Welcome to my humble abode. My short time in this community has made me realize that Fluttershy is one of the most polarizing ponies in MLP:FiM. It seems like the majority of people either really like her or greatly dislike her. There aren't too many people in the middle. In fairness, some of them cite inconsistency and the use of her for comic relief. That doesn't reflect on Fluttershy but on the inattentiveness of the writing staff. Unfortunately, those effects are still felt and it's easier to like other ponies more. I also know that some of you genuinely love all six ponies (I'm one such person myself). But, due to the cruel process of elimination that ranking them one through six involves, somepony has to get that undesired number six spot.

One thing that makes Fluttershy so divisive is her exceptional cuteness. Some people find it to be very endearing. Others say she is almost an over the top artificial kind of cute. She was deliberately made to ooze cute, after all. In Stare Master, Fluttershy proves to be cuter than the Cutie Mark Crusaders. A grown up that can beat kids in the d'aww department? That shouldn’t be possible. This rubs some people the wrong way. I get it. Even I think it's overdone at times. But as adorable as Fluttershy is, that's not the reason I care about her so much.

Ironically, what captivates me about Fluttershy is her most tragic flaw. She has a tremendous amount of heart but her deeply rooted fears prevent it from shining through. I'm grateful that most true fans of the show, even the ones who hate her, understand this. If Fluttershy was in fact gutless, she wouldn't be able to control one of the Elements of Harmony. She wouldn't have stayed with her teammates through all of those dangerous missions together. She would go very reluctantly at times, but she still went. And most of all, she wouldn't have been able to achieve a state of true agape with her five best friends which allowed Twilight Sparkle to complete Star Swirl's spell. Depending on how you look at it, Fluttershy gets one sixth of the credit or one sixth of the blame for Twilight evolving into an alicorn.

In a thread titled Why is Fluttershy so Cute, the original line of discussion about how lovely Fluttershy is gave way to a number of complaints that her character is very boring, predictable, and shallow. Here is my response to those allegations:

I find it amusing that a thread presuming to celebrate Fluttershy's cuteness has turned into a debate about how bland and one dimensional her shyness shtick is. As an avid Fluttershy fan, you'll probably expect me to vigorously defend her. I don't know about "vigorously", but I intend to give it my best shot. Here are the three main points:

 

1. Fluttershy starts out shy, grows a backbone, and goes back to being shy again. All I can say is that she has suffered from a prolonged lack of confidence since she was a filly. Being treated as a weakling and an outcast by her classmates greatly exacerbated this condition. Just like Pinkie Pie depends on her friends for self-validation and to keep Pinkamena away, Fluttershy needs their support and strength whenever she is forced to go outside her comfort zone. Even with their help, being assertive is still very stressful for her. That's why she often overshoots the mark and is prone to angry outbursts. Although it appears on several occasions she has finally beaten her shyness problem, she can't maintain it because of the inordinate amount of courage this requires. The fact that she has the spirit to do these things at all supports my position that she has a brave soul which is sadly obstructed by a neurotic complex. As another Fluttershy thread has recently stated, her timid nature won't magically go away just because she has stared down a few dragons and minotaurs. She will probably have to cope with this for the rest of her life but thanks to her great friends it is no longer a huge burden for her.

 

 

2. Fluttershy is the mandatory shy character of the series which makes her a big, dumb cliché. At first glance, this is true. When I first started watching MLP:FiM I never disliked Fluttershy but I didn't like her that much either. But as time went on I saw little things here and there which showed her to be a multi-faceted character. Take Fluttershy's knowledge of sewing for instance. Almost everybody we know in real life has at least one solid talent most of the world is unaware of. If the writers were intent on keeping Fluttershy a frightened, quiet pegasus who cares for animals and little else, another one of the Mane 6 would've been given that dress-making know-how. I also think MLP:FiM should get credit for showing a lot of Fluttershy's history. Unlike most cartoon cowards, Fluttershy isn't shy for the sake of being shy. She has valid reasons for being that way.

 

 

3. She suffers from a lack of character development. Of the Mane 6, Fluttershy may well be dead last in this regard. I think the writers were preoccupied with developing Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash and so they left the other three on the back burner. They also gave her inconsistent portrayals. The only other explanation I can think of is that her ongoing fears inhibit her from changing for the better. That doesn't mean she won't, but that it will happen more slowly for her than the rest. Remember that Fluttershy is a late bloomer to begin with. She looked bigger and older than any of the others when she first got her cutie mark. Fluttershy's friends are very patient with her. As fans we should follow their example and allow her to develop at her own pace.

Here are my two favorite Fluttershy PMVs. The first one focuses on her cuteness and beauty. The second highlights her great inner strength.

For the record, I don't even like One Direction. I just adore this PMV! The clip selection matches the lyrics perfectly from start to finish.

This is another fine PMV inspired by one of our brilliant young minds and made by one of our best resident video editors. I'd say more, but I don't want the compliments to go to their heads. I also want to add that my non-Brony roommate thoroughly enjoyed this video and she can't believe that Fluttershy has some haters out there.

Thank you for taking the time to read my position. For everybody who has been paying close attention to the cartoon, there is no new information in this blog. But if this caused any of you to suddenly see Fluttershy from a new perspective, then I have accomplished my goal as a writer. If, after carefully weighing what I've said, Fluttershy is still your least favorite Mane 6 pony, I respect and accept your decision. It is much better to make a choice with a full knowledge of all the pertinent facts instead of going by knee jerk reactions and poor first impressions. Reactions due to feelings and emotion don't cut it for me. But I will honor any opinion that is based in logic and reason.

Whether you like her or not, please feel free to share your thoughts on Fluttershy. All points of view are welcome.