Dark Qiviut

Ugh, this is a tough one.

Day #14: Favorite scene.

If this were "favorite moment," that'd be easy. However, as much as I loved the moment of AJ watching two shooting stars as Granny Smith says not everyone may make the next Apple family reunion, I only like — not love — the scene as a whole.

So, going off the top of my head, I'll give my current favorite scenes per seasons:

1. Season 1: Pinkamena at Sugar Cube Corner (up to 2:47).
   Spoiler
   
   Wanna exhibit a set of two differing personalities? Look at this. At the time, Pinkie's psyche spiraled completely out of control, turning the altruistic Earth pony into a lonely grump who had moments of looking quite deranged. Believing her "friends" abandoned her, she's grieving in her own darkly humorous way. But Rainbow Dash, creeped out, showed concern in her own way, not giving up on her and preparing to bring her to Sweet Apple Acres the hard way.
    
2. Season 2: Fluttershy's training montage. (I don't think I need to say any more.)
   Spoiler
   
    
3. Season 3: Dash visits Spitfire's office one more time.
   Spoiler
   
   
   Becoming a Wonderbolt was her lifelong dream. To stick by her own morals and be willing to quit over the WBs compromising her own integrity marks the apex of her character.
    
4. Season 4: Twilight rallies Ponyville to help Dash study.
   Spoiler
   
   
   Figuring out that Dash has the ability to observe and absorb even the smallest details while patrolling the skies, Twilight crafted her best crafted plan of the series: As they fly, Dashie catalogs it all without realizing it. Ponyville's role was also vital, demonstrating the sense of community to help one of their own. In short, it's beautiful.
    
5. Season 5: A party for Moondancer (the first 3:25 in the following video).
   Spoiler
   
   This scene was built perfectly. Twilight invites MD to her party, hoping to fix the painful mistake she made years ago. But MD, still hurt, let out her now famous tirade, unleashing all the frustration, embarrassment, and pain she felt since that day, when Twi's abandonment of Canterlot and rejection made her feel lied to and worthless. As everyone comforts her, Pinkie and Spike bring in those she was close with: the librarian, bookseller, and her sister. Moondancer has friends, and Twilight had the maturity to swallow the most painful lesson of the entire series.
   
   And for a very close second, Spoiled Rich confronting her daughter. People like Spoiled exist in real life, and bullies often face hardships back home. No matter how much you hated Diamond Tiara then, one thing's for certain — you hated how her mom emotionally abused her. It was sickening. "The Pony I Wanna Be" only adds to DT's sorrow.
6. Season 6: Spike confronts her friends inside the castle.
   Spoiler
   
   The group of Starlight and Twilight have already begun to doubt the franticness of Shining and Cadance's army, but the latter has a point. With their harrowing experience with changelings back in the day, they're preparing themselves in case they try to invade again. Little did they know that Spike walked past security, confronted them all, and defended Thorax in front of everyone, willingly sacrificing his celebrity status to do the right thing. When no one was going to give him a chance, Twi stepped up, and the rest followed.
    
7. Season 7: The altar.
   Spoiler
   
   
   When things began to get bleak for both Buttercup and Bright Mac, he arranged a nighttime wedding with Mrs. Cake, Burnt Oak, and Mayor Mare at the site that divided the Pear and Apple orchards. So much goes on just a small amount of time. Pear Butter agreeing to marry on the spot, sealing their vows by planting their own seeds in the rivaling orchard. Granny and Grand confronting them too late. But most importantly, the moment that drove the episode's primary moral of grieving over a mistake you can't repair: Rather than welcoming the Apples, an incensed Grand disowned his daughter at the altar and never saw her again.
    
8. Season 8: The ReMane 7 reunite and reconcile.
   Spoiler
   
   This argument had brewed for a while, beginning with Twi's frustration over the photographer arriving late. Throughout their trek, everything went haywire, and bumping into Chryssie's counterparts without knowing it didn't help any matters. Their anger felt real and raw. Tensions boiled over. It was the closest the Bearers of Harmony ever came into disbanding. But Twilight was able to lead the charge and get everyone, including herself, back on the right page. What started as dramatic ended heartwarming.
   
   Another excellent scene is the famous "DRINKIN' THROUGH A STRAW!" Aside from just being hysterical , it brought another magnificent point that Confalone brilliantly crafted. Dash's "tough love" only made Scootaloo feel more and more alienated and unbelonging. Lightning Dust told Dash right in front of her that anyone is welcomed to the Wonderbolts, making her believe the Washouts were more inclusive to disabled pegasi like her. Was Dash right to be scared? Of course! But combining the worry with her own ego only made Scoot trust Dash less. The "tough love" was the breaking point, driving her into joining Dust's team.
    
9. Season 9: This whole damn clip!
   Spoiler
   
   Big Mac felt disappointed in himself for screwing up, believing he wasn't living up to his late parents' legacies. But Sugar Belle reassured that despite the trials today and then, they won't have to figure it all out alone anymore. The dual proposal was one of the cutest moments of the series. Applejack being the one they spoke to. The setting sun sitting perfectly within the heart of the intertwining tree, symbolically suggesting that Bright Mac and BC welcome their marriage. Grand Pear giving his unconditional blessings to his grandson by attending their wedding and cheering their marriage.

• 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

Happy birthday!

Wrestler Hana Kimura's death at 22 years through what may be a suicide really highlights just how cancerous cyberbullies/trolls on social media can be. It doesn't matter how famous they are or not, these are real people behind the computer. Trolling can hurt, and trolling can kill. You never know when that limit has been reached. Now because of these cyber terrorists, a mom lost her only child.

Off-Broadway's Daddy Long Legs (based on the 1912 novel) is one of my all-time favorite musicals. A sneaky sense of humor, well-balanced pace, a good bit of drama when it needed the emotion, and an outstanding musical score.

An answer so easy that I could write it in my sleep!

Day #13: Favorite episode.

Greatest love story in MLP? Triple ✓✓✓!

One of the best paced episodes? ✓✓✓!

Great humor? ✓!

"You're in My Head Like a Catchy Song"? ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓!!!

Grand Pear, MLP's most tragic character?   ✓✓✓✓.

Heartwarming, tearjerking ending? A ✓ so goddamn massive that 72pts is too small!!!!

It's a masterpiece! The greatest My Little Pony episode of all time!

• 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.

Nitrogen Studios did a great job animating Thomas & Friends and Sausage Party, but its treatment of its animators during the production process of the latter is complete trash. Animators are the hardest workers of anyone during the production process, and they deserve way more respect than the abuse from Greg Tiernan. How poetic that his studio got bought out.

Aside from the idiot from Ponyville who thought it was a good idea to mix three styles of race buggies on one double-figure-eight track, Cart Before the Ponies's biggest sin was how bland and boring it was. Cars 2's story was a complete mess, but at least the action and racing are exciting. CBtP was too standard, too simple, and the race itself lacked any tension.

Yay! All caught up!

Day #12: Favorite season.

The season that featured, at the time, the best villain, the best villain song, and an extremely satisfying reformation of a complex villain who needed it.

Season 5 is peak Friendship Is Magic. From the beginning, the show was high-octane in being as good as it can be. Each of the following episodes are among the best of the series.

• The Cutie Map: Best two-parter at the time. Imagery was unsettling. Starlight's method of making ponies join her cult happens in real life and, despite the dark humor, grounds the episode into reality. Little bits like the M6's argument help buffer their own point of how differing opinions and tastes don't affect your friendships. Fluttershy had her bravest moment to date: outing Starlight in front of her cult.
• Castle Sweet Castle: S5's most underrated episode. Not too over the top, but Twilight's reasons for not considering her castle her home is completely justified. The library's cozy and warm, while the castle is huge, new, and cold. Trying to help her castle feel more like home shows why the RM5 are her dearest friends. On top of that, great chemistry between Twi and Spike and an excellent moral of how home's about the memories you have and creating new ones.
• Slice of Life: A 22-minute romp of great humor, a very solid story, S5's finest moral, and a heartwarming resolution of how every one's role and story matter.
• Amending Fences: Spike's sudden realization of Twi being a bad friend in Canterlot turned its only flaw into a massive strength. Through this cold open, Twilight went to Canterlot to settle the score on some terrible deeds she made in the past, one of which negatively affected Moondancer. Moondancer's one of the most personal character in the show's history, and her tirade at the climax is one of the most gut-wrenching moments of the series.
• Lost Mark: FIM's best musical episode. Excellent setup to get the CMCs to rally for Pip. The CMCs had every reason to reject Diamond Tiara, but did so anyway (top moment of the season). "The Pony I Wanna Be" = heartbreaking. DT's path to redemption's satisfying. Their Cutie Mark moment a fantastic payoff.
• The Mane Attraction: AJ's best episode outside Perfect Pear. For the first time all series, her stubbornness was a strength, stayng by her convictions after watching Svengallop manipulate Rara's every move and phone in her fame. The Magic Inside is outstanding, emotional, and fulfilling.
• Re-Mark. No more needs to be said.

Preferential order of seasons remains 5 > 8 > 9 > 7 > 2 > 1 > 4 > 3 > 6.

• 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.

Some parts of Thomas & Friends/The Railway Series haven’t aged very well. One of them is how mean The Fat Controller was to James early in the series. James had an accident on his first day of the job, leading to a need to be repaired. Then when he came back, he accidentally let off a steam fart on TFC’s top hat and accidentally chugged with Edward too far off the platform. Mistakes like these do NOT warrant a threat to paint his proud red coat blue!

Swore to catch up tonight! Time for Day 11! 

Day #11: Favorite ship.

No way I’ll spill it without playing a little game!

Tell you what. Before you peak into the spoiler box below, I want you to take a couple of guesses. Think about a ‘ship and try to guess to yourself how it matches me. Then you can open it.

…

…

…

Ready?

Are you sure…?

…

…

…Okie-dokie-lokie!

• 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.

Happy birthday!

Daring Doubt is Dash's second-best appearance of S9. Yes, her rush to judgment was written to be in the wrong, but at no point does Dubuc demonize her for acting the way she did. Caballeron's history with Daring Do and herself more than warrented those fears, even as Fluttershy's kindness and patience helped Caballeron appreciate her and quasi-reform.

Never got the chance to write for today’s day for the MLP Challenge, and I will be going to sleep in under two hours. I’ll do double duty for it tomorrow.

…boo.

*writing for the challenge early*

Day #10: Favorite pony type.

Hint: Look at the "MLP" section of my profile page.

OK, that's being a little pain. It's bat ponies, silly!

https://www.deviantart.com/hua113/art/Night-guards-348960120

Bat ponies have that interesting design beyond the traditional four races. Thin pupils, bat-like wings, intimidating presence. Luna's bat ponies — Nocturn & Echo — commanded attention, and so did FS when she became one during Bats! More than six years since Bats! first aired, bat ponies still have a very dedicated following that ain't going away anytime soon!

• 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.

And that's all with Rapunzel's Enemy. This is better than What the Hair? Mostly grounded and laid back, this episode explores an external conflict. Someone from Corona doesn't like her, and being her impulsive self, she has to figure out why and how to help. The only criticisms I have for the episode is how Monty had a really petty reason to dislike her and how the tension escalated very quickly thanks to Monty stupidly taking Raps's advice too literally.

Kinda ironic that originally, he had no real reason to dislike her, but at the end, he really did. If she was a little more patient with Corona's Fat Controller, then he might've given her another chance. But by deceiving him and lying to him about herself, he betrayed her trust. So why he doesn't like her now is her own fault. Raps has to deal with it, which she seems to have no probs with.

And while the B-plot doesn't really go completely anywhere, it didn't need to. It accomplished its intent: establish the (lack of) chemistry between Cassandra and Eugene. While they didn't like each other before, it's become clearer here. Cass doesn't think he treats this Gopher Grab tradition is that big of a deal, and his lack of respect for it tests her patience.

Altogether, a nice outing.

• Before Ever and After: B+

1. What the Hair?: C+
2. Rapunzel's Enemy: B

Well, Raps, I can't blame Grunkle Monty for being pissed off at you for painting on his Sweet Shop sign w/o permission.

Raps: *groans, faceplants on Rarity's rejected drama chaise* He hates me.

>Raps starts Operation Make Stuff
>buttons fall after she turns chalkboard
>Pascal: *facepalm*

Uh-oh.

OK, now watching Rapunzel's Enemy. This is a better start so far in comparison to What the Hair? Rapunzel, now no longer so sheltered, faces the existential crisis of being booed at by Monty. She's very likeable, but can't face the fact that there's some jerk out there who's not evil, yet doesn't like her.

And Cass and Eugene don't like each other, do they?

I may be a critic, but I'm not afraid to change my mind if I feel I misjudged something. Watching Toy Story with open eyes after spending much of my childhood disliking it made me gravitate towards and understand it a lot more. Initially, I hated Flight to the Finish, but loved it after giving it another chance. Conversely, after liking Yakity-Sax for a while, I no longer do. *points at most recent previous status* I also stick by my guns, even if it's not the most popular, e.g., continued support for Starlight's reformation, her reasons for becoming bitter toward cutie mark magic for so long, and my love for S8.

But one person shouldn't have all that weight to sway lots of people. No one should have to depend on a critic to make their own judgment. But when people look at criticism to help gauge what to see or not, you should know what you're doing and not conform to peer pressure when a presence accidentally makes you reconsider.

Day #9: Least relatable character.

Doing two here.

1. Zesty Gourmand. Kudos for sticking to her guns of what she likes about food and atmosphere. But frankly, a restaurant toilet has better taste than her. Every dish must have no flavor. All the walls must have the same style. To her, being soulless copycats determines a good restaurant. You're gonna leave the restaurant wanting to run to a takeout after spending 70 bits on crumbs. If I lived in Canterlot, I wondered who the hell wants to hire her.
2. Praiser Pan. Like Zesty above, he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about. Everywhere he looked, he's like your stereotypical armchair quarterback complaining that they can coach better. He's a critic simply to spite others. Yet when Celestia showed up out of the blue, he cowed to pressure, praising FS when he clearly hates everyone. Bravo, ya sad, cowardly goat.

• 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.

OK, I understand how passionate Pinkie feels about playing with the yovidaphone, but parts of Yakity-Sax really bother me now.

• How Pinkie had no idea about folks' negative responses to her bad playing. It's one thing to know maybe a day or even a week ahead, but at least two months already passed. No one gave Pinkie the slightest indication that they don't like what she hears. Either Pinkie is so unobservant or Ponyville's been sheltering her all this time.
• The fact that there's absolutely zero presence of the School is troubling. If this took place in seasons 6 or 7, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But in season 8, Pinkie's a professor. Her teachings have a profound impact on Equestria and its relations abroad. What about Starlight, who helps run the school? What about Twilight's exchange students, who live on Ponyville grounds while the school's running? It's as if they don't even exist.
  
  You'd think Pinkie would be thinking about how loving to play the yovidapohone this much would impact her teaching.
  
  You'd think Yona would be somewhat familiar with it.
  
  You'd think about how the rest of the Mane cast would consider what the repercussions would be in how they address their blunt feedback to Pinkie, who's also a colleague.
  
  This is not the time for the Fox Brothers to incline that continuity stays still just after S5; remove Dash being a Wonderbolt and the sanctuary during the montage, and it would've fit in between Seasons 5 and 6.
• Because with the way Pinkie Pie occasionally behaves around the yovidaphone and how apathetic and depressed she reacts when not playing it, it's as if she's addicted to it. However, YS doesn't play it that way, instead focusing entirely on it being the enjoyment of a hobby. She plays it because she wants to, not needs to, genuinely believes she's spreading that joy elsewhere, and feels enormously pressured by the outside not to do it. (The moment where she plays it while Dash and the other Wonderbolts are racing is quite funny, tho.)
  
  As is, the episode and moral are right to say that not liking what they hear doesn't entitle them to tell them not to play it anymore. The RM6 were completely at fault for exasperating a situation that could've been avoided had they told her any type of critique that ISN'T the horrific "We hate your music, so stop playing it!" But stretching it to 22 minutes with an ultra-depressed Pinkamena, a tone that got quite serious following the first act, and mostly unfunny jokes in the beginning makes the plot as is super-thin. The addiction implications surrounding Pinkie's desire to play it even at inappropriate times and (according to Maud) how not playing it gave her life "no meaning" overshadow it more.

So, yeah, Yakity-Sax sucks. Overtly serious, clumsy, bare-boned, under-thought, poor dialogue, unfortunate addiction implications, plays as if Seasons 6's second half onward don't exist. Third-worst episode of S8 and BY FAR worst episode of its second half.

Grade change: B- —> D (from #114 —> #173 [worst D episode]).

>Karen fish whines over not having drink w/ pizza, slams door in Spongebob’s face

>SB wails

>Squidward storms to customer’s door, slams it several times

Fish: *opens door* Another one? Look, I told your friend I ain’t payin’ for that!

Squidward: Well, this one’s on. The. House! *slams box in his face*

——

 Customer deserved that!