My Little Pony's Justice 2 - Official MLP Thread v2

[Sean]

 

Welcome to SSMB's official MLP topic, post-2013 edition! The previous thread is notable for being one of our longest-running threads with one of the highest posts counts, and so we decided to start off the New Year with a clean topic from scratch. The old topic, while now closed, will always remain

 

 

I'm sure that most, if not all people here are already familiar with the show, for better or for worse, but for those not in the know, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is the latest incarnation of a popular franchise by Hasbro. In every version of My Little Pony, square blocks of different patterns are stacked up, and this stack is pushed towards the upper part of the screen at various speeds depending on the difficulty. In order to get rid of blocks, you have to have to rearrange them in rows or columns of three or more identical blocks. Once they disappear, any blocks above them fall right away. You can get a lot of nice chains if you play your cards right. My Little Pony has spawned numerous clones, one of them combining platforming elements and a dandy British adventurer with a super fighting robot, which he summons by drinking tea.

Due to the incredible size of the first topic, it became a bit of a pain to moderate the posts (doubly so since it's frequented by regulars), and our warnings would sometimes fall on deaf ears. We decided that a new MLP topic should properly outline some guidelines for you to follow, which hopefully should be easy enough to follow and will foster some better discussion value.

 

• Avoid posting image/video/quote drops without giving your own input on the matter. Here's a problem that we've seen time and time again, no matter how much we try to warn against this. If you're only going into the MLP topic to post some random shit you're finding and not even so much as attempting to reply to anyone else at any point, then your posts are kind of taking up space. Please try to show that you truly care about being here.
• Spoilers are to only be used on not-yet released material. If a new episode has aired or a new synopsis has been officially thrown up, no need to hide it away. Spoiler tags stunt discussion; it is unpleasant to look into the thread about the latest episode and see everyone make a spoiler about it. MLP isn't even a series with any sort of major spoiler; no character is going to die off, and any game-changing plot point such as Twilight becoming a princess is going to be advertised to hell and back by Hasbro themselves.
• This isn't a specific rule so much as an observation, one that all of you should keep in mind. We've noticed a lot of people posting fan material, which is fine, but with the way it is done, hardly any of it becomes a main point of conversation (i.e. nobody replies to it because everyone goes on a tangent about whatever shit crosses their minds). You can write paragraphs upon paragraphs of the latest fanfiction you've read, but if nobody's replying to them and yet you keep making posts, then maybe you're doing it in a way that doesn't encourage replies. This is not your personal pony blog, this is a public thread in which every post should try to contribute to some sort of discussion. I'm not saying that you'll get in trouble for making a post about a fan work or whatever - far from it, and it is still encouraged because the MLP fandom is a treasure trove of creative works that deserve to be shared and appreciated. But just please try to approach it in a way that encourages discussion and is not worded or formatted in a way that makes it seem like you're just posting in a blog. You can always get one of those off the site rather than use this topic, because SSMB is not the best audience for it.

Hopefully this won't scare you off, we have absolutely no intention of inhibiting discussion amongst members. If there's one thing I can definitely commend you guys for, it's that extremely little heated conflict has ever broken out in the pervious thread, which is nice !! So yes continue to not insult each other or tear each others' throats outs over cartoon ponies because that is stupid. Here's to the new year as well as season 4 of ponies which is currently running, and have fun guys!

(credit for the above image to deviantArtist KleeKay423)

[Wolfy]

Since we all have lungs full of fresh pony air now, we can finally confirm with everyone that Rainbow Dash is indeed best pone. I'm so relieved and glad to see you all understand now, <3.

 

But anyways, found this the other day and really fell in love with it

 

 

Her vocals are super good, and I really love the beat and such she has going under it. It feels like a legit song I'd hear on the radio or something, but about ponies, so homigosh. It's also a pretty different sounding song for Rainbow Dash that I usually hear, which is always neat. She doesn't seem to have much on the pony front on music on her channel but I really hope she makes more or makes an album of them or something since I want moar, >:U.

[Tornado]

Seriously, guys. It's okay to post in this new topic. No one is going to be banned or anything.

 

 

 

[Sean]

My Little Pony thread: SSMB mods only edition

[C4k3]

Isn't it obvious? No one is a fan anymore. We were just keeping up appearances for the previous thread. We all actually hate each other!

 

Aaaaaanyway, how is Season 4 shaping up for you guys? I think it's been been okay so far. Nothing too amazing though, but it's still good fun to watch. Definitely looking forward to the Rarity episode this week and the Weird Al one soon.

[Tara]

 

 This is not your personal pony blog, 

 

Pfft!  Like anyone would have a blog dedicated purely to this show!

 

...

 

...

 

What?

[AdventChild]

Isn't it obvious? No one is a fan anymore. We were just keeping up appearances for the previous thread. We all actually hate each other!

 

Aaaaaanyway, how is Season 4 shaping up for you guys? I think it's been been okay so far. Nothing too amazing though, but it's still good fun to watch. Definitely looking forward to the Rarity episode this week and the Weird Al one soon.

 

S2 > S1 > S4 >= S3. It's above S3 just ever slightly, but so far not really as up there with the Faust-era of ponies. 

 

Things that kinda drag this season down at this point is shoehorning every Mane cast into every episode when they don't need to be. The open endings/gag-endings are getting a bit too much and it's hard to discern if they connect to one plot point or diverge/branch out into other separate subplots. Also, there hasn't been much about the box and keys subplot that this season seems hung up on and Twilicorn hasn't done much to develop her princesshood status, making it kinda pointless overall so far. Some episodes feel like they could have been better executed or had missed opportunities like Power Ponies, though it could be just personal preference. Such as I felt RD or maybe Twilight could have been an Iron Man like superhero, Fluttershy could have been like Aqua Man or some other hero that call upon animal aide, and AJ would make an awesome Jonah Hex type hero. Flight to the Finish, I think would have benefited if Discord was involved since the episode felt flat to me because of cliche' bully effect, and I'm still conflicted about Daring Do being real. 

 

The songs so far are 'meh' for the most part where S2 and even S1 had most of Daniel Ingram's greats (This Day Aria, Smile Song, Art of the Dress, etc.), along with pacing issues still persisting at points as well as with some writing issues with characters, plot, and humor. 

 

Overall, S4 episodes have been okay/average/fair to me for now.

[DGam'r]

Season 4 so far has been really great. Since the season only has 2 songs so far I already have my favorite

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKQAoa9aikM

 

This song. My goodness. it's so damn catchy. The music is beautiful, it's intense and has that little eerie feeling to it when Applejack is singing but then it gets soothing when Fluttershy begins her verses.And already a rock version of "Stop the Bats"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcFBg_TPaGY

 

This cover has a sort of Castlevania beat to it and it's pure beauty. Like. I don't know what my ears are hearing. Words can not describe how great this cover is.

 

Edit: THE ENDING ON THE ROCK COVER ALL OF MY YES

[Endy]

Aaaaaanyway, how is Season 4 shaping up for you guys? I think it's been been okay so far. Nothing too amazing though, but it's still good fun to watch. Definitely looking forward to the Rarity episode this week and the Weird Al one soon.

 

 

I am pretty indifferent to S4 right now. The episodes are fun to watch, but I don't like how the show is too concerned with referencing pop culture and putting the characters in strange circumstances in (like Power Ponies and Bats) nowadays. I'm pretty excited for Pinkie Apple Pie and Rarity Takes Manehattan, but the latter is by Dave Polsky so I don't hold high hopes for it.

[Dr. Mechano]

Continuing the Week of Rarity retrospective from the old thread ( and ) as we count down to Rarity Takes Manehatten with Rarity's final season one episode, Green Isn't Your Color.

 

Envy. In the realm of "done to death cartoon plots," the envious friend is notoriously overused. What's more, it's so rarely good, relying on out-of-character behavior and forced bitterness for the sake of the plot. I'm pleased to say that Green Isn't Your Color does not succumb to this problem, and actually handles envy in a realistic and sympathetic way.

 

Neither Rarity nor Fluttershy are portrayed as wrong for their feelings, and in many ways, the moral isn't even about jealousy, but rather communicating openly with your friends (and in Twilight's case, respecting your friends' secrets). In this way, Rarity isn't truly even wrong for wanting what Fluttershy has, which is presented as a perfectly understandable desire on her part. What's more, Rarity acknowledges her own jealousy early and feels truly horrible for it.

 

Twilight's secret-keeping subplot was plenty of fun, and provided a lot of hilarious scenes with Pinkie Pie. It's a good side-story for the episode, and is a clever way to get Twilight involved in Rarity's and Fluttershy's conflict. 

 

Rarity's crowning moment arrives when she stands up for her friend during her failed fashion show. The moment Rarity sees the crowd turn on Fluttershy, she steps forward and applauds, putting her own image on the line to save her friend's. Even though she did inadvertently prolong Fluttershy's reluctant fashion career, the gesture is still very heartwarming and shows that Rarity - despite her jealousy - still deeply cares about her best friend and wants her to succeed.

 

The friends' eventual resolution is nice, and then Fluttershy quits her job without providing any kind of advanced notice. That's not gonna look on a resume.

 

Two more episodes to go as we approach Saturday! See you tomorrow with Sisterhooves Social!

[Dark Qiviut]

 

Aaaaaanyway, how is Season 4 shaping up for you guys?

Recently, I wrote my short review for Season 4 (so far):

 

———

 

Did you ever have to wait so long for something you waited for to be released? That's what most of the fandom did during the long hiatus between Seasons 3 and 4. Then, when released, people flocked to the TV screens and online streams to watch some new pony. I did the same and waited to see how McCarthy and crew handled their episodes. While there was plenty of good, plenty of bad pushed Season 4 two steps back, making this an incredibly average season so far.

Pluses:

• Very strong animation, composition, and more variety of facial expressions. The biggest improvement here has been the use of light and shadow, creating a more believable atmosphere. I guarantee you, if the scene where Twilight looked down at a hurt Celestia was in the season-one style, it would've looked incredibly jarring.
• There are more great, realistic, in-character consequences to really stupid stunts. One of my biggest gripes with past seasons is the lack of logical consequences to some really stupid behavior and stunts. There are more consequences as a result so far.

  Castle Mane-ia's best moment was the dark humor and chaos implanted on FS, Rarity, AJ, and RD from trespassing Celestia's old castle.

  In Bats, Act 3 (most of it) was very good in part because the Mane Six suffered nasty consequences for physically altering a pest's characteristic (Flutterbat, the orchard becoming a nightmare, Applejack forced to sacrifice the competition to save FS).

  More of that and less of the shit seen in episodes like MtBPW (Dash), MMMystery (Rarity, Dash, FS), OBA (Babs Seed), Sweet & Elite (Rarity), Ponyville Confidential (M6 sans Rarity), TMMDW (M6), and Games Ponies Play (M6), I'm in.

• Great music, both the background score and songs. Need I say more?
• For the most part, a greater respect of continuity. There are continuity references literally in every single episode this season. Some of it subtle, but most of it is really in your face. For the most part, it's respected. Bats, for instances, clearly uses The Stare Master, Putting Your Hoof Down, Dragon Quest, and Keep Calm and Flutter On as a base for the spell enacted in Act 2. Flight to the Finish references both Sleepless in Ponyville and Games Ponies Play to brace the script and song.
• Having the Power Ponies stay stuck by having a henchcolt spray the ponies after every few minutes was an extremely clever twist that parodied one very big drawback in superhero stories: the villains leaving them in a bind and then forgetting about it.
• Excellent visual comedy on Polsky's behalf.
• The Elements of Harmony have been discarded. While great to start with, they were now the "go-to" device for the M6 if something big and evil comes along and the writers. Seeing the EoH sealed away in the Tree of Harmony was a change the writers desperately needed, and I fully support it.
• Rarity. Easily the brightest spot this season after being relegated to the middleground and back in Season 3.

Minuses:

• For the most part, the pacing has been TERRIBLE. One of the biggest reasons why Princess Twilight Sparkle is so weak is how poorly paced it was. First, it was too slow. Second, it was too fast. The poor pacing makes for a very lacking story, and like in Keep Calm, MMC, and EQG, it did here.

  For Daring Don't and Power Ponies, part of what made the two extremely weak was the pacing. The former had way too many other problems and, despite liking it a lot, made it easily the worst episode so far. Power Ponies is my most favorite episode this season, but it was extremely quick, and you can tell McGowen, Fullerton, and McCarthy hurried the script by hammering the self-deprecating "useless" plot every four minutes. Even the end of Flight to the Finish, which was well-paced earlier, had a really snappy ending.

  Only two episodes have a consistently good pace so far: Castle Mane-ia and Bats.

• Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are one-dimensional notes again. The fact that they have no personality besides being flat bullies didn't help Flight to the Finish at all. If anything, it underminded Scootaloo's quest to fly.
• When continuity was disregarded, it made the episode (and humor) questionable in quality. Daring Don't has some gigantic continuity issues (swapping the meta reason why Daring Do was a RD recolor from a storytelling perspective, for example), and Twilight Sparkle's retconned incapability to fly was extremely artificial.

  Also, the "predestiny" subplot was shoved in again in PTS. The characters have free will, and despite their names, they grew independently. Actions and consequences were their results (internally and externally). The "destiny" concept (which was forced into MMC for the Twilicorn climax) contradicts this. Destiny doesn't choose you. You choose your own destiny.

• The community feel (something seen from Season 1 to about the halfway point of Three) is missing. One of the most important things to do in showing a story is to describe the background life. When it's not there, the setting becomes barren. Besides Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flight to the Finish, there's literally no interaction with the rest of the community. It's focused only on the main characters, as if the background characters don't exist.

  To see what I mean, it's not just Derpy not appearing besides the opening. Popular background characters like Bon Bon, Lyra, and Rose Luck are absent, too.

• Zecora being written as the Deus Ex Assistance for the Deus Ex Machina. One thing I tend to not like about her as a canon character is how she's sometimes there to be the "get-out-of-jail" card, similar to the old "invisible-loop" from Thomas & Friends years ago. The roles from her that actually satisfy me these days are Luna Eclipsed (for setting up the chilly mood) and Magic Duel (for she gave Twilight advice, and the two had to work it out to get Twilight to concentrate and intellectually grow). More of her from LE and MD and less of her from episodes like PTS and Cutie Pox.
• Actually get the continuity rolling. After PTS, Castle Mane-ia and PowerP are the only two episodes to clearly reference the chest. One of the biggest flaws from the development of the Twilicorn was its poor foreshadowing: After episode two, it wasn't referenced again until it was dumped on us in MMC. If you leave the audience hanging too long, then they won't eagerly anticipate the development anymore. It'll only become frustrating and make them wonder if the team can really develop a very cohesive storyline.
• Sometimes, the references from series one through three are so blatant, they stick out too much. Continuity is very important when telling a proper story, but tell it too much, and you demonstrate a lack of faith in your storytelling capabilities. Tell it sparingly — don't force-feed the audience by turning what should be a strength into a distraction.
• The Twilicorn's development stagnated. She underwent a very big change in her life by ascending from a student in Ponyville to one of Equestria's elite. It wasn't followed through completely, and since Castle Mane-ia, her development to prove her worth has been eschewed. I was in limbo when asked whether I support the Twilicorn or not, but if Twilicorn's development remains at a standstill for too long, I'll be forced to lean to "not supporting it" because they didn't handle her ascension well at all.
• Although the M6 often show up collectively, most of them are inactive. Daring Don't a huge example, making everyone minus Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie background ponies. Bats, PTS, CM-ia handle the group much better, but they need to be front and center more. This was something S2 did right: They spent time with the characters they needed and didn't include the ones unless there was a purpose. Sisterhooves Social, PYHD, SiP (season three, I know), and DQ did well with this.

In all, while I've had a blast with Season 4, after looking through the episodes, the quality seems to be along the border. While no episodes are TERRIBLE, none are thoroughly amazing, either.

Collectively, average so far. Hopefully, Rarity Takes Manehattan (and Rarity's ripe with visual comedy, something Polsky is excellent at) does something right with it.

My current favorites regardless of quality (subject to periodically change):

1. Power Ponies

2. Bats!

3. Castle Mane-ia

4. Daring Don't

5. Flight to the Finish

6. Princess Twilight Sparkle

[Space☆Tomoki]

I don't mean to sound overly harsh, but I stopped paying attention to this show after watching Equestria Girls. While I kinda liked the show at first, for the first season and some of the second season, I started losing interest in it starting with around A Canterlot Wedding, then S3 happened, and EqG was the final nail in the coffin for me, so I have no plans to watch S4; I guess I've become an S1 purist, in a sense, but eh, whatever. I'm fully aware that I'm a minority here on that subject, and by all means, don't let my opinions derail your enjoyment on the show. Don't get me wrong, I like how it started, but I just don't agree with the direction the show has been taking since Faust left. It's just not for everyone, I guess. / Beating a dead horse.

 

Anyway, now that's out of the way, the main reason I'm making this post is because while I was looking up some college humor videos out of boredom on YouTube, I just happened to come across this:

 

 

I'd switch AJ and RD around, but other than that, I kinda found this to be pretty accurate and oddly hilarious, and thought you guys might get a kick out of it.

[Penny]

Personally, with the way the season has started, it seems like this will be the best season yet. Seriously. I mean, the first 7 episodes of this season are better overall than the first seven episodes of the other seasons. Every episode has been at least enjoyable.The same can't be said for the other seasons:

For season 3, you had some great episodes like the Crystal Empire and Too Many Pinkie Pies, but then you also had the atrocious Magic Duel and the mediocre One Bad Apple.

For season 2, you had the Return of Harmony and Lesson Zero and Sisterhooves Social, but then you had the duds Cutie Pox and Luna Eclipsed.

For season 1, you had the pilot episodes, the Ticket Master, and Applebuck Season, while also getting the very average Boast Busters and Griffon the Brush-off

Season 4 doesn't have any duds. Princess Twilight Sparkle is of the same level of greatness as the Crystal Empire and the pilot episodes. Castlemane-ia is on par with the Ticket Master, possibly even better. Daring Don't is awesome as well, amost as awesome as Appebuck Season. Bats! is also really good (dat song doe). The closest thing season 4 has had to duds is Flight to the Finish and Power Ponies, but those are still fun to watch, unlike Boast Busters, Luna Eclipsed, and (ugh) Magic Duel. Hopefully this trend of good-episodeness continues throughout the season. It'll be hard to top Season 1, but with the way things are going (plus the sweet season long storyline and possibly important cliff-hanger endings) this could be the season that finally does it.

On a slightly different note, where the heck are the Brony Chronicles part 2 and 3? It's been half a year already! The worst part is, there hasn't even been an update the past few months. An update would certainly be nice right now. Anything other than the current silence.

[ChaosRay]

Isn't it obvious? No one is a fan anymore. We were just keeping up appearances for the previous thread. We all actually hate each other!

 

Aaaaaanyway, how is Season 4 shaping up for you guys? I think it's been been okay so far. Nothing too amazing though, but it's still good fun to watch. Definitely looking forward to the Rarity episode this week and the Weird Al one soon.

I haven't seen much of it, but I do like what I have seen. I've been wondering about Scootaloo and her flight problems, though. I mean, I'm curious if she'll be like Fluttershy in terms of flight power, or just regularly-built for flying. I think she won't be a great flier, as her weak wing power compliments her scooter tricks. but that's just me.

[Sean]

Bats is officially the worst fucking episode. For starters it's another perfect demonstration of just how shitty of a friend Fluttershy is to the others, Fluttershy once again cares more about the animals than her friends, despite them being pests and that pests are a legitimate, real problem for farms, as well as the writers' absolutely pathetic attempt to demonize Applejack's views, and Twilight actually conditions the bats to not eat their main source of food what the shit?? And the complete switch-up in the plot halfway through, what the fuck was that even about

It's like every time this series makes a horrible episode, Hasbro churns out another that completely surprises me

Moral of the episode: pests are good, keep them well fed at all times because they actually HELP your crops, who'd have thought? also don't condition bats to not eat apples or else your stupid friend will turn into a vampire

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Bats is officially the worst fucking episode. For starters it's another perfect demonstration of just how shitty of a friend Fluttershy is to the others, Fluttershy once again cares more about the animals than her friends, despite them being pests and that pests are a legitimate, real problem for farms, as well as the writers' absolutely pathetic attempt to demonize Applejack's views, and Twilight actually conditions the bats to not eat their main source of food what the shit?? And the complete switch-up in the plot halfway through, what the fuck was that even about

It's like every time this series makes a horrible episode, Hasbro churns out another that completely surprises me

Moral of the episode: pests are good, keep them well fed at all times because they actually HELP your crops, who'd have thought? also don't condition bats to not eat apples or else your stupid friend will turn into a vampire

O_O...You really do not like Fluttershy in her current state do you?

[Sean]

In her current state? In her current state

I always thought she was a horrible character from the start. There are numerous instances in which she completely goes against her status as the representation of kindness - it's not like the other characters are flawless but it's like Fluttershy in particular has no qualities that offset her flaws. Throughout the show, she has repeatedly demonstrated that she is incapable of prioritizing the well-being or best interests of her friends, even to the point where it's detrimental to others and not even to a realistic level, especially that time when she fucking copped out from doing her duties in Hurricane Fluttershy and moped about it despite it being her fucking responsibility to have helped out in the first damn place. And she just keeps doing it

She hasn't actually changed in the least in the recent seasons, but rather her existing flaws are made more and more apparent. The only difference now is that the latest seasons she has a huge, bright neon sign above her said saying "I DON'T CARE ABOUT HELPING ANYONE." She fucking refuses to help Twilight in Magic Duel, and is literally dragged kicking and screaming by her stupid animal friends. She doesn't try to help in Power Ponies either. She only does anything when she sees a stupid bug get hurt. She whines even more than Spike does in this episode, who at least still tries to do something.

Yeah Fluttershy is shy and doesn't have confidence. You want to know who's better at demonstrating a lack of confidence? Spike. Throughout the series you constantly see him feel that he's undermined by the rest of the characters (and rightfully so because everyone treats him like shit) but he really does try to overcome it and prove himself. Fluttershy shows no concern for helping out her friends. The shitty thing is that I've met people like her before. The types who use their insecurities as a shield and demonstrate passive aggressiveness toward others, who don't own up to how they really feel and don't take responsibility for their actions. If I was friends with someone like Fluttershy, then I'd stage an intervention or I'd dump her ass like a bad habit. I certain don't need people like her in my life, and I have no idea how the rest of the main charcters put up with her except because the writers are just too dense to give her any proper development and try to make her realistic and likeable for a change.

And being the element of kindness doesn't mean that you only get to be kind to animals. Jesus it's like the only thing that defines her these days.

[Soniman]

My favorite part of Power Ponies was when Fluttershy was perfectly willing to walk out and abandon all of her friends in the middle of a fight, and only cared to stay once a stupid fly was swat away, nice to know where her priorities are. That didn't piss me off at all, no sir!

 

 

Come on, how can I continue being a fan of Fluttershy with shit like that happening? Though her portrayal in Bats was nowhere near terrible, imo. At least she was trying to find a way for the situation to work out in AJs favor as well instead of just steadfastly siding with the bats.

[Wolfy]

Like I said in the other thread, the episode could've easily gone down the path of just relocating the bats. Finding wild fruit trees in the Everfree forest or hell even taking some seeds/trees to plant elsewhere to move the bats to would've both saved AJ's farm and helped the bats to survive without being an infestation issue. It bugs me that it ended with AJ willing to sanction off a portion of her farm just for some stupid bats.

 

I know it's just a kids show and it's not like it has real-life repercussions like it really would (the bats wouldn't stay to the field, that's a valuable loss to the farm), but it's teaching the kids watching it nothing at all. Reinforcing your pest problem so the infestation can survive along side you isn't practical and the episode should've have concentrated on the Mane Six finding a humane way of relocating the critters away from AJ's property. It's like saying to keep your cockroaches around if you seal off one of your cupboards in your kitchen because they're hungry too, or letting the bed bugs feed on you at night because it's technically not doing anything to you harmfully aside from mental state.

 

And if they wanted to retain the side plot of Flutterbat, they could've had the stare process happen by trying to convince the bats to move to a new location, instead of Twilight's brilliant "starve you bitches" approach.

[Dr. Mechano]

I don't know. Fluttershy has overcome her fears to help other ponies in times of need, and doesn't just care about other animals. To name a few:

• She was willing to confront the dragon in Dragonshy specifically because he attacked her friends. 
• Despite a crippling fear of the Everfree Forest, Fluttershy ran into it to find and rescue the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Stare Master.
• Despite her fear of the spotlight, she was willing to model clothes as a favor to Rarity in Green Isn't Your Color.
• Regardless of the aforementioned moping, she does eventually summon the courage to overcome her insecurities in Hurricane Fluttershy.

I think her faults are about as pronounced as the rest of the main cast. Rarity is generous, but can also be vain and selfish. Rainbow Dash is loyal, but can also be arrogant and lazy. Applejack is honest, but stubborn and hardheaded. Pinkie is positive, but often fails to take matters as seriously as she should. And of course, Fluttershy - despite her kindness - can be petty, passive-aggressive, and cowardly. I find that the characters' flaws make them really relatable, and Fluttershy's are no exception.

 

I see Fluttershy's cowardice less as a selfish quality and more as a pitiable weakness. She's scared of things, but most of the time eventually summons the courage to confront challenges anyway. In many ways, Fluttershy is likable for the same reasons Luigi is likable, in that they're both lovable cowards who nonetheless buckle down and stand up for what's right when they're needed.

[Strong Bad]

Man, Bats was such a bad episode...

I feel you're being a little harsh about Fluttershy, Sean. It may seem like she's "refusing to help her friends" most of the time but her reluctance to do certain things is part of her personality and there are several examples where her friends pressure her into doing things that would be or clearly end up being a bad idea, like in Bats.

But I don't disagree with your sentiment. She's definitely one of the least likable of the mane six IMO. She's just such a boring concept of a character and doesn't display much depth throughout the series really. She's like Pinkie Pie but more boring. Token shy pony.

[Kuzu]

Its times like these that make me glad that I'm a fan of Dash and Rarity more.

 

 

 

But yea, Fluttershy's behavior really kinda irked me. I get where she was coming from and all, but she doesn't seem to understand how much of a problem pests can be, and in certain cases they aren't beneficial. It really did felt like she cared about the animals than her friends, and what really sold it is how Applejack and the other's views they made to be in the wrong to Fluttershy's kindness.

 

 

I liked the conflict of the episode itself, but not on its execution. Season 4 so far has just been....average. With the exception of the first two episodes, every following one has just been so standard. The series seems more focused on putting the cast in fantastical situations(Power Ponies, FlutterBat, Daring Do, etc.) than developing any real character. Its a farcry from the first two seasons that's for sure.

[Celestia]

Hellooooo, new thread!

If I had to pick a favourite S4 episode so far, it'd be either Castle Mane-ia or Flight to the Finish. The former was hilarious and the latter...I don't know, something about it really stuck out to me. Plus the song was great.

 

I've really been enjoying Season 4, but at the moment I'm mostly focused on finally getting Rarity and Pinkie episodes again. It's been a while! I'm especially excited for Pinkie Apple Pie, kind of reminds me of when I had a half-joking theory that Pinkie was related to the Apple Family. I wonder if the pony they're going to meet who will be able to answer the question is Pinkie's granny...?

[gato]

Admittedly Bats! it's the only time I disliked the way Fluttershy acted because her argument to be against the ponies didn't do a lick of sense and getting rid of the bats (as in like they did with the Parasprites) looked like the best solution. The rest of the times it can be possible to see her reasoning behind the way she acts... even if we might or not like it.



Also, at the risk of sounding nitpicky...

 

Since we all have lungs full of fresh pony air now, we can finally confirm with everyone that Rainbow Dash is indeed best pone. I'm so relieved and glad to see you all understand now, <3.
 
But anyways, found this the other day and really fell in love with it
 
*song*
 
Her vocals are super good, and I really love the beat and such she has going under it. It feels like a legit song I'd hear on the radio or something, but about ponies, so homigosh. It's also a pretty different sounding song for Rainbow Dash that I usually hear, which is always neat. She doesn't seem to have much on the pony front on music on her channel but I really hope she makes more or makes an album of them or something since I want moar, >:U.

The bold part is not entirely true, I'd go as far as to say Feather is right now the most prolific author in the fandom (maybe with Delta Brony), it's just that most of the songs that have her in are collabs and you have to look for them in other people's channels. Just look for something on youtube like... "feat feather" to give yourself an idea of how much stuff she's done... I particularly like this one from Tarby.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28IidQtXso

 

I don't feel is that pony related tho...

[Dr. Mechano]

Week of Rarity, Day 5. With two days until Rarity Takes Manehatten, I'm as psyched as ever! Today I rewatched Sisterhooves Social.

 

The overall message of the episode is clear: Family is largely about compromising and accepting each others' differences. It's a good message, and it's presented really well. Rarity and Sweetie Belle haven't had much interaction aside from a brief scene in Stare Master, so I was pleased to see an entire episode focusing on their relationship.

 

I feel like the episode does a great job establishing conflict between the two sisters without dragging on for too long. A minor complaint of mine is that I feel Rarity was somewhat out of character when she agreed that she didn't need a sister during her argument with Sweetie Belle. It's important to remember that Sweetie Belle is a child, and it makes sense that she - due to her immaturity - would say something like that. Rarity, by contrast, is an adult, and as such I expected her response to be a bit more mature; It could still be standoffish and cause Sweetie to run away (e.g. "Oh, please, you don't seriously mean that."), and still lead to the same conflict without having Rarity stoop to arguing like a child. Regardless, this is a very minor complaint in an otherwise stellar episode.

 

Applejack is fantastic in this episode. Seeing Rarity come to Applejack of all people for advice really shows how far they've come as friends since Look Before You Sleep in season one. It was a small moment, but definitely one of my favorites in the episode.

 

Of course, Rarity running the entire race with Sweetie Belle was - if predictable - still awesome. To overcome her fear of dirt, dust, and mud just to make amends with her sister is a great indicator of Rarity's giving nature. The resolution was sweet, and provided some great development for both sisters.

 

Oh, and I loved seeing Rarity's parents. It really cements my thoughts that Rarity grew up in a relatively unremarkable middle-class household, and is trying to somewhat distance herself from that upbringing in her adulthood.

 

Best line of the episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_pPXHsMThQ