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Metaright

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  1. Metaright
    If there's anything infamous in the brony community, it's the tale of Rainbow Dash's heroism gone sour. Season 2's The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, written by Merriwether Williams, may be the episode most notorious for being disliked. The episode is notorious for having a regular placement smack at the bottom of "favorite episode" lists the world over. But what exactly about The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well rubs people the wrong way?
     
    The moral of the episode, wrapped up near the end in the show's signature letter to Celestia, is that acts of bravery and heroism are great, but they should be handled with "grace and humility".
    The Mane Six (sans Rainbow Dash) realized quickly that her status as Ponyville's number one heroine was quickly going to her head. Determined to set her on the path of righteousness and humility, the Mane Six concoct a plan: to pool their talents to create a hero unlike anything Ponyville has ever seen. Now outmatched by a veritable superhero, the wind is completely ripped from Rainbow Dash's sails.
     
    One huge problem with the episode is almost immediately apparent: the Mane Six's plot to put Rainbow in her place is incredibly mean-spirited. The only thing that they seem to have in mind to accomplish with their mysterious persona is to put Rainbow Dash in her place. From what they explain to Rainbow during the heartfelt conclusion, they were only trying to make her ease up on the bragging.
     
    But for a show that so emphasizes civil relations between friends, does it ever occur to the Mane Six to just talk to Rainbow about the problem? Throughout the episode, they aren't shown talking to Rainbow about their concerns even once. In this episode, the ponies are just zero-to-sixty with little to no provocation. Rainbow Dash acting pompous? Better create an elaborate superhero persona to make sure she doesn't get too confident! Their first instinct, apparently, is not to make Rainbow aware of their concerns so she can correct herself. The ponies going behind Rainbow's back to undermine her self-confidence through deceit and malice is not what fans expect nor desire to see from our normally cheerful protagonists.
     
    Does this plan even make sense, though, given Rainbow's overall nature in the show? No, not really. One of the core facets of Rainbow Dash's character is her great amount of confidence. Rainbow acting arrogant was not novel for the show, even at the time when Mare-Do-Well was first aired.
     
    This raises the question of whether or not the plot of the Mane Six is even effective in the first place. Does Mare-Do-Well begin to shake Rainbow's confidence? Yes. But does this lead Rainbow to ease up on the bragging, and to start acting with more humility? Far from it. Rainbow Dash does begin to act in cringe-inducingly pompous ways later in the episode, but this occurs as a result of Mare-Do-Well. Rainbow doesn't scour Ponyville for villainous jars of peanut butter to open (and demanding praise after the fact) until after the Mane Six begin to interfere. In effect, then, the plot of the Mane Six actually causes Rainbow to act even more arrogantly than before.
     
    For all of this trouble, is Rainbow even in the wrong for acting arrogantly in the first place? On closer inspection, her actions seem almost entirely justified given the rather unforgiving nature of Ponyville's equine denizens. Even in light of Rainbow rescuing a baby and several elderly ponies from death or grave injury, Ponyville is quick to declare her yesterday's news as soon as Mare-Do-Well shows up on the scene. They even go as far as to claim that they had "never seen such bravery" in their entire lives. They seem to forget Rainbow Dash completely, so is it any wonder that she tries to salvage her reputation? Bragging may not be the best way to go about this, but it makes sense that she would attempt to remind Ponyville that she saved lives before Mare-Do-Well even arrived on the scene.
     
    And such heroism in Ponyville is compounded given how terrifyingly frequent disasters appear to be. Even if the perils shown left and right in the episode aren't indicative in themselves, Rainbow approaches a cliff and says that "buses and baby carriages are always careening down this hill!". Even if she were exaggerating, it would seem that such events occur often, as she would have no reason to say that at all if those incidents were not at least somewhat commonplace.
     
    In light of this, it becomes even more understandable that Rainbow Dash would desire some recognition, and even more befuddling that the Mane Six would find her actions so inexcusable. This befuddlement comes to its zenith near the end of the episode, when Ponyville holds a large parade of Mare-Do-Well, which the masked heroine herself attends. Apparently being caught up in your accomplishments is okay as long as you're not Rainbow Dash. The double standard the Mane Six create is a slap in the face both to Rainbow and to the viewer.
     
    The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well does not sit in good standing with a significant portion of bronies, and it's not difficult to see why. The conflict of Rainbow becoming too pompous doesn't hold up, and the solution that the Mane Six concoct is not only arbitrary, but frighteningly out of character. It almost seems like the episode revolves around mere caricatures of the ponies we've grown to love. The Mane Six are cruel, Ponyville is unforgiving, and Rainbow Dash is singled out and pays a hefty price for daring to acknowledge her feats while simultaneously being Rainbow Dash. There are good laughs to be had in the episode, certainly, and taken on its own it's not impossible to enjoy. But when the ponies' actions and attitudes fly in the face of what we've come to expect, the experience feels more than a little disconcerting coming from a show whose fandom was almost singlehandedly created due to the characters.
     
    Merriwether Williams, your attempt is respectable and your writing is by no means terrible. Just don't expect us to invite you to any parades.
  2. Metaright
    During the self-imposed short vacation I decided to take after getting an article published to the Round Stable (which you should go read if you haven’t already, wink-wink-nudge-nudge), I decided to rewatch some of the episodes of Friendship is Magic that I haven’t seen in a while. I started to notice a distinct issue I had with “adventure stories,” or episodes that place a heavier emphasis on external conflict and lengthy excursions. Namely, when the show decides to engage in worldbuilding by introducing new villains, locations, or story elements, a lot of information is left, inevitably, unexplained.
     
    For example, take the two-part introduction of the draconequus that I assert to be best villain, The Return of Harmony. Within this adventure story, we are introduced to Discord and the fact that roughly one thousand years ago, he reigned as the supreme monarch. And while we are told by Celestia that “he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness,” and are treated to a stained-glass representation of the ponies’ suffering, we aren’t actually given a lot of information about him or his reign. What was the reign like, exactly? Did this period closely resemble what Discord did to Equestria upon his release from stone? What were Celestia and Luna like during his reign? How long did the reign last, and why did Celestia call it “eternal” if it eventually ended?
     
    These questions, among others, are left unexplained. But this is not necessarily a fault of the story, or of the writers; there’s no way the episode could have maintained pacing while answering all of the questions raised by the introduction of Discord. As viewers, we have to allow the writers to leave certain narrative factors unaddressed. As long as our ignorance about these factors doesn’t interfere with the episode, it’s unreasonable to blame the writers for leaving them out. In fact, leaving out factors actually lent a hand in establishing Discord as a formidable threat; since the only detail about his reign we’re given is that it can be represented by an image of ponies on marionette strings bouncing over an inferno, we can allow our imaginations to fill in the details for us. And as has been observed in the past, nothing is scarier than what our own imaginations are capable of creating.
     
    But eventually the curiosity can become rather nagging; exactly what happened that made Discord so terrible? And now that he has been re-introduced, reformed, and is implied to become a recurring character in the future, the details of his reign are no longer a missing piece of Equestrian history; they are a missing piece of the important personal history of Discord, Celestia, and Luna. Three important characters would have their characterization greatly improved should the details of Discord’s reign be more thoroughly explained. (Of course, resolving this ambiguity would inevitably result in a veritable army of ships being sent to dock, if you catch my drift.)
     
    And these, the consequences of leaving Discord’s reign unexplained, are only the beginning. Everything that we don’t know about Discord necessarily represents a piece of the past. But another adventure story contains a rather massive piece of current, ongoing events in Equestria that the show seems to have just forgotten about.
     
    Of course, I’m referring to the Changelings. Just like with introduction of Griffins all the way back in early-Season One, almost everything about Changelings has been brought to question and promptly dropped. We know painfully little about them- their biology; their culture; how sentient they are; their political structure; where they disappeared to after getting their holey flanks handed to them; the only things we know for sure are that they feed off love, they have a queen, and they can change appearance. Certainly the show wouldn’t outright suffer should these details about the Changelings go unexplained, but the fact that the writers introduced an entire new species, put them in the spotlight, and proceeded to never bring up again is indicative of a trend that I feel could really affect how people perceive the show.
     
    As it is, one of the great strengths of Friendship is Magic is that is finds a functional balance between slice-of-life-style episodes, that focus on domestic and interpersonal conflicts, and adventure stories which, as I’ve said, emphasize external conflict, evil villains, and worldbuilding. But lately the show seems to be slipping into a less, let’s say, refined attitude of worldbuilding; namely, the writers have introduced a large number of different antagonists, locations, and historical events but have almost refused to expand beyond what is absolutely necessary for their initial introduction. This has the effect of making worldbuilding feel cheapened, new villains feel insignificant, and adventure stories, along with their serious, the world-is-about-to-die conflict, seem shallow, and at times almost facetious. King Sombra and his introduction are a perfect personification of this problem; a generic background (“one thousand years ago this villain did bad things, and now he’s returned”); a flimsy justification for why he’s been gone (“we turned him into shadow and trapped him in a glacier”); almost no actual screentime and roughly eight seconds of speaking time across both of his episodes (“Rargh.” “Yes.” “Crystals.”). And though the few details we’re given of his reign are rather grisly, the fandom has not been shy about poking fun at how ineffective Sombra was as a character.
     
    Perhaps worst of all, King Sombra is, as of yet, our latest new villain. So there’s no telling if, Faust forbid, we’re going to be introduced to more Sombras as time goes on. But the problem, even though it is exacerbated by characters like Sombra, is still present when we’re given well-developed (by comparison) villains; there are volumes of fanfictions that attempt to fill in the blanks about Discord, the Changelings, Griffins, and even Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon.
     
    So it’s not Sombra that’s the problem, (though I’ll never tire of reminding him how much of a problem he is on his own); it’s the sheer amount of worldbuilding that the show has employed. If there are dozens of questions raised by Sombra alone, there are too many to count that relate to everything else the show has introduced. At this rate, no matter how well-developed they are, introducing more villains threatens to turn Friendship is Magic’s adventure stories into mere baddie-of-the-week distractions.
     
    Which is why, in order to remedy this and rescue the adventure stories from the cusp of irrelevance, I think the greatest solution is to stop introducing more villains. At least, for the time being.
     
    But Metaright!, I hear you hypothetically interjecting. If they don’t introduce more villains, where will the adventure stories come from? The answer lies, paradoxically enough, in the same season as King Sombra. Trixie. Discord. Babs. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Starswirl the Bearded. All of these characters have something in common: The writers never forgot about them. They all returned, sometimes against our wildest predictions, in Season Three. Some for redemption, some for character-building, and some for plot, but they all once appeared to be one-shots.
     
    And this is a terrific trend that the show has started. At this point, sixty-five episodes strong, we have enough characters and unanswered questions to allow the writers to stop giving us more. This would have two grand benefits: One, it would prevent more characters like King Sombra from seeing the light of day. Two, and most importantly, it would necessarily lead to development of the characters we already have. In fiction, a small cast of well-developed characters is infinitely more interesting than a large cast of Sombras, and reserving adventure stories for the development and growth of characters we already have will help mitigate the huge amount of unresolved possibilities.
     
    The greatest hurdle the show would have to tackle with this approach is that the adventure stories might not have an actual antagonist. But at the same time, the bulk of the show’s episodes don’t have antagonists, and rely on conflict between protagonists. There’s no reason, then, that we shouldn’t believe the same could apply for two-part adventure stories.
     
    And yet, the opportunity is still there for antagonists without going through the motions of introducing an entirely new character. The Changelings and Queen Chrysalis are missing-in-action, and their return would lend itself well to an adventure story. Nightmare Moon could show up once again, and the writers could put to rest the question of whether she is part of Princess Luna or an external creature*. Even Discord, who is, for the moment, redeemed, could begin to relapse into his old ways.
     
    Clearly, then, adventure stories can continue to exist without introducing any new villains that would open more questions than they answer. The show is in the perfect place to expand the elements we’ve already seen and to grow the characters we already know. This could even work in tandem with Twilight’s ascension to the life of an Alicorn; as familiar faces return and are thwarted, the Mane Six could begin to feel more confident in themselves, no longer having to tackle mysterious threats that they know nothing about.
     
    Will introducing new villains anyway doom the show? No, of course not. But there are so many ways that it could benefit from bringing the focus onto expanding and growing what it’s already introduced, so even presenting us with more well-developed villains might prove, eventually, to be a detriment.
     
    And if more villains means more Sombras, “detriment” is an understatement.
     
    --
     
    *I know something about this was covered in the comic series, but I like my canon to be presented from the infallible pens of the show’s actual writers. Plus, not everyone reads the comics.
  3. Metaright
    Though season three's finale has come and gone, discussions still rage on concerning the future of our little studious princess-in-training. And rage is plentiful, both from the pro-Twilicorn and the anti-Twilicorn. Here I'll answer to thirteen common arguments against the anti-Twilicorn mindset.
     
    Before we begin, it's important to note that there are exceptions to just about everything I say. There are the few anti-Twilicorn fans that are contrary to the norm, and some do react and express their dissatisfaction in extreme, hateful ways.
     
    This is not meant to defend them. Rather, this is meant to defend the mindset that anti-Twilicorn fans have, and to show that this opinion is just as legitimate and worthy of respect as any other. Herein, anti-Twilicorn fans shall be referred to as "antis" and pro-Twilicorn fans shall be referred to as "pros".
     
    Bear in mind that this article is not written for the purpose of convincing pros to change their opinions regarding Twilicorn. Rather, it is to dispel common arguments directed toward antis in order to demonstrate which pro-Twilicorn arguments (and anti-anti-Twilicorn arguments!) are invalid when held under scrutiny. The purpose, by extension, is to give antis a defense against common arguments as well as to show pros where not to focus when formulating arguments.
     
    ~
     
    Haters need to calm down!
     
    There exists, for some reason, a widespread misconception that those who are against Twilight becoming an alicorn are raging, mouth-frothing sticks-in-the-mud that are only able to express their opinion through insults and yelling. This thought is completely unfounded. The vast majority of pony fans that dislike Twilicorn are content to offer their opinions and respond to opposing viewpoints in the same way that any pro would, which is only reasonable considering that both sides are still pony fans. The fact that antis have differing opinions does not suddenly transform them into screaming hulks, though, as I will note many times, there are exceptions.
     
    While this sort of claim would be appropriate when used against the harsh, vocal minority of antis, it holds little water to the average anti. When this claim is thrown around as frequently as I see it thrown around, it loses what weight it could have when used appropriately. By all means, if you see a caps-lock abusing anti, feel free to use this claim. But the presence of an anti-Twilicorn mindset, even one that is peppered with strong adjectives and extremely dissatisfied language, is not valid grounds to tell a fan to calm down.
     
    Haters are close-minded. They just need to give Twilicorn a chance!
     
    Pros that use this argument seem to be missing the crucial point that if an anti is still inside the fandom to complain in the first place, then they are obviously still fans of the show. Thus, the dissatisfaction they hold is held by one that has no interest in exiting the fandom. Antis are perfectly willing to find out where Twilicorn is going to go. They are still perfectly willing to see how the writers handle the character, whether or not the alteration is one that they approve of.
     
    The thought that Twilicorn needs to be "given a chance" is a thought that actually works against pros, as well. The basis of this claim is that an anti should not judge Twilicorn to be a negative change, because as of yet it is too early to see where the show is going. Conversely, we can reason, it makes just as little sense to judge Twilicorn to be a positive change. If there's not enough to criticize, there is not enough to praise. It is highly illogical for a pro to claim that it is alright to praise Twilicorn with no evidence, and then to claim that there is not enough evidence to criticize. This is not how things work. Story elements, characters, and plot devices do not have a natural tendency toward being positive. Therefore, if a pro believes there is not enough evidence to warrant criticism, they should reason that there is not enough evidence to make any judgment at all. So if a pro allows him or herself to form a positive opinion in spite of this, it is just reasonable (and courteous) to allow antis to form an opinion as well.
     
    However, a pro might be tempted to come right back and say...
     
    Haters just need to have faith in the writers!
     
    Pros that use this argument don't separate the concept of Twilicorn from its execution within the show's narrative. Antis are of the belief that Twilicorn is a negative change- that Twilight becoming an alicorn will, in and of itself, lead to reduced quality or storytelling. Common anti arguments include "Twilicorn will mess with the balance of the Mane Six!" and "Twilight doesn't fit the role of an alicorn!". Like these two points demonstrate, antis are concerned with how Twilicorn will irrevocably alter the core elements of Friendship is Magic. These elements are things that cannot be corrected with a talented writing team. If one feels that Twilight just doesn't fit with being an alicorn, seeing Twilight as an alicorn lends itself only to feelings of the show being "not right" or "off".
     
    Correcting this discomfort can come about in two ways. First, with becoming so used to Twilicorn that one is able to move past the discomfort. This is not the ideal way to solve the problem, as this relies more on numbing the viewer to the awkwardness rather than rectifying it. This solution is not the result of good writing, but the result of long-term exposure to writing of any quality. It's not warming up to Twilicorn; it's seeing the elephant in the room so often that you forget it's there.
     
    Second, the writers can utilize their talents to mold Twilight into a character that feels right with being an alicorn. While this undeniably is the result of good writing, it is a solution that takes time to bring about. Sure, Twilight may eventually grow into the role of an alicorn princess. But this does nothing to alleviate the awkwardness and feelings of being out of place that plague Twilicorn in the meantime, and the episodes that feature not-yet-matured Twilicorn will suffer dearly.
     
    In addition, most bronies in general have a couple episodes of Friendship is Magic that they dislike, for one reason or another. It's all well and good to remember fondly the good episodes, but it would be ignorant to pretend like the writing of the show is consistently flawless.
     
    If haters have nothing positive to say, they shouldn't say anything at all!
     
    This sort of mentality is essentially attempting to limit the free speech of other fans. Simply put, why should I hold my tongue and refuse to express my opinion simply because my opinion isn't completely positive?
     
    This aversion to the expression of differing opinions is simply the pros' way of plugging their ears. Why should discussions, the singular purpose of which being to exchange ideas, be limited to just those that have no criticisms and see no flaws?
     
    This mentality gives the impression of a pro being unable to handle the presence of differing opinions. The more civil way of yelling at antis to stop having different viewpoints, because they are unable or unwilling to acknowledge the validity of criticism. The mindless praise that the pros that use this argument apparently desire is even less conducive to worthwhile discussion than constant negativity.
     
    Granted, mindless hate has little place, and this argument holds up when used against criticism that serves no purpose. A throng of messages reading "It sucks! I hated it!" does little to suggest alternative solutions or bring about critical thought. Just as useless, however, are the throngs of messages reading "I love it! BEST. EPISODE. EVER.", although the pros that use this argument are apparently more than willing to allow this kind of content!
     
    Haters are just looking for an excuse to complain!
     
    As above, this claim is just seeking to invalidate the opinions of antis. Not only is this thought presumptuous, it becomes a self-perpetuation of the kind of person that pros (and, most likely, anyone else,) are unwilling to have a discussion with. If you have it in your mind that everyone who disapproves of Twilicorn is only doing so to receive some twisted self-satisfaction (thought, of course, there are antis that do), you eliminate the possibility of maintaining a respectful discussion with anyone whose opinion differs from yours.
     
    This leads into the ever-unfortunate pothole of logic that makes you believe that your opinion has transcended the realm of "opinion" and has become an indisputable fact. This is a very dangerous way to think, and it is absolutely not conducive to any civil discourse.
     
    But the fact is that most antis are here for the same reason pros are: to have an exchange of ideas. Not to make your life suck by forcing you to wade through unfounded criticism, but to present viewpoints for you to consider as you offer up your own. The moment you forget this is the moment that you stop believing other viewpoints to be legitimate, and the moment that reasonable people on both sides will stop believing your viewpoint is legitimate in itself.
     
    Complaining on the Internet does nothing, so why do it?
     
    The fallacy at work here is that pros appear to assume that criticism is solely expressed for the sake of bringing about a change. While this is a wonderful secondary goal (and one that is surely not unattainable, given the team's enthusiasm regarding what bronies have to say), it is certainly not the only thing that antis mean to accomplish.
     
    This argument could be reworded slightly and offered to pros: Praising the show online doesn't reinforce the show's quality, so why do it? Sure, the team might see what we enjoy and give us more of it, but as explained above, antis are still enthusiastic fans of the show. Any comments courtesy of antis would have just as much influence on the team's writing as anything offered from the pros. So if antis can't offer criticism because it might not have a direct influence, pros shouldn't offer praise. All things considered, the vast, vast majority of both pros and antis are simply trying to have a discussion.
     
    Haters do nothing but start fights!
     
    As explained (see Haters need to calm down!, above), antis are not any more or less inclined to resort to harsh or hurtful language than pros. Antis are just fans of the show who disagree with pros; the fact that the two groups are on two sides of an issue does not incriminate either.
     
    That said, this argument becomes rather ironic. If pros truly experience consistent fights when antis are around, and if we've established that neither group is guilty of exclusively starting fights, the issue falls upon pros! The individual pros that use this argument are themselves guilty of either starting fights when exposed to anti-Twilicorn viewpoints, or else interpreting innocuous discourse as angry and confrontational. Though of course there are antis that start fights, there is no good sense in applying such pugnaciousness to antis in general.
     
    If haters dislike Twilicorn so much, why don't they just leave the fandom?
     
    Antis are not inclined to leave the fandom for the same reason that pros are not so inclined after watching an episode they disliked. Just because antis find fault in an aspect of the show does not mean that abandoning the show altogether is suddenly on the table, though of course there are antis that do so. The dissatisfaction with one aspect of the show in no way suggests dissatisfaction with the show in general.
     
    Why do haters feel such a need to convince others? Why can't they let people have their own opinions?
     
    Another ironic argument, given the handful of the ones mentioned above that rally for the silencing of antis! But as mentioned numerous times, the vast majority of antis, just like the vast majority of pros, do not share their opinions with others with the express purpose of changing the minds of those with whom they discuss. Antis are more than willing to allow pros to go about their business with a different opinion. Where appropriate, of course, both antis and pros will attempt to articulate their arguments in a way meant to persuade the other party, but antis are in no way more inclined to do so than pros; to suggest otherwise indicates a bias or an unlucky streak of seeing antis in an effort to persuade.
     
    Tara Strong said that alicorn Twilight will still be the same character we know and love!
     
    While this is true, there are a couple things to consider.
     
    One, Tara Strong is not among the writers. Unless she has seen the scripts, received assurance from the writers, or suddenly and unexpectedly joined the writing team, what she says regarding the writing of future episodes should not be seen as infallible.
     
    Second, Twilicorn may well be the same Twilight we know and love, but there are alterations that cannot be undone, unless she is reverted back to a simple unicorn. She has progressed in her studies to a point where, as Celestia herself said in Magical Mystery Cure, she is more of a leader than ever, and will act as a teacher to everyone around her. This is surely a large change from the norm, regardless of how well it is handled.
     
    In addition, there are things fundamental to Twilicorn that antis can reasonably find problems with. The tidy balance of two unicorns, two pegasi, and two Earth ponies has been broken. Twilight will now likely have more responsibilities that we are unused to seeing, which alters the dynamic of the show. Twilight's seemingly godlike status elevates her above her friends, which does not bode well for a show that has numerous times attempted to emphasize the fact that friendship is a relationship of relative equals (see The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, Green Isn't Your Color, Over a Barrel, Hearth's Warming Eve, and The Ticket Master).
     
    Regardless of what you believe about how Twilight's new status will affect her and the show, it is fallacious to assume that everyone else sees things the way you do, and that any apprehension regarding Twilicorn is automatically unfounded.
     
    Haters can't criticize the writers like that! Show some respect!
     
    There are two things that must be cleared up to adequately address this argument.
     
    First, it must be recognized that criticism of the show is not to be equated with disrespecting the writers. One can reasonably express dissatisfaction with an episode or character trait without meaning for this criticism to be seen as an insult to the writers responsible. Indeed, pros that believe that any criticism at all is disrespectful are doing the writers no favors by blindly praising their every decision. Granted, it is very possible for criticism and disrespect to blend together, but "I don't think Twilicorn was a smart decision" is surely not the same as "the writers are idiots for making Twilight an alicorn". This distancing of creator from product is not only essential in the context of Friendship is Magic, but in every other aspect of life regarding critique of a product. A good number of people may remember with disdain a friend that would take any criticism as a personal attack.
     
    Second, even the presence of actual disrespect does not invalidate the points of an anti. Saying "Twilicorn messes with status quo, and the writers are morons!" is undoubtedly an inappropriate way of communicating discontent, but the criticism itself (that "Twilicorn messes with the status quo") is still a legitimate point regardless of the questionable means through which it is communicated. It is understandable to be tempted to write off points made by an anti that insists upon disrespecting the writers, but if the claims are otherwise legitimate, the disrespect does not make them any less so.
     
    This is a cartoon about colorful ponies! Haters should stop taking it so seriously!
     
    It is silly to insist that finding a fault with a show suggests that one takes it too seriously. Negative opinions are not necessarily formed through careful deliberation or analysis, after all. To suggest that an anti would turn to the pro-Twilicorn side by "thinking less" or "taking it for what it is" not only works as an insult to the pros ("You'd like it more if you watched it like someone that doesn't think!"), it seriously misrepresents the goal and purpose of Friendship is Magic, and indeed children's fiction in general. Bronies as a whole would not have become fans of the show had it not been for the intelligence and wit present in the writing. As Faust herself intended, the show is wonderfully enjoyable both to children who don't know better and adults that require compelling characters and interpersonal interactions. To suggest that one must stop thinking critically and stop expecting intelligent writing in order to enjoy an episode does not bode well for the episode in question. It is, essentially, an admission that the writing of the episode is not intelligent enough to hold up against the standards the show has conditioned us to expect.
     
    A great writer and cartoon-critic that goes by the pseudonym Antialiasis expanded more on a similar subject, regarding the movies of the Pokemon series, in her website, The Cave of Dragonflies:

     
    (You can read the rest of her article here.)
     
    Of course there is something to be said about not getting hung up on every insignificant detail, but suggesting that one cannot enjoy an episode because of an excess of thought leaves a lot to be desired about the episode when all is said and done.
     
    Haters just fear change.
     
    Though obviously it is impractical to attempt to rule this out on a case-by-case basis, there is a serious flaw in attempting to assert this about antis in general. While the fact that an anti dislikes Twilicorn may indeed stem in part (or entirely) from a fear of change, it makes little sense to argue that a this fear is the only reason that one could have such an opinion. To do so would be a clear attempt to assert that the opinions of antis are completely invalid, and as explained (see If haters have nothing positive to say, they shouldn't say anything at all! above), this is both undeniably unjustified and incredibly impolite.
     
    This argument can be thrown right back at pros: If antis simply fear change, pros simply accept any change without thinking through what could result of such a change. Both of these claims are entirely untrue, of course, and discussions would greatly benefit if neither are used. "You just fear change" should be replaced with "You're not seeing that Twilicorn could take the show in this positive direction". It's not that antis necessarily fear change; it's that antis disapprove of the things that they feel could come about because of the individual change. If blatant flanderization occurs as a result of Twilicorn, for example, the antis' reluctance to this specific change will have been justified.
     
    ~
     
    This article, again, is not meant a means to "convert" a fan to the anti-Twilicorn mindset. It is intended as a guide for pros to construct more substantial arguments and to know which arguments to avoid, as well as a compendium of refutations that an anti could feasibly use when faced with such arguments in the future. Above all else, however, both sides of the Twilicorn debate would do well to be reminded that the opinions of the other side are just as valid and legitimate, whether you believe that pros are mindless fanboys or that antis are hypercritical spoil-sports. Because for all the illogical arguments that we use (and this article is by no means a suggestion that antis possess exclusively airtight arguments!), we're just two sides of the same coin. Despite any differences in opinion, we're all bronies. As the mantra of questionable validity goes, love and tolerance are the most important things we have.
  4. Metaright
    Hello, several people on here that regularly tuned in to my analysis! I'm overjoyed to announce that the secret project I mentioned before is complete- an original analysis, written by yours truly, has been featured on The Round Stable.
     
    For those unaware, The Round Stable is a pony-centric blog that specializes not only in news, but also in analysis and editorials. Over the span of the last couple months, I've been working with the editors in order to get my writing up to snuff to be put out there into the Interwebz, for all pony fans to enjoy and ruminate on.
     
    The article is titled The Pinkie Pie Principle: Humor From Characterization. It deals with how Friendship is Magic utilizes humor to aid in building the characters, but also how, with Pinkie Pie in particular, humor and characterization can be used in less-than-ideal ways.
     
    I'd like to thank any regular readers I may have garnered since I began Pretty Pony Analysis. Without this outlet for my thoughts, I never would have taken the leap and contacted The Round Stable.
     
    As for the future of this blog, I hope you'll all be pleased to hear that I'll be posting here semi-regularly once again. Obviously, not every little bit of analysis I think of is worth the effort to put through the editing process, and not everything I analyze is really in-depth enough to be published. So this blog will function much like it has; my analysis and thoughts will go here, with my more extensive and in-depth writings saved just in case. At this point, I'm not a full-on contributor at The Round Stable, but it is up in the air at this point. Depending on how things go, I may or may not be admitted to the team. While it is far, far too early to jump to the conclusion that I'll become a regular contributor there, I can assure you that it is not outside the realm of plausibility at this point.
     
    So, there ya have it. Thanks for the reading my ramblings on this little corner of the Internet, and I hope you'll continue. I have plenty of ideas for things to write about. So if you enjoy my writings, why not come along? We'll see together where this all ends up.
     
    Yours,
    Metaright
  5. Metaright
    Hello all.
     
    I honestly didn't expect for my analyses to become quite as popular as they did. Granted, ~130 views per article is not really popular at all. In fact, "popular" may have been a terrible word to use. But for an unknown, up-and-coming writer on the Internet, that's a pretty significant figure.
     
    Anyway, there will be a delay for this blog. For reasons I do not feel I can disclose at this time, the analyses I have written will not be uploaded to this blog until further notice. I can tell you that there may be an exciting new development for me in the near future that pertains to my writing. Alternatively, this may turn out to be a false alarm, in which case my analyses will return to this blog as normal.
     
    I do apologize greatly for the delay. I know that there are at least a couple people on this forum that seem to enjoy reading what I produce, and I hate to disappoint. But I ask what few regular readers I possibly have to trust that I am doing what I feel is best, and what may result from this may benefit us both greatly.
     
    That's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read this, as well as the rest of my articles on this blog. I truly appreciate you as a reader, whoever and wherever you are.
     
    See you soon,
    Metaright
  6. Metaright
    Originally posted in the Magical Mystery Cure discussion thread.
     
    Like most of us, I was very hesitant about the whole "Twilight becomes an Alicorn" thing. And actually seeing the episode, it seems like they tried to squeeze two distinct plots together. But the writers have pulled through some terrible decisions before (giving Twilight a long-lost brother, namely). So I was determined to keep myself in check and put faith in the writers. So, did they deliver a satisfying episode?
     
    Not really, no.
     
    The whole thing is just plagued with problems, plotholes, shoddy writing, and shark-jumping.
     
    Exhibit A: The pacing is far too fast.
     
    As many have already said, this episode tries to squeeze in way too many things into a short time. On the surface, the plot doesn't sound like an awfully convoluted ordeal: The cutie marks get switched, the ponies go through some existential distress, Twilight fixes everything, and then she becomes an Alicorn. It sounds like it could be doable in 22 minutes, but, evidently, it wasn't.
     
    The thing is, the plot follows that basic skeleton, but it doesn't do it well. We're told that Twilight screwed up the cutie marks by performing a faulty spell, but we're told a significant way through the episode via flashback. Why could this not have gone in the beginning? Giving us that bit of exposition up front would have made the plot so much more coherent. As it is, the flashback just interrupts the plot and makes the story feel incredibly choppy.
     
    I was sorely disappointed at how little we were given of the ponies' existential distress. The writers are amazing at that sort of thing. Remember Party of One and Lesson Zero? But we don't get any of that. We see the ponies being sad at their new jobs, sure. But none of the humor comes from them. Rainbow Dash's scenes aren't funny because of how Rainbow Dash acts; the jokes are centered around the (apparently carnivorous?) animals. They don't get any funny actions, any funny dialog, or any funny situations. Hey look, Rainbow Dash is trying to take care of animals! Pinkie Pie is trying to applebuck! Applejack is trying to make a dress! So what? If the writers were trying to make these situations funny, they failed spectacularly. The real effort is made not on writing for the characters, but for writing the scenarios in which the characters find themselves. We're not shown how Rainbow Dash would attempt to care for animals in her own way; we're shown Rainbow Dash, in a cottage, briefly attempting to care for animals. The focus is not on Rainbow Dash, it's on the zany situation.
     
    So much could have been added to make this episode amazing. Rainbow Dash, boisterous and confident, taking care of animals? Fluttershy, as nervous and quiet as ever, trying to make ponies laugh? Applejack, every the tough tomboy, taking the reins of Rarity's dressmaking business? These could make for great episodes in themselves! But unfortunately, that's not what we're given. The characters' personalities could bring so much humor and drama to their environments, but they're shafted in favor of having them sit there and look sad. So much opportunity, for humor and drama heartwarming, lost.
     
    Everything in the plot gets moved along far too quickly to be of any notable significance. Twilight gets sad, but only for a few seconds. The cutie marks are switched, but before you know it everything is back to normal. It's very hard to get invested in the story when it moves so quickly. This episode could have been a spectacular two-parter, with part one focusing on the cutie mark debacle. If they did the conflict right (which they didn't, as explained below), it really could have slowed down and shifted the focus back onto the characters, and away from the situations the characters find themselves in.
     
    Not only is the episode's main conflict rushed, but the conflict's resolution is so quick that you could miss it if you blink at the wrong time. Because unfortunately...
     
    Exhibit B: The "resolution" isn't a resolution at all.
     
    How does Twilight fix everything? Well, first she gets sad. Understandable. Then Spike says, "But Twilight, they're your friends!" Then, all pretenses of being sad gone without a trace, Twilight looks at a photo, her cutie mark appears in her pupils, and she figures out how to fix everything.
     
    Wait, what?
     
    How does Twilight figure out the solution? Nothing happened! There was no big revelation about friendship. She didn't learn anything. She didn't experiment with magic. She didn't ask Celestia for help. She didn't do anything. Where was this solution supposed to have appeared from?
     
    The writers haven't messed up this badly before. In The Return of Harmony, Twilight gets motivated by reading her old letters. In the series premiere, Twilight discovers the Elements of Harmony by realizing that she's made friends. In this, though, she just... comes up with the answer out of nowhere, I guess. You can't chalk this up to some lesson about friendship, as she doesn't learn anything prior. And she doesn't say "I learned this about friendship and now I know the answer!". She just figures it out, somehow, and refuses to tell us.
     
    And even past that, how she restores her friends makes little sense either. By getting them to perform the actions they love doing... they're fixed? When Pinkie Pie almost makes someone laugh (as she is restored, interestingly, before anyone in her audience laughs), she just starts glowing, and putting her Element on just fixes her. Why does this fix her? I thought cutie marks determined a pony's destiny or special talent. Why does putting Pinkie into what was her destiny make her susceptible to being fixed? Where does this resolution come from? Why do they fixed? How do they get fixed? Perhaps these are all moot points, though, because...
     
    Exhibit C: The conflict doesn't make sense.
     
    So Twilight gets a faulty spell that Starswirl the Bearded wrote. This spell takes the Elements of Harmony and mixes them up. Why would this spell even exist? Why would Starswirl create this spell?
     
    Maybe that's a minor issue, but the mixing of the Elements of Harmony isn't handled well at all. Five of the Mane Six get their cutie marks mixed up, which, according to what the show has told us about cutie marks, has changed their destiny and their special talent. That is, what they are talented at doing. So why is Rainbow Dash bad with animals? Why can't Applejack make dresses? Why does this episode seem to contradict what we've been told in the past? Rarity has the weather-mare's cutie mark. Why does she suck at managing the weather, then?
     
    One could make the argument that cutie marks aren't what cause the talents; they're only a sign of them. So mixing the marks up doesn't actually change the ponies on any substantial level. But if this is the case, why do they appear to be suffering from amnesia? Just because Applejack now has Rarity's cutie mark doesn't mean she just forgets her old life, does it? Why do the ponies act like they know nothing of their former personality? But they only forget selectively, apparently. Applejack forgets about her farm and her family, sure, but she remembers who Twilight is. And who the rest of the Mane Six are. And basically everything that doesn't have to do with her apple career.
     
    Why would a switch in cutie marks give them such amnesia? Why don't they remember what they're good at? They sing about how they're only doing what their cutie marks "tell them to". So, it turns out the cutie marks do compel them, then? If that's the case, why did they need to get amnesia? Why are they bad at their new special talents? What is the nature of cutie marks, already? Are they the cause of a pony's talents, or are they a sign of talents that already exist?
     
    And that's not even the end of it. When the Mane Six are out of commission, Ponyville grinds to a halt. But... why? The Mane Six have been on lengthy journeys before. Why is this different? Sure, Pinkie Pie couldn't farm if her life depended on it. But Big Mac and Applebloom are still there, right? How did the farm function, say, when Applejack was away at the Crystal Empire in the season three premiere? Why does Applejack's absence suddenly cause the farm to die?
     
    And for that matter, why didn't Big Mac and Applebloom do anything? "Hey Pinkie, you suck at farming. Help us find Applejack". That exchange alone would have accomplished just as much as what Twilight did, after all. There's really no good reason for the writers to decide that the Mane Six are suddenly the cornerstone of society itself.
     
    Exhibit D: The songs are too numerous, and eat up too much screentime.
     
    For some reason, I guess the team decided to pack this episode full of songs. So much so, in fact, that there's almost more song than actual dialog. And while this helps somewhat to move the plot along, it doesn't alleviate the fact that the plot is too fast in the first place. A cheery musical number may make the story's breakneck pace easier to swallow, but the songs themselves may be a part of why the pacing is so quick in the first place.
     
    Consider the song that the episode opens with, in which Twilight joyfully sings about Ponyville (in a manner that seems infinitely more fitting of Pinkie Pie, but okay). Why is this song here? What is it trying to convey? "That's easy," you could be saying. "It's showing how happy Ponyville is and how content Twilight is, so that the contrast later will mean more". True, but why did this message have to be expressed in such a lengthy song that could have gone to more important things, like the dialog? There's no reason Twilight couldn't have just been taking a walk with Spike and casually mentioning how happy Ponyville is. "Gee Spike, Ponyville is so lively today! I'm glad Celestia sent us to live in such a joyful place." There you go. The entire purpose of the song could have been condensed to a single line of dialog, with nothing important being lost. Adding a musical number for its own sake is never a good idea, and this episode does it in spades.
     
    Seriously, you can't go three minutes without someone starting to sing. And the songs are all completely forgettable. They're not terrible, thankfully, but they're certainly not some of Ingram's best work. All the time that the songs took up could have been used in a much more responsible way.
     
    Exhibit E: The ending is rushed, out of place, and nonsensical.
     
    Twilight turns into an Alicorn, and now she's a princess. Such a huge, game-changing plot twist surely warrants at least a little exposition, but no. Instead, we're treated to a dialog that essentially boils down to this:
     
    Celestia: You're a princess, Twilight!
    Twilight: Is there a book about that?
    Celestia: Nope!
    Twilight: I have absolutely no apprehensions about this whatsoever!
    Mane Six: Yay!
     
    Seriously though- they take Twilight's new status as a princess way too quietly. This is a huge development, but nobody even bats an eye. Twilight's friends aren't terribly confused or surprised. Twilight herself accepts her new position startling quickly. She's crowned a princess, and that's that. Not one of the characters stops to recognize the significance of this. This makes the ending feel so very, very rushed, and so incredibly artificial. If the characters themselves don't care about the significance of this, why should the viewer?
     
    And going past the rushed nature of it, the entire development is completely out of place. It's hard to imagine not expecting it, as the brony community has known about it for weeks already. But withing the show itself, absolutely nothing even hints at Twilight becoming a princess. Yeah, we get a few hints of Celestia about Twilight being ready for something. But this is quite an unexpected turn of events if you take what's been told through the show itself. The fact that the ending was so unforgivably rushed makes this whole thing seem incredibly out of place.
     
    The implications for the rest of show are grim, as well. Twilight being an Alicorn could very easily mess with the group dynamic that makes the show so appealing in the first place. Setting Twilight up on a pedestal is exactly the kind of thing they shouldn't do, and if they don't tread carefully, this could be the beginning of the end. However, they have shown their inability to write great adventure episodes in the past (see The Crystal Empire), so I'm not going to hop on the doomsayer bandwagon just yet.
     
    Conclusion
     
    Take everything I said above, and you'll get the idea of why I disliked this episode so much. It's rushed, it's sloppy, the writing is bad, the songs are pointless, and the ending is terrible. A two-parter would have made this episode so much better, but as it is, I honestly believe this is one of the worst episodes of the series. As in, right up there with MMMystery on the Friendship Express and The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. It genuinely baffles me that so many people think this episode is amazing. If this episode was the best they could do, I wouldn't be a fan of the show in the first place.
  7. Metaright
    Before I begin, it’s rather important to note that the subject matter of this entire article contains very large spoilers for Equestria Girls, the theatrical Friendship is Magic movie. So if you haven’t seen it yet, you might want to skip this analysis.
     
    Go ahead. I can wait. This whole thing was written up beforehand, so I’ve been waiting since before you even got here.
     
    Good? Good. Now I’ll just say it- I liked Equestria Girls. I did. As someone who despised Magical Mystery Cure and thinks Twilicorn is a serious step in the wrong direction, I think the movie whose premise sounds like a bad fanfiction is top-notch. The writing is clever, the plot retains its surprises despite being somewhat predictable, the jokes are funny, the songs are up to snuff, and there’s a surprising amount of world- and character-building for a feature that takes place almost entirely in another dimension.
     
    And that’s exactly where I plan to focus. Equestria Girls brings to the table four incredibly important revelations that have the potential to rock the foundations of our favorite equine-themed cartoon from this point forward. Or at least, a couple of them do. But we’ll get to those two in a bit.
     
    First let’s explore the two rather minor revelations. Interestingly enough, they both have to do with the Elements of Harmony. In Equestria Girls, Twilight goes into the suspiciously familiar world of humans in order to retrieve her tiara. Without this tiara, which doubles as her Element, Celestia explains that the other five Elements will not function. So not only does the use of the Elements require the necklaces and tiara (or “artifacts,” as I will call them), they won’t work if one of them is missing. Furthermore, the only beings who can wield the Elements are the Mane Six. Not even Celestia and Luna can harness them; it’s all up to the six protagonists.
     
    Equestria Girls completely destroyed those two bits of information. Because not only do Twilight and the rest of humanized Mane Six wield the Elements sans artifacts, the Elements are wielded with only one being established as a wielder.
     
    (No, I don’t consider the alternate dimension-Mane Six-minus-Twilight to be the same as the Equestrian Mane Six-minus-Twilight. They have different memories, different cultures, and exist in a completely different setting. They are different characters.)
     
    But those two won’t really come into play all that often in the future. It’s still going to be the Mane Six wielding the Elements, and the fact that the circumstances behind their use has changed will only matter for a small number of episodes. No, the really important revelations will almost assuredly be relevant to the show as a whole.
     
    First of all, Twilight is now confident with being a princess. She feels less trepidation and anxiety than she did prior to the movie, and this is important. The show never treats character building like this lightly- it always comes back into play. Coming to terms with her newfound position was a natural place for the story of Twilight Sparkle to go, and this confidence and calmness will most definitely play into how Twilight acts in the seasons to come.
     
    Clearly, this is a factor that I’m ecstatic about. People familiar with my analyses will know that there’s almost nothing I like better in fiction than natural, organic character development. This next revelation, though, is one that I’m still not sure what to think about. And given the history of the show and how it deals (or refuses to deal) with such subjects, I’ll put it as bluntly as possible:
     
    Twilight Sparkle has a crush.
     
    With the very special exceptions of Rarity and her decidedly shallow desire for a prince simply to complete the royal package, Shining Armor and Cadence because that was their entire point, and Cheerilee because she’s frankly unimportant, Friendship is Magic has refused to touch the subject of crushes and romance with a ten-foot pole, and with good reason. Earlier incarnations of the My Little Pony cartoon fell all too easily into the trap of many girls’ programs, depicting conflicts in the form of crushes as incredibly shallow and insipid as perhaps possible. Now suddenly, all of a sudden, our main character has a crush on somepony.
     
    Needless to say, this development must be handled with extreme caution. If the writers handle it even slightly poorly, one of the de facto tenets of the show (“We will not portray girls’ fiction as shallow”) will be thrown utterly out of whack. Because when you get right down to it, there are three primary places this revelation could take us, all but one of which will prove catastrophic to the show.
     
    First and foremost, it could be handled well, and prove to be beneficial to the show as a whole. Twilight and her crush, Flash Sentry, could mesh well together, and Flash could transcend his role and prove to be a clever, likable, relatable character that serves only to strengthen the show’s dynamic.
     
    On the other hand, it could be handled poorly, and prove to be a detriment to the show. Twilight’s character could become insipid and shallow whenever Flash is present, Flash himself could prove to be as worthless and filler as King Sombra, and the Bronies would collectively groan as the show that had previously withstood the grasp of unbecoming girls’ fiction traps suddenly finds itself up the river without a paddle.
     
    And then there is the possibility that the show would not handle the development at all. That is, all mention of the crush dropped, all hints at the crush silenced, and Flash Sentry himself made to be as canon as shipping between Lyra and BonBon. At first, that might not sound so bad. We’re back to the status quo, right? Only this time, we have ourselves a shiny new Twilight, brimming with confidence!
     
    But it’s imperative to understand that this approach would thrust the show into another trap, and it would be caught between a rock and a hard place. If you ignore the crush but still maintain Twilight’s new confidence, as if everything in the movie besides the crush itself actually happened in canon, you find yourself with an ending to Equestria Girls that goes absolutely nowhere, a potentially great character that never gets mentioned again, and a chemistry that could have worked that will never see the light of day. To put it simply, that would be terrible story-telling. At best, it would be as if the writers are admitting that they wrote Equestria Girls without thinking ahead well enough to utilize the potential, and at worst it would be as if the writers have no qualms establishing a character before completely forgetting about him. The fact is, Equestria Girls can’t be canon in one aspect but not in another. Either you accept Twilight’s confidence along with her crush, or you reject both of them. Cherrypicking which aspects you choose to become canon is incredibly cheap writing, and I’ll be very disappointed if the writers have decided to go this route for Season Four.
     
    Alternatively, the writers could take a similar route and pretend Equestira Girls never happened. That is, never bring up the crush, but also write for Twilight as if she never obtained that confidence boost. Essentially, treat Equestria Girls as strictly non-canon at any cost, which includes those revelations about the Elements I talked about above. Honestly, aside from rolling with the crush with good writing, this is the best option. This way, there is no cheap story-telling, no canon-cherrypicking, and Season Four can start with a clean slate. This would come at the cost of having to re-establish Twilight’s confidence, as well as having to consciously forget the new rules about the Elements, lest they be used in a way that doesn’t fit with established canon.
     
    But this doesn’t come without its own shortcomings. I know there are fans of Friendship is Magic that look upon Fluttershy-centric episodes with exasperation, as they believe, perhaps correctly, that Fluttershy is just learning the same lesson in confidence over and over again. To them, this makes those episodes cheap. And if the writers ignore Equestria Girls, this is probably going to be a common reaction when it comes time to make Twilight comfortable with her position again. Sure, the movie wasn’t exactly canon, but it’s a piece of character development that we’ve already seen before. It would be acceptable if not painfully redundant.
     
    So what are looking at when it comes to Season Four? Potentially some really good things! But then, also some potentially horrendous things that would really dampen the feel of the show. And I hate to say it, but no matter how good Equestria Girls was, Magical Mystery Cure still left a foul taste in my mouth. I’d hate to see it followed up by more disappointment. But I’ll give the writers more than a fair chance. After all, Magical Mystery Cure is literally the only episode of the show that I dislike overall. And no matter how you slice it, that’s a pretty fine track record.
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