Dark Qiviut

Just for the heck of it, here are my grades for the main Disney films that I watched (and recall enough to be firm with 'em ). Fun and Fancy Free, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Princess and the Frog, and Little Mermaid won't get one.

• Snow White: A+
• Pinocchio: A+
• Dumbo: C+
• Peter Pan: D
• Sleeping Beauty: A-
• 101 Dalmatians: B+
• The Jungle Book: C+
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: A-
• Oliver & Company: B+
• Beauty & the Beast: A+
• Aladdin: A
• The Lion King: A+
• Pocahontas: D+
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A+
• Hercules: A-
• Mulan: A+
• *Chicken Little: F-
• Tangled: A
• Frozen: A-
• Zootopia: A+
• Moana: A

*Never watched it beyond the reviews and text, but I don't need to.

P.S.: Skipping MLP Challenge today. Double duty tomorrow.

And that concludes Moana! This was phenomenal! Animation — spectacular. Characters — fantastic. Songs — amazing, and not just "You're Welcome." I Am Moana is, in my opinion, the song of the film and one of the best musical numbers in Disney history.

Their character development is magnificent. From Moana and Maui not getting along to Maui figuring out how to be him without feeling like he always feels indebted to human society to Moana becoming more and more sure of herself. The writers for this film developed some of the strongest chemistry that I've seen in a Disney film. Te Ka was the final boss, but Te Fiti's missing presence and Te Ka's chest matching the heart made her realize they're one and the same.

Animation is among the best in all of Disney, not just Pixar. The water is photorealistic. Changes in style gave the tattoos and musical backdrop of You're Welcome so much personality.

Although I know little of cultures from Hawaii, New Zealand, and Polynesia as a whole, it feels like Moana put in a ton of effort to make it as authentic as possible. (As fantastic as Aladdin is, you can tell they didn't research the Middle East that much.)

This is a fantastic film. One of the best gems of the Revival Era.

>sees how he can't transfigure properly or lift his hook

Yeah, I see a millennia has passed since big, fierce Maui has touched that hook

>Tamatoa said "happy as a clam"

i c wut u did thar

>Maui *still lying on the boat*: When the current's warm, you're going the right way.

>Moana feels the ocean getting colder, then getting warmer
>That Maui face

>Buff Man right now

Moana: "Come for this? The heart? You mean this heart right here? *yells out into the ocean* COME AND GET IT!

Maui: *shhhhhhhhhh* You are gonna get us killed.

Moana: No, I'm gonna get us to Te Fiti, so you can put it back. Thank you. *sings in low voice* You're welcome.

---

LMAO!

What can I say except "You're Welcome"?

…

…

And thank you! *locks her in cave*

*grabs Heihei* Boat snack!

>Moana pissed off at the ocean for not helping her as she and Heihei shipwreck onto an island

>tries to kick it, only to fall flat on her back as the ocean pulls the shore away

Moana: “Fish pee in you! All day!”

Last week, Moana made its broadcast debut. I never watched it before beyond “You’re Welcome” and Maui’s “tweeting” joke. Now I’m watching it for the first time!

Eight years later, Mare Do Well has so much to make the viewing experience infuriating. But what’s so mind-boggling is how the RM5 use these near-tragedies to disguise themselves and beat Dash down! It’s every bit as infuriating as the Sugar Cube Corner scene, only adding how ponies were close to dying as well.

Watched Fitzherbert P.I. last night, and. It’s easily the best episode so far. Solid story. Good humor. Eugene’s hard time following basic rules is completely in character of him, but the way he was able to think like a thief to catch them is quite clever. (Stealing the Captain’s whistle, knowing how he’ll try to cheat him out of passing the test, is one of his smartest moments.) Something was wrong with this Giovanni because of his broken Italian, he suspected; it all became certain when he noticed the priceless portrait of that king had a right finger missing.

As part of the B-Plot, it’s understandable why Rapunzel doesn’t know what to do with her princess portrait. She’s so studios, but understands how that portrait would give others an impression of her. Would keeping it plain make her look boring? Would all that clutter make the painting busy with no central focus? Queen Arriana’s advice not only gave her the confidence to decide what. To do, but when given another chance, show her gratitude by having her and the Queen bond in their new painting (with the help of the real Giovanni).

Nicely done!

• Before Ever and After: B+

1. What the Hair?: C+
2. Rapunzel's Enemy: B
3. Fitzherbert P.I.: A-

>Eugene almost stops himself from crossing the finish line

Buffalo Man: WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! WHY DIDN'T Y—?!

>turns out he stole the captain's whistle before the challenge began so he gets to be the one to blow it

Buffalo Man *now*: LOL! Clever clever, Eugene!

Eugene may suck at math, but damn, he has sharp street smarts!

>Shoemaker recognized Flynn as a shoe thief once, shoves boot into his chest

>Flynn: "Does this mean I'm getting the boot?"
>Cobbler: "No, it means you're getting fired!"

XD

Back to Tangled: The Series!

*takes out the Kleenex*

Day #16: Saddest moment.

1. Moondancer's rant at Twilight. Until Amending Fences, no episode of the show made me cry. After MD let out all her emotional pain at Twilight, the waterworks came out. She's Season 5's most tragic character, and for good reason. The party she led with Twilight's other friends' assistance (the first time she tried to open herself up) was all for naught. She felt lied to. Like her faith in the three who told her that there's someone out there who relates to her and might like her was misplaced. That feeling of rejection runs deep
2. For the first act, the RM5 all try to act normal. Twilight's heading to her own coronation, and everyone is preparing for it. But something was wrong. This moment here really shows. When Twilight herself feels hurt, their masks come off. Once Pinkie breaks into a realistic cry, boy, does it punch the gut. They promised to rule together, but had no idea how, and it was very possible that this is goodbye.
3. Grand Pear apologizes to the AJ et al at the marketplace. I don't think I need to explain why it's sorrowing.
4. Diamond Tiara singing "The Pony I Wanna Be." The one song that switched bronies into joining her corner. Watching Spoiled bully her only daughter was heartbreaking enough. This song only adds to the pain.
5. The first half of Pinkie's Lament. It really hurts to see Pinkie Pie this heartbroken. The line right before it — where her voice starts to crack — is a fantastic way to lead to the mood she was in. Fortunately for her, looking at all those pictures on SCC's walls remind her of who she is and drives her to challenge Cheese instead.

• Day 1: Favorite mane character
• Day 2: Favorite CMC
• Day 3: Favorite princess
• Day 4: Favorite background pony
• Day 5: Favorite villain
• Day 6: Favorite mythological creature
• Day 7: Least favorite character
• Day 8: Most relatable character
• Day 9: Least relatable pony
• Day 10: Favorite pony type
• Day 11: Favorite ship
• Day 12: Favorite season
• Day 13: Favorite episode
• Day 14: Favorite scene
• Day 15: Funniest moment

Hope you're doing okay.

Back to watching Hilda!

>Hilda realizes Trolberg was built in the middle of troll land

>Johanna explains that's why the big wall was built, keeps 'em out

Bet Trolberg mayor made the trolls pay for it.

Heh. Quite a toughie.

Day #15: Funniest moment.

Can't definitely say which, but there's a lot of really excellent humor in this series. Just off the top of my head:

• Day 1: Favorite mane character
• Day 2: Favorite CMC
• Day 3: Favorite princess
• Day 4: Favorite background pony
• Day 5: Favorite villain
• Day 6: Favorite mythological creature
• Day 7: Least favorite character
• Day 8: Most relatable character
• Day 9: Least relatable pony
• Day 10: Favorite pony type
• Day 11: Favorite ship
• Day 12: Favorite season
• Day 13: Favorite episode
• Day 14: Favorite scene

The worst Maury Show episodes are the phobia episodes. They always make their intense phobias feel a lot like a joke, and the audience's giggling and chuckling at their unspeakable fright when they run and wail from it makes me physically sick.

I may sound like that old gramps yelling at some random cloud, but the Toucan Sam redesign sucks. Toucan Sam looks like he was drawn and then the animators realized a mouth was missing. It may resemble the CalArt style, but there’s no effort into it.

Just because Celestia co-ruled Equestria with Luna till retirement doesn’t mean she isn’t incapable of feeling hurt. Twilight’s white lies meant well; she dedicated her play to her and wanted it to succeed. But Twilight knew better than to talk behind her back and not tell the truth about being a bad actress to her. Celestia can take the criticisms, but not Twilight twinging her trust. After spending years of hard work helping her grow and become a strong person, who can blame her.

Three days ago, I said in a status that the taboo shipping in Cardcaptor Sakura (an anime I love) would drive the PC police a little batty.  Well, there was quite a bit of it.

1. Sonomi had a lifelong crush on her cousin, Nadeshiko, which has continued long after Nadeshiko passed away. Apparently, unrequited crushes are part of the Daidouji bloodline, as Sonomi’s daughter, Tomoyo, has one of her own on her second cousin, Sakura.
2. In the anime, Meilin and Syaoran are cousins. Back when they were much younger, Meilin developed feelings for him, and they agreed to marry later in life unless Syaoran found someone he loved more (that being Sakura by the end of CCS).
3. At the age of sixteen, Nadeshiko fell in love with and married Fujitaka, who was a student teacher at the time and about nine years older than her. They got married, have two children, and maintained a loving relationship until she passed away when the younger child, Sakura, was three. (She would be around 33 at the start of the Clow Reed Saga if she was alive.)
4. Ten-year-old Rika Sasaki fell in love with a math teacher named Yoshiyuki Terada, whose age range is between his twenties and early-thirties. In the anime, her crush was unrequited. However, the manga showed they not only had a romantic relationship, but a few panels were dedicated to them becoming engaged as well! 
5. When Kaho was a high school student teacher, she and Sakura’s older bro, Toya, had a brief relationship while he was in high school and she his student teacher (unlike Nadeshiko and Fujitaka, their ages are much closer, and Kaho left Japan for England to begin attending college).
6. You wouldn’t know they were a couple without exposition in the anime (it’s a bit more obvious in the manga), but Yamazaki (whose silly, outrageous lies are a series-long gag) and Chiharu became an item when they were about nine years old and maintained that into the Clear Card Arc.
7. Sakura/Syaoran is the most popular ship in the CCS fandom. Number two? Eriol/Tomoyo, seemingly for being close to the same age, apparently. However, Eriol (the Sakura Card Arc’s lead antagonist) not only intentionally stunted his physical growth, but outside of Nadeshiko’s and Sonomi’s grandfather, Eriol’s probably the oldest human character of the series and is in a relationship with Kaho, who’s likely thirty years younger than him.

I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, but if Trump’s dangerous decision to classify meatpacking workers (who spend long hours in cramped quarters handling meat in frigid temperatures) as “essential” cause someone to quit eating meat out of protest, I can’t blame them.

Any church that violates safety Covid protocols (I.e., mass crowds, no social distancing, service during a lockdown when they were supposed to be closed) should have their tax exemptions permanently revoked.

Hey-lo, everybrony!

How about listening to one of my favorite musical opening numbers?!