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Fhaolan

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  1. Fhaolan
    Festivals and celebrations are very important to most cultures and exactly how they celebrate them can tell you a lot about the people themselves, of course. Most of the festivals we’ve seen in MLP:FiM are expys of real-life Western holidays. But not all of them are, and in some cases there are some subtle differences.
     
    Most festivals in real life are sourced from two different places. The oldest come from the various agricultural-driven needs like planting, harvesting, or natural events like the longest and shortest days (the solstices). The newer ones are usually sourced from the day specific historical events occurred, although in many cased those get moved around to match up with the older festivals, in order to co-opt them and redirect public energy towards newer religions or nationalistic fervor. Oddly enough, this may work a different way in Equestria.
     
    In real life the dates of the festivals also tend to move around a lot depending on a societies ability to keep calendars. In the real world, the various natural counters of time, days, months, and years, don't actually line up nicely. A solar year always ends at different 'times' relative to the lunar month or the terran daily rotation, leaving extra bits of 'time' lying around mucking up the cycles. Because of this calendar-driven festivals tended to migrate as the year shifted around the calendar. Then you get 'calendar reform'. For example, the calendar most of the West uses used to have ten months. That's why it's September, October, November, December: Sept=Seven, Oct=Eight, Nov=Nine, Dec=Ten. All the months had 30 or 31 days, and there were 51 days that were considered 'outside' the year during the winter. When the year is 'dead', you see. Which is still messed up, because it only adds up to 355 days, which is 10 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 30 seconds short. Rigidly following this calendar means you're calendar is shifting 10 days every year around the seasons.
     
    Our current calendar, the Gregorian Calendar, is only inaccurate by 1 day every 3,000 years, but older calendars had already done enough damage to cause some festivals to be shifted so far around the year that they no longer resemble their original intent.
     
    Equestria likely doesn't have that problem at all, thanks to Celestia and Luna manually keeping the calendar in check. Instead, it is entirely possible that they move the *seasons* to match up with historical event festivals, rather than the other way around.
     

     
    Spring Festivals
     
    All societies with roots in agrarian cultures celebrate at least two major events, planting and harvesting. Spring is for planting and is usually a fertility festival, with boundless energy and color to celebrate the birth of the new year. In many regions it’s also a harvesting festival for those hardy grains that grow throughout the winter in more tropical and subtropical regions, as that’s when most of the precipitation falls, such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. In Western cultures, the original fertility festival was co-opted by Christians into Easter, bringing along its symbols of fertility; eggs and rabbits. Once fully co-opted, the date was moved around to disconnect it from the original festival in the hopes of finally putting an end to pagan practices. Any case, these types of festivals usually have a big feast of preserved foods, especially those that can only be partially preserved and will likely not last once the ambient temperature rises. Dried fruit, salted meats (though the meat bit is less likely given… well… ponies.), and spring harvest root vegetables will be the most common.
     
    In Equestria, the main spring festival is very obviously Winter Wrap Up, even though it takes place on the cusp between Winter and Spring. The rural area of Ponyville is deeply invested in this festival, and due to the ponies’ increased control of their environment it goes beyond just plowing the fields and sowing the grain, but also bringing animals out of hibernation and removing the winter snow. Which brings up the question as to exactly where they move the snow *to*, but anyway… In Ponyville the Winter Wrap Up is to be completely without Unicorn magic very specifically, which is excused as being because Ponyville was originally an Earth Pony settlement. But Pegasi are allowed to, and are in fact required, to use their special weather-manipulation abilities that the Earth Ponies can't do. So this ban on Unicorn magic seems out of place. There is a possible reason though.
     
    In more urban areas like Canterlot, populated by mainly Unicorns, they don’t celebrate Winter Wrap Up to that extent. Normally I'd say it would be because they are relatively far removed from agricultural needs, and so planting isn’t exactly high on their to-do lists. But given the ban on using Unicorn magic in Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up, it seems that some point in the past Unicorns routinely used their magic in some way that the other races of Equestria viewed as damaging and insulting the festival itself. The blowback of that being Unicorn magic being banned from the festival, and Unicorn-dominated areas abandoning the festival in response.
     
    But there will still be a cultural need for a Spring Festival in Unicorn areas, eventually leaking back into non-Unicorn areas but on a different date. Here we find Hearts and Hooves Day. Now, at first glance this looks like a simple clone of Valentine’s Day, but it isn’t completely. Equestria doesn’t have the greeting card and gift companies that were the driving force behind the real-life Valentine’s Day, so it needs to have some other impetus to drive it. But the main indicator of difference is that Valentine’s Day occurs in what Equestrians would consider the winter, and in the Hearts and Hooves episode you can see that Winter Wrap Up has already occurred as there is no snow on the ground. This means Hearts and Hooves Day is likely close to, or on, the Equinox, the day exactly between the Longest Day and the Longest Night. A day a more organized, urban, and calendar-driven society like the Unicorns would put a festival. Plus it’s pretty obviously a Fertility Festival, a lot more blatantly than Winter Wrap Up. In fact, it's entirely possible that the event that caused Unicorn magic being banned in the Winter Wrap Up may have to do with overt fertility rites that the Unicorns moved to the prototype Hearts and Hooves Day. This wouldn't be the first time festivals were originally one, and were split due to evolving cultural and class differences.
     
    When, and if, Cadence makes the jump to the same status/ability as Celestia and Luna, this will be her day. Alicorn of Love and all that.
     

     
    Summer Festivals
     
    Next in line is the summer festival; which most cultures put on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. In real life in Western culture we’ve mostly lost the official summer festival, Midsummer. In Christian regions this became known as St. John’s Day. In some countries this is still a big, important festival, but in America and similar places almost nobody remembers. Because Midsummer celebrations have lessened in many areas, instead we get smaller regional celebrations that carry less emotional and cultural weight but are still celebrations of summer. Summer Days, summer vacations, etc.
     
    In this category of civic rather than cultural festival, we have the Grand Galloping Gala. According to the MLP:FiM Live show (which is otherwise a mess), this is a after-spring festival that occurs every year. So this is put on the cusp of Spring and Summer. However, that show was so messed up in it's timeline this could be a late summer fete on the cusp of Summer and Fall. Still, it's a major social event but doesn't give the indicators of a cultural festival. It’s likely there are local versions of the Gala all over Equestria, but with different names and dates, possibly all leading up to the Grand Galloping Gala.
     
    But in Equestria they do have a full Summer Festival. The Summer Sun Celebration. Probably due to the ponies exercising full control over the day/night cycles, the longest day of the year also coincides with the day Celestia defeated Nightmare Moon, and now the day that Luna was restored. This festival is presented as a much more formal and ritualistic affair than the other seasonal festivals, which makes sense given that it really is a more calendar-driven celebration that has only ancillary connections to more primitive agricultural roots.
     
    In any case, this is definitely Celestia’s day. There is no doubt about that.
     

     
    Next week, Fall and Winter.
  2. Fhaolan

    Winter Wrap Up

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Winter Wrap Up (December 24th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Twilight learns how to deal with spring the Earth Pony way.
     
    Twilight has redecorated slightly. I think that's different furniture in the sleeping loft than was there during the sleepover episode.
     
    Right. Okay. I'm going to deal with this one. The fuzzy saddle Twilight is putting on. Why would they have such a clothing item when it 'obviously' is a saddle, and there isn't a need for anyone to be riding the ponies? Beyond your dirty minds. Clothing isn't always obvious. Take the tie. Basically it's the remains of a neck cloth, a easily removable and cleanable cloth separate from the shirt that reduces the need to wash the shirt as often. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the idea anyway. This 'saddle' appears to be a similar remains of a functional item, perhaps the foundation for a more complex outer garment that required something more structural underneath. The outer garment isn't fashionable anymore, but the saddle support piece is still worn all on it's own. As a foundation garment that no longer serves it's original function and is now worn as a piece of clothing of it's own, it would fall into the same category as a Basque, which at different times was a jacket, an undercoat, and lingerie. Like a corset it is now sometimes worn as an outer garment though it's risqué... which doesn't really help the kinky problem, but I'm not a miracle worker.
     
    It appears that Twilight is unfamiliar with how to wear said saddle. It's obviously not a 'normal' piece of gear, and someone has told her it's traditional for the Winter Wrap up situation. Why do I have a feeling this is a Rainbow Dash prank?
     
    Hundreds of years of Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up festival.
     
    Saddle is gone now. And nobody else is wearing one. So yeah, I'm going for prank.
     
    Finally the mayor doing mayor-stuff.
     
    Doctor Whooves! Yay! Sorry.
     
    Okay, why do the pegasi get to use their special abilities, but unicorn magic is banned?
     
    Winter Wrap Up is very definitely an early-year Fertility Festival, with the preparing and planting. Given Spike's reaction, it sounds like celebrating this event isn't as prevalent in Canterlot, which is interesting. Combined with the actual labor of planting going on, it's possible that the urban areas have transitioned to a different spring festival as they have little to no interest in the passing of the season and are focusing on an artificial calendar-driven event instead. I can guess which one, and I'll leave that for the future episode I'm thinking of.
     
    And so ends the song that is one of the myriad reasons I joined this fandom. I'm not a musician, so I'm not qualified to criticize the music in any way, but blast it, that song was fun.
     
    Twilight is not crafty.
     
    Quite a few lakes in Ponyville. That makes sense given the general terrain.
     
    Those look like oversized hedgehogs, but next we have porcupines. Hrmmm. Currently hedgehogs are mostly from Eurasian continent, as all the hedgehog-types in North America died out at the end of the Miocene period. So those animals are probably something else, even if they look like hedgehogs to me.
     
    Twilight is basically just not an outdoor pony.
     
    Been there, done that with the tomato soup trying to clean out skunk smell.
     
    Reference to Ditzy Do.
     
    Twilight really doesn't like snakes. Not just when she's surprised, but in general.
  3. Fhaolan

    Swarm of the Century

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Swarm of the Century (December 17th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Tribbles... no sorry, Parasprites attack!
     
    Again, why is Twilight doing all this? The local government should be all over a royal visit.
     
    Pinkie knows exactly these parasprites are, but nobody else does. Why?
     
    I know Rainbow Dash's dress looks silly, but it's mainly the hat. The style of the dress is typical over-the-top Louis XIV. The tight 'arms' indicates late in the 17th century. Although the pattern on the hat is atypical, the style is correct being an insanely tall construction of fabric on a brass wire framework. This started in 1680 when the Duchesse de Frontange had her hat blown off. She quickly tied up her hair with her garter in a vain attempt to keep her curly hairdo in some kind of order. King Louis XIV thought it was charming, so started the race to have the most amount of lace, ribbons, and whatnot tied on top of a women's head. Of course, completely loosing the point that it was the hair that Louis was commenting on, not the lace garter. Some of these hats reached two to three feet in height.
     
    Ever notice how Twilight never actually helps when Spike is trying to do something? She just complains how he's not doing it right.
     
    She didn't know what they were in the first place, how would Fluttershy know now?
     
    Okay, four-horse carriage. Rear wheels larger than the front, with a shell-like rear. A dashboard, but no dickey box (where the driver would normally sit), and no footboard or rumble (someplace for the footman to sit or stand in the rear). The big shell is a probably a fold-back top. Which makes this a much like a basket Phaeton carriage from the 1870's with a unique folding roof system.
     
    Rainbow Dash can actually create a tornado condensation tunnel by her herself.
     
    Sweet Apple Acres barn destroyed count: 1
     
    Ah, Zecora. Balancing on a stick? That's an interesting behavior, and reinforces the idea that she's the pony equivalent of Haitian or Trinidadian rather than African, as it feels suspiciously like some of the balance gymnastics I've seen practitioners of the martial art known as Calinda/Kalenda do when I visited the Caribbean last year. It's sorta like Capoeira, in that normally it's constant motion with dance-like movements, but Calinda has a lot more staff work involved.
     
    She also knows of parasprites, but Pinkie seems to have more details.
     
    One pony band. That's just fun.
     
    I love Celestia's reaction to Pinkie. However, I'm surprised she doesn't make the connection between the parasprites and the crisis in Fillydelphia.
  4. Fhaolan

    Bridle Gossip

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Bridle Gossip (December 10th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: A strange pony appears, and all of Ponyville panics in response. This time, it's not Twilight to the rescue, but Apple Bloom?
     
    A Zebra by the name of Zecora. They all act afraid of her, as if nobody's ever talked to her. Yet they know her name... I'm not sure what to make of that. Especially given that they didn't have the same reaction to Gilda the Griffon, who is far more of a threat as a patently predator species.
     
    Zebras aren't ponies? Okay, yes, in the same way donkeys aren't ponies. They're all equines though. (Ponies and Horses are the same thing, they're just different breeds based mainly on size. A Dale Pony is as different from a Percheron Draft Horse as a Scotsman is from a Ethiopian. They appear different, but the same species.) You can crossbreed zebras with ponies and donkeys and so on. The resulting mule/hinny will usually be sterile, but that's not always true.
     
    The ponies are confused by Zecora's stripes, and Rarity seems shocked that a pony can be born with more than one color coat.
     
    Ah, the Everfree Forest. The place the ponies are afraid of because it's 'natural'. They're really freaked out by this place where ponies don't have to constantly micromanage the environment. I think they're more afraid of the fact Zecora lives in the Everfree than anything else, and now they're making up excuses for their fear.
     
    Zecora's place is also a hollow tree. Décor is stereotypical West Africa, especially those styles of masks which are common on the Ivory Coast, but the accent sounds more Haitian to me. Unfortunately, I don't know the various languages, so I can't pick out what Zecora is actually saying or what dialect she's using when the Mane 6 break in and wreck the place.
     
    The spa pony has an interesting accent as well. Brazilian? I'm not very good with tropical and southern hemisphere regions, so if anyone can confirm this stuff or correct it, I'd really appreciate it.
  5. Fhaolan

    Look Before You Sleep

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Look Before You Sleep (December 3rd 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Applejack and Rarity have to survive a night together, at Twilight's first Slumber Party.
     
    The pegasi have some kind of quota for the amount of rainfall within a period. The sheer amount of micromanaging that these ponies do to their environment is really strange.
     
    Twilight is just slightly psychotic. But we knew that.
     
    Not much to really talk about worldbuilding-wise in this one.
     
    Ah! S'mores. Okay, what do I know about S'mores... It's uniquely American, associated with the Girl Scouts normally. The earliest reference I can find goes back to the 20's, but there's a good chance it's older than that. The earliest they could possibly exist is 1830 or so, as that's when Graham crackers came about, but Graham crackers were actually marketed as a health food originally, so that's unlikely. I can find no indication on when they switched over from a hard unsweetened biscuit meant to curb sexual appetite (yes, really) to the modern sweet cookie-like thing. That's likely in or around the time that the s'more came about.
     
    Where the heck did that outfit come from? Does Twilight have that kind of thing in her closet normally? Did she bring it from Canterlot? Or was it something Rarity foisted off on her prior to this episode? In any case, it's typical fantasy princess nonsense. While each individual item did occur historically sort of, they didn't occur together. The cone hat is a hennin, 1430-1530 in Italy. The Juliet sleeve with the puff at the shoulder is from 1795-1820 again in Italy, the scalloped skirt with lace edging and enough petticoats to keep it that voluminous is from 1820-1875, mainly in France.
  6. Fhaolan

    Dragonshy

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Dragonshy (November 26th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: All of Equestria is threatened by a sleeping dragon, and only the Mane 6 can respond.
     
    (Honestly, this has the same weird feeling that most Star Trek stories have. Why is the Enterprise the only ship ever in range?)
     
    Canterlot is easily visible from Ponyville, being the source of a waterfall. And there's a rather large building down at the base of the waterfall, separate from Canterlot. I wonder what that is?
     
    Interesting that the dragon mountain is depicted as being quite different from the others surrounding it. It's darker, all sharp angles, etc.
     
    Twilight thinks Fluttershy's animal affinity is necessary for dealing with the dragon. So she thinks of the dragon as an animal.
     
    Technically, that's a landslide, not an avalanche.
     
    What? Why on earth does Twilight think shooting apples at a full grown dragon is going to do *anything*? Is there some allergy that dragons typically have?
     
    I've always been curious, where do all these dragons get their treasure from? Smaug got it from the Dwarves in the Hobbit specifically. But this one has no obvious source. I'm assuming the Dragon took the treasure with him/her when they left, otherwise that's a pretty big dent to the local economy.
  7. Fhaolan

    Boast Busters

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Boast Busters (November 19th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Ponyville is visited by the Great and Powerful TRIXIE! Who immediately comes into conflict with the Mane 6.
     
    That mustache trick is described as a 'growth' spell. Meaning dragons have hair on their upper lip for the spell to grow into a mustache. Much like that sea serpent in the second episode. So is there a dividing line between Steve Magnet and Spike, species-wise? Possibly not that wide of a division.
     
    Twilight is a munchkin. Taking something as generic as 'Magic' as a special talent would violate nearly all RPG character-building systems.
     
    Snips and Snails remind me of the characterization of male MLP characters back in G1.5's My Little Pony Tales. The automatic 'boys are stupid' meme in girls-oriented media.
     
    I love the wagon that folds out into a stage. While I've seen setups similar to that, none of them are automatic, have much less 'stage' area, and they leave very little room for a living space. Plus they're drafty and heavy. This kind of thing was very common in America in the the early 20th century, as an evolution of the 19th century 'Medicine Show'. Bigger setups like circuses would have separate wagons for stages vs. living quarters.
     
    Her control over those fireworks is pretty impressive actually.
     
    I'm not entirely sure what Trixie actually did to Rainbow Dash. That's not telekinesis, unless rainbows are physically manipulatable by non-pegasi. The mini-storm is apparantly telekinesis though, as we'll see later when Rarity pulls the same stunt in a future episode.
     
    Twilight summoned a door? What?
     
    Ursa Minor. This is interesting, as we've seen nothing else like them since. What exactly is it? The stars within it seem to move independantly of the creature.
     
    "Vanquish it, eh?" This is very distinctly the Central Canadian dialect, popularized by Bob and Doug McKenzie. Yes, people do actually talk like that, though it's not as common anymore.
     
    Trixie still gets a bum rap at the end, her act is disrupted by hecklers, her home is destroyed, two other ponies are responsible for the damage, and she gets the blame while they get... rewarded, sorta?
  8. Fhaolan

    Griffon the Brush-Off

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Griffon the Brush-Off (November 12th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Rainbow Dash is visited by an old friend, who doesn't get along well with RD's new friends.
     
    Suddenly cliff. Reinforcing the idea that Ponyville is right there in the foothills of a mountainous region.
     
    And pegasi don't just walk on clouds, but can sleep up there too.
     
    Pepi Le Pinkie. Technically that way of walking is called 'pronking', if you were curious.
     
    Dragons can get hiccups, so can ponies. I've never seen a horse get hiccups, but I've seen dogs get them.
     
    Painting all those apples was one *heck* of an effort.
     
    I'm kinda curious what they had planned for Fluttershy.
     
    Nice to see other species here. Griffons are *really* old in mythology, predating Greek, Egyptian, Persian, etc. It's one of the oldest known mythological creatures that has remained effectively unchanged over the millennia.
     
    Griffons can also walk on clouds.
     
    Junior Speedsters sound a lot like the pegasi/griffon version of the Scouts. I wonder if Earth Ponies and Unicorns have something similar.
     
    Griffons have that prehensile tail trick that prior generations of pony had.
     
    Lots of references to Griffons being rare. No indication if they're from a different country and are rare *here* or just rare in general.
     
    The question is, is Gilda's attitude specific to her or is it part of Griffon culture to be more aggressive given that they are composed of two different predator creatures.
     
    As a note, the interior of Sugar Cube Corners is very similar the way the tourist town of Levenworth in Washington state is decorated. The style of carved lintels above the windows is very reminiscent of Bavaria, which is a blending of Gallic and Germanic cultures in an Alps setting. Given prior generations notes to the same cultures, this isn't that surprising but is nice to see a bit of continuity.
  9. Fhaolan

    Applebuck Season

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    Applebuck Season (November 5th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Big Mac is injured, and Applejack must take on the entire harvest by herself all while keeping her promises to help all her friends with their own interests.
     
    That's a huge orchard. I mean *huge*. I've never seen an orchard run by one family that is that ridiculously huge. That size is agricorp level.
     
    And the terrain is surprisingly hilly. It looks like the orchards in Western Washington just on the other side of the Cascades, and not like the Midwest area that the official map would stick it.
     
    The cows talk as well. And the spokescow has a very distinct Minnesota accent.
     
    Why is Twilight doing this? This is the mayor's job.
     
    Twilight goes from never having teleported in the prior episode, to popping in and out everywhere today instead of just walking.
     
    Yep, this explicitly says the first episode was the Apple Family Reunion. This will become important in later seasons.
     
    Rainbow Dash refers to Applejack as 'Ponyville's greatest athlete'. Either she thinks Applejack is better than herself, or she doesn't think of herself as a Ponyville pony.
     
    I lived in residence at University, and worked part-time in the residence kitchen in order to pay my way. The 'baked bads' look familiar. The stuff that passed through those kitchens to be categorized as 'food' was... disturbing at best.
     
    Yeah, that's pretty much what the cafeteria food was like. Again Spike shows a more universal digestive system.
     
    Bunny stampede. We've switched to Australia, apparently.
     
    Okay, just a note. Loosing one member of the family, and Applejack almost dies of exhaustion trying to complete the harvest. The episode gives the impression that she just barely made it to the half-way mark. Which means Big Mac does a *lot* of the work around the farm, or knows tricks and techniques that he hasn't shared with Applejack yet.
  10. Fhaolan

    The Ticket Master

    By Fhaolan,

    See * for disclaimer
     
    The Ticket Master (October 29th 2010, 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Twilight has two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, can she choose which of her friends to take?
    Spike may have trouble spelling words, but he can read complex words with the correct pronunciation just fine.
     
    Not just letters, but the tickets get transported by Dragonfire.
     
    These are tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, and are rare enough that they don't seem to be regularly purchasable, so we're dealing with a weird kind of Society Event. Big enough that a gate list is unable to cope, but still technically 'exclusive', much like various awards ceremonies in modern day. Given that we have 'Princesses' and 'Kingdoms', but there no reference to any other ranks of nobility (Dukes, Barons, etc.) it's likely the society has feudal remnants but is not a true feudal system anymore. As such, it's possible that the Gala started as the end celebration of the ceremony of Knighthood and has evolved beyond that. Likely there are still some awards and medals given out at the begining.
    The plow is an oversized Iron Beam Scotch-style Walking Plow from the early 1800's, missing the handles. These were specifically for heavy work in rocky soil.
     
    Rainbow Dash can hover upside down. And the various high-speed pegasi have distinctive contrails. Sorta. Two of them are the same, apparently.
     
    Very distinct images of what ponies *think* the Grand Galloping Gala is about. It seems that the Equestrian media is as good about depicting current events as the real life media is.
     
    Celestia's nephew. No name mentioned.
     
    Actually, Twilight can probably get Fluttershy into the private gardens without the Grand Galloping Gala. And Applejack's dream is also not got anything to do with being a guest. She wants to be a caterer.
     
    Spike demonstrates that he is capable of digesting a much wider range of food than any pony. He eats gemstones *and* hay.
     
    Ah, here we go at the carousel. This very much resembles the Columbia Carousels (there are two of them), the only two-story carousels in the world, built in 1976 to resemble the French-style carousels of the 1850's.
     
    Apple Brown Betty... what? Pause to look up. Okay, this is a real thing that I was unaware of. Apparently it's an American variation of the Apple Cobbler where it's done in layers with the crumble crust between said layers. Usually served with lemon sauce? Interesting. I'm going to have to try this at some point.
     
    Countrified version of the Benny Hill theme music, actually called Yakety Sax. This version is extremely similar to the version known as Yakety Axe as done by Chet Atkins in 1965.
     
    Twilight teleported *and didn't know that she could*. Unlike previous generations, teleportation is apparently not a normal Unicorn trick.
     
    The Library main doors are... odd. It's setup like a Dutch Door, but the lower portion is a double door.
     
    It makes me wonder if Twilight ever went to the Grand Galloping Gala in previous years. Or maybe this isn't an annual event, but happens ever x number of years. If she hasn't, then her status as Celestia's *personal* student may not be quite what is assumed by everyone else.
     
    Spike feels the need to open the window to sent the letter this time. Interesting.
     
    Celestia is really fast with her replies. She reads and writes very fast, or has these letters already penned up 'in case'.
     
    Canterlot Castle is easily visible from Ponyville. That can't be Canterlot itself, because that was shown with wide open spaces, where the Castle is on the side of a mountain and is very vertical.
  11. Fhaolan

    Friendship is Magic

    By Fhaolan,

    Okay, yet again I'm going to remind everyone reading that my intent here is not a review or a critique. That's not what I do.
     
    Instead this is watching the various episodes of My Little Pony with the intent of pulling out any details that can help inform the worldbuilding around the setting itself. That includes cultural events, festivals, architecture, clothing styles, references to other cultures, and whatnot. I've been doing this for all the prior generations, and I have finally hit the current one.
     
    Here we start on the first Generation 4 episodes. We have a two-parter, produced by an entirely new crew under the Studio B name (eventually rebranded by it's parent company to DHX Media/Vancouver, but they were owned by DHX for years before this.)
     
    As always with the first episode of a series, this is going to be long because there are lots of details at the beginning.
     
    Friendship is Magic (Part 1 and 2) (October 10th, 22nd 2010, 2 x 22 minutes)
     
    Summary: Twilight gathers friends against her will to oppose the legendary Nightmare Moon.
     
    Celestia voice over, making the introduction story-book-y. Right from the beginning we're getting backstory and history for the setting. Celestia isn't introduced by name though, she's referring to herself as the 'elder sister'.
     
    Magical land of Equestria, not kingdom, not world.
     
    Two regal sisters, raising the Sun and Moon with their unicorn powers.
     
    Now it's called a kingdom. Let's see if this is referred to as a Kingdom anywhere else.
     
    Here we have the Elements of Harmony in their assumed 'base' form, a number of jewels in an elongated old single cut style.
     
    And the elder sister banished her jealous younger sister *forever*.
     
    The architecture in the illustrations are interesting. They're thatch-covered roundhouses, a very common construction in ancient Europe (10th century BC to 5th century AD), and many places in Africa.
     
    First view of Ponyville in the intro. This is actually a fairly respectable sized town.
     
    Okay, here we are at Canterlot, though we don't know it's called that yet. We're in an area that is very open, with hills in the background. The architecture looks a lot like mushrooms, but the decorations and general styling seems to resemble Russia in the Imperial Period in the 1700-1800 range. Lots of color, patterns, and rounded shapes.
     
    Hey Lyra.
     
    Is this Twilight's actual residence? For a student, it's freaking huge, with a massive private collection. She's too casually throwing books around for it to be anything other than her own stuff. And even then, she's showing no respect for the books themselves.
     
    Or for Spike for that matter.
     
    Spike is aware of the Mare in the Moon mythology.
     
    Stars will aid in her escape. How?
     
    Cute reflection there.
     
    I'm curious as to the range and/or capacity of Spikes' letter-transport breath.
     
    Okay, the sky-chariot. Pulled by two pegasi. It has the appearance of a Roman Triumph Biga, a specific kind of chariot. The major difference being that two-horse chariots are normally drawn on a central pole with traces (leather straps & chains) on the outer sides. Two poles are normally used for odd-numbered horse vehicles in order to have one horse central (where the single pole would normally be). The poles are oddly curved, by the way. There must be some strange condition with it being an aerial chariot that a land chariot doesn't need.
     
    Interestingly in Roman mythology a Biga represents Luna, the Roman Goddess of the Moon, where the Quadringa (a four-horse chariot) represents Apollo the Sun God.
     
    Summer Sun Celebration moves around every year.
     
    Excellent introduction to Pinkie there. That's pretty much her in a nutshell.
     
    Sweet Apple Acres. One rather large barn, in an extremely elaborate Prairie-stye barn 1930's style that evolved from the earlier Dutch-style barn. Here we have a gabled roof with dormers (unusual in a barn), what appears to be a vent tower that's been transformed into another room, and the distinctive peak projecting above the 'hayloft' that marks it as a Prairie-style.
     
    Several smaller structures, including a chicken coop and a set of identical storage sheds in a row.
     
    The Apple family's distinct accent is odd as nobody else in Ponyville seems to have it.
     
    Rainbow Dash demostrates Pegasi abilities with weather manipulation.
     
    The rest of Ponyville is very Tudor, with timberframe construction and thatched roofs.
     
    The town hall is interesting. Still Tudor timberframe, like the rest of Ponyville, but very distinctly round with elaborate dormers on a straight-shingle roof. The interior appears to be one large room as well, like a small fully-enclosed Globe Theatre, just a very narrow version, like a tower.
     
    I missed the switch between the town hall and the boutique.
     
    The library has no analog in real life as far as I know, as there are no hollow trees of that size that are still alive. The interior is following the concept that the construction is organic and has to follow the lines put down by the tree itself.
     
    Those four stars are actively moving into a configuration around the moon.
     
    Ponyville has a mayor.
     
    I love Nightmare Moon's 'yeah, I'm bad. What of it?' attitude.
     

     
    Nightmare Moon demonstrates weather control, and a form of shapeshifting, as well as the ability to keep the Moon in the sky.
     
    Pinkie demonstrates her serendipity powers.
     
    Listing of five Elements: Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is unknown. So Celestia kept that one a secret deliberately? And the last known location was the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters.
     
    The ponies are really disturbed by the Everfree Forest. Nopony goes in, nopony comes out. It's not even considered to be part of 'Equestria' by Applejack.
     
    Manticore, a creature from Persian mythology. This specific version, however, seems to be straight out of D&D. The thorn is a direct reference to Androcles and the Lion from Aesop.
     
    Definite shapeshifting from Nightmare Moon, as she was quite literally the thorn.
     
    Honestly Nightmare Moon doesn't seem to be trying very hard here. She's pulling little tricks of very random levels of threat. They're more delaying tactics than actual attempts to stop the Mane 6.
     
    That's an interesting spell. It merged Rarity's tail hair with the sea serpent's mustache. I'm not sure exactly how.
     
    "What's with you and falling off cliffs today?"
     
    This is pretty specific to Rainbow Dash. This is the first time Nightmare Moon is using some kind of ability to read a pony's desires, and shows knowledge of the concept of the Wonderbolts in order to create the 'Shadowbolts'.
     
    Not sure why the Elements of Harmony are now round stones with geometric gem symbols on them.
     
    Teleportation for the first time.
     
    I still love Nightmare Moon's attitude and voice acting here. "You're kidding right?"
     
    Rarity looks confused at first when her element is revealed.
     
    Twilight names the element of Magic. I'm still convinced she made an assumption there.
     
    "Taste the Rainbow, Muthafuker!"
     
    And suddenly Celestia. She seems to be coming from the sun, so Nightmare Moon must have reciprocated the entrapment.
     
    And Celestia as the chessmaster is born.
     
    Luna's voice is... odd there. It doesn't sound right, even if you ignore later presentations of her. And of course the odd 'even younger' appearance she has that doesn't match the storybook sequence at the beginning.
  12. Fhaolan
    Friendship is Magic (Generation 4)
     
    Season 1
    Friendship is Magic (Part 1 and 2) (October 10th, 22nd 2010, 2 x 22 minutes)
    The Ticket Master (October 29th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Applebuck Season (November 5th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Griffon the Brush-Off (November 12th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Boast Busters (November 19th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Dragonshy (November 26th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Look Before You Sleep (December 3rd 2010, 22 minutes)
    Bridle Gossip (December 10th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Swarm of the Century (December 17th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Winter Wrap Up (December 24th 2010, 22 minutes)
    Call of the Cutie (January 7th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Fall Weather Friends (January 28th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Suited for Success (February 4th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Feeling Pinkie Keen (February 11th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Sonic Rainboom (February 18th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Stare Master (February 25th 2011, 2 mintues)
    The Show Stoppers (March 4th 2011, 22 minutes)
    A Dog and Pony Show (March 11th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Green Isn't Your Color (March 18th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Over a Barrel (March 25th 2011, 22 minutes)
    A Bird in the Hoof (April 8th 2011, 22 minutes)
    The Cutie Mark Chronicles (April 15th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Owl's Well That Ends Well (April 22nd 2011, 22 minutes)
    Party of One (April 29th 2011, 22 minutes)
    The Best Night Ever (May 6th 2011, 22 minutes)
    My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Live (Live Action, July 24th 2011, 30 minutes)
     
    Season 2
    The Return of Harmony (Part 1 and 2) (September 17th, 24th 2011, 2 x 22 minutes)
    Lesson Zero (October 15th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Luna Eclipsed (October 22nd 2011, 22 minutes)
    Sisterhooves Social (November 5th 2011, 22 minutes)
    The Cutie Pox (November 12th 2011, 22 minutes)
    May the Best Pet Win! (November 19th 2011, 22 minutes)
    The Mysterious Mare Do Well (November 26th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Sweet and Elite (December 3rd 2011, 22 minutes)
    Secret of My Excess (December 10th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Family Appreciation Day (January 7th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Baby Cakes (January 14th 2011, 22 minutes)
    Hearth's Warming Eve (December 17th 2011, 22 minutes)
    The Last Roundup (January 21st 2012, 22 minutes)
    The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 (January 28th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Read It and Weep (February 4th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Hearts and Hooves Day (February 11th 2012, 22 minutes)
    A Friend in Deed (February 18th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Putting Your Hoof Down (March 3rd 2012, 22 minutes)
    It's About Time (March 10th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Dragon Quest (March 17th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Hurricane Fluttershy (March 24th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Ponyville Confidential (March 31st 2012, 22 minutes)
    MMMystery on the Friendship Express (April 7th 2012, 22 minutes)
    A Canterlot Wedding (Part 1 and 2) (April 21st 2012, 2 x 22 minutes)
     
    Season 3
    The Crystal Empire (Part 1 and 2) (November 10 2012, 2 x 22 minutes)
    Too Many Pinkie Pies (November 17th 2012, 22 minutes)
    One Bad Apple (November 24th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Magic Duel (December 1st 2012, 22 minutes)
    Sleepless in Ponyville (December 8th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Wonderbolts Academy (December 15th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Apple Family Reunion (December 22nd 2012, 22 minutes)
    Spike at Your Service (December 29th 2012, 22 minutes)
    Keep Calm and Flutter On (January 19th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Just for Sidekicks (January 26th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Games Ponies Play (February 9th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Magical Mystery Cure (February 16th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell (Novel, February 2013)
    The Return of Queen Chrysalis (Comic Issues 1-4, November 28th 2012 - March 6th 2013)
    Nightmare Rarity (Comic Issues 5-8, March 27th - June 12th 2013)
    Under the Sparkling Sea (Illustrated Novel, April 23rd 2013)
    Equestria Girls (Theatrical Release, June 16th 2013, 73 minutes)
    Pinkie Pie and the Rockin' Ponypalooza Party (Novel, July 2nd 2013)
    Zen and the Art of Gazebo Repair (Comic Issues 9-10, July 31st, August 28th 2013)
    Pony Tales Volume 1 (Microcomic Issues 1-6, February 20th - July 11th 2013)
    Neigh Anything (Comic Issues 11-12, September 24th, Octover 30th 2013)
    My Little Pony: Annual 2013 (Comic Special, October 30th 2013)
     
    Season 4
    Princess Twilight (November 23rd 2013, 2 x 22 minutes)
    Castle-Mania (November 30th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Daring Don't (December 7th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Flight to the Finish (December 14th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Pony Tales Volume 2 (Microcomic Issues 7-10, August 22nd - December 18th 2013)
    Friendship Ahoy! (Comic Issues 13-14, November 20th, December 18th 2013)
    Power Ponies (December 21st 2013, 22 minutes)
    Bats! (December 28th 2013, 22 minutes)
    Rarity Takes Manehattan (January 4th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Rainbow Dash and the Daring Do Double Dare (Novel, Jaunuary 7th 2014)
    Pinkie Apple Pie (January 11th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Rainbow Falls (January 18th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Three's a Crowd (January 25th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Pinkie Pride (February 1st 2014, 22 minutes)
    Bookworm (Comic Issues 15-16, January 15th, February 5th 2013)
    Simple Ways (February 8th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Filli Vanilli (February 15th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Twilight Time (February 22nd 2014, 22 minutes)
    It Ain't Easy Being Breezies (March 1st 2014, 22 minutes)
    Somepony to Watch Over Me (March 8th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Maud Pie (March 15th 2014, 22 minutes)
    For Whom the Sweetie Bell Toils (March 22nd 2014, 22 minutes)
    Leap of Faith (March 29th 2014, 22 minutes)
    Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 (April 5th 2014 22 minutes)
    Rarity and the Curious Case of Charity (Novel, April 8th 2014)
    Friends Forever Volume 1 (Microcomic Issues 1-4, January 22nd - April 9th 2014)
    Trade Ya (April 12th 2014 22 minutes)
    Inspiration Manifestation (April 26th 2014 22 minutes)
    Equestria Games (May 3rd 2014 22 minutes)
    Twilight's Kingdom (May 10th - 17th 2014 2 x 22 minutes)
     
    Reflections (Comic Issues 17-20, March 19th - June 25th 2014)
    Applejack and the Honest-to-Goodness Switcheroo (Novel, July 15th 2014)
    Friends Forever Volume 1 (Microcomic Issues 5-8, May 21st - August ? 2014)
    Fluttershy and the Fine Furry Friends Fair (Novel, ?)
    Equestria Girls 2: Rainbow Rocks (Theatrical Release, ?)
  13. Fhaolan
    A Very Pony Promenade* (Generation 3)
    A Charming Birthday (Toy Release, 2003, 20 minutes)
    Dancing in the Clouds (Toy release, 2004, 20 minutes)
    Friends Are Never Far Away (Toy release, 2005, 20 minutes)
    A Very Minty Christmas (Special, 2005, 45 minutes)
    The Princess Promenade (Special, 2006, 50 minutes)
    Pinkie Pie and the Lady Bug Jamboree (Extra on Princess Promenade DVD, 2006, 8 minutes)
    Crystal Princess: The Runaway Rainbow (Special, 2006, 48 minutes)
    Greetings from Unicornia (Extra on Crystal Princess DVD, 2006, 8 minutes)
    The World's Biggest Tea Party (Live Action, 2006, 75 minutes)
    A Very Pony Place (Short Collection, 2007, 45 minutes total)
    Come Back, Lily Lightly (20 minutes)
    Two for the Sky (15 minutes)
    Positively Pink (10 minutes)
    Core 7
    Pinkie Pie's Special Day (Toy Release, 2008, 12 minutes)
    Meet the Ponies (Webcasts, 2008, 28 minutes total)
    Pinkie Pie's Party Party (4 minutes)
    Rainbow Dash's Hat Fashion Party (4 minutes)
    Cheerilee's Pajama Party (4 minutes)
    Scootaloo's Outdoor Play Party (4 minutes)
    Starsong's Dance and Sing Party (4 minutes)
    Toola-Roola's Mixed Up Painting Party (4 minutes)
    Sweetie Belle's New Cake Party (4 minutes)
    Starsong and the Magic Dance Shoes (Toy Release, 2008, 8 minutes)
    Rainbow Dash's Special Day (Toy Release, 2009, 11 minutes)
     
    * Yes, I made up this name. Just calling it G3 is boring.
  14. Fhaolan
    Once Upon An Adventure* (Generation 3.5)
    Sweetie Belle's Gumball House Surprise (Toy release, 2009, 5 minutes)
    Pinkie Pie's Ferris Wheel Adventure (Toy release, 2009, 5 minutes)
    Twinkle Wish Adventure (Special, 2009, 45 minutes)
    Waiting for the Winter Wishes Festival (Extra on Twinkle Wish Adventure DVD, 2009, 4 minutes)
    Once Upon a My Little Pony Time (Webcasts, 2009, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Over Two Rainbows
    So Many Different Ways to Play
    Summary
    The Generation of Ideas: Third Times the Charm?
     
    * Yes, I made up this name. Just calling it G3.5 is boring.
  15. Fhaolan
    My Little Pony Tales (Generation 1.5)
     
    Slumber Party (July 3rd 1992, 11 minutes)
    To Sick to Notice (July 3rd 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Battle of the Bands (July 10th 1992, 11 minutes)
    And the Winner Is (July 10th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Stand By Me (July 17th 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Tea Party (July 17th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Out of Luck (July 24th 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Masquerade (July 25th 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Play's the Thing (July 31st 1992, 11 minutes)
    Shop Talk (July 31st 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Impractical Joker (August 7th 1992, 11 minutes)
    The Great Lemonade Stand Wars (August 7th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Blue Ribbon Blues (August 14th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Roll Around the Clock (August 14th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Princess Problems (August 21st 1992, 11 minutes)
    An Apple for Starlight (August 21st 1992, 11 minutes)
    Up, Up and Away (August 28th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Sister of the Bride (August 28th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Birds of a Feather (September 4th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Send in the Clown (September 4th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Happy Birthday Sweetheart (September 11th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Gribet (September 11th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Bon Bon's Diary (September 18th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Just for Kicks (September 18th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Ponies in Paradise (September 25th 1992, 11 minutes)
    Who's Responsible (September 25th 1992, 11 minutes)
     
    Summary
    The Generation of Ideas: My Little Pony Tales
  16. Fhaolan
    My Little Pony 'n Friends (Generation 1)
     
    Rescue at Midnight Castle (Animated Feature, April 14th 1984, 22 minutes)
    Escape from Catrina (Animated Feature, March 23rd 1985, 22 minutes)
    My Little Pony: The Movie (Theatrical Film, August 6th 1986, 86 minutes)
     
    Series 1
    The End of Flutter Valley (September 15-26 1986, 10 x 10 minutes)
    The Ghost of Paradise Estate (September 27th - October 2nd 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    The Great Rainbow Caper (October 3rd 1986, 10 minutes)
    The Glass Princess (October 6th, 9th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Pony Puppy (October 10th 1986, 10 minutes)
    Bright Lights (October 13th, 16th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Sweet Stuff and the Treasure Hunt (October 17th 1986, 10 minutes)
    The Return of Tambelon (October 20th, 23rd 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Little Piece of Magic (October 24th 1986, 10 minutes)
    The Magic Coins (October 27th, 30th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Mish Mash Melee (October 31st 1986, 10 minutes)
    Woe is Me (November 3rd-4th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Fugitive Flowers (November 5th-6th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Would-be Dragonslayer (November 7th 1986, 10 minutes)
    Baby, It's Cold Outside (November 10th-11th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Crunch the Rockdog (November 12th-13th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    The Revolt of Paradise Estate (November 14th, 17th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes
    Through the Door (November 18th-19th 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Rescue from Midnight Castle (Re-edited, November 20th-21st 1986, 2 x 10 minutes)
     
    Series 2
    The Quest of the Princess Ponies (September 7th-10th 1987, 4 x 10 minutes)
    Spike's Search (September 11th 1987, 10 minutes)
    The Golden Horseshoes (September 14th-15th 1987, 2 x 10 minutes)
    Flight to Cloud Castle (September 16th-17th 1987, 2 x 10 minutes)
    The Ice Cream Wars (September 18th 1987, 10 minutes)
    Somnambula (September 21st-22nd 1987, 2 x 10 minutes)
    The Prince and the Ponies (September 23rd 1987, 10 minutes)
    Escape from Catrina (Re-edited, September 24th-25th 1987, 2 x 10 minutes)
     
    Summary
    Generation of Ideas: My Little Pony 'n Friends
    Generation of Ideas: The Use of Friends
  17. Fhaolan

    Equuiforming

    By Fhaolan,

    I’ve noticed several postings over the last couple of months about the world of Ponies. Not the country of Equestria, but the world it’s situated on.
     
    Equestria is a nation occupying most of the landmass of a single continent, according to the official map. There are arrows on that map pointing towards other 'places' which we can infer to be other nations, and probably other continents. These include lands of Gryphons, Dragons, and somewhere out there is Saddle Arabia, and wherever the Zebras come from. Likely other pony nations given there are references to places like Trottingham, and the like that are not shown on the map of Equestria. The nation of Equestria maps reasonably well to a distorted North America, as I showed in a prior blog entry. Because of this, I think it would be safe to say that the rest of the world might map reasonably well to a distorted Earth.
     
    But that doesn't mean this is *our* Earth. The world is occasionally implied to be Earth with a few references to that name, however given that they are called 'Earth Ponies' that name isn't that surprising. We use the term 'Earth' for our own planet to refer to the Germannic Goddess Jörð, mother of Thor. (This gets Anglicized as Jord, as those who use the Romanized English alphabet rarely recognize the ð symbol anymore. It's the 'thorn' that represents the 'th' sound, not just a fancy d. So it's more like Joerth, which you can see turns into Earth quite easily.) As such it's the cognate to Gaea (Greek), Terra (Latin), Danu (Celtic), Toci (Aztec), etc. And each of these cultures referred to the world itself as literally whatever goddess of the world they had. So it would be quite natural for the ponies to use some word that would *translate* to Earth for our understanding.
     
    There's a lot of things that point towards this world being some place quite different from here. The ponies exercise extreme control over the environment they are living in. At the time of the Hearth’s Warming Eve story, only Earth Ponies could grow food, Pegasi control the weather, and Unicorns raise the sun and moon. Let's delve into those bits individually.
     

     
    Let’s start with the food situation. Applejack makes an issue about how the plants in the Everfree Forest grow all by themselves, and this upsets her. That mention, plus the Hearth’s Warming Eve story, gives the impression that Ponies can’t eat ‘wild’ plants, or at least can’t derive primary nutrition from them. This is not a case of squeamishness, but seems to indicate that at least at one point only pony-grown plants were edible.
     
    Add to this that there are several creatures roaming the world that appear to have a completely different digestive system, such as able to consume aluminum silicate compounds (like gems). Dragons, of course, but also basilisks, and possibly also diamond dogs. Then there are the Windigoe and the Changelings that subsist on non-physical food of various emotions. They are just as alien to the dragon-types as they are from the pony-types. And we have no real idea how creatures like the timberwolves work. I have a suspicion about them, that I'll deal with in another essay.
     

     
    Next is the weather. This time Rainbow Dash talks about the ‘wild’ weather of the Everfree. While the plants growing on their own upsets Applejack, the natural weather of the Everfree seems to frighten *all* the ponies. There seems to be some kind of memory of natural weather being flat out dangerous to ponies. Not just storms, but *all* natural weather.
     
    Yet the cotton candy clouds and chocolate rain of Discord is looked at as a nuisance. A really annoying nuisance, but not something to raise the alarm over. The mane 6 don't think about reporting these bizarre events, it's Celestia who has to call for them.
     

     
    At some point Celestia and Luna take over the sun and moon control but even before them both these celestial bodies are under direct control. Plus there are indications that they cannot naturally be both in the sky at once, as Celestia can’t raise the sun if Nightmare Moon/Luna keeps the moon in the sky. There’s some balance issue that means putting both in the sky at the same time is dangerous. Interestingly, while it is noted that while the moon up the sun can’t be raised, but no indication of whether the reverse is true.
     
    Even Discord kept them apart but he did literally raise and lower the sun and moon, the moon raising up from the horizon, and then dropping back down to the *same point* on the horizon, with the sun coming up and down the same path. Likely the normal paths that Celestia and Luna put them on move from horizon to horizon rather than from the same point on the horizon, as Discord is… Discord.
     
    This of course means this can’t be a normal solar system. Assuming we're dealing with a round world, it appears that the sun and the moon occupy a very similar orbit around the world and would in some way collide if one ran faster or slower than the other. Which means the sun is a great deal closer to the world than our sun, and therefore is also much smaller.
     

     
    Which brings up the point of it being a round world. There are several diagrams that are shown pinned to walls in various locations (Twilight's study/lab, Celestia's School for Advanced Unicorns, etc.) that look very much like planetary diagrams and multi-body orbits. Unless these are studying *other* worlds, it's likely these are supposed to be the pony world. As I mentioned above though, due to the behavior of the sun and moon, this is not a normal system at first glance.
     

     
    So?
     
    Well, lets’ add something more. In every generation of My Little Pony, the ponies are always from somewhere else originally. G1’s My Little Pony ‘n Friends explicitly state that the ponies came to Dream Valley 500 years previous to the start of the series. G1’s My Little Pony Tales also refer to pony settlers coming to Ponyland sometime in the past. G2 had no series, and G3 has Ponyville built around a castle that had been standing at least a thousand years, at which time no ponies were in the area. And now G4 has the whole Hearth’s Warming Eve play about the founding of Equestria several thousand years ago. At no point have we *ever* seen where ponies are really from. They're always settlers, always non-native.
     
    Now let us add that together. Ponies are not native to Equestria. Ponies can’t eat native plants, and there are creatures there with a wildly different metabolism than ponies. Natural weather is considered dangerous and scary. And the sun and moon appear to be artificial satellites used to manipulate the day/night cycle. Specifically, the sun produces the day by providing light and heat, and the moon is apparently able to *block* the majority of sunlight from reaching Equestria by some unknown process.
     
    This has all the hallmarks of a terraforming project, and given how prevalent pony-like metabolisms are now, one nearing the end of the project. The world was considerably more hostile to the ponies at the beginning, with weather, plant and animal life all being inimical to the ponies. This has been slowly changed and is almost completed, but cultural ‘fingerprints’ of prior struggles are all over the way the ponies react to natural phenomena. Obviously unnatural weather, however, is taken in stride.
     
    The real star this planet is orbiting around would have to be the wrong spectra or distance from the planet, and the rotation of the planet is somehow 'off' what the ponies want in a day/night cycle. So an artificial sun is used to provide the right amount of sunlight, and an artificial moon that somehow blocks the ‘wrong’ sun (and side-effect of blocking the artificial sun) enforces the correct cycle time. The technology/magic necessary to produce those satellites seems to be completely beyond what the ponies have now, which could mean that they’ve ‘degenerated’ and have lost all that technology, along with the technology/magic needed to travel to this world. But another thought is that they are *part* of the terraforming, a cog in the great machine, but not the ones that set it in motion. Basically that there is some kind of ‘Preserver’ race (as per the Star Trek original series episode: The Paradise Syndrome) that is using the ponies to terraform worlds for them.
     
    Heck, if you take it to the extreme side, the various shifts in appearance of the ponies between 'generations' may be that Preserver race making modifications to their terraforming engine. Possibly the project has run long and the Preserver race is no longer paying attention (or is no longer able to interfere), which is how the unicorns and eventually the alicorns gained control of the two satellites. Of course, the entire idea of 'Ancient Astronauts' is not a new one, and shows up pretty often in fiction and various fringe subcultures.
     
    Personally, if I was to write fan-fiction on this topic, I would prefer the idea that dragons were the original terraformers, and the source of the sun/moon machines. Their lifespans are more conducive to this kind of project. But their commitment to the project faltered, the ponies showed up later and took control over a process half-done. This would be why Celestia and Luna need to constantly manipulate the sun and moon, to keep them from going back to their 'normal' cycle their creators set up.
  18. Fhaolan
    Okay, basically I’ve watched all the prior generations of My Little Pony. And my conclusion is this: while there is stuff that can be borrowed from these generations, they need liberal interpretations to be truly salvageable.
     
    If we are to force it all into a consistent history, it’s necessary to do some serious crowbarring. And my personal starting point would be re-order the various series.
     
    In a more reasonable order, we start with My Little Pony Tales. An earth pony settlement in a southwest region of the continent, called Ponyland. Nuclear families, 1980’s technology, elected officials, etc. Evidence of an even older civilization called ‘The Pintos’ by the locals, but completely supplanted by the earth ponies. This settlement only comes into contact with Pegasi, and even then it is a brief event.
     
    We then move on to G3. Ponyland has expanded, and the former town is now the city of Ponyville (City of Townsville! Sorry.) With the Castle of Laughter now the centerpiece to the town. Most of the culture remains the same, but one big shift is the genders becoming segregated, and the males are exiled from the tribe for extended periods. Magic has become more common, and those who are appointed to be the guardians of the magic tools the ponies have discovered are called ‘princesses’ as a title of rank. The earth ponies first encounter pegasi, unicorns, and the fairy ponies known as Breezies. Unicorns at this point control the sun, moon, and rainbows via various magical artifacts.
     
    G3.5 occupies an odd place where the various pony tribes are just beginning to integrate. Selected Pegasi have ‘blended’ with Breezies in some magical event off-screen to become the first Flutterponies all ready for G1. Not all Pegasi, just certain ones.
     
    Here is where the Hearth’s Warming Eve play would be set. A conflict occurs between the three main tribes, and the release of the Windigoes causing them to abandon their current regions, and find themselves in Dream Valley at the Castle of Friendship.
     
    Now we come to G1’s My Little Pony ‘n Friends. The tribes are almost completely integrated, and thanks to the commonality of magic, technology has waned to the point of non-existence. The Rainbows created by the Unicorns back in Unicornia are now ‘wild’ thanks to the Windigo-driven conflict, but the original Rainbow is kept by the Moochick just in case. Flutterponies have separated off into their own region, taking with them the unicorn’s Sunstone that allowed them to control the sun. Male ponies are still nomadic, only reuniting with the mares on a yearly basis. All the guardians of magic have been similarly exiled, nominally for their protection, living in isolation in the former Unicornia in the Castle of Rainbows. Protection that is demonstrated time and again to be necessary, with the devastation of the Smooze, and flood of Squink, and what not.
     
    It’s during G1 that the Elements of Harmony and the Crystal Heart are first discovered deep in the crystal caverns under the Castle of Rainbows. (The six crowns of the Heart of Ponyland). Thanks to the Season 4 FiM opener, we have to have the Elements end up in another cavern, this time under the Castle of Laughter, where a mysterious Tree grows, taking the Elements into itself.
     
    Now is when the Prince and Princess occur from the Hearts and Hooves storybook, and Discord comes to play for an unknown amount of time. Young Celestia and Luna, descendants of the storybook Prince and Princess, so to be official Princesses right from the get go, go on a Hero’s Quest to discover the various artifacts now scattered across the world in order to defeat Discord. The Elements of Harmony, the Sun and Moon Stone, the Crystal Heart, etc. During this quest they alicoronate (possibly due to somehow merging with the Sun and Moon Stones respectively), encounter Sombra at the Castle of Family (now the Castle of Love in the capitol city of the Crystal Empire), and probably and a variety of other villains all over the region. They don’t always win or end up with the desired result, however, they do manage to get enough artifacts together to take on Discord and win in the end.
     
    The sisters settle in the Castle of Laughter, in Ponyville, which gets renamed to the Castle of the Pony Sisters. The Princesses institute several changes, including a Hearts and Hooves Day to move the ponies back to a gender-integrated society and an attempt to compensate for the loss of the Crystal Heart when Sombra took his ball and went home.
     
    Eventually Luna throws her fit, and that area is consumed by the Everfree Forest. Old Ponyville is destroyed, and the capitol of Equestria gets moved to Unicornia, now known as Canterlot. Celestia grants the Apple Family leave to settle in the valley below to form a New Ponyville. Of course, since Old Ponyville ceased to exist a bit over 900 years ago, they don't remember it very well so the 'New' part is lost.
     
    Which then lands us close enough to where we are now. The big conceit in all this is that the various Castles all predate the ponies, being built by some prior civilization. Ponies are never native, they always come from someplace else originally, and always find these castles already there for them. Perhaps in states of decay needing rebuilding, but pre-existing.
     
    Most of this requires having seen the prior series as more suggestive, and liberally interpreted. But if you want to construct a history out of all of it, that’s what you have to do. Other versions can be constructed as well, each equally contrived out of very little cloth, but if you take liberties to this extent it's *possible*.
     
    As a final note, I'm aware that there are other resources for these prior generations beyond just the animated series. G1 and G2 had comic books in Europe apparently, and there are hundreds of published picture books for each generation. I didn't go through those because, well, I can't afford them all and there's a limit to what I'm capable of consuming anyway. Sorry if I've missed some critical bit of information hidden away in a book. Twilight would be so wroth with me.
     
    I'm currently re-watching all of G4 and taking worldbuilding notes just like I did with the prior generations, but since that series is still ongoing, I can't exactly do full-series summary essays like I've done with the others. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, to tell the truth. Any suggestions? Should I even bother with summaries, or just leave the individual episode blog entries on their own?
  19. Fhaolan
    Generation 3 had less stuff in it for worldbuilding than even G1.5’s My Little Pony Tales. This is at the same time very easy to summarize, and yet very hard to find anything useful.
     
    The ponies are separated into four different tribes, one of which is more a different race than a tribe. The Earth Ponies live in Ponyville again, this time a village primarily built with late Victorian architecture plus several ‘mock’ buildings that are made to resemble household objects. The village is built around a castle that resembles the gatehouse of the Kasteel de Haar of the Netherlands primarily of the 16th century, missing the main building itself. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat, with minimal hills and no mountains within a day’s travel. The climate is definitely temperate, on the warm side where snow rarely covers all the ground during the winter solstice.
     
    Pegasi live on Butterfly Island, with more of the ‘mock’ buildings. Unfortunately very little else was seen of the Island, other than its Tropical plant-life. There are several places in real life with the name ‘Butterfly Island’, as it’s not a very uncommon name. The pegasi are extremely shy as a rule, and have difficulty with leaving their Island. They do not appear to have an official ruler, keeping mostly to themselves.
     
    Unicorns live in Unicornia, a mountainous area with yet more ‘mock’ buildings, but otherwise a more Bavarian architecture including another castle. The Unicorns are responsible for the creation of Rainbows and other magical phenomena’s, and must do these tasks on a strict schedule or the phenomena will cease entirely for at least a year.
     
    The final ‘Tribe’ is the Breezies, which appear to be a degenerate or possible predecessor race, to the Flutterponies of prior generations.
     
    There are seven known castles, each representing a single ‘topic’. Happiness, Friendship, Family, Kindness, Music, Laughter, Rainbows. The castle of Unicornia is the castle of Rainbows. It is not known which castle is in Ponyville, but it is likely Happiness, Friendship, or Laughter, given the behavior of the ponies there.
     
    Magic is global, and is not restricted to any particular breed of pony. Strange and bizarre events are not even remarked upon as the world is so magical that random outbursts of unusual powers are expected.
    Like with prior generations, the term ‘princess’ appears to apply to one who is elected by various means to care for a magical artifact, or to lead special ceremonies, and the terms of selection are connected to the artifact or ceremony themselves. For example in the case of the Unicornia princesses of the Rainbow Wands, the individuals must be color-coded appropriately. Once an individual is elected, it is difficult to replace them in short notice. The political leader of the various tribes is independent of the ‘princess’ title, as they are each led by ponies valued for their resources and knowledge, with no immediate election process.
     
    There is a lot more emphasis on ritual in this generation, with a long list of ceremonies, festivals, and the like. Even down to small, personal rituals like the 'catch a kite, catch a wish' phrases. This reaches the point that it seems like every day is some kind of festival, ceremony or whatnot.
     
    There is a minor shift with Core 7, mostly with characterization. The only cultural change appears to be with shift to even more ‘mock’ architecture. We do get to see more interiors to the houses, with designs that range from the 50’s to the 90’s.
     
    Generation 3.5 is technically the same setting as Generation 3, however there is one significant shift, and a few minor ones. Pegasi and Breezies disappear and are replaced with full-sized Flutterponies. Ponyville is led by a mayor, who we can assume is elected. And it is indicated that Ponyville is in an area with few evergreen trees. So no conifers, gymnosperms, or angiosperms, reinforcing the idea of a warm temperate region, but not a subtropical one.
     
    There is also references to France, which is awfully confusing as there is no other evidence of contact with the human world.
    In the entirety of Generation 3.x, the only male entity encountered was Spike the dragon. Absolutely no male ponies are present in any of the tribes, with no explanation or reference. However, female ponies of a variety of ages are present, indicating that males do exist. They simply do not appear.
     

     
    What can we do with this:
     
    Overall, this is in a way a very clear follow-on to G1.5’s My Little Pony Tales, with it's strange segregation of genders. But it does involve the rediscovery of the various other tribes of pony in a more official capacity, which is a good thing and make stuff easier.
     
    Unicornia is interesting, and is referenced in G4. This is possibly the only solid link between G3.x and G4, so it bears some examination. In this context, the Unicorns aren’t explicitly raising the sun and moon, but are providing Rainbows and possibly other phenomena. This could be mythological interpretation drift. Or Unicorns from another castle are manipulating stellar bodies, since there are five other castles mentioned, but not seen.
     
    Pegasi coming from Butterfly Island is also interesting, and ties into the Fanfic I mentioned in a previous blog entry with Fluttershy being a second-generation pony from a Polynesian-type society. Her attitudes and behavior does seem to more closely map to that of the G3 pegasi.
     
    It’s what happens to the pegasi in 3.5 that is confusing. Since Cheerilee changes tribes, from Unicorn to Earth Pony in the transition from 3 to 3.5, having Starsong also change tribes isn't that weird, but she shifts from Pegasi to Flutterpony, a tribe not otherwise seen in G3. With no pegasi seen in 3.5, it’s all a bit odd. I checked the toy line, and even the G3.5 toys had Starsong as a Pegasus. This is something that happened only in the G3.5 animations, unless the various G3.5 books (which I've not dealt with due to the sheer volume of volumes ) also show this odd conversion.
     
    There appears to either be contact with the human world, or knowledge of it at least, as they are familiar with France. Unless there just happens to be a place in this pony world with the same name.
     
    Next week, let’s see if we can bring it all together.
  20. Fhaolan
    Waiting for the Winter Wishes Festival (G3.5 Direct-to-DVD Short, 2009, 4 minutes)
     
    Summary: The girls talk about what they want for Winter Wishes.
     
    This was a bonus episode on the Twinkle Wish DVD.
     
    This is really presenting the Winter Wishes Festival as the pony equivalent of Christmas. Except 'A Very Minty Christmas' already showed G3 has the same Christmas as us. This is one of those strange disconnects from G3 to G3.5, despite everything else shouting that it's the same setting.
     
    They're just sitting around talking about what they want for Christmas. Nothing here I can really find for worldbuilding purposes.
     
    Interesting as the tail of this is an advertisement for the Twinkle Wish DVD. This must have originally been a webcast or commercial, but I can't find any mention of that in any of the wikis. But this is off the actual DVD. That's something I've never really grokked. Why advertise the DVD the consumer has already purchased?
  21. Fhaolan

    Twinkle Wish Adventure

    By Fhaolan,

    Twinkle Wish Adventure (G3.5 Direct-to-DVD Special, 2009, 45 minutes)
     
    Summary Cheerilee has to act as guardian to the magical Twinkle Wish star, but her little sister Scootaloo is feeling slighted and shenanigans ensue.
     
    I can see how this intro evolves into the G4 intro.
     
    All evergreen trees are like that. What makes this one so special? Or aren't they familiar with coniferous trees here?
     
    Wait, Scootaloo is Cheerilee's sister in this version.
     
    I'm not going to comment on the building that looks like a watering can. I've made too many excuses for silly buildings so far in the blog, and I'm putting my foot down on this one.
     
    Mayor Flitterflutter, a walking thesaurus.
     
    Rainbows all over the freaking place in the sky.
     
    Cutie-sleep.
     
    So if it's that big of a deal, why hand it over to a random contest winner?
     
    Sweetie Belle is so cute in the background.
     
    Twinkle Wish Star? What the?
     
    Uh. Random female dragon.
     
    Willy-nilly mountain.
     
    How does one have an 'upside down surprise' cookie? I'm curious now.
     
    "Watching it do what?" Okay, the story, voices, and animation for G3.5 is irritating, but I like some of the banter.
     
    How much hair ribbon does one pony need?
     
    Whimsey Weatherbe. Okay, this dragon can do multiple different breaths, fire and ice.
     
    Are we not going to get any explanation of the sentient star thing?
     
    Pink snow. Believe it or not, it's actually possible to have pink snow. Technically it's called 'watermelon snow' as it shows up as red and green due to a strange cold-temperature algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis. It falls white, but slowly changes color on the ground as the algae grows in it. It only exists in very high altitudes or in the arctic regions. To fall pink, that would have to be mixed with a variety of airborne pollutants which should not exist in the pony world.
  22. Fhaolan
    Pinkie Pie's Ferris Wheel Adventure (G3.5 Direct-to-DVD Short packaged in the playset of that name, 2009, 5 minutes)
     
    Summary: Pinkie Pie invites all her friends to come to the fair.
     
    Interesting that the various characters are more individualized in this version, despite the art-style. They're a variety of sizes.
     
    Starsong still has butterfly wings, so I guess she's officially a flutterpony within the G3.5 animations. Odd decision by the animators, given that her toys are still pegasi at this point. And it's the same animation studio as G3 where they had actual pegasi, so it's not like this is a new crew who didn't know any better. Given the few animations G3.5 has, I'm getting the impression that SD Animations simply gave up and didn't care anymore.
     
    "Yeah, I am." I like Sweetie Bell in this version.
     
    Ferris Wheel, like Kleenex and Xerox, fall into the category of a brand name that has become ubiquitous. Originally Ferris Wheel was a very specific brand of 'Pleasure Wheel', but lost the trademark through popular usage.
     
    The various fair rides and whatnot are pretty typical. It's hard to stick a date on them, because most of the ones shown haven't changed significantly since the 1880's. At least not at the level of detail we can see.
  23. Fhaolan
    Here's where Generation 3.5 technically starts, as the animation style changes considerably. It still looks like the same setting, however. I'm so close to being done! Only five more to go.
     
    Sweetie Belle's Gumball House Surprise (G3.5 Direct-to-DVD Short packaged in the playset of that name, 2009, 3 minutes)
     
    Summary: Sweetie Belle sends her friends on a treasure hunt.
     
    Wait, Starsong's wings are butterfly wings. She's not a pegasus in this one, she's shifted to being a flutterpony in G3.5. Pause for check: Nope, none of her toys were flutterponies. They had oddly colored wings on occasion, spotted as if they were butterfly wings, but they're still feathered pegasi wings.
     
    These voices are way shriekier. I can see why people complain about G3.5, that and the bobble-head look is a bit odd.
     
    Not much really *happens* in this. Which I guess makes sense given that its only 3 minutes long.
  24. Fhaolan
    Rainbow Dash's Special Day (G3/C7 Direct-to-DVD Short packaged in the playset of that name, 2009, 11 minutes)
     
    Summary: It's a day just for Rainbow Dash!
     
    Rainbow Dash is this generation's Rarity, for sure.
     
    Reference to Paris, France. Interesting.
     
    Right, another clip show.
     
    Yep. Nobody is more generous than Rainbow Dash. Definitely the Rarity equivalent.
  25. Fhaolan
    Starsong and the Magic Dance Shoes (G3/C7 Direct-to-DVD Short packaged in the playset of that name, 2008, 8 minutes)
     
    Summary: Starsong and Pinkie Pie need to find their special shoes for their dance.
     
    Full intro this time. I notice a reference to Sweetie Bell's magic with her horn glowing. This is new for this generation, as we haven't seen any unicorn actually perform *spells* yet in G3, except for Rarity using the magic wand back in the Crystal Princess episode.
     
    The voice acting has gone younger as well.
     
    Nothing really remarkable about the interior of Pinkie's bedroom.
     
    Is this the wardrobe to Narnia or something? They just disappeared deep into it.
     
    Magic shoes are dangerous in most mythology be very careful there.
     
    Talking directly to the audience.
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