#sorry rainbow dash its for the character development

[kindheart525]

[jett-dawson]

— ANDERSHAW RANT

so i’m currently in a big andershaw mood. i really really love them. watching episodes five and six makes me so happy. i know this show is still finding its way, i know the drama isn’t super solid and i know the eps are only five minutes long. but i’m just trying to find happiness in what we��ve got. and while jella is obviously just such an iconic and strong ship, i feel like andershaw deserves some love & light as well. hell, they’re still lowkey underrated? even after the episodes? idk but anyways

after reading skyler and ruby’s i was like wait wait. these two bios feel like two different puzzle pieces. pieces that attach? they literally fit so well. ruby is this bold girl. mega aries energy. rainbow dash type beat. she is the girl who makes sure to put loving, supportive energy into her friends no matter what. shes there to hype them up when and if they need it. shes there to put extra flair onto their outfits and just be that very very cool gal. skyler is the shy one. cancer energy. fluttershy type beat. shes timid yet smart, shy and lowkey insecure. she’s not fully sure of herself. shes still finding her feet. shes still looking for the moment where she’s fully ready to shine. she just needs a boost. she needs confidence. she needs support. and yes of course she could get that from any of her friends but like. ruby is literally branded around being the hype friend!! how fitting is that! plus they’re literally just the definition of red and blue gays i’m sorry but it had to be said

then episodes five and six dropped. these episodes really strengthened their bond. seriously. whether you ship it or not, they are now closer than ever. think about it! skyler just lost the love of her life, who she had been dating for like three years, in the most crappiest way possible. who ran after her to comfort her? ruby. but ruby lowkey kinda just got let down as well. she got to go on a date with this “cute” boy from her class. she was excited for the party. she was hyped up, she ran over to her roomies to get excited with them. she was willing to vlog with him. all for him to turn out to be a fraud, not only to her but to her friend. but what did she do? put all of her energy into skyler. WHICH ISNT A SURPRISE. their bios do foreshadow the show, believe it or not. we knew poppy was going to have some sort of dynamic going on with the A’s. we knew sunny was going to have her own cartoon that she works on of her friends. we knew all of this! and you could say the same about the wave two bios, foreshadowing violet/karma drama, amaya coming into a school with an unexpected setting, etc.

but like. think about it. they could’ve had any of the girls go to comfort skyler. they could’ve had jade go, bella go, heck, even sunny! but they chose jade. bc thats her character. she cares. she cares enough. she knew just what to say. she knew the moment skyler started spewing junk abt colin being the reason she got into rainbow high, it was all false. she knew just what to say to help skyler. and immediately was like hey look. ur makeup is running. you’re upset. you don’t deserve this. let’s have a makeover together. and made a cute ass montage of them being in love and doing makeup and hair. bro they put each other’s initials on each others outfits!! that’s what ruby’s bio meant! she knows how to add flair to anyone’s looks! she gave skyler a bit of a makeover!! foreshadowing!!!!

and yet she supported skyler’s speech on the stage. she convinced skyler that colin isn’t worth her time or energy and that they should just turn their colour up and vibe. they didn’t have to do that. they seriously didn’t. opposites ships like these are always the death of me. you see that with jella! opposites in a way!! you see it with other ships from other shows.. ex. rarijack and flutterdash (since i was referencing mlp earlier lol). they just work. it’s the balance. the time. the effort and energy they put in together. and i love it.

and i feel like andershaw is one of the only canon dynamics that have gotten a lot of attention.. other than jella and sky/violet. like the roommates have cute bonds as well but we haven’t seen a lot of them have major like... heartfelt turn of events. i mean i do love the cute moment of skyler supporting sunny during episode one. i do like the dynamic of ruby and violet having the spa nights on thursdays and being the ones invested in vlogging and stuff. that’s cute! but andershaw had like a heartfelt turn of events that strengthened their bond. and it’s not a surprise to me because their bios!! make sense!!!

sky/river seems like an interesting take. i mean all we’ve known is them sharing the 22 and then seeing each other and knowing each other which is cute!! but i guess i just can’t get into it?? idk. like. i usually almost always find straight couples being weak in kids cartoons bc companies usually only throw in males for the purpose of being a love interest and almost nothing else. so i’m used to finding no interest in straight couples for the reason that their bonds are as strong as the main characters friendships! and this is usually in like girl power shows like mlp, precure, winx, eah, mh, etc. like i do love the het couples of eah and mh ngl. rosabella and daring? clawd and draculaura? ashlynn and hunter? deuce and cleo? love to see them. but i guess another factor in it is that we rarely ever get LGBT rep in kid shows like these and. i love to see myself represented in the things i love and cmon man the school is literally called rainbow high. we have to at least have one gay, cmon. please mga

anyways. i wonder what will happen to river tho. i feel like i can get into it if they develop out their relationship while also actually giving river a personality lol. i do love how hes into performing arts though. you don’t see a guy being into performing represented in cartoons every day. but i also wonder if the amaya/river theory will come true. half upset bc id expect someones theme that is literally based off of the rainbow would be gay but. i also love andershaw so NDMDNDJ it’s ok. i ship andershaw no matter what! i wonder what will happen, and if couples will even be a prominent thing in the shows future. i mean... i wouldn’t doubt it? if not, kia would serve like no other purpose as of rn lol. anyways. i love my gays and i’ll probably rant about them another time

[taiblogcomics]

Begin Again With Season Ten

Hey there, visual glitches. I guess since that last Ravagers issue was actually on the good side, we broke the curse. That shipment of comics I was waiting for finally came in, and we can review something relatively new for once. Remember that? When we used to review My Little Pony comics? Wow, it's been a while, huh? Is this preamble long enough? Let's get to it~

Here's the cover:

Ah, this cover is pretty good. At the very least, I mean, it does what a cover is supposed to do: grab your attention. It's very bright, and it calls out exactly what the next arc of comics is going to be. Yes, this is a continuation of the series following its finale. Which is a great place to jump back in, don't you think? There's really only one thing from the final season you need to know, and we'll cover it, but good cover. Also puts all the major characters on the cover, just to let readers know they exist~

So we open in Canterlot, since Twilight Sparkle doesn't live in Ponyville anymore. She's become ruler of Equestria and Celestia and Luna have retired. That's it, that's your spoilers. She's put out a call to all the most relevant characters: her friends, the Pillars, the movie-only characters, and even a few fan favourites. The comic even confirms that Lyra and Bon Bon are getting married, which is nice for all you shippers out there. Zecora's last to arrive, via the Rainbow Dash express, and with that, Twilight calls this meeting to order.

Well, you see, with Twilight now in an active position of power, she can't go galavanting all over the world solving friendship problems anymore. It just wouldn't be responsible. And the world has expanded quite a lot. The Crystal Empire popped up during season 3, for example. A whole bunch of new races appeared during the movie and season 7... So while we're now on good terms with yaks, griffons, dragons, and the like, there's still other places out there to extend the hoof of friendship toward. And thusly, she'll be sending out teams helmed by her closest friends to explore these lands.

Rainbow Dash, Captain Celaeno, Spitfire, and Lyra and Bon Bon are headed to the home of Celaeno's parrot people. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy are pairing up together with Capper, Discord, and Trixie to where the catfolk live. Rarity is taking herself, Big Macintosh, Mage Meadowbrook, and Maud Pie to find the Diamond Dogs' lost kingdom. (Try looking between Pin-Ups and Young Americans.) And, most relevant to this first story arc, Applejack, Tempest Shadow, Rockhoof, and Zecora are off to the Farasian Shores, where the zebras live. At least, they are until Zecora hears where they're going.

For some reason, Zecora is very reluctant to return to her homelands. Sorry, Zecora, you had nine seasons to develop anything about your backstory and your people. Now you have no choice! She's so upset about the idea of returning home that she even stops rhyming to explain her feelings. Zecora explains that she prefers her life to be private, and that she has some bad blood back home. Applejack apologises, and Zecora reluctantly agrees to go with the group anyway. As she walks off, Applejack notices Zecora stopped rhyming for a moment there, and Zecora be's mysterious about that as well~

So, how to get to the Farasian coast? Well, on a boat, naturally. Did you know Cranky Doodle is a boat captain? Because I didn't. Also on his crew is a Gilligan-looking fellow named Ragamuffin and a surprise cameo by Steven Magnet. Tempest spends most of the journey being grumpy, though she does use her magic to fend off a storm. They also face down pirates, narwhals swimmin' in the ocean, and Rockhoof's restlessness in not having a use for his shovel on the sea. Finally, they set sights on Farasi, which causes Zecora's anxieties to rise again.

On the shore, they part with the crew for now. Get out of here, ancilliary characters! We're about to introduce a half-dozen more, and we need to keep the cast down as much as we can. Say, speaking of, the group meets their welcoming committee: a zebra named Marini with purple stripes. She greets Zecora warmly, but Zecora pulls away. Rockhoof takes her up on those offered hugs, though. Marini takes them on a tour, which includes a reference to Casablanca, and she's surprised Zecora has never explained anything about their home to them.

After mentioning that this is the home of Abraxas, one of Farasi's four princes, Applejack is kind of reluctant to meet with a full prince. Fortunately, she's got a different welcome wagon to meet first: Marini's friends! In addition to her, there are two lanky, two-horned ponies called Dust Devil and Cactus Rose. They don't tell you until next issue, but they're abadas, roughly the zebra equivalent of unicorns. The other two, Crystal and Medley Brook, are kelpies, which are ponies with control over water. They're all old friends with Zecora, who panics and runs away when confronted with her past. Who knew zebras had such anxiety problems?

Well, let’s start with the notion of season 10. It’s a neat premise and a good direction to take the series. No more sitting around in Ponyville! It’s a bit more of an ongoing adventure series than an episodic slice-of-life. I’m not sure they could have actually done this in the show, particularly with Twilight and Spike essentially retiring from main character status. But it definitely works for comics. Additionally, I’m glad they decided to do it as part of the main ongoing series instead of a “Season 10″ miniseries like the Adventure Time comics tried. It didn’t work out so good there~

As for the story itself, I’m very intrigued. Zecora’s status as a zebra was always the biggest mystery that the series had left by the end, so it’ll be neat to explore that in some depth. We’ll get to know her friends more next issue, trust me, but I like them. And speaking of friends, splitting up the main cast is something that also might not have worked in the TV series, but here it works just fine. It’s the Marvel Team-Up rules: pair some characters who normally don’t interact together and see what happens. It’s good for development~

[ordinaryschmuck]

Top 20 BEST Animated Series of the 2010s-7th Place

>Insert long exaggerated sigh here<

It’s here that I really, really, REALLY hope nobody that I know personally is reading these.

(Also, sorry that this was a day late)

#7-My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (2010-2019)

The Plot: In the land of Equestria, a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle moves to a happy little town called Ponyville to learn about the magic of friendship. There, she meets her best friends Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Together they’ll do what most friends do. Which is to sing songs, defeat creatures who seek to destroy everything, and learn that friendship truly is magic.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Hell, I knew what you were thinking before I even explained the plot: “Isn’t this just a show for little girls that twenty-year-old losers fell in love with? How is this in the top 10?!” Now I’ll be the first to admit, there was a time when I didn’t get it either. When I heard that a fanbase grew around a My Little Pony reboot, I thought people were losing their minds. But, on one fateful day in 2014, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to watch ONE episode that seemed interesting to me. Unfortunately, it was the first episode in season two, and I had no idea what was going on within the first few minutes. So then I decided to watch the entirety of season one and then ONLY watch that episode in season two. And the episode after that because apparently, it was a two-parter. And then I watched the next episode after THAT because it also seemed interesting to me, plus the episode after that, for no reason other than I just wanted to. And then I watched all the rest of the series until the season four finale. And the two spin-off movies called Equestria Girls and Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks. Soon, I found myself reading fan-fiction, writing fan-fiction, looking at fanart, and even reading these spin-off comics that aren’t even canon, but I just couldn’t leave this magical world because it TOOK ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR FOR THE FIFTH SEASON TO PREMIER! ALL BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO WATCH AN EPISODE WHERE A CHAOS CREATURE MENTALLY BROKE OUR MANE CHARACTERS! AND YES! I DID WRITE MANE INSTEAD OF MAIN BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THIS SHOW DOES TO YOU! IT MAKES YOU SO ACCUSTOMED TO THE WRITING AND LINGO, THAT’S WITHIN BOTH THE SHOW AND IT’S INSANE FANDOM, THAT YOU’LL END UP CATCHING YOURSELF FROM SAYING MANEHATTAN INSTEAD OF MANHATTAN!

>SCREAMS WITH INSANITY<

…

So as you can tell, this show is surprisingly good once you get infested.

The biggest hook it has is the animation. While it doesn’t beat The Amazing World of Gumball’s quality, it is pretty impressive when considering that it’s all done in flash animation. Most flash animated cartoons tend to look cheap and slow, and Friendship is Magic is thankfully one of the rare exceptions. The movements are insanely smooth, and the facial expressions are pretty comical to look at. Even in the background of scenes, viewers will notice a lot of little jokes the animators put in. Seriously, the biggest reason why I kept watching the series for so long was that it was nice to look at (which is the case for most people, from what I’ve heard). And the best part? The animation somehow gets better with each passing season. And only 0.1% of the time does it show it’s cheapness, which isn’t that big of a deal considering there are two hundred and thirty-two episodes with a twenty-two-minute runtime. That’s nearly five thousand, one hundred, and four hours of animation that’s good for 99.9% of the time. While you could argue that it’s not the best, it is still pretty good animation quality.

Another thing that drew me in was the comedy. Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean Friendship is Magic is the funniest show on the list (that also goes to Gumball). Humor is subjective, and just because I found myself laughing with this series, that doesn’t mean everyone will be on the same page. That being said, I was surprised by the fact that I found the show funny in the first place. It’s hard to pinpoint what type of humor the show relies on (for me, at least). For some cases, Friendship is Magic has dialogue-based jokes that use smart or random lines to get a laugh out of audiences. Other times it's visual humor that requires slapstick or comical facial expressions that will make people laugh. But while its comedy falls between two different spectrums, that doesn’t change the fact that I find myself losing it every once in a while. Even during some of the worst episodes of Friendship is Magic, there’s at least one line or gag that got me to chuckle at least once.

However, both the animation and the comedy cannot top the main selling point of this series: The characters. Friendship is Magic might just have one of the biggest cast of characters out of any show on this list. Most of them manage to be funny, relatable, and are downright likable to watch. What’s even more astonishing is how well this show handles character growth. To be fair, there can be certain characters whose development is slow, but for the most part, everybody grows significantly with each new lesson they’ve learned. There are even moments when the characters say something along the lines of “I’m no longer that pony I used to be anymore because I finally learned how to change.” However, this doesn’t mean that every pony in the show is worth the time. There are a few unlikeable characters, but they’re either meant to be unlikable, forgotten after an episode’s end, or are redeemed after a triumphant return.

This is good because it’s the characters that make the stories in the show work. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is split into two different storytelling genres: Slice of life comedy and adventure fantasy. And unlike Steven Universe, it’s Friendship is Magic that mixes both these genres together perfectly. I’m not joking when I say that an episode where Twilight rekindles an old friendship can be just as intriguing as an episode where Twilight fights this soul-sucking centaur made to look like the devil. Hell, some fans even argue that the slice of life episodes are even better than the adventurous episodes. Because while the adventure episodes are cool and action-packed, it’s the slice of life episodes where the characters are allowed to grow the most and are actually given time to be themselves. As for the grand adventures, while their fun to see, the cast is forced to stick to their central personality traits to move the plot forward.

Unfortunately, as fun as this show can be, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it. Not because there are elements that I think are bad, but because there are elements that might turn people away from watching. And the most significant repulse this show has is also the most important hook.

Yes, the characters in this show are great, but there’s also a lot of them. Some might even say too many. By season nine alone, there are a total of twenty-seven different characters that have the possibility of taking/sharing the spotlight in an episode. And that’s not even counting important figures, recurring antagonists, supporting characters, and even recognizable background ponies (yes, that’s a thing). Because if you want to add those to the mix, you’ve got yourself a total of one hundred and twenty-seven characters (give or take). That is one hundred and twenty-seven different names, faces, and personalities to try to keep track of. Luckily the personalities are easy enough to remember, and it’s mostly the most (in)famous figures that make a return. Even for some of the obscure characters, the show is kind enough to give a brief recap so the audience can get caught up. However, this is reasonably a lot to take in for a casual viewer. Case in point, in season eight, the show decided to add six new characters to the main cast, and it only took me a season and a half to learn their names correctly. It’s even worse since these “new” characters can sometimes feel like carbon copies of the Mane Six (Yes, that’s how the main six characters in the show are referred to as. Deal with it).

And the excessive amount of unnecessary characters are just one issue to deal with. The lessons that the show teaches are another. Before I say anything, I want to clarify that this show has fantastic lessons it teaches kids. In fact, there are even great lessons that are perfect for adults and only adults (know your audience, I guess). However, here’s the thing about morals: Not everyone will share the same view on what’s good and bad to teach children. Every person on this planet has their own life experiences, and with those experiences come different ideas of how the world works. One person can believe that a lesson is good, where others view it as awful and potentially dangerous. Things get especially bad when specific morals are misinterpreted or taken too literally. The best example is the episode “Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep.” I believe that there are two possible lessons within the episode. One is that to truly be forgiven, a person must seek forgiveness from themselves and others. The other conceivable moral is that the cure for self-destruction is to get over it and move on without any professional help whatsoever. Now, take a wild guess on which lesson gets talked about more. And in all honesty, I blame poor/rushed writing that causes specific morals to be muddled, as well as a person’s own life experience in whether or not you find an episode’s lesson to be intriguing or insulting.

Another thing that depends on one’s own personality is (kinda spoilers ahead) how this show handles reformations. I may have commented on how Steven Universe uses redemption poorly, but it’s even worse in Friendship is Magic. This show seems to have the idea that the transition from bad to good is as simple as flipping a light switch. Now, on the one hand, this is not something I should be mad about. The show’s title is Friendship is Magic. So, of course, the series would push that making friends will lead to peace and prosperity. Where making enemies will lead to war and violence. The problem is that from a storytelling standpoint, it isn’t that entertaining. Or, at the very least, not as much as it should be. The art of a good reformation is taking the time for the transition to be believable. Characters suddenly deciding to become good seemingly out of nowhere will do nothing but have audiences rip their hair out of frustration. It doesn’t help that most of the villain’s reasoning and backstories are pretty pathetic when they actually should be sympathetic. However, while the reformation itself can be frustrating, I personally think some characters are made more intriguing post redemption. Don’t get me wrong, these villains were great as they were, being the perfect mix of both funny and terrifying. But when the show actually allows characters to grow and deserve the hand-er-hoof of friendship, they begin to have more fascinating personalities to dissect. Now, not everyone is going to feel this way. And if you genuinely believe these villains were better as villains, I can absolutely see why. But for me, I’ve come to enjoy how far these ex-cons have come from their more evil days. 

But none of this compares to the final controversial element that this show has to offer, where there is a fifty/fifty chance that you’re either going to love it or hate it. I, of course, am talking about...the songs. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has four different types of songs. Depending on the episode, these musical numbers have many purposes. They can move the story forward, only work within the episode’s context, try to one-up Disney, and reveal everything you need to know about a character. Now here’s the thing about the music: I don’t hate it. I’ll admit that the lyrics are pretty lackluster most of the time, but at least most of them sound pleasing to my ears. But I have heard how some people seem to hate these little numbers, and I’m willing to put money on that fans even skip them. Everybody has their own tastes in music, and there’s nothing I can do to convince them otherwise. Only respect their opinions and hope they do the same to mine.

In the end, your enjoyment of this series, once again, depends on who you are. Some of you might think this is a dumb kid's show that should only be viewed by children. Some of you will understand that this show has great characters, comedy, and animation, but you just don’t think it’s for you. And some of you might be like me. A person overwhelmed with curiosity over the weirdest phenomenon in the last eleven years and ended up being pleasantly surprised with how magical the show turned out to be.

(And just a heads up, you don’t have to watch the Equestria Girls spin off series or movies in order to enjoy Friendship is Magic. EG isn’t technically canon, and the only noteworthy thing that makes it worthwhile is Sunset Shimmer. And while I personally don’t hate it, I completely understand how others will. But you do need to see My Little Pony: The Movie (2017), though. It surprisingly plays a big part in season 8 and beyond.)

[raridashdoodles]

📖 Twilight have read and graded all your stories! 📖 

However, since she's a fictional character we'll discard her opinions! I'm the one with the money, so naturally my opinions are the only one that matters.

These are ranked from best to worst and I've scored all entries based on how entertaining (or infuriating) I found them to be. If you got a good score, be very proud! I am not easy to please. If you got a bad score, then it is time for you to go sit in the corner and think about your sins. 👻

First off, the winner and best of the show:

Fic: Love, And Other Felonies Author: PatchworkPoltergeist​ Grade: A+++ Review: This is pretty much a raridash masterpiece. In my humble opinion, it far surpasses all of the fanfics the raridash community considers its cream of the crop. It has everything from great structure, wonderful characterizations and is an overall fun, creative take on the NMM-verse timeline. The world-building and lore is an added plus and a surprise (didn't expect that due to time and theme restrictions). This is an excellent romance fanfic with Raridash at the heart of its story. The two of them share close to every moment together and have to lean on each other as there is no one else to trust in this harsh dystopian world. Watching these two walk on eggshells in a society where freewill and independent thinking is punishable by death is just as entertaining as it sounds!

If I had to critic this, I'd say the story's epilogue threw me off. I feel that too much character development were lost in amnesia world and the romance aspect just didn't fit the bill anymore. Felt forced and awkward.

Runner-ups:

Fic: My Little Confession Author: Pixel Berry Grade: B Review: Very plain and simple, but it works! Story is very brief and the characters barely has any time to be introduced, but it covers the bare minimum and the characters struggles and exchanges are both endearing, cute and wholesome. Equis High seemed like an interesting place and it would've been great if you could've expand upon it. The prompt lean near the end was way too on the nose and really ruined the flow of narration! You should've kept up your integrity and make up your own ending. An epilogue for this wouldn't hurt either since the story doesn't fade out, it just kind of ends... 

Style of narration was very odd and there were several pacing issues, but I feel the creativity makes up for it! These were the kind of stories I was hoping to get out of this competition. ❤️

Fic: Zero-Sun Game Author: Undome Tinwe Grade: C+ Review: This story had some good moments, but the genres stumble over each other constantly. This isn't goofy enough to make it a good comedy and it definitely isn't serious enough to work as a good drama. There aren't any real struggles and Rainbow Dash's character is practically flawless. She knows exactly what say and how to behave in order to get Rarity under her thumb and she can predict events with 100% accuracy, averting every single conflict thrown at her with ease. The more you read, the less intrigued you become. Everything becomes dull up until the ending where everything gets weird. In a story that has references to sex, vice and regicide, giving this story such a cheesy, awkward ending just didn't feel right at all.

You should've gone full comedy and have Rainbow Dash under investigation for being a potential super villain, only for it to be revealed her actions were not a result of amorality but stupidity. Drama could’ve work too, but you'd have to lose the virtual-reality shtick as it sucks away all the tension.

Fic: The Finale Author: Mymysteriox Grade: F Review: This story is called The Finale and as promised by the title, you are indeed dropped into the climax of a big dramatic story, having no clue as to what events has lead up to that moment. Ponies are yelling and crying and then the stage play end. The main characters are real pleased with themselves for performing this amazing play, we weren't allowed to see! The problem with this fanfic is that it is barely anything but a transcript to its prompt. There's no depth, backstory or even introductions. It's an empty shell.

Fic: Every One After Author: AJtheRaven Grade: F Review: This story's attempt at entertainment revolves itself around Rarity and Rainbow Dash being as petty and shallow as possible. In short, Rainbow Dash want a trophy wife and Rarity want an obedient little pupper. These aspirations are forced to the point you wonder why the two of them are an item in the first place. Romance stories who’s conflict are the characters hating each other with the resolution of them kissing and making up in the end are by far the cheapest, dirtiest things in the world. To add on that, it completely fails to utilize the prompt in any creative manner, making this already dull story that much duller. None of the interactions carried any sincerity and every setup was predictable. 

If you had plans to write a story out of pure spite then you might as well have gone full out and write a story where Rainbow Dash struggles to dispose of Rarity's lifeless body after having strangled her to death in a fit of rage. At least that way you could’ve gotten a passing score for creativity.

Fic: The Experimental RariDash Crackfic Author: Mystic Mind Grade: F Review: Every single joke in this are like nails on a chalk board. Rarity and Rainbow Dash serves no purpose to this story and could've been replaced by literally anyone. The narrator/Pinkie Pie is obnoxious to the point you want to bludgeon her to death and the story from beginning to end is nothing but meme characters stumbling around and bumping into each other. I was surprised you didn't include a scene where Discord popped in and start twerking in front of the audience, all while promoting his fortnite centered twitch channel. There isn’t a single redeeming factor in this story... Everything is just nauseating.

This might have been a decent story if it was a straight faced drama, but with what I’ve seen from this story I kind of doubt your ability to write romance stories at all.

Fic: A Marvelous Day Author: ModdieFox Grade: F- Review: This fanfic is a big empty template that someone put a raridash sticker onto. Any character could be switched out and it wouldn't make a difference. There's no story, no build-up and nothing in this carries any weight or consequence. Everything feels hollow and manufactured. A loveless, soulless entry.

This needed to be longer (less exposition, more anticipation) and the narration should've followed either Rarity's or Rainbow's internal monologue about the ups and downs in their relationship that eventually lead them to getting married. Big pay-offs like weddings aren't satisfying if we don’t know the struggle.

Fic: Those Wedding Belle Rainbows Author: Tangerine Blast Grade: G Review: I'm at a loss for words... This is a story that relies itself on the stupidity of its characters to push itself forward. Usually I don't mind stupid characters if it's there to make them cute, but in this fanfic it exist for no other reason than to create unnecessary conflicts. The lack of common sense makes every character insufferable and every action taken and every piece of dialogue spoken are annoying and borders on infuriating. The story has no direction and spirals itself into meandering filler. The author couldn't even be bother to write an ending for this clustergack and instead he just copy&pastes a scene from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and calls it a day (no, I'm not joking). 

I have nothing else to say other than this is the worst raridash fanfic I've ever read in my life. This isn't your everyday kind of failure... This is advanced failure! This deserves a grade lower than F so I hereby award it with the special rating of G (standing for garbage). Kudos.

Disqualified entires:

Fic: Guiding Light Author: Gesstalt Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: This story tries way too hard to be poetic and mysterious, but due to its brief length it just comes off as unnecessary filler. It feels like someone opened up a book, ripped out a single page from it and presented it as a full story. Everything is vague and cryptic and you can't make sense of anything. Elements are presented with the implications that they have greater meaning but it never amounts to anything and everything just feels pointless.

Fic: Love Eternal Author: RDFan27 Grade: Disqualified (Doesn't follow a prompt) Review: In this story Rainbow Dash enters Rarity's boutique and stands still. It's a pretty ingenious concept, I gotta say! Think about it, Rainbow Dash likes sports so naturally she likes to move around, but because she likes Rarity so much she's willing to go against her nature and stand still!! It's the peak of romance!!! 

Sarcasm aside, this fanfic fails to be creative at every turn. Stories with this premise have been written over 300+ times, going back as far as 2011. I didn't like them back then and I don't like them now. This story's only redeeming factor is its ending which threw me into a laughing fit, though that wasn't a feat of writing as much as it was timing.

🌟 Those were all the stories! 🌟

Thanks to everyone who participated, hope you all had fun! Sorry if you didn't win, but not everybody have what it takes to be the best. I hope you found my critic helpful and that it'll go a long way to help improve your future stories!

If you found some of these ratings were unfair, tough cookie! This is a contest and it's not my job to hold your hand. If you don't understand the mechanics of basic story telling or just can't be bothered to write a sincere story, then you only have your own incompetence to blame. Get good or get bent, loser! 🎷

Let’s hear another round of applauses for @patchworkpoltergeist​ amazing story! 👏👏👏 Wooooo~ 

[b0ne-marrow]

Valorverse - Reconciliation

Previous: https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Broken-Ties-800780839 Pippin was gleefully trotting to his foodstand at the farmer's market, a skip in his step, carrying a bucket of fresh apples on each of his sides. He was selling this year's plentiful harvest in the form of Cider, tarts, fritters, and other lovely apple treats he had spent baking with some of his family. At the stand was Applejack, his dear mother, pulling the various confectionaries they had out of a cart and placing them on the stand. Pippin sat one of the buckets of apples on the edge of the table and the other next to the cart. He smiled at Applejack as he flipped the small sign on the stand to display that they were open. Almost as if they were waiting on them, Rainbow dash walks towards the stand in tow with her son, Breakneck right afterwards. She immediately goes to the cider as Breakneck walks up to Applejack and Pippin, his face glum and somber. He doesn't make eye contact with either of them. Rainbow walks up soon after with bits to pay for her cider. "... Pippin." Breakneck spoke up. "Oh! uh, hiya, BK!" The stallion let out an awkward and forced laugh, clearly uncomfortable with the pegasus' presence. Both Rainbow and Applejack watched with concern. "How are you doin' today?" Breakneck hung his head low, looking almost defeated in a way. "I... _{I'mSorryIBrokeYourWindow."} "..." Both Pippin and Applejack stared blankly at him for a moment. "Mama said I should apologize, even though I didn't meanit." A ping of pain shot through Pippin's chest, thinking that Rainbow more than likely knows of their "relationship" now with how close she and her son are, but he ignored it and gave Pippin a bright smile. Applejack also gave Breakneck a smile herself, hers more genuine. "Breakneck, honey, don'tcha wo-" "Why, Breakneck Blitz, we know you wouldn'ta done it on purpose! No worries. Momma and I fixed it right up!" Pippin tried to release the tension in his face and chest as he continued his put-on smile. Applejack gave him a confused but curious look, cocking an eyebrow up. "Riiight... We... sure did. Don't worry about it, Sugar. Just be more careful next time, and let us know so we don't think someone was tryin' to break in or somethin' like that." Breakneck nods his head. Rainbow looked between BK and Pippinnervously, then looked at Applejack, giving her a reassuring smile. "Soooo, uh, Applejack..., I need to tell you about somethin' Awesome! You won't BELIEVE this! Tank. had. BABIES." "Wait, I thought Tank was a bo-" Before she could react, Applejack was being pulled off by Rainbow out of the area. BK's head never rose, he avoiding eye contact with Pippin. His voice was low and grumbly, trotting behind the apple stand and stood right next to the bulky stallion. "You know what I'm really sorry about." "Don't you worry bout a thing, Breakneck!" He gave him a smile. "Oh, quit your shit, Pippin. I'm not in tha mood." Pippin's stature deflated, his fake smile turning into a frown. His ears flopped over as he looked surprised. "Look. I know we were just "experimenting" but I... I just wanted more than that. I caught feelings for you. I thought that maybe things could develop between us. I didn't mean to try and force us into something, and I should've been more.... "Sensitive" about the situation you were in with your family. Breakneck glanced over at Rainbow and Applejack, who were clearly hiding behind some bushes. Pippin sat for a moment, thinking over what he said. "Momma told me to tell you that last part, b-but I meant the rest." "...BK, I can't believe you're actually apologizin' to me." "What'sthatsupposed to mean?" He growled. "You told me yourself you don't like to and never want to." "..." "I really am sorry, Pippin." "Shit. I know you are. I'm sorry too." Pippin rests his hoof against Breakneck's shoulder. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you tellin me your sorry and talkin about your emotions." Pippin's words took Breakneck by surprise. His cheeks went bright red. "Thanks, I guess." They sat there for a moment, listening to the crowd of ponies buying various food items. Pippin noticed a pile of bits by his register and a a few "missing" apple tarts. "I... lost my temper that night." "...As you have a tendency to do." Pippin snapped his mouth shut as BK gave him a glare. "...and I messed up pretty bad. Even I could see that." He chuckled awkwardly as he finally looked at Pippin. Pippin wrapped his arm around him and pulled him into an embrace. Breakneck's wings shot straight up, he returning the gesture and hugging him back. "I forgive you, BK. Just... work on talking about your feelings more and the anger issues, okay?" Breakneck had a brief moment of frustration before sighing. "You're right. okay, I will. I'm trying." Pippin pulls him into another hug. "Its okay. I know you're trying. Change ain't gonna happen in one day." The two hug each other for what feels like an hour, they simply enjoying being in each other's presence. "...I miss talkin' with ya, BK." Breakneck didn't respond, but felt his cheeks go flush. Holy Resourse using Batman I used a lot of things here: Background:https://www.deviantart.com/vector-brony/art/Ponyville-Market-723903997 Cider: https://www.deviantart.com/vectorshy/art/Mug-of-Cider-306718588 Apple Brown Betties (cupcakle like thing right beside the cider: https://www.deviantart.com/chainchomp2/art/Apple-Brown-Betty-451168161 Apple Fritter and Apple Cake:https://www.deviantart.com/korikian/art/365-Day-201-Drinks-and-Pies-243830006 (I also borrowed the plates from this one too) Zap Apple Cupcakes: https://www.deviantart.com/atnezau/art/Zapapple-Cupcake-278660553 Zap Apple Tart:https://www.deviantart.com/atnezau/art/Zappaple-Tart-278793044 Apple Friiter cake things:https://www.deviantart.com/90sigma/art/Applejack-s-Royal-Wedding-Bitesize-Apple- Fritters-299777985 I threw in the part about Tank having babies as a joke about how bad Rainbow is at lying, but I'm also 100 percent down for Tank to be a TRANS ICON and I'm debating on actually for the valorverse LMFAO (I.e flutters thought he was a guy at first but realized she sexed him wrong, but Tank doesn't respond to she/her pronouns anyway) WELP I decided since I"m a little bitch and hate negative things that Pippin and Breakneck do eventually reconcile and buddy back up. They still don't end up together but that's okay with them. (at least that's how it is right now my polyshipping ass just might make it an Ot3 cuz I think they're cute together ajklds;ajf;kslajf;as) ITs so weird though BK's like a huge Tsundere and if I actually wrote about him more often he wouldn't come off that way lol and I can see BK and Pippin probably unironically calling each other "Bro" but there's also sexual and romantic tension between them and ajfekla;jfk Characters involved: https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Pippin-Lil-Mac-787115604 https://www.deviantart.com/musical-medic/art/Valorverse-Breakneck-Blaze-Reupload-804551186 I hope you enjoy! (I've been in the process of Updating my plug at the end of my posts, it's really REALLY long and I'm gonna shorten it up a bit. So that's why they haven't been in lately)

Posted using PostyBirb

[hothoovesgaming]

Developer Update #2

DISCLAIMER: Hot Hooves Gaming is an indie game developer with no ties to Hasbro or any of its properties. We don’t own any of the characters featured therein, save for the individual Original Character (OC) who has been created for this non-profit fan-made game project.

Welcome everyone to Hot Hooves Gaming’s second developer update for our My Little Pony Visual Novel Project. It’s been a crazy March for HHG, what with our “Spring Heat” event taking place during our Spring Break (probably not your Spring Break XD), and a lot of story to progress with alongside some more character portraits that have increased the cast of characters to nearly overwhelming numbers. No time for April Fool’s jokes here, so we’ll be diving straight into the update.

Let’s put a number on the project’s progress bar:  7%

Script

The main arcs that we worked on in March were the romance arcs for Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. As far as the story goes, our main character Dusk and Twilight have gathered the Mane 6 and traveled to Canterlot to see Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Their search for answers took the group to the Canterlot Library, but with no clues and no leads to clear up the mysteries of the Crystal Crisis, everypony returns to Ponyville to do their own thing.

Twilight’s side story has presented a unique problem that’s stumped our writers and for good reason: we don’t know how to rhyme. XD Hahaha, as silly as that is - it’s an excruciating issue when you are attempting to write for Zecora the Zebra and one finds that it is impossible to rhyme words like a pro. Her lines have been written as if she is speaking normally, but at some point, we will have to come back and address this issue.

Surprisingly enough, Pinkie Pie’s story worked like a charm from beginning to end with no hiccups. Character development for the Pie family is on full display in this romance arc, and we are very excited to continue the second half of her story later.

Fluttershy’s story underwent a couple of rewrites, beginning in the brainstorming phase. Not only is the final draft different from the original brainstorm, but we actually started writing a completely different story (according to our best synopsis), but it was way too convoluted and confusing! During a time when were already progressing very slowly, we made the hard decision to scrap the chapter altogether and start over. This gave us a chance to come up with a different story that took away a major element we were trying to push from the start: Flutterbat. I guess we’ll have to give that another shot later if we want to include them in the story at all. Sorry ya’ll. However, we feel that the final draft for Fluttershy’s romance arc will not disappoint, and it is actually super duper sweet. Wait till you see it. >_O

With April coming into full swing soon, we have been reviewing where the story is heading now that we are going to the Crystal Empire. When we return to Ponyville, Dusk will be able to engage with Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash in the first half of their respective romance arcs.

Art

Some of our greatest efforts in the form of art has come in the form of a special set of pictures called “Spring Heat”. The challenge we had for our artist was to draw at least two pony fan art pieces every day during Spring Break. One picture would be a pony engaging in some SFW activity with a Spring theme attached to it. The second picture would be the same pony in a more unconventional NSFW situation O////O Oh my! The challenge was a success, with 12 pictures being produced over six days. Featured here are some of the SFW pics that are color sketched and ready to continue onto the coloring phase before completion.

These will be the first pieces of official fan art produced for public consumption by our artist at HHG, and if ya’ll could see what his first attempt at fan art was a few months ago… ~CRRRIIIIINNNNGGGEEE~  We try not to think of it.

This art pack will be posted once all of the pictures are completed with one set for the SFW pics and one set for the NSFW pics.

The cast of characters for the game has gone up by a few mares (and perhaps one or two stallions) thanks to the romance arcs that are being written along the way. Future additions may include Flim and Flam, Photo Finish, Vinyl Scratch, and Octavia. Featured below are a couple of new supporting characters who will be joining the story for the Mane Six’s romance arcs.

Programming

This is the area that has seen the least progress recently, and it’s thanks to the work that we have already completed up to this point. We already have a prototype menu for the pre-alpha version of the game, along with a message box, and in-game menus for the load game screen, the save game screen, the backlog, etc. HHG has other obligations that keep us from dedicating our time exclusively to the MLP VN project, so we do our best to progress a little bit in each field at a time. Preparing the script and assets for TyranoBuilder to use in the future takes priority over working on any builds of the game.

We’ll be doing our best to produce a proof of concept in the coming weeks in order to better showcase how the game is going to work and what features it will have such as the in-depth story, branching dialogue paths, and dramatic CG scenes.

We’re hoping to focus on one very important thing in particular this coming month and that is the SCRIPT. It is through the completion of the script that we will be able to identify all of the characters who need base character portraits; and with all of the major events and scenarios mapped out, we will be able to better plan for the CG scenes that will need to be drawn out.

Completing the script will also allow us to enter the Script Review/Editing Phase to examine dialogue and plot consistency through the entire main campaign. Allow us to emphasize this one more time in case our readers may be unaware: the My Little Pony Visual Novel Project is a narrative story centric dialogue-based character driven visual novel experience. Probably the most extensive of its kind, and we here at HHG are dedicated to bringing the fandom an experience that they will not soon forget.

Thank you everyone for coming to see our Developer Update for April. It is thanks to the inspiration of this series and its passionate fanbase that we are able to continue doing what we do best - creating deep stories and visual spectacles our audience can look back on with excitement and a thirst for more.

See ya’ll in the next post. And remember -

A crisis is coming…

[eastsolis02]

my url?

[ PROMPT ]  Send me your URL and I’ll tell you

My Opinion on;

Character in general: There’re so many muses to choose from in the first place, so it’s impossible for someone NOT to be able to find a bunch of muses compatible with theirs, especially with the goodness of plotting. I haven’t had the pleasure of being able to delve into one of their muses, but from what I’ve seen on the dash, they’re all unique; showing off their different charms that pretty much showcases so much creativity. I can’t handle that many muses at a time, so it’s an awesome feat! How they play them: Because each muse isn’t a rehash of another, it’s like looking into a rainbow with its different colors. A pretty and enjoyable sight to look at on the dash. From what I’ve seen, character development happens during threads, and I always love seeing those moments from muses. The Mun: Ahh, we’ve talked~ But unfortunately, I tend to forget IMs/ooc stuff in general, so I’m sorry if I just poofed like that. It’s a bad habit of mine whenever I suddenly get busy. I swear I’ll make it up to you jahskdasd. Very open when it comes to plotting, and a precious person. I admire the perseverance and resiliency in spite of the obstacles as well. You might not know it, but I’m cheering you on from afar! 

Do I:

RP with them: I will make that starter soon enough ajshkdsdWant to RP with them: Yes!

What is my;

Overall Opinion: A blog with a huge selection of lovely muses to choose from so you have no excuse NOT to write with them. From afar, it’s really obvious that the mun has tons of creativity like ideas just flow so naturally~ Muses look fun and interesting to write with that I will definitely try doing as well soon. ^^

**Note: Mun’s answer are all to be completely honest. Don’t send url if you don’t want brutal honesty

@rxdiancx

[drscotcheggmann]

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You Review & Wider Reflections

On Sunday afternoon I went to see Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You. As a longtime fan since Generation 1, the thirteen year old boy still hiding inside this now thirty year old man (sometimes not all that well hidden) was nothing short of buzzing; but while excitement was running high as the lights dimmed and the curtain went up, at the same time I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew what I wanted: a huge slice of nostalgia; to be transported back to the late 90s, a reminder of when my love for these little monsters was still in its infancy; a warm, tingling Thundershock of a hug from Pikachu and the gang. But would this be what I would get? Would the film alter or even damage my memories of watching the original Animé all those years ago? Getting up early before school, willing to forgo breakfast to make sure I’d watched the latest episode. Some will say “Get over yourself and stop being so precious”, arguing that no matter if good or bad, those golden mornings watching Mew dance across the screen as the ridiculously infectious theme tune rose to crescendo shouldn’t be and can never be touched by watching this one film. Yeah, that’s all well and good in theory but it’s never nice having a half baked reimagining or rehash of something classic seemingly shit all over your childhood. And this was a slight worry because....I’d heard things. That Brock and Misty had been ditched for two other male and female companions. That the movie was only loosely based on the original Animé and might stray from what longtime fans like me might expect. It’s always the longtime fans that feel most entitled, whether it be video-gamers, movie buffs or Pokémaniancs. So as Ash’s Mum comes in to wake her long sleeping son, dreaming of his future adventures in the early hours of his tenth birthday, the weight of expectation was weighing on my mind. But. I’m pleased to say that this longtime, entitled, nostalgia crazed Pokémon fan had nothing but a huge smile on his face when all was said and done. I would go as far as to say that I left the movie theatre, mentally waving my arms in delight, like a Togepi on speed. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t perfect and it didn’t tick all of my own personal boxes but sitting at the end watching the credits roll, I realised that it didn’t have to. Looking around me as the lights went up I realised that it was about more than just me and all of the other Gen 1 superfans sitting there in the semi darkness (and I would wager there were quite a few of us)! Let me explain. WARNING: FULL SPOILERS AHEAD. Something for the Oldies The movie tells a story which is, at its core, rooted in the original Animé. Ash, a regular 10 year old boy living in a world inhabited by Pokémon, dreams of one day becoming the greatest Pokémon Master (yes, the greatest Pokémon master, not trainer). Ever. Like no one ever was (sorry, couldn’t resist). And in this fact alone, the film lavishes longtime fans with nostalgic riches at every turn. From Ash’s frantic dash out of the house (he doesn’t seem to shower at any point before setting off, as noted by my cynical cinema going companion), to those first wonderfully endearing moments of love hate interplay between Ash and Pikachu, it’s all just ‘kid in a sweet shop’, ear to ear smile inducing stuff. Another thing that struck me as a fan from the beginning is that I’ve never seen so many Gen 1 Pokémon in such a short space than in this movie. As Ash tumbles off a cliff into a river clutching Pikachu, a murmuration of angry Spearow in pursuit, a snarling Gyarados darts downstream in what is a near miss for our hapless duo (but at least he has a wash in the river). Pinsir prowl the forests, people can be seen strolling down streets and indoors with their Pokémon at heel. A slumbering Onix is provoked into pursuing our group of heroes. Nidoran of both genders, a Sandshrew and a Paras are all led into a cave to shelter from the rain by a certain legendary dog (more about them later). At one point, I even had to laugh as Ash approaches the summit of the mountain towards the end of the film, only to be greeted by an audience of exclusively Gen 1 Pokémon: Graveller, Venomoth, Golbat, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Magnemite, Magneton, Electabuzz and Magmar. You wonder if some of these even belong on a bloody mountain but this is the love the filmmakers are keen to show those fans of the earliest generation. A clear message: ‘Here we are! The originals. Back in all our glory again’. And the effect of this is wonderful. I actually began to go through how many of the original 151 Pokémon I hadn’t seen. There were still quite a few but not as many as you’d think. And it’s not only Gen 1 that seems to get that special treatment. Gen 2 is just as lovingly captured. Ho-Oh is the Gen 2 Pokémon at the heart of Ash’s quest in the movie, a quest which was never realised in the original anime but still has its roots there, as Ash spots Ho-Oh flying over the rainbow in the very first episode. But there are others too. The legendary dogs, Raikou, Suicune and Entei all feature, the latter most prominently. When I say prominently I mean this in the most literal sense for Entei - he’s the size of a freakin’ house! There’s even a glimpse of Lugia as the film draws to a close. As a longtime fan it’s great to see all of these guys on the big screen again but I’m also quite honestly glad that the movie did not become an exercise in crowbarring in every legendary Pokémon across the generations, just for the sake of it. Arguably seeing all 3 legendary dogs, who are so incredibly rare that hardly anyone ever encounters them, is a bit much but I was ok with this. It’s not all about the legendaries though; the not so legendary Pokémon spanning all generations are well represented. That first moment when I saw a non Kanto Pokémon alongside a Kanto one and the realisation that this wasn’t a world totally rooted in Kanto. It was great, despite my Gen 1 bias. It really showed how far the Pokémon phenomenon has come over the years and that the filmmakers weren’t afraid to lay out all their wares and risk upsetting those wanting a solely Gen 1 affair. What’s there to be upset about anyway? We all love Pokémon, right? Classic Pokémon from numerous generations are one thing but it’s the set pieces from the Animé that I still remember fondly today and some of these have been reimagined in this iteration of one of Ash’s adventures in Kanto. A clever use of the slightly jazzier (but not necessarily better) theme tune advances Ash’s journey as far as Erika’s Gym, but not before we see him catch his very first Pokémon in the form of Caterpie. We see those initial struggles (and shocks) with Pikachu, the Charmander left out in the rain and Butterfree’s departure to the spawning grounds, presumably to do some spawning with his female companion (can we not even say ‘mating’ anymore?). These set pieces are either bang on the money in terms of paying homage to the original or are slight twists on the original formula (most notably, the Charmander arc). Unfortunately for me, Butterfree’s departure to pastures new didn’t really have the same gravitas here as it did in the original Animé. I think the reason for this is partly due to the time constraints of the movie and that we don’t really get to see Ash’s relationship with Butterfree develop in any sort of meaningful way, except for seeing Caterpie evolve into Metapod and then into Butterfree. The tears flooding down Ash’s face, while they served as a call back to what was a particularly heartbreaking farewell in the Animé, just didn’t have the same punch. But perhaps without a direct comparison, this wouldn’t be an issue at all. Regardless, it’s still a touching monument, showing the deep and lasting bond humans form with their Pokémon; perhaps one of the best outside Ash’s relationship with Pikachu, which shines as brightly as it ever did despite having only 90 or so minutes to show it. And it’s perhaps because it seeks to wow its audience with so many of these individual moments, both past glories and new, that the movie feels a little disjointed in places. At times the action moves on a little too quickly, leaving no room for character development beyond the high octane chase/fight we have just witnessed. Consequently I didn’t feel that the synergy was quite there between Ash, Sorrel and Verity. Marshadow on the other hand is well deployed, being introduced gradually as the movie progresses. I actually thought that using Marshadow as the primary Pokémon antagonist was a good move as opposed to the likes of Darkrai or something a little more obviously evil looking. Marshadow’s ability to seem innocent enough but to pack a few punches when backed into a corner was well done, even if Marshadow isn’t a Pokémon just for the fans of yester year. But this is ok. More on why is coming. Team Rocket make their appearance as you would expect but maybe not in quite the way I expected. If anything, Team Rocket are fringe players here. There is no grand and bombastic entrance with the Team Rocket signature jingle; in fact, I can’t recall a moment when Ash and his friends actually come into direct contact with Jesse, James and Meowth. There doesn’t seem to be much of a grand plan from Team Rocket: they want Entei, then abandon that and go after Ho-Oh but are always thwarted without our heroes ever knowing, either propelled into the air or disappearing off the side of a mountain and always into a glinting star denoting that they might not be back for a while. But they do keep coming back, which is fine, but to no great effect. It’s all a little bizarre and you can’t help but feel, having watched the original Animé, that they could’ve been put to better use rather than simply be made to seem even more ridiculous than they already are. To the movie’s credit though (and this sounds like I’m wanting to have my cake and eat it here), the filmmakers don’t beat us over the head with Team Rocket, as was sometimes the case in the Animé. I remember physically sighing and rolling my eyes at times when Team Rocket would appear and break the flow of a perfectly good episode. The XY Animé moved away from this thankfully but I suppose it was nice to not have Team Rocket dominate, despite also being a tad underused. For longtime fans (or certainly for this one), there were one or two other things missing that, while they didn’t detract massively from the overall experience, just would’ve been nice and not too much trouble to implement. For one, although Ash seems to be largely the same character as I remember, here he comes across as even more gung ho and sure of himself than usual, to the point of actually losing some of the naivety that made him so endearing in the first place. At no point in the film does he whip out the Pokédex, looking confused and saying ‘What’s that?’ as he spots a Pokémon he’s never encountered before. Indeed, there is no Pokédex AT ALL as far as I can remember, just like the one so ceremoniously presented to Ash by Professor Oak in the Animé. There is a smartphone though which Verity uses to take pictures (sigh). Not even Kanto is free from the reaches of modern tech it seems. The lack of Pokédex and ‘what’s that?’ moment made me a little sad as Ash’s confusion was once my confusion, as a 13 year old sitting in front of the TV, pre widespread internet and readily available lists of information, wondering what this new and wonderful Pokémon Ash had just run into actually was. And then running into school to chat wildly with my friends about it - “Did you see this morning’s episode?! That was awesome!” I still remember the original speculation about who the Pokémon at the beginning of the theme tune was and why it wasn’t part of the original 150. Ash’s naivety was mirrored in my own. Don’t get me wrong, Ash is still green around the gills in the movie, pushing Pokémon to their limits at times without fully knowing their capabilities or strengths. But maybe the absence of this wide eyed naivety, even if only a little, struck me so much as I’m not that naive young person anymore. Someone who lives in a different world where information is at our fingertips and there is no excuse for not knowing. I’m digressing slightly here but it did make me think about the then and now. But perhaps the movie’s most striking departure from the Animé is the absence of some key figures. Brock, Misty, Officer Jenny. I understand that maybe 90 or so minutes just wouldn’t be enough time to make Ash’s relationship with Brock and Misty believable, especially when Ash’s relationship with Pikachu should be centre stage. I know that the movie is really only a side quest in Ash’s overarching journey. A snapshot of his travels on his way to glory. But a small cameo would’ve been nice. Fighting a gym battle in Pewter or Cerulean City, especially since the only gym battle we see is beyond this point chronologically and so it’s not a case of Ash having not run into Brock and Misty yet. Ash’s direct rival, Cross left me feeling a little dissatisfied too. What was wrong with good ‘ol Gary. Even though Cross goes from Pokémon masochist to seeing that there’s more to the whole Pokémon thing than ruthless ambition, he’s still a bit of an ass when he goes his own way, despite the fact he owes Ash (and Charizard) his life. The Charizard he abandoned as a Charmander. The bastard. Yeah, he wasn’t my favourite. Let’s leave it at that. Something for the Newbies While you may think that because I’ve spent the last section of this review picking at this bit and that bit and perhaps making unfair comparisons to the Animé days, I just want to reiterate: I loved the movie, imperfect as it was. I loved it for all of my own reasons, some of which I’ve mentioned and some I’m yet to mention but also for other people’s reasons too (bear with me on this one). For as I watched the audience file into the cinema (and I saw absolutely everyone file in, having been über keen in arriving half an hour early), I began to realise that the Gen 1, diehard Pokémon fan wasn’t going to be the only type of Pokémon fan represented. I’m talking about the kids, of course. Kids ranging in age from 4 to 14. The younger ones especially excited to be seeing their favourite Pokémon on the big screen for the first time. One particular Mum and Dad ushered their two young daughters to their seats, one carrying a Squirtle and the other with a Charmander tucked under one arm and an Eevee peeking out of her bag dangling off the other arm. This is a whole new wave of Pokémon fans, all of whom weren’t even born when Ash first set foot out the door and the Gen 1 hype was thriving. And I can’t overstate how much this is a great thing to behold. That the love of Pokémon is still running strong some twenty plus years later. And that’s of course thanks to Pokémon moving with the generations. Literally. I know I’ve been banging on about how wonderfully Gen 1 is represented in I Choose You but in actual fact the movie does a great job of pleasing fans of all generations. If you grew up with Piplup as a starter, you’ll be happy to see that little guy flapping about onscreen; Lucario is perhaps one of the most recent Gen Pokémon to be embraced by both old and new fans alike and he’s here by Sorrel’s side in all of his hard assed glory. And even if you just dived into the world of Pokémon last November with the release of Sun & Moon, there’s plenty to keep you happy here. Marshadow appears and disappears, Cross’s midnight Lycanroc is broodingly evil at all times, and Incineroar, while low down on my favourite starter evolution list, will have younger fans especially bicep flexing and fist pumping in delight. Personally I would’ve loved to have seen Decidueye unleash the full extent of his ghost/grass power, being what I feel is the most impressive starter final evolution in generations but the fight with Charmeleon would then not have been a fair one. Again, to hammer home my slight bias for the original 151, I was glad to see Charizard kick Incineroar’s ass in the end, not just in terms of satisfying the movie’s story but also as a mini victory of Charizard, THE ultimate fire starter Pokémon of all generations for many, over Incineroar, who I feel would look better placed on the side of a cereal packet. Rarrr! That was a bit catty but yeah, he’s just not a favourite of mine but I’m totally fine with these younger generations cheering him on. I did actually force my eyes to leave the action now and again during the screening, as I sometimes do, just to see if everyone else is enjoying the action as much as me. Of course there were the parents, some of them maybe older fans like me but there were an equal if not greater number of bemused parents whose faces seemed to be struggling to grasp what all the fuss was about. But I salute these parents for giving up a chunk of their Sunday afternoon for the sake of their young Pokémaniacs. And what a wonderful sight it was to see this new generation of Pokémon fans hanging on Pikachu’s every ‘Pika’. One little boy stood up through majority of the film, clutching and peering over the empty seat in front, so obviously brimming with excitement. Someone somewhere in the darkness screamed a giddy ‘Pika-pi’ at one point, causing a fair few chuckles. Another child sitting along my row had an expression of pure awe etched on their face the whole time and I can completely understand why: imagine seeing the Legendary dogs for the first time; not just onscreen but EVER. Imagine seeing Ho-Oh for the very first time, gliding over that rainbow; imagine hearing the names Articuno, Zapdos & Moltres, as they were mentioned at the movie’s conclusion, and thinking to yourself ‘I wonder who they are?’ and then rushing out of the cinema to look them up and find out. Oh, to be young again and see it all with fresh eyes. Something for Everyone So far I’ve tried to look at how I Choose You might appeal to the older generation of Pokémon fans as well as the new. But although I’ve painted a picture of distinct camps of Pokémon fans, the movie does a great job of bringing fans from all corners together thanks primarily to its rich visual aesthetic. Everyone can appreciate the sun drenched vistas, rainswept plains, snow capped mountains, billowing clouds drifting over fields filled with flowers dancing in the wind, dense forests and buzzing metropolises so vividly and vibrantly depicted; each area alive with Pokémon just waiting to be discovered, caught and loved. The visual feast starts and continues unabated to the end, never more so than in the Pokémon battles which have never looked sharper and more dynamic. Charizard zooms into the air with a menacing elegance; Pikachu nimbly dodges this way and that, all before landing a thundershock attack of seismic proportions; you can almost feel the flames lick your face as Entei or Incineroar unleash a frightening flamethrower blast; and some of the Marshadow-possessed Pokémon’s attacks land onscreen with the megatonne force of an atomic bomb, or so it seems, also offering a stark contrast between the affectionate side of Pokémon and their über aggressive side when given the chance. It’s all lovely to watch and your senses aren’t allowed a moment’s rest. And that goes for your emotions too. In keeping with the willingness of some of the more recent video game entries in the series to explore powerful and often dark themes, I Choose You also does not shy away from putting its audience through the emotional grinder (the dark lore threads in Sun and Moon are especially worth reading about; I still think about that abandoned Stuffl). There’s neglect (Charmander in the rain), physical pain (Lycanroc biting Cross and not letting go, something that shocked me particularly for some reason), the dangers of greedy ambition (as Ash ponders if Pikachu would’ve won the fight which his Charmeleon just lost). The latter is particularly interesting if we consider the end of the movie; we see Ash finally battling Ho-Oh and the scene cuts to a long shot of the battle taking place from afar, represented by flashes of light on the mountainside. But we never actually find out if Ash managed to catch Ho-Oh or even come close, despite seeing Pikachu looking a little worse for wear as Ash delivers him to the Pokémon Centre after the battle. And this is ok, because we don’t really need to. Arguably, Ash’s greatest adversary isn’t Marshadow or Cross; it’s himself, as he has to put aside all of his own ambitions to save his friends and his beloved Pikachu. Some may perceive this uncertainty over Ho-Oh as quite unsatisfying but Ash’s willingness to let Ho-Oh go might point to him growing and realising there is more to his journey than ruthless ambition. Viewed like this, I find this ending very satisfying and think that had Ash done a pompous and over the top victory dance having caught Ho-Oh, this would not have been tonally in keeping with what we have just seen: everyone escape with their lives narrowly and Ash come back from the dead (or a state of semi death at least in an alternate reality). I’m glad that Ash emerges at the end of the movie better off having not had a moment like this. The Pokémon Centre Lady’s ‘That’s nice’ when Ash tells her they’ve just been battling Ho-Oh is perfect in showing that the result of that battle (caught or not) doesn’t really matter. And, most importantly, Ash seems ok with it too. I would go as far as to say he looks pleased to have had the opportunity to battle Ho-Oh, caught or not and Pikachu having lost. We can see he’s come a long way. Ash’s brush with death is incidentally not the only occasion that the movie is happy with testing its audience. I sat wide eyed as I watched that Luxray found dead in the snow, frozen, trying to protect its infant owner from the fate it ultimately suffered itself. This idea that Pokémon are dispensable yet indestructible; that they can be pushed to the limit with few consequence that a Pokémon Centre wouldn’t be able to fix. With Luxray’s onscreen death, this notion is shattered in an instant and the world the movie seeks to flesh out is made all the more real and believable for it; a tenderness and bond exists between people and their Pokémon which shouldn’t be scoffed at. And, in closing out this section of the review, that bond between person and Pokémon is hammered home no better as Ash and Pikachu part into different worlds, at the tail end of the movie. That moment as they lie face to face and Pikachu speaks. PIKACHU SPEAKS. I actually thought I was hearing things. The minute I saw it I knew this would be a scene to divide opinion. The cynical side of me initially thought this was an easy pull on the heart strings. The Pokémon equivalent of Jack and Rose. But it’s actually much more than this. Having begun watching the original Animé, I’ve been used to Pikachu communicating with Ash by way of facial expression or tonal variations on the same word or half word for nigh on 20 years. But to actually hear what the little guy truly thinks of his partner, that he never wants to leave his side. I’m going to level with everyone reading this. A tear welled up in my eye. The fact that Pikachu never wants to leave Ash’s side wasn’t exactly a revelation I admit but to allow something like this to happen by way of them sharing different realities and one of which being situated a stone’s throw away from death. It was beautiful. It won’t win and Oscar and some won’t think it was anywhere near as impactful as I’m describing. Some will think that it probably wasn’t necessary at all, seeing as a trainer’s bond with their Pokémon seems to transcend language. But, to put forward the most compelling argument for the scene’s inclusion, this is arguably what gives Ash the push he needs to transcend death and push out of that nether realm. Not for himself, but for Pikachu who he would be leaving alone otherwise. Aww man, I can feel the tears coming all over again. Joking (or not) over tears aside, the willingness of the Pokémon universe, both in film and video game media, to engage with what are uncomfortable topics, gives me lots of hope for the future. I still hope for a more adult fan orientated game in which our hero feels like he or she is in genuine peril or at risk of death (I don’t think I fainted once in Pokémon Moon!), a game which makes fans confront real world problems but then allows us to eventually overcome them. I know I’ll be hoping for a long time, as Gamefreak would be unlikely to make such a move and risk alienating such a huge demographic represented by the series’ youngest fans. But, on the flip side, I wouldn’t want this alienation to happen either. The fact that the movie was able to articulate some of these themes and do so in such a way as to make it palatable for younger viewers is a triumph in itself. Those wide eyed children in the audience of my screening were the proof of the pudding and long may it continue. Conclusion I really enjoyed I Choose You. Even though the movie wasn’t perfect, it did one thing really well for me personally: it affirmed my love of Pokémon, as if that really needed any affirmation in the first place. It reminded me just why I fell in love with everything Pokémon in the first place and why that loves has endured until today. The world of Pokémon and the simple but powerful messages it communicates are timeless: that someone seemingly insignificant can achieve great things and make a difference; that we should all step out of the front door and pursue our dreams; that we can rely on our friends and family for support along the way. Never have these messages been more relevant and important than in the shitstorm of a world we live in today and it’s always nice to be reminded that this is the other side of what humanity is capable of, even if that reminder does come from a fictional world filled with fictional creatures. Such is the power of art and fiction. I’ll finish here with a reflection on a scene from the movie which really made me pause and think (to the point where I nearly missed the five minutes of the onscreen action that followed). The scene is when Ash first succumbs to Marshadow’s dark seduction and is taken to an alternate reality where Pokémon don’t exist. He leaps out of bed, a poster on his bedroom wall of a blue car, a red car and a green car in place of Blastoise, Charizard and Venusaur. He’s late to school that day, not for Professor Oak’s lab. Just regular, boring old school. He looks out the window as he sits daydreaming in class , glimpsing Ho-Oh gliding high above, except it’s not Ho-Oh at all but an aeroplane. And when he questions what is beyond the confines of the school fence, we hear something along the lines of: towns, forests, fields, more towns, forests, fields and then the ocean. What is essentially being shown, described and imagined by Ash is a world without Pokémon. A drab, boring and monotone world which lacks a layer of purpose. Quite ironically, this is our reality. Real life. I remember sitting as a kid and thinking that the coolest thing in the world would be if Pokémon were real. To be caught, trained and loved. To some extent a virtual version of this was achieved via Pokémon Go but the initial hype has died down. I knew then, as a kid, and I know now that there won’t ever be anything approaching what Pokémon does in the real world but this scene in a Pokémonless alternate reality got me thinking about the wider implications of this being communicated (and I think intentionally) by the filmmakers. Imagine a world, this shitstorm of a world we live in, WITHOUT something as wonderful as Pokémon, even if they are only virtual monsters living on our screens. This phenomenon which has brought and continues to bring so many people together, be it via the TCG, games or Animé. The phenomenon which was a huge part of my childhood and is something I engage with in some way every single day as a grown man. Imagine if all of that didn’t exist and never had done. It’s a frightening thought and as Ash snapped out of his alternate reality and I came back to mine, I gave thanks for the enduring charm and appeal of Pokémon. The fact that I was sitting in that cinema seat almost twenty years on, still enjoying everything the Pokémon universe has to offer is something that I’m so pleased the film allowed me to experience and feel and give thanks for. Thank you for the memories, Pokémon and here’s to the memories still to be made. My final parting piece of advice: stay beyond the credits. A few shorts, a goosebump-inducing rendering of the initial start sequence to the original Pokémon games on Gameboy and a beautiful piano arrangement of the Pokémon Animé theme tune. A shout out also to @brayshgaming - I hope he particularly enjoyed the Noivern clip but also hope that it isn’t now a regular feature in his nightmares. There is no escape! Thanks for reading guys. Comments on my reflections are most welcome and I’d love to hear some of your own thoughts about the movie. This review was written solely from my memory of watching the movie (and thanks to lots of frantic jotting down of ideas the moment the lights went up, while they were still fresh in my mind). There may therefore be some inaccuracies in here which I cannot yet verify without watching the movie again. Apologies if so.

[animewolfgamer]

Rapid fire thoughts on the episodes so far in season 7

Hey there everypony as this is Mark A.k.a the wolf pony and I’m back and I’m done moving so here is my first impression of all the episodes before the hiatus. Ok then lets go! 

Parental Guidance *Ok episode* 

Ok now I really don’t hate this episode at all. I think this episode was just ok. I think what saves it is that rainbow dashes parents are new characters and their constant joke of embarrassing rainbow dash works only because one they did not know and two, its base on reality that parents do act like this. The big lead up to the conflict is also good as Dash had every right to scream at her parents. But the ending is where I have a problem. Its so one sided! Ok this episode needs to be fully reviewed and you’ll see it soon enough as I got my partner for this. 

Hard to say Anything *Frustrating episode*  

Ok this episode is basically a sequel to hearts and hooves day and if your a long time follower of me, you’ll know that I think that episode is the biggest pile of shit that the show has ever produce....sorta of. But this episode biggest strength lies within the characters. All the characters are acting in character compare to that shit. Not to mention there is some funny moments. But what kills it is the obvious plot of the loser guy getting the girl at the end and beat the hot asshole. I’m sorry but this has been done to death so many goddamn time that it makes hearts and hooves day original just because of the love poison! So ya I found this episode to frustrating.  

Honest apple *FUCK THIS EPISODE!* 

Ok what the fuck writers!? Now I thought I should save this for a huge epic rant because this episode touches on a subject that should of known better but....ugh...ya so this episode sucks because it treated both sides as idiots and has a very force happy ending. This will be on my top priority soon enough. 

A royal Problem *Fantastic episode but held down by possible controversy*  

Ok this episode is freaking amazing. Glimmer is use to its full potential and Celestia got character development! Ya I’m just as shock as you are and while it relates to luna, it’s all within her character. Not to mention the humor can be pretty funny. So ya this episode is honestly perfect in every way but then the problem comes when day breaker came in. Yes there is a lot of accusations that the staff had stole it but there is only proof that the artist of this episode stole it. he went silent but I hope they fired him. But this episode while amazing, I just can’t put it in the top ten best of season 7. I Just can’t support art theft which is a shame. But I will say this, without that, this episode will be the best ever made. 

Not asking for Trouble *Ok to meh Episode* 

 OK so the good things I can say is that we get to see more of the yaks culture. That and Pinkie friendship with these guys are better then what we saw in party poop. But that is about it. other then that, its mostly boring with a obivious moral and I know its in character to the yaks but its not interesting. So ya very OK to meh episode.  

Ya I know its bad to see that most of these episode really dont stand out and one only held back by accusations, But however the season ain’t bat at all. I think it acutlly topping what season 4 did in terms of episodes. Especially the ones I haven’t even mention. This is just a quick rapid fire of what I think when i was moving. This is Mark A.K.A the wolf pony and hope the next day will be even better.  

[kindheart525]

Hi Kindheart I love your art and stories, but I must ask what inspired you to make these stories and art

Thank you so much, that means a lot! Like a lot of next gen artists, I was first inspired by KianaMai and other bigger artists when pony next gens were just starting to get popular. Younger me thought the idea of writing angsty ponies sounded like so much fun. Thus the Kindverse came to be.

Nowadays I have lots of sources of inspiration! Sometimes I am inspired by other shows I watch (I did a Bojack Horseman-inspired plotline in the Auraverse), or tropes I really like ("Sour Outside, Sad Inside" is a particular favorite of mine). I am also often inspired by thinking of the kinds of stories I want to see more of in fiction. This can be MLP-specific like wanting to see the Pie family get more development, or general themes like wanting to see more representation for certain disabilities. And of course I am always motivated by talking to my friends and readers about the stories I want to tell ❤️

Sometimes inspiration comes out of nowhere, too. The Thirdverse started out as a lighter side project until I looked at the Rainbow Dash Angst plotline and went "hey I could be on to something here." So you never really know!

[marvelandponder]

Ready, Class?

Our favourite purple pony princess has come a long way, hasn’t she?

... Or, has she?

Some number of fans in MLP community would tell you yes, of course she has, but then go onto say they still greatly prefer the old Twilight Sparkle. You know, the adorkable book-smart cynic with an insatiable curiosity and the impeccable intellect to back it up. Also, typically the one without wings.

They could tell you she’s grown and changed a great deal since the beginning of the show, yes, but counter-intuitively, perhaps too much. That she’s too calm, too collected, too powerful, and just too... in control.

We as an audience love to see characters work and strive to overcome their shortcomings, and especially in a show like this, where we crave that kind of continuity. It makes the episodes that came before feel like they matter more, since they have a real impact on stories moving forward.

But, some fans feel she’s just overcome too many faults. To the point that she may have even developed past what made her Twilight Sparkle!

And has she? Have they done everything that can be done with her character? 

Not yet. 

At least, I think so. But, to tell you where I think she’s headed, we’ve got to take a look back at where she’s been (it’s how this works). 

And, again, I realize that in a slice-of-life show, it’s sort of debatable whether or not you can really say any of the characters have definite character arcs throughout the series. But, the pursuit of knowledge stops for no inconsistencies!

From Anti-Social Beginnings

Ah, there she is! The Twi we all know and love, right?

Seasons 1-3 were a golden time for our favourite egghead. She conquered her oblivious loner tendencies with only a moderate amount of eye-rolling and freaking out. That adorkable charm is sort of irresistible, and it’s mostly because despite the fact that she’s a know-it-all, she’s so unpretentious.

She used to be a borderline misanthrope, sure, but even in the first episode when she’s trying her absolute best to just do her job and ignore the crazy ponies trying to befriend her, she’s still kind and sweet to them. She’s always had a good heart, and part of that is because she doesn’t assume she’s better than other ponies just because of her abilities or her status.

Which is a double-edged sword. She’s a (mostly) humble pony, which has lead her to making friends with all sorts or ponies and never looking down on anyone (even when they’re complete screw-ups *cough* Sunset and Starlight *cough*), but it also sometimes means she doesn’t value herself nearly as much as she should.

And, because of that, I’ll say this: What Art of the Dress is for Rarity, the Smile song is for Pinkie, and I’ll Fly is for Rainbow Dash, The Failure Song is for Twilight. Does it capture everything about her character? No, but these character themes usually only embody the most important part.

Having a some kind of Ode to Science might better capture the sheer adorkable (I’ve already used that word 3 times, this is a great post) enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge that really nails who Twilight is. And maybe the ballad style doesn’t sell you on the Twiness of it all, I get it. But what that song does do is outline Twilight’s insecurity. Her doubt, her humility to a fault, her anxious tendency to imagine the worst.

And (obviously) her fear of failing her teacher. 

Princess of Co-Dependency

How many times have I used that picture of Twilight crying over Celestia? Not enough, never enough.

I think this is absolutely one of the most underrated moments in the series. At the time, people talked about it, but nowhere near as much as I think it warrants. 

Twilight just became a princess. She’s just barely gotten used to her new limbs in EQG 1, and still she has absolutely no idea how to be a princess of Equestria — and that’s what this whole two-parter is about, right? 

Twilight’s been thrust into this new position she has no idea how to fill and the weight of it is crashing down on her. On top of that, she now has to face all these new questions about the future. Will she be a good princess? What’s her purpose? Will she and her friends grow apart? 

She’s never been more lost. There isn’t a book on being a princess she could read. And you know what happens? You know what happens to the one pony she’s always looked to for guidance during the time when she needs it most?

She dies in front of her. 

We as the audience know she’s going to get up, but Twilight has to face the death of her mentor alone. Effectively, in that moment, she has to face her future as a princess alone, too, without Celestia’s guidance. Twilight’s even wearing her crown in this shot, it’s absolutely symbolic.

There’s even a line she says that you can interpret two ways. When Twilight flies down and sees Celestia laying there on the floor, she says:

“No ... Why would Luna do this? Why now?”

You know what I mean, right? It fits in its original, probably intended context, as in Why would Luna do this now? But, given what doubts Twilight’s gone through in the entire first half of this two-parter, it also means Why now, when I’ve never needed her more?

Do I think this two-parter could’ve been executed better to get some of these ideas to really hit home? I don’t know, maybe, I’m not a professional writer, what do I know? But, my point is, those ideas are still at the core of this story, and in turn, at the core of how Twilight defines herself moving forward.

When all else failed, and she couldn’t turn to her mentor when she needed her most, she had to depend on her friends just like they depend on her. And, it makes sense. She’s the Princess of Friendship, after all!

As Celestia even later says, when the girls get their thrones, “What’s the Princess of Friendship without her friends?”

Rarity says something to the effect of ‘We’re simply lost without you,’ but what’s clear to me from this whole two-parter is that Twilight’s just as lost without them.

Unlike Celestia and Luna, who rule in tandem but ultimately each stand on their own (in Celestia’s case, to an extreme, since she ruled Equestria by herself for a thousand years), Twilight needs her friends to be Princess. She’s not a goddess-like matriarch, and even her magical prowess will never make her more important than her friends because she needs them to fulfill her destiny. 

She’s both the leader of the group and nothing without them. It’s neat.

And especially so, because for the following 2 seasons, Twilight fails. Like, a lot. She even started a war for a few hours, that was a fun one.

After being a career student since she was like five years old, Twilight’s suddenly thrust into a new role-- the Princess of Friendship! But there’s absolutely no precedent for what that means, and because of it, her season 4 character arc is entirely about her coming to grips with the fact that there are no instructions anymore. 

She has to define what it means herself-- and most of the time she’s struggling to find purpose, choosing to focus her efforts on solving the mystery of the chest (which honestly makes sense, that’s at least a clear goal she can attack with logic).

And after that? After that long season of just not knowing her purpose? She and her friends get a map! That sends them on friendship-related quests! Finally! Something she can work towards in her new role!

... Until her friends keep getting called without her.

And the whole arc of season 5 is pretty awesome (feels more involved than season 4′s to me), because Twilight is getting more and more tired of stagnating — and what’s worse, she has to face who she used to be and times she’s failed as a friend.

I wrote an actual university essay on Amending Fences (she said, surprising no one), so I’ll just leave it at:

“I’ve faced magical creatures, the end of Equestria, all sorts of things. But seeing how my actions affected you? That was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had.”

- Twilight ‘I’m sorry I was an oblivious jerk’ Sparkle

Really quick aside here, I feel like among other things What About Discord? was missing one line that would’ve made it a continuation of Amending Fences. It doesn’t have to be exactly like this, but something to the effect of:

“But I wasn’t there. I wasn’t included. Maybe it’s my own fault for staying in and having a bort-sort-cation when I could’ve been making jokes and memories and having a great time with my friends! But I didn’t do that, did I? You all did! You were all there but ... I wasn’t there.”

“And, now I’m scared that I’m still making the same mistakes I used to make before I met you. What kind of Princess of Friendship still chooses books over her friends?”

I mean, that’s what that episode is about, anyway. Given that it probably takes place after Amending Fences, it’s not a stretch to imagine that’s what she’s feeling. Twilight’s built up her own lofty expectations for what the Princess of Friendship should be, not anyone else.

And its in part because of Princess Celestia.

The Student Becomes the Teacher?

It’s no secret that Twilight idolizes Princess Celestia. Like a lot. Out of all the lessons she’s learned, not putting her on a pedestal isn’t one of them.

In fact, if you watch The Best Night Ever and Make New Friends but Keep Discord, you’ll see just how much she hasn’t changed from early seasons. She still goes to the Gala with the exact same intentions, spending a night by Celestia’s side, and is even still surprised Celestia likes to cut loose. And the thing is, in the latter of the two episodes, Twilight and Celestia are supposed to be equals.

Back at the beginning of season 4, Celestia told Twilight there’s no need to bow to her anymore. Yet Twilight’s still driven to impress and please her old teacher because, well, she still looks up to her.

And that’s been constant all throughout the show. From her unrealistic expectations in A Bird in the Hoof, to her iconic freak-out at the idea of letting down her teacher in Lesson Zero, all the way to her insatiable desire to make things perfect for Celestia’s visit in No Second Prances. Twilight may have studied directly under her, but somehow after all these years she’s still the filly who was inspired to study magic after first witnessing the Summer Sun celebration.

But, if there’s a problem with Twilight’s character nowadays, it’s that she’s trying too hard to be like her mentor. Don’t believe me? Good, it’s always smart to wait for the proof before believing a claim! 

See, Twilight kinda failed at her first attempt at being a teacher. Understandably so, since her niece had just been born and an entire empire was about to freeze to death, but the point is, in the end, she wasn’t there for Starlight.

And Spike, being the sweetheart that he is, told Twilight the one thing that would make her feel better: that this is exactly what Princess Celestia would’ve done with her.

So, let me just say that being able to step back and let her students learn for themselves is a good lesson. Especially for someone like Twilight, who’s more likely to plan every step along the way and not really let her students make the mistakes they need to make to learn for themselves. And this lesson even came in handy at the end of the season, when Twi was kidnapped and had to depend on her student to figure out the problem on her own.

But the thing is, Twi’s more than happy to be exactly like her mentor, and it’s hurting her in the long run.

Not because Celestia’s a bad teacher or even a bad character, but because Twilight can’t live up to the pedestal she puts her old teacher on.

Think about it. Let’s go back to What About Discord? Why does Twilight expect herself to be perfect? The Princess of Friendship can’t get jealous, apparently. The thing is, we know Twilight doesn’t have that much of an ego, she’s always been pretty humble (about most things — I can buy her being a little proud of her organizing skills every now and then).

You can even see it a little again in The Times They are a Changeling-- that whole ‘I may be the Princess of Friendship, but today — ’ thing. She’s got some expectations for herself, and I think you know why.

It’s because now that she’s a princess, and especially now that she’s a teacher to boot, Princess Celestia is her role model now more than ever. And not just Celestia how she really is — flawed, with a long history of mistakes and regrets — but Celestia as Twilight sees her. As that filly at the Summer Sun celebration saw her.

So, Twi’s trying to be a calm, level-headed leader and mentor, and sometimes she even succeeds. But even after learning breathing techniques to keep from panicking, she’s still prone to anxiety, and on the flip side, adorkable nerd-outs (four times!). A calm, wise guru she ain’t.

And more importantly, she ain’t a guru that’s perfect. She still makes mistakes, and this expectation that she can’t make any if she wants to be a good teacher is just plain wrong.

So, where is all this going? In Twilight’s search for meaning, she may have found the wrong answer in the short-run, but is there a better answer waiting for her in the long-run?

Yeah. Learning with her students.

That quote from The Times They are a Changeling I used earlier is kind of a step in the right direction. Even if right now she still seems to have high expectations for herself, she’s still more than willing to learn from others and stay humble enough to admit when she’s wrong. 

Which is good, because the way Twilight sees Celestia — it’s just unattainable. Twi’s not an immortal, perfect goddess and she never will be. She’ll always be learning new lessons about life, love, and friendship.

But she still can use those lessons she’s learned to teach her students, friends, and potential allies. She doesn’t have to be perfect, or done learning about friendship. Because the one thing that makes Twilight Sparkle who she is?

A love of learning. You boil down Twilight’s character to one single, all-defining trait, to me, that’s what you get. 

And to learn, you have to make mistakes and fail sometimes. Princess Celestia had the advantage of thousands of years of experience (and, by the way, only got it right with Twilight), which worked great for her. But Twilight can be a different kind of teacher: herself.

A more wise, adaptable, nuanced version, maybe, but above all, still the adorkable (five!) Twilight we all know and love.

Like this kind of thing? Well, good, ‘cause there’s more! Here’s a post with links to all the MLP editorials I’ve done! Not in the clicking mood? Don’t worry, I’ve got the last three right here:

Sunset’s, Applejack’s, and the Seasonal Rot Editorials

Year of the Pony

Header Image Only Possible Because of ...

Twilight Sparkle-Eyes Vector by Comeha

Starswirl the Bearded Wing Background Vector by Hourglass-Vectors

Enjoy some awesome vectors by two awesome vector artists! You’ve got two talented vector artists here who make stuff you can use for your projects (with credit)!

Never stop learning.

[taiblogcomics]

Blueblood Is Thicker Than Water

Hey there, Weird Autumn. More ponies? More ponies! I don’t care how far behind we get on everything, more pastel horses must be reviewed! Especially if they keep putting out special issues like this~

Here’s a cover:

Oh, Deviations. So it’s a collection of DeviantArt pieces compiled into a book~ No, in fact, it’s much better than that. It’s basically IDW’s answer to Marvel’s What If...? series from ages back. This issue is, essentially, “What if Celestia had taken on a different protege instead of Twilight?”

Indeed, we start at that moment when Twilight’s magic went awry. Celestia agrees that Twilight seems very talented and powerful. But what if she turned her attention to a student that needed more guidance. Perhaps she ought to give a closer education to this fellow: Prince Blueblood~

And thus do the years pass, with our most conceited and self-involved of protagonists. I’m sorry to say, the years as Celestia’s pupil do nothing to alter his personality from just the way you remember it. He’s terrible and awful, and even Celestia’s legendary patience has begun to crack. So she sends him off to Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, maybe make some friends, get an attitude adjustment. If only he were another, purpler protagonist, maybe this would work~

On the flight, Blueblood dismisses the required reading--The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide--because of its boring educational content, and instead has the guards fly off and make a stop in Manehattan to refill his shampoo supplies. As such, the trip takes many hours longer than is necessary. In fact, it’s dark by the time they arrive. Applejack comes running up, figuring he’s been sent by Canterlot--and she’s right, but not for the reason she’s hoping. See, she no longer needs an event organiser. She needs a SWAT team. Because, of course, Nightmare Moon has risen from her thousand-year sleep and plans to conquer Equestria~

Blueblood bluffs his way into convincing Applejack that he’s totally there to help with the crisis, and turns to his real strength: diplomacy! Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have acquired this skill yet, and Nightmare Moon just bucks him into the side of a house. He dismisses the taunt that the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can destroy her, and turns his attentions to his own plan: pampering! To Applejack’s consternation, he gave up on that Nightmare Moon business hours ago, and she’s just been helping him feel good in his new home. Guess how thrilled she is about this~

Applejack storms out, and Blueblood then bumps into Fluttershy along the way. He immediately proceeds to hit on her, which makes her very uncomfortable. Fluttershy tries to excuse herself, since she’s protecting some animals, and Blueblood decides to help protect her himself--by using the animals, including his own little pom dog Bunny, as a meat shield. This is the limit for Fluttershy, who calls him out on his behaviour, which is amazing for a pre-character development Fluttershy, so you can tell how awful Blueblood is~

As Fluttershy moves off, another pretty pony catches Blueblood’s eye: Rarity. Now that’s the sort of elegant pony he’s used to. His casual flattery certainly butters her up for a while. But he still has no intention of helping, and while Rarity might buy into his junk for a bit, she’s still actually a good pony and wants to help defend the town. Blueblood takes back his scarf and lleaves her behind, wrapping himself in her magic-repelling cloth to protect himself.

The pegasuses of town, led by Rainbow Dash, fly down and attempt to contain Nightmare Moon with their wind power. Blueblood agrees to supervise, since that’s a role of minimal effort, but when Rainbow picks a bad time to call him “friend”, he pulls her from the group to notarise an official document regarding friendships made, and in the loss of Rainbow Dash’s strength, the wind barrier falls apart, and Nightmare Moon escapes again.

Now thorny vines have erupted from the ground and are grabbing random citizens. Nightmare Moon demands the captured civilians tell her how great she is, and Pinkie Pie volunteers. Her pun amuses neither Nightmare Moon or Blueblood, who declares her a party pooper. There are some things you just do not do, and this is one of them. Pinkie is very upset, and the others around her agree: Blueblood’s worse than Nightmare Moon here~

Everypony agrees on this, and Nightmare Moon is legitimately upset about being lumped into the same category as such an unpleasant pony as Blueblood. She actually sits down and apologises; she just wanted everypony to love the night as much as she does. And they assure her they do think the night is beautiful. Nightmare Moon promises to apologise to her sister as well, and proves her thanks by banishing Blueblood to the moon instead~

A short epilogue, done in Katie Cook’s style, finishes the comic off. Blueblood rapidly gets bored with nopony on the moon to pamper him, and instructs his little pom dog to construct a town for him. Bunny complies, but stealthily lays the town’s foundations to spell out “HELP”, alerting Celestia to what’s happened to her wayward protege~

What a fun issue. It’s good to have a What If with a bit of comedy every now and again.Certainly, the darker sides of “What If the Mane Six didn’t get together?” have already been explored on the show. And you got Nightmare Moon to reform without even using magic on her. Nice work~

The issue also includes a few extras, mostly showing the process of sketching and layout to inked, final page, as well as some of the writer’s thoughts on why they picked that moment to Deviate. That sort of thing’s always worth checking out~