My Little Pony

[lordofchange13]

Also, evilsoup, you get more confirmation that AJ is, indeed, perfect.

As if I needed any. At this rate we're never going to get an Applejack episode, but she was so fantastic in this one that I almost don't mind. Almost.

One. Day.

I'm still trying to figure out how they're going to bring in the Apple parents, or if they're going to go for a 'lol they dead' episode (they should totally do that).

what about pigs?

I really like this episode. We get some interesting insight into Rarity's character - compare her accent to her parents', and her fascination with Canterlot in Ticket Master (and her gold-digging attempt with that dragon) and you can see she's a real social climber. Also, the fact that Sweetie Belle sounds a lot more like her big sister than her parents is really ... sweet, like she's trying to emulate Rarity.

I think the race would have been better if they'd come about fifth. They could have clued any perceptive audience members in with Rarity-as-Applejack not performing as well as you'd expect AJ to, and like Sweetie said at the end of the race, it doesn't matter that they didn't win. As it was, it was a little ridiculous for Rarity to come so close to winning ... but then, I suppose it actually mattered to her, whereas everypony else was just having fun.

I was kind of disappointed by the ending. I mean, a letter about sisterhood - I was expecting the shot to fade to one of Celestia and Luna reading the letter together. Ah well.

[.

That would have been the best ending ever!

[Zixinus]

I just realized: there have been no songs yet. The themesong is slightly altered, but otherwise, not a song note. Is this deliberate or is it just saved for episodes further up the line?

I was kind of disappointed by the ending. I mean, a letter about sisterhood - I was expecting the shot to fade to one of Celestia and Luna reading the letter together. Ah well.

Yeah, a shot of both of them, at least in silence (both of them reading out would have involved voicework), would have been a nice touch.

[evilsoup]

lordofchange13, could you please just quote the part of the posts you are replying to? Quoting the whole thing in a big block like that clutters up the page.

Zixnius. Huh, you're right. I don't think it really means anything though - by this point in the first series we'd had "Giggle at the Ghosties" and arguably Pinkie's 'song' to Twilight in Ticket Master ... so only one song worth putting on your mp3 player. I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that Fluttershy gets a song this series...

EDIT: also, I just realised that the start of this episode has Rarity having a smoke alarm. How complex are those, as a technology?

[Zixinus]

Wait, smoke alarm? I though she smelled the smoke itself?

[Crazedwraith]

"This is your sister Applejack - remember? The loyalest of friends and most dependable of ponies?!"

A quote from AJ's episode. It really makes me think; how well do the ponies actually demonstrate their values? Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy have got theirs down but AJ, Rarity and RD? Do they really show those traits outside the episodes with the EoHarmony in?

It seems to me you could easily swap AJ and RD's virtues. As the episode and quote shows, AJ really is loyal and dependable and I can think of times when RD was 'honest' in the sense she came right out with what she thought when other ponies were prevaricating. (Suited for Success.) Its not a positive way of being honest but its honesty.

It would be relatively simple to show AJ being loyal in the pilot; instead of that trust exercise malarky, (wouldn't have been more honest to say 'the pegasuses are there to catch you'?) you could have AJ refuse to let go, even as Twilight's weight pulls them both over and have them both get caught by RD and Fluttershy.

I'm at a loss how the episode would have portrayed RD's honesty as a plus point though.

[Crossroads Inc.]

EDIT: also, I just realised that the start of this episode has Rarity having a smoke alarm. How complex are those, as a technology?

I chalk it up to "magic" really... We have seen certain levels of tech in the show, but we have also seen a few aberrations which are really out of place.
I remember seeing a simple electric fan in one of the CMC episodes. And lets be honest, an electric powered fan using an electric motor raises a whole HOST of questions. A smoke alarm, while it seems more simple, is even more advance in terms of it (in the real world) needing integrated circuits to function, that would require knowledge of the silicon microchip.

So yeah, a lot of these items i chalk up to "magic"

[evilsoup]

Wait, smoke alarm? I though she smelled the smoke itself?

I just rewatched the very start to make sure, and she does smell the smoke, and there is a fire alarm sound as she runs down the stairs. But when she hits the floor at the bottom of the stairs the sound stops, so I guess it's just part of the soundtrack.

EDIT: Crossroads, in Feeling Pinkie Keen Twilight has some kind of brainwave-scanning machine, which I think would be more advanced/complex than a smoke alarm... but in this case, the smoke alarm sound seems to be nondiagetic.

EDITEDIT: also, I'm sure I remember a quote from Lauren Faust saying that anything electrical or technological worked due to unicorn magic (so at the end of the assembly line, there's a unicorn whose job it is to enchant the stuff).

[Wing Commander MAD]

First off let me say one thing. Damn you SDN for bringing this show to my attention. I really needed another thing to occupy my time and attention.

I think a signficant reason for FIM's popularity, beyond the high production values, is that it is a utopian piece of escapism coming at a time when so many people need cheering up. It reminds me of TNG in the sense that while there is danger and challenge, generally everything is bright and friendly and a place you'd genuinely like to be (or at least, visit). The characters are flawed but still people you'd like to have as friends. Even the fan deconstructions of how Equestria must be a whitewashed dictatorship remind me of the early rants on this site about how the Federation must actually be a dysfunctional communist tyranny etc. Right now the news is full of fear and anger, and the prevailing tone of TV shows seems to be gritty grimdark murder crime reality depression fest, so something like MLP is a welcome break.

I agree. Lord knows it's nice to have something to watch that's happy without being mind numbingly stupid like SpongeBob. Say what you will but modern cartoons have certainly ratcheted up the stupidity to new hights (and not the good kind of stupidity like Rocco's Modern Life or Ren & Stimpy) to the point that it makes them hard for an adult to appreciate. Well, that or lack of the nostalgia factor makes them intolerable. The production values and art style makes it likeable as you pointed out.

Evilsoup, there is definitely a smoke alarm going off in the last montage showing Rarity and Sweetie Belle getting along. It is when SB is carrying a pie.

[lordofchange13]

lordofchange13, could you please just quote the part of the posts you are replying to? Quoting the whole thing in a big block like that clutters up the page.

Will not be a problem, terribly sorry.

[RogueIce]

I just rewatched the very start to make sure, and she does smell the smoke, and there is a fire alarm sound as she runs down the stairs. But when she hits the floor at the bottom of the stairs the sound stops, so I guess it's just part of the soundtrack.

That was my take as well. At first I figured it might be an actual alarm, but then when those fire engine sirens started sounding I reconsidered and figured they were just there for the effect.

[Bright]

Not necessarily! Rarity's parents could still be raising her as a cover.

Just playing devil's advocate here... I kind of like that theory, even if I don't believe in it.

But...why? I mean, it pretty much goes against the whole tone of the show. That's the sort of thing you expect from Days of Our Lives, not My Little Pony.

Which is why I don't try to force it into the show's canon, so to speak. But I think it's an interesting dynamic to explore in fanfics and such.

It was a neat episode. We needed a little step back after the intensity of the last four. Something I'd have liked to see though: Sweetie Belle acting a bit more like Rarity. For instance, it would have been nice if she had gotten a bit grossed out with AJ's and Apple Bloom's uncouthness after all.

By the way, this episode was also the first were Celestia was implicitly confirmed to have the role of a goddess, wasn't she? With with the "As Celestia is my witness..." thing and all. Previously, it was pretty much all fanwank.

Also, Apple Bloom's poster for the Sisterhooves Social wasn't written in the Latin alphabet, was it?

Also also, here's a neat picture of human Celestia:

[lordofchange13]

Also, Apple Bloom's poster for the Sisterhooves Social wasn't written in the Latin alphabet, was it?

Also also, here's a neat picture of human Celestia

It looks vagly like Latin but as far as i can tell is not. The artist likely just made a new variant of animation gibberish.

That picture my good sir must have been created by the gods them selves!

[Zixinus]

Over at ponibooru, there has been some speculation as to what was actually said on that thing (and probably everywhere else).

Some speculate that it's a new language (that will probably end up being made) while others suspected that it's sorta-Cyrillic somehow.

Personally, I just think that the artists just made some letter-looking nonsense and didn't bother with it having actual meaning beyond the picture.

About the picture: is it me, or are her feet invisible?

[lordofchange13]

About the picture: is it me, or are her feet invisible?

well...they are casting a shadow, so no they are not invisible. the effect looks similar to an anime style that allows body parts and eyes to be seen through hair,clothe, and leaves to denote that the abject is partiality see through. they did that a lot on Pokemon era anime.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Gave a bit of screen time to Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, who I really like. I think I like the whole Apple family because they are a family and run a business. My own theory is that earth ponies make up for their lack of horns and wings by banding together and watching each-others backs and so far the apple family hasn't discouraged this theory. They've got their farm, their various cousins and relatives (who have reuniions, possibly all on the day before the Summer Sun Celebration), and here it shows they host games like the Sisterhooves Social that encourage teamwork and family.

And now for the part of the Apple Family you don't get to see:

The Apple Family

[RogueIce]

I don't normally just post up YouTube vids or whatever, but as Celestia is my witness, this is probably the most epic thing I've seen:



And not just for the music, which is awesome, but also the way it's edited. Look around the 2:08 mark with Twilight walking in that starry background. I don't know if such cropping around an animation is easy or not to do, but I was impressed.

[Zixinus]

Beautifully done, I agree.

[Skgoa]

wow, I didn't notice.

[Starglider]

I don't normally just post up YouTube vids or whatever

So you say, but now you've started a trend :



I completely agree with the result.

[The Yosemite Bear]

does that mean that pony sagen has an invisible dragon?

[Zixinus]

Can we please get a testing sticky for pony-related images and videos?

[Crazedwraith]

We had one. Then Thanas decided it was creepy.

Loved that Death Battle vid. Though the voice over presenters are really annoying.

[lordofchange13]

Though the voice over presenters are really annoying.

Very true, though the deeper voiced one did put up a very important question: "how does a pony learn karate?"

[Zixinus]

Uninteresting. They learned karate from someone else who knows karate, except perhaps that the karate is slightly modified to fit the pony's anatomy. The real question is: who DEVELOPED karate and why did ponies chose to learn it?

My guess is, that it's from another region (ie, not Equastria, we should see more episodes set outside of Equastria) that has the need for it. It may not even be inhabited primarily by ponies (kung-fu cats! miau!) but merely have some that brought it to Equestria as a sport.

[lordofchange13]

Though Halloween is over, it is still funny.