RagingTwilight

I personally really hated the teenage dragons. Then again, they were probably written so that I would hate them.

Overall, another solid episode, in my opinion. Decent plot, some touching parts, good music and good humor. Concerning all the Rainbow Dash drama: she'a always been kinda like that, as far as I can remember. She's brash and confident, sometimes to a fault. So while she probably did take it too far when teasing Spike about the apron, her true feelings came to light when she didn't want Spike to leave. I'd say Rainbow was genuinely concerned for Spike's well-being, illustrating nicely her Element of Harmony of Loyalty, in that she is outright devoted to the well-being of her friends, no matter what the stakes.

So with that, I was okay with Rainbow Dash's characterization in the episode. Parts of it did paint her in a negative light, but people have flaws - Rainbow Dash is no exception.

On another note: I have noticed quite a few places (here, Equestria Daily, Ponychan) where people have said they didn't like the episode, though their main reason seems to be none other than the writer - Merriwether Williams. I know Mysterious Mare Do Well was a weaker episode (and in my opinion the weakest,) but that doesn't automatically mean all her episodes are. I've actually enjoyed all of her other episodes (HWE, PYHD and DQ.) None of these I'd say are amongst the best of the series, but I'd still say they are quite good.

Well, none of the pics seemed to reveal anything intrinsic to the plot that we didn't already know. Some of the references/costumes have now been spoiled for us, but...oh well. I'd much rather it be that than major plot details. Still though...perhaps they should be marked as "spoilers," as some people will see it as such.

If I had to think of one pony that I didn't like....it'd probably be Prince Blueblood. He is the complete opposite of that I would expect a relative of Princess Celestia to be, instead acting like all the other stuck-up aristocrat ponies in Canterlot. You can be rich and still be a cool guy. Take Fancy Pants, for example. Blueblood could learn a lot from him.

After watching the episode again, it's a better episode than I originally thought. I think I over-hyped it for myself after seeing the preview Thursday. I was expecting something really epic in my mind and when I didn't see it, I was disappointed. But now that my unrealistic expectations are gone, I can enjoy the episode in its entirety.

One thing though: I'm starting to feel that Pinky Pie is being over-utilized for comedy. I've noticed this in several episodes now that aren't about her; she seems to be in the plot for comedy, and not much else.

The pacing for this episode seemed odd and some of the jokes didn't hit or were too forced.

I still found it an enjoyable episode, however. I'll have to watch it a few more times before I have a full opinion on the episode. So far, I'm thinking middle-tier.

I kinda think Peyton should retire, especially if he gets hurt again. He's been out of action so long I wonder if he'll still be able to be the quarterback he used to bed?

As for Football itself...I played in high school. xD

The mods here are not only mods, but active community members as well. I really like that. On most forums I've been to, most mods seem quite distant from the community, only policing the forums and posting only when they must.

Yeah, their "let's watch" videos are pretty funny. Are they the only ones doing them though? I would like seeing more people's reactions to the old shows. Because I'll be honest...I cannot watch the older cartoons by myself without having to turn it off after 5 minutes or less. No offense to anyone who likes the older cartoons, but I just cannot stand them.

You could go for either Sisterhooves Social or Family Appreciation Day. Those might be good as an introduction.

I felt that this show sorta moved away from Equestrian ideals. Everypony was naturally mean to each other without any sort of provocation or divine intervention.

 

As long as every episode isn't like this, I think everything will be fine in the end.

I still really enjoyed this episode (one of my favorites,) though I think I'd get sick of the show if every one were like Putting Your Hoof down, as far as the general attitude of Ponyvillians. ...not sure if that's the correct term, but if The Great and Powerful Trixie used it, then it probably is.

I think one of my favorite things about this fandom is the music.

I have the likes of Eurobeat Brony, General Mumble, Glaze, Chain Algorithm, etc. amongst mainstream songs that I paid for on my phone...and the brony music is just as good, if not better. The more music the musicians in the fandom churn out, the happier I'll be.

But yes, I pretty much agree with everything you said, especially the music part.

I hate facebook, but this is pretty nice!

I'll have to look for it next time I'm on.

Pinkie and Rarity's attempt to teach Fluttershy assertiveness were downright horrible, and sent a bad message while doing so. As you said, they took advantage of other people. Not so much with Pinkie Pie but Rarity, as I said, seducing a random person was just... dirt. No other word to describe her action.

 

I really hope they all learned their lessons. I didn't like seeing Rarity take advantage of another pony. Hopefully, we won't see this type of stunt from her again.

 

Do you think that it was overly done for comedic effect? I don't really see much of a problem with Pinkie Pie haggling (it happens all the time.) Rarity however...don't me wrong it was hilarious, but really? I always get annoyed with girls who flirt their way through things, and Rarity was no different during that scene. So in that respect, let's hope she never does it again.

Unless...that nerd pony appears in a future episode with a huge crush on Rarity. I wonder how she would handle that situation, being the element of generosity, and all? Would she be nice and go on a date with him?

Just saw this on Ponibooru. Now it's everywhere. I was not expecting this. I read a comment that Shining Armor's cutie mark was a shield with Twilight's Cutie Mark on it. I just looked up a picture (I had never seen his Cutie Mark), and it turns out, they are similar.

 

 

This could have some truth to it. How long do you think it has been since Twilight has seen her brother?

 

Yeah, and the multi-color pattern in his hai-I mean mane! resembles Twilight's too, except he only has one variation of color. But it's in a strikingly similar place. It could be true.

I'm still not sure I like the idea, but like I said earlier I'll just wait until the actual episode.

I'm a fourth-year Computer Engineering student, so right now mostly study, do math and write code.

I also occasionally play video games, hang out with friends and even code in my spare time.

A part of me is really hoping this is fake; from our perspective, it would make no sense at all and would kill not only fanon, but even some canon elements as well.

But...who knows? I'll reserve judgement until the episodes air.

As for Princess Celestia's thoughts on the matter...

Sorry. Had to do it. It was just too good an opportunity to miss.

Honestly, I don't know whether we are or not with respect to society at large.

If the show were not as popular, it's likely many of the things you've mentioned would still exist, though would be much less popular. It seems to be getting more and more popular to be a brony, so as our populace increases, so will the variety of user-generated content.

So with respect to the core message and target audience of the show, I think we have taken it too far already; we've been taking it too far since almost the beginning of the community. The community went "too far" as soon as the first "clop fic," or the first non-friendly fanfiction was written, or the first youtube poop, etc. But we have to keep in mind one thing: the phenomenon is a product of the internet. Naturally, people from all walks of live can view roughly the same content online. They have different agendas, entertainment preferences, etc. It seems the show is likeable and relatable to so many different people, that people take elements from the show and "transform" or recreate these elements into their preferred form of entertainment. And it also turns out that some people on the internet don't like the entertainment preferences of others, and choose to ignore them or even berate their creators. So, the community splits itself up into several subsets of which when the union is taken between every subset, the result is the entire set - the brony community.

So in essence...it is unavoidable. In the end, people will see our community in different ways, no matter how many of X-type bronies we have, where X can be any type. The community has taken My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and created many different variations and derivatives of the core elements of the show, making some of the user-generated content almost completely different from the original purpose of the show. In other words, user-generated content has taken so many creative paths, that while they all share a common ancestor, some of the content hardly resembles the show at all.

As a community, we've picked this show up and ran with it. And we're not stopping anytime soon. So whether or not what we're creating has been taken too far with respect to society, I still don't know, but with respect to the show itself...we're miles apart on some things. If we tried to look back from these, we'd barely make out the original show that captured our hearts.

I also liked Sailor Moon when I was smaller.

I'd always be sure to catch it at 3PM my time on Toonami just after school. Strangely enough, my mother didn't care and my father never found out~

Weird, most people here seem to like it. I'm one of the people who actually likes the dark atmosphere

 

I do, too. Like I said though, I could be exaggerating or it could simply be confirmation bias on my part. But even if the fanbase is split, I don't see bronies completely going away for a very, very long time.

How does that episode polarize the community

 

A lot of strong feelings about the episode, one way other other. Some really seem to love it, others really hate it and its "darker" nature. And, of course there are those in-between. Granted, the backlash isn't as bad as Mare-do-well, but still...go to ponychan and EQD and read comments there discussing the episode. I'm used to seeing dissenting opinions, but there seem to be more stronger dissenting opinions this time around. So while it could be confirmation bias on my part, I do believe this episode has at the very least invoked some strong opposing opinions within the fandom.

You'd think that the previous episode would make everybody a bit more... nicer. Seriously, if Smile Smile Smile has no effect one episode later, Pinkie Pie's talent might actually be frivolous after all.

 

Well, it's nearly impossible to maintain a constant state of happiness forever. The happiness eventually wears off given certain circumstances (bad day at work, death, break-ups, etc.) But hey, I love Pinky Pie's ability to make people laugh. I think the world of Equestria (and the real world) could always use more laughter. So no, Pinky's talent of making people laugh is a highly respectable one. If I were a pony and needed cheering up, I'd know who to go to.

Epic wall of text

 

I suppose we just have different world views. Or, we don't have the same definition of Utopia. A Utopia is a perfect society, if I'm not mistaken, not "near perfect." We also most likely have differing views on what "dark" means. From your giant wall of text, your definition of "dark" resembles that of "realistic." Still, I don't see how people getting angry is pessimistic necessarily. The show can have a slightly darker edge and still convey meaningful messages of friendship, as this one did. Was the anger overdone? Yes, but in my opinion that's due to a weakness in the writer of the episode.

And your comment about "bringing our role models and heroes down to our level," are you implying that we are "dark," as in bad? The comment after that one is also perplexing. You have no idea why I like the show, nor why I'm here. I for one like seeing the ponies more expressive; they feel more alive and realistic to me.

To sum it up, If they have to get a little more realistic, then that's okay. Sorry if I come off a little harsh. I haven't much time to respond, so I've had to mince words.

I should add: Fluttershy was most certainly NOT herself whilst she was bullying people around. She basically let someone do her thinking for her (Iron Will,) allowing him to influence her. She was being told all these things and probably had no idea exactly what she was doing. Think of a child or young person being told to commit a heinous act by someone with an aggressive, forceful personality. I'd be almost certain that when said person commits the heinous act, he/she won't be doing it as himself/herself. It's as Rarity said. Fluttershy wanted to become more assertive, and "received some bad advice..."

If anyone was to become a brony, it would be Randy (Stan's dad)

 

Oh yeah, he definitely would. Randy's awesome.

It was darker, but I think the show has had previous moments at least as dark. For example, Pinky Pie going completely psycho in Party of One and Twilight going insane (HI GIRLS!) in Lesson Zero.. And I didn't find anything Flutterbitch said to be any more cruel than what she said in Return of Harmony Pt.2 while under Discord's influence, save for maybe when she made Rarity and Pinky Pie cry. Was the cruelty too much for a kids show? Maybe, but I've seen more cruel things in other classic cartoons. I for one am glad they're striving to make Equestria more relatable to the real world, and not simply making it a utopia. The show would be so boring. What would the show be without a little...chaos and discord in the mix?

As for the citizens specifically...most likely a plot device. They were simply written that way to advance the plot and nothing more. Now whether or not this is good writing is another debate entirely.

I could totally see Cartman becoming a brony.

The entire episode could center around him trying to hide his love of pony.

Too bad this announcement was confirmed as fake; South Park makes fun of everyone, so I think it'd be a pretty good episode.