding event of the century. They even advertized it's timeslot and I see it on networks like CN and Nick. Thank you local cable provider.
I like the approach the episode took, since I really like mystery stories and all, but it does seem a little bland in hindsight. Most Pinkie episodes do seem to be fairly weak, really.
I don't know, I've really enjoyed all the Pinkie episodes. It's Rainbow Dash's that recently seem to be a little weak for me.
Well, this season at least her eps have been a little weak to me. I quite liked "Feeling Pinkie Keen" myself. RD's haven't been too great, either.
I think Rarity and Fluttershy have the most consistent episodes overall, myself.
I agree that Rarity and Fluttershy seem to get the best episodes. But I thought Pinkie's have been pretty good, myself.
I also feel Dash's have been kind of lacking, though.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F30.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m0shi7WUFf1qbami0o1_r1_500.jpg&hash=7d7ecbee9212cb87dfbd158f5c5668c60b0149fc)
Arthur is prophetic. Who would've thought that it would guess the future of the internet so accurately?
I love the promotional campaign The Hub is doing for the second season finale. I'm starting to wonder if there will be actually references to the Royal Wedding last year.
This episode should be a lot of fun. Too bad I doubt there will be a musical number, as "At the Gala" was by far the best song of last season.
I kind of like Princess Luna. I hoped that we would have seen more of her in season 2, but alas, Luna has only appeared in a single episode so far. I'm not asking that the shows' writers give Luna a story arc or anything; just that they acknowledge the character's existence more than once in a while. Oh, well. Luna was pictured in 1 of the publicity pictures for the Royal Wedding. Perhaps we'll see her there. Even a non-speaking appearance would be better than nothing.
Luna appeared in the finale. Her line was literally "So what'd I miss?"
Anyway, it's been a wild seven months but season 2 ended today. So, any thoughts?
I maintain that the show got better as more episodes come out. We got more episodes focusing on individual characters, animation has improved, alot more jokes, and even episodes focusing on other characters.
I mentioned that there were more episodes on individual characters. Here's a breakdown; there are some overlap, with two or more characters sharing the spotlight. I'm also discounting "The Return of Harmony" and "Hearth's Warming Eve" because it focuses on all 6 ponies together.
Twilight Sparkle - 5
Cutie Mark Crusaders - 5
Rainbow Dash - 3
Pinkie Pie - 3
Rarity - 3
Applejack - 2
Fluttershy - 2
Spike - 2
Princess Luna - 1
Big Macintosh - 1
Cheerilee - 1
Yes, for the sake of convenience, I'm lumping any episodes focusing on CMCs (whether as group or as individuals) into one.
Great finale, probably the best two-parter yet! As a whole, I really liked the season. It lived up to the first season and continued climbing uphill throughout.
Now I'm really curious as to how they can top season 2 next, but as it is the original staff did a bang up job.
Really cute finale. I don't know which season I prefer overall, but it's been a good run so far.
I don't like this show, but this is just ludicrous:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/04/25/my-little-pony?internetfight
Uh hi, there are people in the armed forces who watch My Little Pony believe it or not, I know a few of them. Shit, I know people in their mid-20s who still play with Magic cards. Liking a cartoon show, even if it is about ponies and rainbows, isn't really a bad thing, Jesus.
Well jeez, look where that article is coming from. Can't say I'm surprised, considering the source material.
Even in death, Andrew Breitbart's quote unquote "legacy" remains unchanged.
Yeah, what's with conservatives attacking Bronies? I remember that whole thing with Fox News doing it, and now there's Breitbart's lackeys.
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:32:50 PM
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Won't someone please think of the children?!
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on April 26, 2012, 05:39:11 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:32:50 PM
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Won't someone please think of the children?!
Wouldn't wanna turn the next generation of kids into a bunch of cross-dressing sissies and homos, right? :humhumhum:
Quote from: Kiddington on April 26, 2012, 05:44:08 PM
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on April 26, 2012, 05:39:11 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:32:50 PM
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Won't someone please think of the children?!
Wouldn't wanna turn the next generation of kids into a bunch of cross-dressing sissies and homos, right? :humhumhum:
You have admire a show that teaches young adults basic etiquette and manners their parents apparently never taught them.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:46:48 PM
Quote from: Kiddington on April 26, 2012, 05:44:08 PM
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on April 26, 2012, 05:39:11 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:32:50 PM
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Won't someone please think of the children?!
Wouldn't wanna turn the next generation of kids into a bunch of cross-dressing sissies and homos, right? :humhumhum:
You have admire a show that teaches young adults basic etiquette and manners their parents apparently never taught them.
I would certainly hope it was obvious that I was joking with that statement. :P
Honestly, I'll never understand why the old boys club has such a problem with people outside of the natural demographic liking this show. They never look at this from a quality animation perspective; it's always from a "herp derp boyz canot liek candeh colord ponehz namd flutershy n apeljak!!!!11" point of view. Look past the colorful pastels and (at times) crazy fanbase, and you'll find a wonderful show underneath, but they never want to actually look at it that way.
...of course, again, it's
Andrew Breitbart (or, well now, it's all on his lackeys). As I said, considering the source material, I honestly wouldn't expect anything less.
Quote from: Kiddington on April 26, 2012, 05:53:55 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:46:48 PM
Quote from: Kiddington on April 26, 2012, 05:44:08 PM
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on April 26, 2012, 05:39:11 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 26, 2012, 05:32:50 PM
It's a TV show. Who cares?
Won't someone please think of the children?!
Wouldn't wanna turn the next generation of kids into a bunch of cross-dressing sissies and homos, right? :humhumhum:
You have admire a show that teaches young adults basic etiquette and manners their parents apparently never taught them.
I would certainly hope it was obvious that I was joking with that statement. :P
I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about the fans that always seem to miss the point of episodes/get them wrong, flame the writers, then go on about how many times they spotted Derpy in the background.
It's a very specific group.
Grown men like a cartoon show. THE HORROR.
It's kind of lame that it's more culturally accepted and expected someone of my age and gender to watch Family Guy because it has sex and fart jokes and not My Little Pony.
I enjoy Boy Meets World and Golden Girls both of which are out of my age range, too.
Demographics are not set in stone.
I believe it was the director of MLP:FiM Jayson Theissen who said "We just try to make our show good. Good has no demographic."
Honestly, it might just be the most close-minded thing I've ever read when it comes to MLP.
That whole bit he threw in there about Captain Kirk being a "real man"... jeez, give me a break.
Season two is up on Netflix!
I love how Eddy and Kid's avatars alternate between shy-Shy and Shed-shy. >_<
So it looks like FIM is officially an Emmy-nominated show. Two of the songs were nominated. (http://www.emmyonline.tv/mediacenter/daytime_39th_nominations.html)
You guys are lucky.
Quote from: Nel on May 10, 2012, 10:08:19 PM
I love how Eddy and Kid's avatars alternate between shy-Shy and Shed-shy. >_<
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKfmEV.jpg&hash=fa61f740be7e99d16240a4aef9bc48d99dda6399)
Hey, hey, hey...
Quote from: Eddy on May 11, 2012, 01:05:31 AM
Quote from: Nel on May 10, 2012, 10:08:19 PM
I love how Eddy and Kid's avatars alternate between shy-Shy and Shed-shy. >_<
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKfmEV.jpg&hash=fa61f740be7e99d16240a4aef9bc48d99dda6399)
Hey, hey, hey...
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.fjcdn.com%2Fcomments%2FDONT%2BMAKE%2BFLUTTERSHY%2BTAKE%2BYOU%2BTO%2BHER%2BSHED%2B_2b707149df1c73edf838c8b31391055e.png&hash=4247396b2487d04b50c54057b76287876fd73202)
What'd I tell y'all about COMING IN MY SHEEEEED
Andrew W.K. is a brony.
Need more proof of how amazing this man is?
That doesn't really help his case in my eyes, tbh.
Quote from: Comeau on June 10, 2012, 02:04:52 PM
That doesn't really help his case in my eyes, tbh.
I just know him as that guy with the crappy CNReal show, and half his songs have the word "party" in them.
Quote from: Dr. Insomniac on June 10, 2012, 02:11:55 PM
I just know him as that guy with the crappy CNReal show
He has a CNReal show? Wow. The man is now dead to me.
His music fit the animated Cupcakes video quite nicely, though.
Job's a job. Gotta fund those parties somehow. :awesome:
If you don't like this stuff, you're dead on the inside. (https://twitter.com/#!/AndrewWK)
I just don't understand the internet's fascination with both things. Doesn't make any sense to me.
Quote from: Comeau on June 10, 2012, 02:24:25 PM
I just don't understand the internet's fascination with both things. Doesn't make any sense to me.
Because loud things bring attention. Also, parties.
A little bit of irony; I've never heard an Andrew W.K. song at any of the parties I've ever been to. Case in point, was at a buddy's birthday party yesterday, with beer pong and all, and all that played was a mixture of country music, rap(both good stuff like Biggie and bad stuff like Flo Rida), and some hardcore(he likes stuff like Ceremony). No Andrew W.K. to be found.
So it looks like FIM is going to join "Adventure Time", "SpongeBob", and others by having their own comic book.
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/07/12/idw-announces-my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-comic-by-kat/
The artwork samples are gorgeous, so we know THAT part is going to be great. Hopefully the writer's good.
I saw it too. The artwork is beautiful.
Kind of want.
Funny thing. I saw a FIM fanart by Andy Price a while back, and I wrote that, should there be an FIM comic book, he should draw it. Then they announced it, and surprise! They actually hired Price to handle the art side of the comic.
Here's some info from the artist behind it. (http://andypriceart.deviantart.com/journal/a-Tremendous-THANK-YOU-314611847) It's pretty clear that both he and Katie Cook (the writer) are fans of the show, so they know the settings, at least.
Here are some sample drawings (http://andypriceart.deviantart.com/gallery/36985463) by Price to give you an idea of how it'll look.
Okay, this is funny. It's from a Spanish dub of "Green Isn't Your Color". I think someone in charge of translating missed the joke for this scene.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXkk7c4MZ88
According to Wikipedia (yeah, I know) season 3 will only be 13 episodes after all.
I'm a bit confused as to why nothing can ever go beyond 65 episodes anymore.
I remember hearing in an interview that the staff deny this is the last season though. So we have to wait before speculating first.
It's going to get season 4. They hired a new writer back in April, when the last of the season 3 scripts were being finished.
The question is if it's going to get season 5.
I was asked to write an article about Merriwether Williams, and today it got posted (http://www.mlponies.com/2012/08/15/writer-appreciation-day-2-merriwether-williams/).
What do you think?
I tried to watch this but my pups took it over.
Not sure how many of you guys care at this point, but it appears as though Season 1 is getting a full DVD release. (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/09/shout-factory-to-release-full-season-1.html)
This show has soured on me too much to really get excited over, but I suppose if it's cheap enough someday, I may give it a shot.
If I can get it for a fiver or less, I'll buy one copy each for all of my friends who detest this show as much as I do so I can leave it on their doorsteps, ring the bell, and run. :happytime:
You know, I thought for the longest time it was the disgusting fanbase that was ruining this for me, but upon giving it another couple of viewings after being a way from it for a while... I've come to realize that it just isn't a very good show to me. Not rewatchable at all. I mean, it's still cute, but I've hardly found myself laughing at any of these bits (really not sure what I seen in it the first time around). A lot of it just gets on my nerves now.
Barring the odd episode here or there, I still find it to be a fantastic show. Pre-ordered.
I've actually been starting to think that I'm watching too many shows, and have been planning on dropping some before the season starts. Like Kidd, MLP doesn't have much replay value to me (the morals grate on me, I'm still not crazy on the CMC, and even during first viewings, I've never found it to be a laugh-out-loud funny show), and I don't even record it, so why bother sticking around?
Haven't seen you guys talk about this but, am I the only one that didn't hate that Mysterious Mare-Do-Well episode? The bronies whine that the message is broken because the other Mane Six bragged about their exploits to Dash, but that wasn't it at all. They were giving her a taste of her own medicine. And they didn't bother asking her to tone it down because they knew with her ego that she wouldn't listen, not to mention how much of a cliche that is.
Even if one despises this episode, that doesn't change the fact that how this fanbase treats Merriwether Williams is utterly ridiculous.
Pre-ordered that DVD. Oh yeah.
As for Merriwether Williams, yeah, she's getting a lot of flack. I tried to defend her in this article (http://www.mlponies.com/2012/08/15/writer-appreciation-day-2-merriwether-williams/), but if the comments are any indication...
Who is Merriwether Williams and why do people have such a problem with her work? ???
As I'm writing this that season 1 DVD is ranking #3 in "Movies & TV" DVD category (and #12 overall). Yeah, they're gonna sell plenty of copies.
Quote from: Foggle on September 07, 2012, 09:48:00 PM
Who is Merriwether Williams and why do people have such a problem with her work? ???
Read the article I linked. I pretty much answer all the questions you asked.
Great article man! You should write for us sometime. :)
I think her work on the show sounds quite good, though I suppose I can understand why people would hate it if it's so stylistically and tonally different from the other episodes.
The only episode of Merriweather I didn't like much at all was Mare Do Well. I thought Putting Your Hoof Down was great.
Quote from: Foggle on September 08, 2012, 12:19:14 AM
Great article man! You should write for us sometime. :)
I think her work on the show sounds quite good, though I suppose I can understand why people would hate it if it's so stylistically and tonally different from the other episodes.
I don't think it's that different, although he episodes are more snarky than the others. But then, other episodes have snark, too, just less pronounced.
Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass for now. I have too much stuff going on at the moment.
Well we're always looking for guest contributors, and if you have any more awesome stuff to share and write about like you post on here, send me or Foggle a PM, and we'll work together to have you make an article for us.
If you're too busy to do anything now though, that's fine.
This is a fun read. (http://andrewwk.com/news/rolling-stone-reviews-andrews-appearance-at-the-my-little-pony-convention)
I keep meaning to watch Andrew WK's panel. He seems like quite the character.
In other news, season three starts sometime in November.
Damn. The "My Little Pony" comic book from IDW has sold over 90,000 copies through pre-order. For a comic book put out by an independent publisher (not Marvel or DC), that's very impressive.
The highest-selling comic books hovers around 100,000, so the first issue will pretty much make the Top 10 Highest Selling Comic Books in November.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/10/11/my-little-pony-1-sells-over-90000-copies/
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.zoovy.com%2Fimg%2F2bhip%2Fv1%2FT%2Fts1536_my_little_pony_friendship_is_magic_mighty_fine_cartoon_adult_t_shirt_tee.jpg&hash=24f32d5330cf310160c96b3ef202b3eee9b78d99)
This is an abomination. Ugh.
I don't get it.
I thought you loved British stuff?
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_AH2nFT3Yejc%2FTNf7Cbt0AOI%2FAAAAAAAAABs%2FuV0wjvudY-o%2Fs1600%2FLed_Zeppelin_1977_Black_Shirt2.jpg&hash=fdf3e555f46ffb8afbf5ca2066b73d452e53e199)
Pretty famous rock T-shirt. I've certainly owned a few variations of the shirt.
I don't love British music, mostly because I'm not acquainted with it.
And so what if there are Bronies who happen to be Led Zeppelin fans? I don't really see the abomination in this. It's not like the actual band's become infested with Cutie Marks.
I'm sure everybody knows by now, but season 3 will start in November 10 with a back-to-back two-part episode premiere.
So Zap2It revealed (http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic/episode-guide/EP01330416?aid=zap2it) the names for good chunk of season 3 episodes.
304: One Bad Apple (the bullying episode?) (December 7)
305: Magic Duel (December 3)
306: Sleepless in Ponyville (December 8 )
307: Wonderbolt Academy (December 15)
309: Apple Family Reunion (December 22)
310: Spike at Your Service (December 29)
Episode 308 is skipped.
Now, Zap2It is a pretty reliable source, getting information from the networks themselves. There was a "Strawberry Elves" mix-up, but that was because one of the FiM reruns was paired with an episode from another cartoon that had that name.
So I'm 99% sure the titles are accurate. Some of the airdates are questionable, though. 304 and 305 are set to air on Friday and Monday respectively. Many believe those are actually rerun dates, not the premieres.
Regardless, if they do air all those episodes before the end of the year, then that means that the Hub is burning through Season 3 rather quick. With only four episodes left, the season's going to be over before January ends if the network keeps this up.
So at this point, we know the titles for the majority of the season? What a weird feeling. XD
Quote from: Nel on October 26, 2012, 05:48:52 PM
So at this point, we know the titles for the majority of the season? What a weird feeling. XD
And not one of them hasn't even aired yet!
I'm betting that by the time November 10 rolls around we'll have all 13 titles.
Season 3 started yesterday. Anyone saw the premiere?
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
I have to say, I think this is the best two-parter so far. It didn't feel rushed, the pacing was just right, and all the characters got to do something. In fact, that's the best part; it was really about the characters; the villain was only a plot device for the said characters, which is why I don't mind that he didn't really do anything.
Part 2 especially was interesting, when the main focus shifted to Twilight and Spike. I was already surprised that Spike got alot of screentime, but I never expected him to be the one to save the day, even getting his own stained glass window at the castle. And Shining Armor throwing his wife to get the Crystal Heart was hilarious, even if they played it straight.
Unlike alot of people I never cared much for two parters, preferring one-shots, but this one was actually pretty good. In fact, it felt like a regular episode that got stretched double length.
The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic season 3 opener was OK. The best line of the episode was delivered by Princess Cadence to Twilight Sparkle "One day, we have to get together when the kingdom's safety isn't hanging in the balance."
Generally, I'm lukewarm to the 2-part episodes. I don't think that it's necessary for every season to start with a 2-part episode with the ponies trying to defeat some Big Evil. This one in particular seemed forced and rushed, like they just did it because they have to it at the start of each season. I much more prefer the stand alone strictly-for-laughs episodes. The best part of this one was the fact that it turned out to be Spike who saved the day, and he even got his due for doing so! Also, Luna shows up for this one. True, she didn't do very much, but at least she was there.
I started watching this recently, I'm really starting to like it alot, I'm sure it'll get even better from here on..!
And Pinky Pie's voice is great, I'm loving it, especially when she occasionally sings :D
Really? Her voice grates on me easily.
I guess i just like the hyperactive type :lol:
I saw the two episode premiere and thought it was pretty good. So far it seems like they've kept up the quality, I hope the rest of the season is as good as that was.
Pinkie Pie is one of those characters that you either really love or hate.
One side sees her as a funny, wacky character. The other side sees her as an annoying character who never shuts up. I like her, personally, although she's not my favorite character.
She's like Screwy Squirrel, basically.
She works much, much better as a side character or background character. In episodes that focus on her, and the Luna episode, she's generally annoying as hell.
I still haven't caught the 2-parter, but I'm not really in any hurry. I'm burned out on the show (and definitely burned out on the fandom), so I think I'll just wait until the end of the season to watch everything.
I actually do rather like Pinkie Pie as a character. It's her voice hat I can't stand.
Pinkie Pie is my favorite character behind Rarity. But yeah, she is annoying in some episodes like the Luna one.
Pinkie Pie is OK in small doses, though it does kind of bug me how she appears on more merch than any other character on the show. Pinkie Pie's funny and all, but she's not the whole show.
My personal favorite Pony is Applejack.
Quote from: Silverstar on November 15, 2012, 08:13:33 PM
Pinkie Pie is OK in small doses, though it does kind of bug me how she appears on more merch than any other character on the show. Pinkie Pie's funny and all, but she's not the whole show.
I dunno, it seems like Rainbow Dash is getting just as much merch as Pinkie, at least among the older fan stuff.
And personally, I think RD is just a bitch.
Anyone think that the Clone Pinkie episode is a parody of how fans perceive Pinkie to be? Alot of people view Pinkie as a one-dimensional hyper Pony who can only think of "fun" all the time, which is how the clones were depicted. The real Pinkie, however, is shown having multiple emotions, going into existential crisis.
Basically the episode was done to show people that Pinkie is more than a fun-loving pony.
Quote from: Avaitor on November 15, 2012, 08:28:25 PM
Quote from: Silverstar on November 15, 2012, 08:13:33 PM
Pinkie Pie is OK in small doses, though it does kind of bug me how she appears on more merch than any other character on the show. Pinkie Pie's funny and all, but she's not the whole show.
I dunno, it seems like Rainbow Dash is getting just as much merch as Pinkie, at least among the older fan stuff.
And personally, I think RD is just a bitch.
I can attest.
Just go to Hot Topic for visual proof. They actually had a lot of FiM stuff, and I swear like 98% of it was Rainbow Dash. Shirts, hats, plushies,
backpacks... you name it.
I can't wait for the season 1 set to be shipped soon. I haven't seen any of those episodes in well over a year, and I've only watched this show once on an actual television. It will be awesome to re-watch everything on something that isn't a tiny YouTube window.
/still hasn't watched any season 3. :unimpressed:
The Pinkie episode was really good and a nice showing of why she's a great character. She showed that she wasn't as completely one-sided as people considered her being, she was simply over the top in everything she did. So far I'm really digging this season, and I'm glad it hasn't lost its heart.
Has anyone read the IDW comic book yet? It's on Comixology for what its worth.
I love it, personally. A little dark (it's a Pony remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers") but it's great. The artwork is fantastic and there are a LOT of jokes; maybe too much. That said, this comic is clearly made for existing fans of the show, because you won't understand the story unless you watch the show on a regular basis.
I think the artwork in the comic is better than the show's animation style. The facial expressions are just superb, especially Pinkie.
I don't think anyone predicted that the sales would be so high. Most comic book stores are already sold out, some BEFORE the release date due to pre-orders. It's actually in THIRD printing right now.
Thankfully I pre-ordered three months ago, although they didn't get around shipping it until today. I already read the comic on Comixology but I'm planning on re-reading it when my print copy arrives.
I might wait for a graphic novel that showcases all the alternate covers down the road. Saves money and the rampant alt cover whoring irks the collector in me. Still, I like what I'm hearing about it.
The variant covers don't bother me much. I'd just pick the ones I like best. And to put it in perspective, Godzilla #1 from IDW had ONE HUNDRED variants (it was the same drawing of Godzilla smashing a comic book store, with the logo of the store being different, but still).
The nearest comic book store is an hour away. On a whim, I called and the lady who answered (who talks just like Applejack, seriously) told me "They're all gone. They came in this week and they're all gone."
Today's episode is something that everyone asked for: The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned.
I actually loved this one so much that I rewatched it afterwards, which is something I rarely do these days, whether FiM or Gravity Falls or whatever. Lots of details, with a ton of reference to previous episodes (in addition to "Boast Busters", we have references to "Swarm of the Century", "Winter Wrap-Up", and "The Cutie Mark Chronicles"). Also, I love that Pinkie had no mouth for most of the episode.
And Rule 63 Applejack was SORTA canon (actually Big Macintosh painted orange)
They packaged my Season 1 DVD with the Iron Maiden albums I ordered. That was an interesting package opening. ;D
But I have it, and I'm happy.
Somehow, I have yet to see Eddie be drawn as a pony. You'd think that would have happened by now.
Quote from: Avaitor on December 05, 2012, 07:29:17 PM
Somehow, I have yet to see Eddie be drawn as a pony. You'd think that would have happened by now.
I'd only accept it in the IM style, and not the flash style MLP uses. :awesome:
Okay, Scootaloo's focus episode was sweet. And I like that, even after all that, we still don't know anything about her family ;D
Okay, so how about a discussion? I don't know if anyone noticed, but out of six Season 3 episodes that have aired so far only one has a letter to Celestia (Too Many Pinkie Pies). Every other episode have the moral explained through dialogues between characters. We'll probably have more letters as the season continues, but I find this interesting, nontheless. In addition, several Season 2 episodes have no letter as well.
So my question to you is, do you think this trend will grow as the show goes on? I don't think they'll get rid of the letters entirely, but I can see this becoming the show's "They Killed Kenny" moment, in that it will now only occur once or twice a season.
I think after 2 seasons the writers realized that they don't need a letter to Celestia in each episode in order to deliver the show's Aesops. Since it's been established as a staple of the show, they likely won't eliminate the friendship letters entirely, but they definitely don't need to do it every week anymore.
I know a lot of viewers are having a fangasm over Luna's appearance in "Sleepless in Ponyville". Apparently since Luna's the princess of the night, she can enter peoples' dreams, which is both kind of cool and a little creepy at the same time.
I marathoned every season 3 episode late last night, having not watched any of it. So far, my initial impressions would be:
The Crystal Empire - Part 1 sucked. Part 2 was... okay. I don't know, the whole thing felt like it took too long to get to the point, the songs were kind of bland, Sombra makes for an awful villain (really he was just more of an impending wall of doom than an actual character), the whole premise was just kind of... weird to me. So this place and it's people just get displaced for 1000 years and they're needed to... spread love and happiness? Weren't we already getting that?
At the very least, there were some interesting things we learned, such as Celestia and Luna preparing Twilight for something bigger. And, as was the case with any "bad" episodes of the show, the animation is still good (noticeably better this season, in fact), and the dialogue between the characters is still fun.
Too Many Pinkie Pies - Wow. First Pinkie Pie episode I think I've actually really liked since Part Of One.The whole thing was just fun to watch. Though I do think they should have realized that the real Pinkie Pie was the sad one. That would have been a better realization for the rest of the main characters rather than watching paint dry. And the way Twilight was making the clones swell up and explode was probably as gruesome as this show is going to get. XD
One Bad Seed - And once more, a character focus I usually hate ends up being one I love. This was one of the best CMC episodes they've done, an the characters really are improving as time goes on. I quite enjoyed how they handled the whole bullying thing (heck, most of it took place in their cute little song), and the entire parade segment of the episode was fun to watch. I like that the kids were able to sort out the lesson themselves without Applejack interfering. Also, the initiation of Babs actually made me laugh out loud, which is rare for this show. Specifically, the part where Scootaloo is going nuts on the drumming and Sweetie Belle is trying read through the list of titles Scootaloo wrote.
Magic Duel - This should have been the two-parter this season. Had a lot of great ideas, but was really badly paced. Seriously, the whole episode felt extremely rushed, and the actual duels felt rather lame. Those weren't duels, they were pissing contests. So, lowest point of the season for me. Not a bad episode, just really disappointing. Though there was one pretty random line that I loved: "The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't trust wheels!"
Sleepless In Ponyville - Best episode of the season. Wouldn't you know it, Scootaloo's first focus episode is pretty fantastic. The animation was great, the humor was great, and the use of Luna was actually a pretty welcome surprise. They didn't even overuse her! I was impressed. And everything about that ending was pretty adorable. Though you still have to wonder if Scootaloo actually has a family so far.
So far, this season is pretty great. The episodes I didn't like aren't terrible, I just kind of think they're bland and rushed. They still had some great animation and dialogue moments. The episodes that are good? They're some of the best in the series, and if season 3 keeps up at this level of quality it could easily be the best one of the bunch.
Somewhere, thousands of Bronies throw a hissy fit in unison. (http://www.screwattack.com/news/my-little-pony-mmo-violates-copyright-law-and-shut-down)
Bronies are literally the best (http://www.tvguide.com/News/TVs-Best-Fans-Conest-Winner-1057708.aspx), so says TV Guide.
EDIT: And I just noticed that there are only two cartoons on the list. The other is "Family Guy".
Huh, so the next episode, "Wonderbolts Academy", got leaked, and by the Hub no less.
I saw it. This is probably the best characterization Rainbow Dash has ever gotten. On the other hand, nothing much happens although Lightning Flash is an interesting character.
The downside is Pinkie Pie. She was really, really annoying in this episode.
I haven't seen it, but from what I'm hearing, Spitfire doesn't even acknowledge that she knows RD? That true? Because if so, what the butt?
That's not Spitfire. That's her original character, Clitfire. Different voice and everything.
:unimpressed:
...Seems legit.
It's Spitfire alright, but yeah, she got a different voice actor.
It didn't bother me much, personally. He didn't get many lines in previous appearances anyway. I didn't even notice until somebody pointed it out.
Just saw it, and it was really good. Man, season three has been on a roll. This may have just taken the best Rainbow Dash episode spot for me. I love how even though she was disappointed in not being the Lead Pony of her team, she was reluctant to follow along with Lightning Dust showing up the rest of the class almost each time. And the scene where she walks into Spitfire's office to tell she doesn't want to be a Wonderbolt if they reward recklessness was a strong character building moment.
This is one of the other reasons I hopped on the Pony train. Even though the show is episodic, MLP: Friendship is Magic has some pretty darn good characterization.
As for Spitfire, I don't recall a single line of dialogue that implied she didn't recognize Rainbow Dash. Unless you want to count her saying she looked like the weakest flyer, but I'm positive that was just drill-sergeant talk.
The look Fluttershy got when she didn't fly to save herself near the end was pretty funny.
I agree, this episode was probably Rainbow Dash's best appearance simply because she wasn't a jerk throughout. All in all, this was pretty good. The season itself has been pretty strong, too.
I also think it was the best Dash episode yet, and I'm not the biggest fan of Dash episodes. But I really liked her in this one.
I agree that Pinkie was pretty annoying in this one, though. And I usually really like Pinkie.
We just got season 1 and 2 here on Netflix and I watched the Christmas episode just to see what it looked like on the screen. It's nice to have the series in a decent place.
A preview for tomorrow's episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVZ5vo83odo
OK, Baby Applejack is adorable.
Today's episode was...well, average. This is one of the most "slice of life" ep we're gonna get, and it was alright. Nothing major happened, just a family reunion gone awry.
The highlight for me was the return of Babs Seed. I didn't expect her to show up again so soon. She's one of the more interesting Season 3 characters so I'm okay with her making guest appearances throughout the rest of the show's run.
And it seems that they did took care of her bullying problems. She mentioned that she's at a new school now.
Also, this is the 60th episode of the show. Man, it just seemed like yesterday when I first discovered the show, which only had 12 episodes out at the time.
So they just announced the synopsis for the first 2013 episode.
HE'S BACK!!! :shakeshakeshake:
QuotePrincess Celestia tasks the ponies with reforming Discord, a mischievous spirit of disharmony, but Fluttershy is the only one who is willing to give him a chance.
Well, she was the only one who wasn't really tricked by him before, so that's understandable.
Discord returned in today's episode. What'd you all think?
Oh, and it was written by a 15-year old brony. Seriously. (http://intensedebate.com/people/TeddyAntonio)
I like that they brought Discord back like that. He's too good of a character to leave as a one-shot, and logically it should have been Fluttershy since his powers were the least effective on her in the first place.
By now everybody knows that Twilight will become a princess in the season finale, and yeah, it appears to be permanent.
And man, are the reactions hilarious! Seriously, I think this may bring interesting things to the show. The wait for season 4 is going to be murder.
Quote from: Mr. Big on January 29, 2013, 09:12:34 PM
By now everybody knows that Twilight will become a princess in the season finale, and yeah, it appears to be permanent.
And man, are the reactions hilarious! Seriously, I think this may bring interesting things to the show. The wait for season 4 is going to be murder.
You're nakak, right? Thanks for bringing some common sense to the TZ thread. I can't believe the meltdown people are having over this.
Why must a show end just because characters reach their goal or the end of their story arc? Can we not just start a new story arc based on that development? Can the characters still not participate in the zany antics of Ponyville just because they've realized their dreams? What the hell, people?
And as much as I love Lauren Faust, she's gone. People need to let that "original vision" thing go. You either roll along with what the current team is doing or you don't. As I said in the other thread, I can't stand talking to bronies anymore because of shit like this.
Wow, you guys weren't kidding about the meltdowns.
I dunno, the whole thing makes sense to me. But then, I don't expect the show to pander to me, I'm not in the demographic or the target audience.
Wow.
This fanbase is so embarrassing sometimes.
Now I know why I don't associate with Bronies anymore.
I will say this, mlponies.com is the best Pony fan forum ever. The reactions to the news were way more mature than, well, everywhere else.
Not everyone is happy about it, but they're handling it way better.
I said this at TZ, but I'm still certain that 313 was supposed to be the final episode of the show, but with the popularity and the publicity it's been getting, they're extending the show's run.
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
Juu aside. I don't know what's more peculiar about the guy, his obsession with Rarity or Doug Walker's demise.
Quote from: Avaitor on January 29, 2013, 10:26:42 PM
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
Juu aside. I don't know what's more peculiar about the guy, his obsession with Rarity or Doug Walker's demise.
DOUG WALKER'S DEMISE! DOUG WALKER'S DEMISE! DOUG WALKER'S DEMISE! :>
Quote from: Avaitor on January 29, 2013, 10:26:42 PM
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
I've seen far worse out there.
Yeah, I don't get why he follows and comments on literally everything Walker does if he's clearly not a fan, but oh well.
Sorry, when I said meltdown, I meant more Equestria Daily than tz. :sweat: Didn't clarify that.
Yeah, the fan sites are really having it out. All I had to do was one simple search and got a ton of meltdowns.
Seems relatively calm in comparison to the rage over ASM #700.
Quote from: Avaitor on January 29, 2013, 10:26:42 PM
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
Juu aside. I don't know what's more peculiar about the guy, his obsession with Rarity or Doug Walker's demise.
=|
I'd say neither, but his ineffable inclination to libertarian pursuits.
Quote from: Il Juude on January 29, 2013, 10:52:08 PM
Quote from: Avaitor on January 29, 2013, 10:26:42 PM
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
Juu aside. I don't know what's more peculiar about the guy, his obsession with Rarity or Doug Walker's demise.
=|
I'd say neither, but his ineffable inclination to libertarian pursuits.
Wait a minute... I thought you had an account here already? Or am I mistaken?
Quote from: Il Juude on January 29, 2013, 10:52:08 PM
Quote from: Avaitor on January 29, 2013, 10:26:42 PM
The tz replies really don't seem that bad.
Juu aside. I don't know what's more peculiar about the guy, his obsession with Rarity or Doug Walker's demise.
=|
I'd say neither, but his ineffable inclination to libertarian pursuits.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m7zhl8vDyw1qiufbs.gif&hash=95e08e9360cdb5d7a4aaa16fe30766d9e5aea762)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F24.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m5ggkprGTo1ruevfjo1_500.gif&hash=27e4367464c4ae190fcea08858f1d7b584fd68c2)
Man, when did Google's image searches become such a pain in the ass?
Avaitor has summoning powers.
Now let's get John Lasseter on the board. There's a few things I wanna ask him.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on January 29, 2013, 10:45:21 PM
Yeah, the fan sites are really having it out. All I had to do was one simple search and got a ton of meltdowns.
Same.
There's also Twitter as well... :humhumhum:
There's also tumblaaaar and Facebook as well. I don't need to throw a stone there to hit an overreaction at anything.
Stay tuned for AR's scathing editorial on how writers should never develop a character arc that extends from episode one to the series (at the time it was written, I assume) finale.
Thankfully I've gone through the Kubler-Ross stages of grief regarding this, and while uncertain about it, I have to accept that it will happen and watch to see how it all comes out.
Also Avaitor, add Brentalfloss's demise to my peculiarities. Although given this comic, it's probably well justified -
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbrentalflossthecomic.com%2Fimg%2Fcomic%2F142.jpg&hash=fe0e52ee0d45304b9dfbab0ebc4810f3879993c1)
Still not as peculiar as the cumstains on Avaitor's copy of Self Magazine.
I don't even know what Self Magazine is.
That copy of Decibel with Ghost on the cover, though. Damynnn.
One more week until the world is destroyed and the screams of a million bronies cripples the ears and minds of all within earshot of them. :sly:
Okay episode btw. Copy-pastey from that other site:
"Man they're really ran Dave Polsky ragged. Too Many Pinkie Pies, Spike at your Service, Keep Calm and Flutter On, and now Games Ponies Play. From this ep I think he's quite winded out already.
But this said, this was okay all things considered. For an episode that was inspired by one from Fawlty Towers I was expecting a TAD bit more anarchy and chaos. But most of the time it was a bit too restrained and the cues too obvious for their own good. I know this is for kids but maybe a bit of nuance would've worked wonders. But in terms of a "We got to try and impress these people" plot line, this was better than the much more boring "Apple Family Reunion", which was more concerned about setpiece than characters, which this had in spades with Rainbow Dash doing her hardest to impress the 'inspector'.
There were some nice moments like Rarity's facial reactions, Dash's eagerness, Pinkie's "Nooooo!" moments, and some clever ones at how the ending panned out (c'mon it was expected, but it worked well that she would meet up with the mistaken inspector) linked together this and "Just For Sidekicks", especially what Twilight learned in this episode as well as the quick scenes. Like nakak, this would've really segued much better if it aired beforehand than that one, but overall it was alright. Nothing TOO great, but nothing TOO bad.
One more episode and everything either hurts or doesn't."
I think I prefer Spike's side of the story than this one, but I'm giving the FiM team thumbs up for doing the "two different episodes taking place in same day" format. The only other cartoons I can think of that did this are South Park (the Meteor Shower trilogy) and Chowder (Wrong Address/Customer).
The storyline was very obvious, though. Hell, a 1960s Deputy Dawg cartoon told the same story, and in only four minutes (vs. Pony's 22 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmFA9xnH_eU
I'm surprised that Dave Polsky had the most screen credit this season; he also wrote "Too Many Pinkie Pies" and "Keep Calm and Flutter On", plus the story for "Spike at Your Service". I guess he has to catch up; he was missing for the entirety of season 2.
EDIT: Oh, and while we're at it, somebody edited the two episodes into one:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GESefH3Smis
Fan Project-wise I've only ever really gotten into Turnabout Storm.
Phoenix Wright x FiM is a combination that works surprisingly well and brings out a lot of the strengths of each series.
But otherwise, I don't really go into any of the fanmade stuff.
So basically next season of FiM is going to be the equivalent of B5 Season 5 pretty much.
Yesterday's episode "Magical Mystery Cure" seemed more like series finale than a season finale to me. This was also significant in that it was the first season finale in FiM that wasn't a two-parter.
I'm wondering where Twilight Sparkle is going to live now. It's highly unlikely that she'll continue living in a library within a hollow tree now that she's a royal.
Quote from: Lord Dalek on February 17, 2013, 07:16:19 AM
So basically next season of FiM is going to be the equivalent of B5 Season 5 pretty much.
Then they'll cancel it and 9 years later they'll release a DVD entitled My Little Pony (Lost) Tales?
Quote from: Foggle on February 17, 2013, 11:54:46 AM
Quote from: Lord Dalek on February 17, 2013, 07:16:19 AM
So basically next season of FiM is going to be the equivalent of B5 Season 5 pretty much.
Then they'll cancel it and 9 years later they'll release a DVD entitled My Little Pony (Lost) Tales?
Not until.we get a spinoff with Harvey Birdman.
I don't even know what to think anymore. On its own, the finale is not too bad, but taken within the context of the series (which has precedence in how it could cap off seasons or fairly epic tales) it's sadly very mediocre and at worst, heavy-handed and didactic. Other episodes I would feel as if the songs were allowing me to have fun and enjoy myself, here I felt like I was being talked down to and bludgeoned with the obvious. Everything in this episode felt very manufactured (yes yes strange it's a toy commercial and all), compared to the others which felt more organic so to speak.
Plus it raises a lot of questions that don't need to be asked but probably will anyway.
Quote from: Goldstar on February 17, 2013, 08:51:50 AM
This was also significant in that it was the first season finale in FiM that wasn't a two-parter.
Season 1 didn't end with a two-parter (The Best Night Ever)
Anyway, yeah, that episode did have that "last episode" feel to it. I wouldn't be surprised if they wrote it so that it can work as a final episode just in case it wasn't picked up for season 4.
Really, I think the show's massive popularity kept it from being cancelled after 65 episodes.
At least that one had build-up, it had like two episodes to get us warmed up and then it got us going for it. This one? Not so much.
For something that would have been written as a final episode, they really sorta mucked that one up. I think the 13 episode shift caused them to stumble extensively. They built up a lot of momentum in those first few episodes then after "Sleepless in Ponyville" they tumbled and never got back up.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Fb7c8fe41c9deefea0aa9c0835589cbf3%2Ftumblr_mkchueJh2q1s4i2sio1_500.png&hash=ea75780643dc00f30ee60c3609d1eb1f8969f07b)
:sly:
Just made my season 2 pre-order.
http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Little-Pony-Friendship-Magic-Season-2/18246
Looking at that image does make me wonder... Is Matt Hill done with his marathon thing? Cause I can't recall if he had a role on MLP yet.
He played Soarin'.
http://kotaku.com/how-to-make-my-little-pony-cuter-give-it-a-japanese-th-465100543 (http://kotaku.com/how-to-make-my-little-pony-cuter-give-it-a-japanese-th-465100543)
I wish I had a better link than that, but whatever. :)
I think we have come full circle. Though this is kind of song I expected MLP to have in a Japanese release.
The outro too, is quite fitting.
Not bad themes, though. Recent anime themes have a tendency to be un-listenable.
I actually kind of like the intro better than the actual MLP theme. Sounds very cute.
Can I ask a random question- is Rainbow Dash anyone's favorite pony?
I see her get a lot of love in merchandising, but I can't think of too many people who favor her over any of the other ponies. Even Applejack seems to have more of a fanbase than RD does (no offense, Kidd).
She has a huge fanbase from what I've seen online but not so much in real life. I'm not really sure who the most popular character is, though I guess it's probably Twilight.
That is a good question. I do remember seeing a girl walk around the store I work at wearing a Derpy Hooves T-Shirt. Keep in mind, this was a high-school level girl. Merchandise is weird like that.
But everyone knows my favorite is Pinkie Pie. That still holds true to this day. Hell, she's also Andrew WK's favorite pony. I only remember a few people liking RD, she is my least favorite of the Mane 6.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie are my favorites. Though they didn't get a whole lot of room in season 3 (though at least the latter got one really good episode), I'm not really sure how popular they are with kids.
It does seem like Pinkie and Fluttershy are among the most popular ponies.
The latter gets almost no merch, though.
I still like all six of them. :??: I believe Beau was a big Rainbow Dash fan.
My favorite is Applejack. By all accounts I should find her the least appealing (no magic powers like the unicorns, no flying powers like the Pegasi or even LOL random powers like Pinkie Pie, workaholic), but she's my fave out of the Mane 6, with Twilight Sparkle at a close second.
I don't dislike Pinkie Pie, but she's best taken in small doses. A little Pinkie goes a long way for me.
Out of the Mane 6, my favorite is Twilight Sparkle because she's smart and scholarly without being a stereotypical nerd, and also because she's purple (my favorite color). Plus, she's a unicorn, and unicorns are cool.
Rainbow Dash is currently my 2nd favorite pony.
Quote from: Peanutbutter on April 17, 2013, 06:40:43 AM
I still like all six of them. :??: I believe Beau was a big Rainbow Dash fan.
I thought she switched to Fluttershy around the time she went through some, uh, personal changes.
Fluttershy and Rarity are my two favorites.
Dash is my least favorite, by far. She's alright but I don't like her nearly as much as the others.
Got Season 2 in the mail today. Overall, same kind of packaging as Season 1. I like the consistency. Except the inside cover when you open the case is the Season 2 cast poster. Freakin' awesome. And the villains are on the back cover. Here's hoping the wait for the Season 3 DVD only takes a few months like this one did, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't. I do like how quick they were to release this after Season 1, though.
I will legitimately pay one of you to go see Equestria Girls in the theatre and write a review for us.
I'm gonna' need to see proof that you actually saw it at the theatre (and not online), though.
...How much money we talkin'?
Quote from: Rynnec on May 19, 2013, 04:22:37 PM
...How much money we talkin'?
How much you want?
Depends on how horrible the movie is. :thinkin:
Will you give us money for the ticket and snacks?
Quote from: Daxdiv on May 19, 2013, 08:32:32 PM
Will you give us money for the ticket and snacks?
Yes.
Hmm I mite consider
I got a friend who's a big-time brony (srsly the guy cosplayed Big Mac once)
I would do this.
But I'm 100% certain we won't get it here.
Say as above ^
I think the closest place that probably would show it is in Atlanta, or at the very least Marietta/Kennesaw area
I'll just leave this riiiiiiiiight overrrrr...............................................................................
here... ;D (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJcVZ6x3TrA&list=PLKv_4uDE2RMH-pp53rqW23eWt93MsaoZA)
Not a brony, but I do get laughs at some of the parodies I run into on YouTube occasionally.
Hasbro knows exactly what they're doing with the release of Equestria Girls. The human character designs look smart and nicely complimentary of their pony counterparts. Yeah, I'm predicting Hasbro's going to do really well with this. Not so much with the limited release movie in theaters, but more so in the DVD/Blu-ray and toy merchandise. If it ends up doing really well, expect a sequel or five. Hasbro stocks might be extra healthy in the coming months.
this is what my life has come to (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0mezsIK2g)
Quote from: Foggle on June 29, 2013, 01:27:32 AM
this is what my life has come to (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f0mezsIK2g)
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg690.imageshack.us%2Fimg690%2F1100%2F89zs.gif&hash=46fb54bb62133ca21f9199acacbe2278c13b50f7)
He's reading and we're listening to the whole thing Lord Il, you may laugh now, but you'll cry in both laughter and disgust once you hear the rest, once the other parts are up..! :light:
Is this one of those things where it's better to be there live? Cause if it is.... I really need to invest more time into Skype.
Well if I can be allowed to join on this...interesting thing
Foggle knows where to find me on Skype.
Quote from: Micki! on June 30, 2013, 07:33:44 PM
He's reading and we're listening to the whole thing Lord Il, you may laugh now, but you'll cry in both laughter and disgust once you hear the rest, once the other parts are up..! :light:
It's disturbing as hell, but Foggle's execution of it is what makes this really shine! :worship:
Quote from: TheEclecticDude on June 30, 2013, 10:15:37 PM
Well if I can be allowed to join on this...interesting thing
Foggle knows where to find me on Skype.
For this particular story everything has already been recorded, so we won't return to it :-X
It's just a pain to edit so it's being cut into parts, that's why only part 1 is up so far, the other parts will go on youtube eventually, the coming fridays I guess..!
I think if Fanfiction Friday gets popular enough, it would be a great idea to have more people join in for the fun ;D
Ah alright then.
Keep me posted on that.
I would love to dramatically read some pony porn after a night of drinking. .3.
^I couldn't do it without first having a few drinks in me.
But yeah, I could have some major fun with a dramatic reading of it, though. ;D
I don't have pay TV anymore, so I'm pretty far behind on Season 4. The last episode I finished was "Bats!"...I admit, "Fluttershy as a vampire" is one of those out-there ideas of the sort I wish the show would use more often.
Don't feel too bad, I still haven't gotten past Castle Mane-ia. I think my interest has pretty much crashed and burned at this point. Maybe I'll try getting through some on my next day off.
I'm waiting for it to be added to Netflix. Season 3 was added really fast, so I expect the same here.
Plus, I prefer watching the show in chunks.
I lost interest in MLP during the third season and decided not to keep up with the fourth, but I might marathon it when it comes on Netflix, if just to see some of the more interesting episodes I've heard it has to offer.
I don't think I'll ever stop being annoyed at the animated ponies some people put on their Tumblrs.
Quote from: Nameless on June 05, 2014, 11:45:54 PMI don't think I'll ever stop being annoyed at the animated ponies some people put on their Tumblrs.
Then don't go to their Tumblrs.
Just finished the fourth season. All in all, I have to say that it was definitely an improvement over season 3, which I personally found to be quite lackluster most of the time (that bully episode is probably my least favorite episode of the show). The season finale was very good with Tirek being by far the most genuinely evil and menacing villain the series has ever had. In a way he reminded me of Vaatu, in the sense that both had a certain 'final boss'-vibe to them. I know that a fifth season has been announced, but frankly, after Tirek, I'd be happy if season 5 didn't have a big bad or at least if the hypothetical big bad was something different than another ancient evil from Equestria's past (I guess they could bring back the Changelings, but they already did that in the comics).
Quote from: Pharass on June 14, 2014, 12:58:35 PM
Just finished the fourth season. All in all, I have to say that it was definitely an improvement over season 3, which I personally found to be quite lackluster most of the time (that bully episode is probably my least favorite episode of the show). The season finale was very good with Tirek being by far the most genuinely evil and menacing villain the series has ever had. In a way he reminded me of Vaatu, in the sense that both had a certain 'final boss'-vibe to them. I know that a fifth season has been announced, but frankly, after Tirek, I'd be happy if season 5 didn't have a big bad or at least if the hypothetical big bad was something different than another ancient evil from Equestria's past (I guess they could bring back the Changelings, but they already did that in the comics).
I'm going to agree with this.
Last week it was added to Netflix here and I've been watching it off and on over the week.
I really liked it. A definite step up from season 3 which was fairly lopsided, with a lot of fun character moments. Actually, this season to me feels like they had the most fun making the show since season 1. There's a lot of fun character moments, clever turns of phrase, and morals that work more into the story than being the point of them. I also agree that the finale was probably my favorite of all the finales in addressing most of the fan complaints from season 3 (Discord turns good, Princess Twilight is a fanfic come to life) and making them integral to certain storylines. All in all, I thought it was great and is possibly in the running for best season. Don't get the complaints at all.
Bring on season 5!
So this sounds pretty cool. (http://t.co/ygMIguwY1h)
The music on the show is remarkably catchy. This could be really good.
The long hiatus is over, after nearly a year! And once again, we began with a 2-parter, and quite possibly the best one yet.
Without rambling too much, My Little Pony did a two-part episode about cults and totalitarianism. For a show with over the top villains, this one was the creepiest one they ever had.
Uncle Joe is rolling in his grave.
It was a great premiere.
Quote from: Mr. Big on April 06, 2015, 10:36:52 PM
My Little Pony did a two-part episode about cults and totalitarianism.
>_> If you had stated a sentence like this to me years ago, I'd have laughed my head off.
I should try catching up again, I guess. I think the last time I tried, I finished season three and made it about four episodes into season four.
Quote from: Mr. Big on April 06, 2015, 10:36:52 PM
The long hiatus is over, after nearly a year! And once again, we began with a 2-parter, and quite possibly the best one yet.
Without rambling too much, My Little Pony did a two-part episode about cults and totalitarianism. For a show with over the top villains, this one was the creepiest one they ever had.
Yeah, I quite liked Starlight as a villain. After having all the previous big bads of the show be ancient evils with vast magic powers*, it was refreshing to have an antagonist who relied mostly on deception and brainwashing instead.
Best line goes to Pinkie Pie: "Laughs don't come in barrels, they come from inside you as your body's response to delight."
*Granted, Chrysalis wasn't an ancient evil like Discord or Nightmare Moon, but otherwise she fits the bill.
I like how when you think they're going to get through to her by way of logical explanation and how fear-based forced equality is a bad thing she suddenly snaps and begins mocking and yelling at them. That never happens on this show. The episode reminded me of Dash's line from the Incredibles on how if everyone is "special" then no one is, and she bore that out to the very end.
I do hope she comes back. As a villain she was quite the force to be reckoned with.
Any thoughts on the latest episode?
Personally, I liked it, but than I tend to enjoy episodes in which one of the main characters snap and end up wrecking havoc (Lesson Zero is a strong contender for my personal favorite episode in the series). Also, I have to admit that I never expected My Little Pony to do a Game of Thrones reference.
Been a couple week and I haven't caught the last episodes of season 4 but I plan to rectify that soon. I really, REALLY, loved that season 5 premiere. Two weeks later, and it already holds up perfectly in my mind.
Just saw the latest episode. The previous one was pretty lackluster, but this one more than made up for it. Of course, it had both Discord and Maude, two of my favorite characters in it, so it was bound to be entertaining.
Maude heckling Discord's stand-up was great stuff. It's been a pretty good season so far.
Today's episode was good. Gilda returned after 5 years.
I am glad they went there since they brought Trixie back way back in season 3, yet we never found out what happened to Gilda. It was nice to see where she came from and what her friendship with Dash was originally like.
But the highlight of the episode was Pinkie. I always like it when they don't go too over the top with her craziness but keep her closer to how she is in her solo episodes. That's what she was like here and I really appreciated it.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on May 25, 2015, 12:29:25 PM
I am glad they went there since they brought Trixie back way back in season 3, yet we never found out what happened to Gilda. It was nice to see where she came from and what her friendship with Dash was originally like.
But the highlight of the episode was Pinkie. I always like it when they don't go too over the top with her craziness but keep her closer to how she is in her solo episodes. That's what she was like here and I really appreciated it.
Agreed on both accounts. I thought the episode did a good job at fleshing out Gilda's character beyond the two-dimensional jerk she was in her first episode.
Out of all the main characters, Pinkie is the one I'm most thorn on. There are times when I really like her and others where I just find her grating (
A Friend in Deed to name one example). Fortunately, this episode belonged in the former category.
Just saw the latest episode. Another great one, I really liked that they chose the show's 100th episode to focus on relatively minor characters; characters that do not appear often or are usually relegated to cameos.
I skipped the last 30 or so episodes I missed to see this one. Pretty good fanservice episode. Had this aired about three years back when I was waaaaay into the show, I might have had a minor heart attack.
This has really been the season of fanservice (no, not that kind. obviously) hasn't it? Frankly, I'm all for a show bringing back rarely seen characters as long as its handled well and I think season 5 has done a pretty good job at it, so far. Anyway, I thought I'd share my opinion on the two latest episodes; Princess Spike and Party Pooped respectively.
Princess Spike:
I'll admit that I was biased against this episode the moment I read the title. You see, my tolerance for Spike is proportionally reversed to how big a role he plays in an episode, so episodes that focus on Spike do not tend to be among my favorites. Still, this one was decent; sleepy Twilight was amusing and I enjoyed seeing Fancy Pants again. That said, I really hope its the only Spike-episode we get this season.
Party Pooped:
This one, unfortunately, was not very good. Don't get me wrong, it had some bits I found funny, like the scene in the party-cave or the "wait, what?" look on Celestia's face when she learned that Twilight and the others almost caused an international incident. However, the portrayal of the yaks was frankly just embarrassing: Unreasonable, destructive foreigners who speak in broken English? Really show? That's what you're going with?
You know, sometimes I think this show should shy away from depicting other cultures outside of Equestria, because they tend to be painted with rather broad and simplistic strokes. Besides, we already got an episode on the theme of ponies teaching others about friendship in The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, so I'm not sure we needed another episode like that.
I must say, it gives me no pleasure to rag on a show I like, but sometimes its necessary.
Pony returns with new episode today.
Anyway, it was good. As someone who's been getting some traction with his cartooning career, I related to Rarity here. There are animation producers like Sassy Saddles, a management type who markets a piece of creative work and gets large orders without considering how much the artist can handle, despite never having lifted a hand (or a hoof) on a creative project.
The minute Sassy Saddles said she helped manage all the big fashion designers in Canterlot, I figured it was because she kept getting fired for her management style. It was worse than that; she apparently RUINED those other businesses, if her "oh no, not another failed boutique" line is any indication.
My thoughts on the latest episodes:
Canterlot Boutique was...OK, I guess. To be honest, I spent most of the time waiting for Rarity to tell Sassy off. Yeah, I realize that Sassy was hired to take care of the business aspect of the store, leaving her boss to focus on the more creative side of things, but surely, Rarity would still have some say in how her own business should be run?
On the other hand, I don't really have a problem with Rarity letting Sassy stay on. After all, she learnt her lesson and MLP has always been pretty big on redemption. Besides, Rarity is the element of generosity so that action was in-character for her.
Quote from: Mr. Big on September 12, 2015, 09:27:57 PM
The minute Sassy Saddles said she helped manage all the big fashion designers in Canterlot, I figured it was because she kept getting fired for her management style. It was worse than that; she apparently RUINED those other businesses, if her "oh no, not another failed boutique" line is any indication.
That's what I figured as well and if so, shouldn't she have figured out that her management style wasn't working by the time Rarity hired her? Wouldn't it also mean that unlike Rarity, none of Sassy's previous employers stood up to her in time?
Don't really have anything else about this episode. Oh, yes, I quite liked the song and I'm glad that we finally got an episode focused on my favorite character this season.
Rarity Investigates on the other hand, I really liked. I've always had a soft spot for mystery-stories and I really enjoyed how this one embraced the traits of the genre, complete with the screen occasionally turning black-and-white and Rarity narrating stuff like a pony-Philip Marlowe ("Here we go again, you are not equine to-night, Rarity". Ok, that line wasn't in the episode, I just couldn't resist throwing in a reference to one of the best mystery-novels ever written in there somewhere).
I also liked seeing Rainbow Dash and Rarity interact with each other outside of the main group. From what I can recall, that has never happened before.
Finally, was Wind Rider's design supposed to be based on someone famous? Visually,I thought he had a very classic Hollywood leading man look, to him.
Two Rarity episodes in a row was nice. She was about due. The second one especially was great with all the noir jokes.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on September 22, 2015, 07:50:12 AM
Two Rarity episodes in a row was nice. She was about due. The second one especially was great with all the noir jokes.
It's gonna be three in a row. The upcoming episode is also about Rarity (paired with Applejack)
Quote from: Mr. Big on September 22, 2015, 11:40:24 AM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on September 22, 2015, 07:50:12 AM
Two Rarity episodes in a row was nice. She was about due. The second one especially was great with all the noir jokes.
It's gonna be three in a row. The upcoming episode is also about Rarity (paired with Applejack)
Best season confirmed.
The latest episode has apparently stirred up a bit of controversy on certain parts of the Internet, who accuse it of being transphobic, due to the fact that Big Mac spends most of the episode pretending to be a girl. What did I think of the episode? Honestly, I thought it was pretty good, it did a good job fleshing out Big Mac's character beyond the typical stoic, silent guy that he usually is and the final scene with him and Applebloom was really heartwarming.
Do you guys have any thoughts on this?
It's about as transphobic as a Bugs Bunny cartoon. People need to grow up.
I thought it was a good one. We don't get much focus on Big Mac so it was nice, especially to see his relationship with Apple Bloom.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 08, 2015, 08:14:18 AM
It's about as transphobic as a Bugs Bunny cartoon. People need to grow up.
I thought it was a good one. We don't get much focus on Big Mac so it was nice, especially to see his relationship with Apple Bloom.
Personally, I'm in complete agreement with you, Spark.
Anyway, what I really came here to talk about is the latest episode:
Crusaders of the Lost Mark. I won't go into details for those who haven't seen it yet, but this episode was great; easily one of the best episodes I've seen, not just of this season, but the show as a whole.
Fittingly, the latest episode aired on the fifth anniversary of the show's debut. And man, did they pick a hell of an episode to air on the anniversary.
I had to admit, I didn't see that ending coming. Partially because I was told they were never going to succeed back in season one. It's nice to see all their effort finally rewarded after so long.
It's been a great season so far, honestly.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 12, 2015, 08:39:08 AM
I had to admit, I didn't see that ending coming. Partially because I was told they were never going to succeed back in season one. It's nice to see all their effort finally rewarded after so long.
It's been a great season so far, honestly.
I thought that if it was ever going to happen, the writers would save it for either the very last episode of the series or the movie. So, the fact that it happened in what at first seemed like a fairly typical "Cutie-Mark Crusaders vs. Diamond Tiara"-episode was a pleasant surprise, on top of everything else.
Speaking of which, I thought the songs in this episode were really good. Ingram and Rogers really brought their A-game to this one.
So, now that the season is over, what did you guys think about the finale?
Personally, I enjoyed it a lot and thought it did a satisfying job wrapping up what has been a really strong season. A bit rushed in the end, perhaps, but otherwise I have no real complaints. Anyway. I'm definitely on-board for season six.
Spoilers below: Do not read unless you've seen the episodes:
Spoiler
I must admit, I got a kick out of seeing all the previous villains again. Even if only Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon had any lines.
Also, I guess Starlight will be one of the main characters from now on.
I thought it was a really good season overall, even better than 4, which I really liked. The standalone episodes had a lot of good character moments and the two-parters were really clever. I actually enjoyed how high the stakes were in the finale despite the fact that so few characters were directly involved in it. I'm definitely eager to see season 6 whenever it starts up. They've managed to do pretty well so far keeping the quality consistent.
Overall, I think I would rate the seasons like this:
5 > 4 > 2 > 1 > 3
Between season 4 and 5, I'm not sure which one of them is my favorite, this show really bounced back after the third season.
Anyway, if I were to list my favorite episodes this season, it would look something like this:
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Slice of Life
Amending Fences
Rarity Investigates
The Cutie Map
The Cutie Re-Mark
Make New Friends But Keep Discord
Scare Master
Castle Sweet Castle
I should point out that the order I listed in them in is fairly arbitrary.
Favorite new character: Starlight Glimmer. An excellent antagonist who was completely different from the show's previous big bads and one of the year's best villains, in my opinion.
That's a good list. If I were to make a top 10, it would be something like this:
Amending Fences
Rarity Investigates
Crusaders of the Lost Mark
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
The Cutie Map
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
The Cutie Re-Mark
Slice of Life
Party Pooped
Scare Master
It was a bit hard to choose between them. The season was pretty strong.
I also agree with Starlight Glimmer. It was nice to see such a normal villain to the season that was a threat in a whole new way.
Looks like I should catch up on this show again. I fell out of it after being disappointed by season 3, but if 4 and 5 are really the best seasons yet, then I'm sure to enjoy them.
Season 3 was unquestionably the weakest season. Half the episodes are dull, the season finale is rushed, and the two-part premiere isn't as exciting as any of the others. Not to mention, it's the shortest season by far. Also, its highs aren't all that high.
Season 4 and 5 are closer to the style of 1 and 2, but, in my opinion, have tighter writing and manage to have some really good continuity. Also the premieres and finales are the best of the whole series. They tie in the themes of the series better than the lesson of the week style season 1, and much of 2, was so obvious about.
But I'm also of the opinion that the first two seasons get a lot of passes for things the latter two improve on and get no credit for, so I doubt my opinion is anywhere close to the majority.
I had to force myself through the second half of season three and then only made it four episodes into season four before quitting again. Trying to get back into the show is hard. Especially being behind nearly fifty episodes, though I did watch episode 100 after it aired when I heard what it was about.
yes, friendship have great power. all should have it and enjoy it
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on December 04, 2015, 11:01:39 AM
Season 3 was unquestionably the weakest season. Half the episodes are dull, the season finale is rushed, and the two-part premiere isn't as exciting as any of the others. Not to mention, it's the shortest season by far. Also, its highs aren't all that high.
Season 4 and 5 are closer to the style of 1 and 2, but, in my opinion, have tighter writing and manage to have some really good continuity. Also the premieres and finales are the best of the whole series. They tie in the themes of the series better than the lesson of the week style season 1, and much of 2, was so obvious about.
But I'm also of the opinion that the first two seasons get a lot of passes for things the latter two improve on and get no credit for, so I doubt my opinion is anywhere close to the majority.
I agree.
New season's been quite good so far, they brought back Trix...Sorry, The Great and Powerful Trixie, after three seasons, among other things.
The latest episode was pretty good, it was basically the pony-version of A Christmas Carol with Starlight as the Ebeenezer Scrooge figure (though Snowfall, the character Starlight portrays in the story also had shades of the Grinch, since Scrooge never tried to steal the holiday. Though maybe he would have, had reality-altering magic been an option?). This was also a musical episode and as I've come to expect, the songs were all very good, especially Luna's.
I do have to wonder why they chose to air the Christmas episode in May though.
With the show now apparently entering a mid-season hiatus, I thought I'd share some brief thoughts on the first half of season six.
So far, this has been a good season. Admittedly, the premiere was one of the weaker the show's had, but after that, it picked up with most episodes being good and, in some cases, improving on a second watch, with only one episode that I didn't care for at all.
I like how the show has handled Starlight. There's a part of me that preferred her as a villain, but nevertheless, she's a welcome addition to the cast.
Favorite episode (for now): Saddle-Row Review
This was just a great episode. I really liked the interview-format, each of the main six were well-used and it was genuinely funny. Bonus-points for the Jules Winnfield-Vincent Vega cameo at the diner where the interviews were held.
I agree, it was a pretty good half season so far. The premiere wasn't one of the best, but the rest of the episodes have been quite good. It's hard to choose a best episode so far because I've enjoyed them all.
I thought the premiere was good too. Lot better than how Season Three started.
Quote from: Peanutbutter on June 13, 2016, 06:49:29 PM
I thought the premiere was good too. Lot better than how Season Three started.
Well, I can't argue with that last part. Funny coincidence how my least favorite premieres of the show both involve the Crystal Empire.
I like Cadence and Shining Armor, but I really don't understand what real significance in-universe the Crystal Empire is supposed to have. I loved the episode and all with the baby, but I'm not a big fan of the setting itself. Is it based off of something that was in the G1 series I've long forgotten? Or is it a new gimmicky thing that Hasbro wanted for more toys? I can't recall hearing or seeing anything about Crystal Pony toys but that doesn't mean it wasn't planned.
Anyway, I also love how well Starlight has been fitting into the group. I hope she has more episodes when the hiatus ends. It helps that I've always enjoyed Kelly Sheridan.
That's a good point, actually. The Crystal Empire doesn't have anything distinct about it other than having, well, crystals everywhere. Even the Griffin Kingdom and Starlight's village that we saw once each had more character than the Crystal Empire has. And we've been in the CE about seven times so far.
I would say part of the problem comes with the setting. There hasn't really been any lore or memorable characters (or villains) that have originated from the setting yet.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on June 14, 2016, 10:26:09 PM
That's a good point, actually. The Crystal Empire doesn't have anything distinct about it other than having, well, crystals everywhere. Even the Griffin Kingdom and Starlight's village that we saw once each had more character than the Crystal Empire has. And we've been in the CE about seven times so far.
I would say part of the problem comes with the setting. There hasn't really been any lore or memorable characters (or villains) that have originated from the setting yet.
It really doesn't help that the only notable characters in the show's universe associated with the Crystal Empire aren't even originally from it. I really think if the third season premiere had done a better job with King Sombra, there might have been better lore around its setting. Thanks to it having been so rushed we never got that. What's mindboggling is why they haven't bothered trying to expand it in any in the other episodes since!
You guys took the words right out of my mouth. The show could really use at least one crystal pony that has an actual personality. It wouldn't fix everything, but it would be a step in the right direction.
Speaking of things I hope to see in the show, I really hope that we get a Celestia-focused episode at some point.
Seeing as how the hiatus has been over for some time, I thought I'd take this opportunity to revive the thread and share my thoughts on the last three episodes. Here we go:
Stranger Than Fan fiction
I must admit, reading the outline for this episode had me a bit concerned. Mainly, I was worried that Patton Oswalt's character would just be a strawman caricature of a fan that was there to be proven wrong by Rainbow. Thankfully, the show mostly avoided that. I actually enjoyed Quibble as a character; much like Zephyr Breeze, he was obnoxious, but in a way that I found amusing (that is, he got on the nerves of the characters, but not on me as a viewer). I also enjoyed seeing Caballeron again, he's a pretty entertaining minor villain.
If I have a problem with this episode, I guess it would be that there's a certain lack of balance regarding the protagonists' opposing view-points. Let's see if I can explain it:
Basically, I got the feeling that Rainbow and Quibble were supposed to be stand-ins for two different types of fans (not just fans of MLP, but fans in general), with the latter representing the kind of fan that hates the direction his favorite series has taken and won't hesitate to point out its flaws, no matter how minor those flaws may be in the great scheme of things. Granted, that kind of nitpicking can be annoying, but let me ask you this: Isn't the type of fan represented by Rainbow, the type that refuses to acknowledge any criticism of their favorite series no matter how valid and who thinks that everyone who doesn't like every new installment is a hater, just as annoying? The episode never really addressed that (the closest it got was Daring telling Rainbow that she had more important stuff to worry about than disgruntled fans). Of course, the fact that Rainbow, unlike Quibble, knew that Daring Do was real meant that the cards were kind of stacked in her favor from the beginning.
All in all, an enjoyable episode. The moral was pretty good as well, if you ask me.
The Cart Before the Ponies
Honestly, I can't think of much to say about this episode: The song was fun, but other than that, there was nothing about this episode that really stood out for me. Let's call it serviceable and move on.
No, wait, there's one thing (though it doesn't really have anything to do with the episode itself): Now that she's no longer an antagonist is Diamond Tiara going to be limited to non-speaking cameo roles from here on out? I hope not, that seems like a waste of potential.
28 Pranks Later
Just watched this episode and I'm sad to say that my feelings were mostly negative. A large part of that has to do with the way the episode handled Rainbow Dash; she was just really badly characterized here, it felt as if the episode ignored the progression her character has made over the seasons, in order to have her act as a complete douche for (seriously, some of those pranks were neither funny nor clever. A brick in a sandwich? That's just mean). To end on a more positive note, I will say that the zombie-thing was kind of amusing, even if it soon became incredibly obvious where it was heading.
So, those were my thoughts on the first three post-hiatus episodes. Hopefully, the show will get back on track with the next episode.
28 Pranks Later was actually a missed opportunity. A zombie style episode where they have to find the cure would have been more entertaining than another "Rainbow Dash is a jerk for 22 minutes" episode. She's not my favorite character as it is, but the episodes like this where she is overly obnoxious do nothing for me.
The Cart Before the Ponies was a pretty typical episode. I think it would have been improved had each of the girls switched mentors and the story worked from that angle instead. The way they did it made it average overall.
Of the three, Stranger Than Fan Fiction was the best one. I always enjoy the more adventure-ish episodes and this one was no different. But I do agree with Pharass in that Quibble and Dash should have both been equally over the top and then eventually find the middle ground together. As it is, it's a bit awkward when Quibble comes to his conclusion at the end since he didn't really have anyone to bounce off of. Other than that, I quite liked it.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on August 15, 2016, 05:51:28 PM
The Cart Before the Ponies was a pretty typical episode. I think it would have been improved had each of the girls switched mentors and the story worked from that angle instead. The way they did it made it average overall.
I agree. Besides, unlike the other two, Applebloom has the advantage of having more than one adult in her life. She could have asked Big Mac for help.
Moving on, here are my thoughts on the latest episode:
The Times They're A-ChangelingThis, I'm pleased to say, was a definitive improvement over the last episode. Of course, it helps that the changelings are one of my favorite races in the show (I just really like their design, not to mention that shape-shifting is one of my favorite super-powers), but even so, this was just a quality episode through and through. Sure, the theme of the episode (we shouldn't judge someone based on where they come from) is well-tread ground, but it was told well and in the end, that's really all that matters. A few more observations follow below:
This season has been really good towards Spike, hasn't it? We've had two episodes focusing on him in which the little guy has been portrayed in a generally positive light. A far cry from most Spike-centric episodes, in which he was either the butt of jokes, or the source of the episode's problem/conflict. Here's hoping that this trend continues.
It was good seeing Chrysalis again, even if it was only for a few seconds. With Discord and Glimmer reformed, she's my favorite straight-up evil villain in the show.
Speaking of which, one detail I appreciated was the guilty look on Starlight's face during the last portion of Spike's song. That was a nice touch.
I'll see if I can think of more to say about this episode later, but I think this will do for now.
Apparently, the season finale was leaked early. I haven't seen it yet, its tempting, but I'm going to wait until after it has actually aired (besides, it feels a bit weird to watch the finale before the season is over). Anyway, I'm pleased to say that all the episodes that have aired since I last posted in this thread have been really good. I especially enjoyed
Pony Point of View, I'm a sucker for
Rashomon-type stories and the episode was a very good example of one. Although, I fail to see how during Pinkie's version of the events, it was Rarity's fault that the ship sank. Because she didn't take the wheel in time? Neither did Pinkie or A.J.
By the way, if you allow me a bit of self-promotion: I recently listed my 5 favorite characters of the show on my blog. Here it is, for those who're interested (http://viksallpurpose.blogspot.com/2016/09/5-favorite-mlp-fim-characters.html).
Spoiler
Rarity is #1
.
That is the correct choice.
It's nice to have a show that remains as consistently entertaining as FIM. I never imagined when it started that it would still be around and readying for a seventh season years later.
Has a seventh season been confirmed? I know there's a movie coming out next year, but I haven't heard anything about a new season. Then again, I can't really see Hasbro pulling the plug on the show after a mere six seasons.
Top Bolt was a good episode. Twilight and Rainbow is a good combination as their contrasting personalities complement each other very well and leads to some entertaining moments. One thing I found interesting was that the more sympathetic and likable of the two guest characters was really the one who was more in the wrong (at least that's the way I saw it). Yes, Sky Stinger was a cocky jerk, but his arrogance stemmed entirely from his belief in his capacity as a flyer, a belief which only came about because Vapor Trail had covertly helped him out, without his knowledge of her doing so.
So, yeah, a worthy episode to round-out the season before the finale.
Season 7 is confirmed, though it was confirmed pretty quietly. They will be hitting 150 episodes this season, so I assume they'll make a big deal out of that episode.
I enjoyed Top Bolt. It was interesting to see such a pair of contrasting personalities and have Twilight and Dash be the ones to deal with them. I've been hearing good things about the finale, but I'd rather wait to see it myself when it officially comes out.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 19, 2016, 05:14:33 PM
Season 7 is confirmed, though it was confirmed pretty quietly.
Glad to hear it. I don't think the show should go on forever, but there's a lot of territory I want it to explore before it ends (still holding out hope for a Celestia episode somewhere down the line).
I'll be back with my thoughts on the finale once I've watched it. Though I'll keep them under spoilers for the sake of courtesy.
Below are my thoughts on what transpired in the season six finale:
To Where and Back Again. As promised, I've put them behind the spoiler-tag, just to be on the safe side.
Spoiler
The first thing to note is that the set-up for To Where and Back Again mirrors that of the very beginning of the show: An old enemy has returned and its up to a magical prodigy, student of one of the princesses to gather a crew of unlikely heroes to combat this threat. Of course, there are some differences. For example, unlike Twilight, Starlight is already on familiar terms with her three companions (we've never seen her interact with Discord before now, but she treats him as someone she knows, so their first meeting must have taken place off-screen. Shame that, I would liked to have seen how that went down). Another difference is that Starlight's team consists of redeemed villains (though Thorax really only counts as a villain in the sense that he was once took part in an invasion, as an ordinary grunt, mind you).
Speaking of villains; Chrysalis returned for her second stint as a big bad in this show. I'm pleased to see her return, the changeling-queen is one of of my favorite villains in this show with her voice, design and overall demeanor making her quite an enjoyable antagonist. At the end of the day, Chrysalis rejects Starlight's offer of redemption and flies away, swearing revenge. It will be interesting to see how she'll manage to claw herself up from the rather crushing blow dealt to her this time. After all, without her kingdom and her army of changelings, she's not really a large-scale threat the way she used to be.
Regarding Chrysalis plan: I would have liked to have some, heck any, insight as to how long she had planned it and exactly how the changelings pulled it off. How did they manage to capture so many powerful ponies exactly? My guess is that they gradually replaced ponies close to them and took them unawares, though that's pure conjecture on my part).
I found the idea of Chrysalis' throne soaking up all non-changeling magic to work really well. It explains why the more powerful among the captives were unable to free themselves and their friends. It also puts a serious damper on Discord, a guy who, as Starlight put it "could take on the entire changeling army by sneezing if he wanted to".
Not sure how to feel about the new design for the changelings. They're not the worst designs I've seen in this show and maybe they'll grow on me, but still, I kind of preferred it when the changelings were depicted as creepy, yet oddly cute, bug-ponies.
Let's move on to the star of this two-parter: Starlight Glimmer. Starlight's been one of my favorite characters since she first showed up, going from being a villain, to a friend of the heroines and finally, a heroine in her own right. I found her reluctance to be in charge and her fear that being put into a position of authority would cause her to revert back to her old ways well handled. During the course of this season we've seen that Starlight, although she tries to be a good, has a tendency to use some less than ethical methods, for the sake of expediency and convenience. So, her anxiety here is understandable. Basically, at the beginning of the episode, she doesn't trust herself yet.
By the way; I know that she went back and apologized during the last season finale's musical montage, but I would still have liked to see a bit of reluctance from some of the villagers, regarding Starlight's return for the celebration. I know that ponies are a pretty forgiving bunch, but there's a difference between forgiving someone who wronged you and feels genuine remorse for it and being actively excited about seeing them again.
Discord and Trixie provided most of the humor in the two-parter. Their constant bickering was pretty funny, it makes sense for two such self-absorbed personalities to clash. Speaking of Trixie, I liked the fact that even though they're both friends with Starlight, she and Twilight do not really get along at all. The passive-aggressive sniping shared between them in their one scene together amusing. Twilight is so much more accomplished than Trixie, but the stage-magician still manages to get under her skin.
Finally, I found the ending to be a bit abrupt, but couldn't really put my finger on why. Then, it struck me: Unlike the two season finales that preceded it, this one did not have a big musical number at the end. In fact, To Where and Back Again featured no songs whatsoever, which is a bit odd, now that I think about it.
So, did I think this was better than last season's finale? Well, I'd have to re-watch them both, but for now; I'd have to say no.
The Cutie-Remark felt bigger and more epic in scope and seeing the different timelines had more of a wow-factor than seeing the changeling kingdom. That said, this was still highly enjoyable and a good way to end what was a really good season.
I liked it quite a bit, especially that it touched on many of the standalone episodes in the season. I will agree that it probably doesn't top the finales from season 4 and 5, but I would easily put it right behind them. It was nice to see them focus more on characters away from the usual suspects and really give the spotlight to Starlight to show how far she has come since last season. The end of the episode which mirrors her first appearance in season 5 where she rebuffed Twilight's friendship was a good parallel, too.
Eager to see where season 7 goes.
But I do hope there's a chance to have more multi-parters in the future. The season premieres and finales are one thing, but we're almost 150 episodes in. I think we stand to have a few more bigger episodes spread into the mix.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on October 28, 2016, 10:14:15 AM
But I do hope there's a chance to have more multi-parters in the future. The season premieres and finales are one thing, but we're almost 150 episodes in. I think we stand to have a few more bigger episodes spread into the mix.
I agree with this sentiment. Take last season's
Crusaders of the Lost Mark for example: Great episode, but looking back, I think it would have benefited from being either a two-parter or at least a bit longer than a regular episode.
BronyCon is shutting down next year. (http://bronycon.org)
Makes sense since the show is winding down. Next season is supposed to be the last, after all. Wish they could do one more to reach 10 seasons and 10 years, but it's had a good run.
The final season begins April 6.
What an end to an era.
Hope something new as good as MLP: FiM comes soon next decade.