Dr. Mechano

I do eventually want to see Rarity paired off with a non-mane 6 character, like everyone else has been (except for Applejack, incidentally, who was paired off with Pinkie before). However, I could never be sick of seeing them together, and I think their friendship has tons of great potential for memorable lines and character growth. By the time this issue releases, it'll be Applejack's second FF (and we'll have seen Pinkie's second as well, with Luna), so there's always a chance to see Rarity co-star with someone else in the future!

http://www.equestriadaily.com/2014/05/friends-firever-8-and-main-series-22.html#more You were saying? MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #8 Date: 8/13/2014 (W) Katie Cook (A) Andy Price (CA) Amy Mebberson It's road trip time with Applejack and Rarity! When the two friends discover they are headed to the same destination, they naturally decide to ride together. A seemingly easy trip turns disastrous when calamity upon calamity interrupts their journey! Will Applejack and Rarity's friendship... or sanity... survive the trip? We'll be seeing Rarity and Applejack costar in an issue this August! Hyped for it already!

Friends Forever #5, starring Fluttershy and Zecora, was released today! When the animals start talking inexplicably, Fluttershy goes to see Zecora for help, and together the two run a series of tests to determine whether Fluttershy's hallucinating or the critters have actually gained speech. Hijinks ensue for a while, but then we get a plot twist by learning that.... The comic was really cute, and it was great to see Zecora finally get (or at least co-star in) a focus issue of her own. She definitely had some great lines here, and Fluttershy didn't disappoint either. The surprise appearance from the special guest (see spoilers) was also great.

My favorite character as a kid was Mario, so I wouldn't say adults are inherently uninteresting or unrelatable to children. Imprecise or not, though, she does call them adults, so I'm going with that.

Another Rarity (and Spike) episode! I enjoyed this a lot. While it's nowhere near Rarity Takes Manehattan or even Simple Ways tier, it's still an episode of fun, hilarious Rarity antics. Always good to see my favorite pony hamming it up like she does best. Spike was cool here too; Definitely one of his better outings.

Actually, Faust herself called them young adults who only act like and have the maturity level of teenagers. If this isn't confirmation, I don't know what is.

The most exciting part for me was when McCarthy and Rogers both confirmed that Rarity is an adult, and explicitly not a teenager. I've been debating about the ponies' ages for a while (and I feel it's obvious that these ponies who live on their own and have jobs are adults), so this is good final confirmation.

"Filli Vanilli" was really enjoyable. But before I gush over it, I have a minor complaint to make: For all this episode tries to maintain continuity by having a flashback to "Bridle Gossip," it still utterly falters when it comes to remembering Fluttershy's previous public performances. Fluttershy has sung in front of others multiple times, including on stage in front of a crowd of strangers in "Hearth's Warming Eve." For her to suddenly be so timid that even singing in front of her closest friends freaks her out strikes me as a major incongruity, especially in an episode that tries so hard to use previously-established episodes as a backdrop. It's a minor complaint overall, but it was pretty distracting for me personally. Also, I normally don't agree with the complaints that Pinkie has been out of character this season, but I will concede to them for this episode. Pinkie is generally way more empathetic than this; Remember "Griffon the Brush-off," where Pinkie doesn't even want to play a small prank on Fluttershy due to how sensitive she is. Pinkie should, and usually does, understand when she upsets someone, and it feels really jarring to see her so clueless here. With that out of the way, man, this episode did a lot of things right. This is some of the best Rarity/Fluttershy interaction since "Green Isn't Your Color," and it's nice to see that Rarity did learn from that episode; She's really considerate toward Fluttershy here, and gives her multiple opportunities to back out of performing rather than pressuring her or insisting "she must." It's nice to see natural progression like this, and is one of the reasons I like this episode so much. While she wasn't the main character, Rarity definitely was in top form here. Fluttershy herself really was interesting this time around. Ignoring my complaints about selective continuity, her disparity between a love of singing and a fear of attention really did feel natural, and her dilemma is easy to sympathize with. Her progression throughout the episode, as she goes from reluctant to enthusiastic about her role, was great to see too. I also like how the ending handled her development, going with "baby steps" toward larger performances, which honestly is a more realistic take on overcoming stage fright (whether it contradicts earlier episodes or not). And of course, I was thrilled to see Big Mac finally sing. A man of few words, when he does say something (other than yeps and nopes, anyway), it's always memorable. I like the callback to "Hears and Hooves Day" too. I guess Cheerilee really might have some feelings for the big guy after all. All in all, this one gets a solid "pretty good" from me. It wasn't without its problems, but the stuff it did right, it really did right.

"Simple Ways" is Rarity's second (and Applejack's third) focus episode of the season, and while it doesn't quite live up to "Rarity Takes Manehattan," it's still tons of fun. First, this is one of the funniest episodes since... well, the previous episode! Rarity's hackneyed attempts at "simple country livin'" made me laugh harder than I've laughed in a long time. Major props to Tabitha St. Germain's voice work here; The way Rarity slips in and out of her country accent was a nice touch as well. Applejack is no slouch when it comes to comedy either, though in her case it's simply dry wit in reaction to Rarity's and Trenderhoof's over-the-top antics. Ever since "Look Before You Sleep," I've really enjoyed Rarity's and Applejack's friendship, and this episode does not disappoint. The interaction between the two friends is both hilarious and heartwarming, as Applejack goes from irritated to aghast to genuinely concerned for Rarity's well-being. As Rarity said, Applejack knows Rarity, and as a close friend, may know her better than she knows herself. I love that, and I think of just how far the two of them have come since their first time co-starring in an episode together. The lesson is good, and one that applies to all kinds of relationships, not just romantic ones. If you have to fundamentally change who you are to get someone to like you, then it's not worth it. Be yourself, and accept that some people just won't be into you, and that's okay. Trenderhoof himself is, interestingly, just as guilty of not being true to himself as Rarity. I found that to be a nice way to wrap up the episode, as Rarity not only learns a lesson, but helps another character learn it as well. Rarity accepting herself for who she is, and moving on from her crush on Trenderhoof, was a great moment of growth for her. Minor note: I was very pleased at Pinkie's portrayal here as well. While she wanted to host the event, she took the results very well, showing that last week's lesson in "Pinkie Pride" really resonated with her! Anyway, "Simple Ways" is every bit as great as I expected it to be. I'm still grinning from ear to ear as I type this, and as a Rarity fan, my day has been made. Go watch it if you haven't yet!

To those who keep saying she already had one, Rarity was invited to parties, but she's never had her own yet. So far, we've seen birthday parties for the following characters: Gummy (Party of One) Pinkie Pie (Party of One) Twilight Sparkle (Sweet and Elite) Spike (Secret of My Excess) Rainbow Dash (Pinkie Pride) We haven't seen birthdays for Fluttershy, Rarity, or Applejack yet - so those could (and should) definitely happen at some point in the show!

"Pinkie Pride" takes a strong second place for me, right after "Rarity Takes Manehattan" as one of season 4's best. This episode was a joy to watch from start to finish, and much like Pinkie Apple Pie, gave Pinkie some much-needed depth beyond sight gags and comic relief. This is why we like Pinkie; Not just because she's funny, but because she's also a great character, with her own conflicts and insecurities to overcome, as well as a genuine love for her friends. "Pinkie Pride" absolutely exemplifies this, and might just replace "A Friend In Deed" as my favorite Pinkie Pie episode. Cheese Sandwich himself was a ton of fun, and was used just enough to be an entertaining foil for Pinkie without overstaying his welcome. I enjoyed his backstory as an admirer of Pinkie's own party-planning expertise, and was glad to see him as a well-meaning rival rather than a truly malicious antagonist. Songs were fantastic, and I really got a kick out of Pinkie's "Smile" getting the Weird Al treatment in particular. The visual gags were as over-the-top as you'd expect from a Pinkie episode, and all in all, the whole 22 minutes was extremely fun and brimming with high energy. I really appreciated all the continuity nods to earlier episodes too. A lot of love went into this episode, and it shows. You just keep being awesome, season 4.

Why exactly is "girly" a bad thing, though?

In most other cartoons, an affluent fashionista like Rarity would be cast as little more than a flat, unsympathetic antagonist. You know this type; The snob, the bully, the mean girl. Indeed, a possession of wealth and love of fashion seem to go hand in hand with shallow elitism or outright villainy in most media. However, Rarity defies convention by going against her stereotype, proving to be one of the most (if not the most) complex, sympathetic characters on the show. For this reason alone, Rarity deserves respect, for turning tropes on their heads and standing out as a truly unique character. When you get right down to it, there's nothing wrong with having a taste for the finer things, and it's perfectly reasonable that one can be both a good person and a socialite; The two need not contradict, and in Rarity's case, they definitely don't. Rarity is wealthy, but also generous. She lives a life of luxury, but also works hard for it. She prefers cleanliness, but isn't afraid to get dirty or fight monsters to save the day. I think what I'm saying here is that Rarity seems like a direct rebuttal to the assumption that wealth, fashion, etc. are wrong, or somehow lesser pursuits than anything else. Rarity's interests are never portrayed as fruitless or vain, but rather as her passion, her art, and even her livelihood. On the subject of fashion, Rarity flies in the face of yet another trope, in that she is portrayed not as a shopaholic, but as an artist. Rarity is creative, inspired even. Her medium just happens to be clothes instead of a canvas, which has been her passion since childhood. This is what she loves, not as a trend-follower, but as a creator. And isn't creativity a great value to send to any audience of this show? Whether your creative passion is art, writing, music, or even clothes, pursue it! Speaking of pursuits, let's talk a bit about money. Rarity is almost definitely the most well-to-do of the main six, financially speaking, but what I find interesting is that she didn't grow up rich. Rarity hails from an ordinary middle-class family in Ponyville; Her parents are anything but the high-society lady she presents herself as, and this backstory shows considerable ambition on Rarity's part. Rarity started her own business, by herself, with nothing but her own vision and skills, and managed to become a successful businesswoman all on her own. This, I dare say, is an incredibly feminist role-model; Rarity is a strong, independent woman who achieved financial and business success all by herself, and she's awesome for it. In a world where we're repeatedly told that ambition is a bad thing, I like that Rarity is an unapologetically positive portrayal of an ambitious entrepreneur. Not that her wealth makes her miserly, of course. Rarity is, after all, the element of generosity. Rarity seems to take on the philosophy of noblesse oblige, the belief that with great prestige, wealth, and privilege comes great responsibility to use it to benefit others. Rarity is incredibly successful, but does she hoard her bits and gemstones in a huge vault, Scrooge McDuck-style? Nope, she freely shares her wealth, happy merely at the prospect of making others happy. Rarity's generosity doesn't only extend to material wealth, of course; Rarity has a generous spirit, and is willing to donate time and effort as well as bits. She's even willing to sacrifice her own appearance, as demonstrated with her tail, to help someone else's. I could gush all day about Rarity's generosity, but I won't. If you want to read more, see my Generosity Master List. Of course, merely having a character who defies convention, sets a good example, and demonstrates generosity isn't quite enough. Rarity is, after all, a character - and her job is to entertain as much as it is to inspire. And entertain she does. Rarity is hilarious, and her voice actor Tabitha St. Germain delivers my absolute favorite vocal performance in the entire series. Never have I seen a character go from prim and poised to completely freaking out and back again with such tremendously funny results. Whenever Rarity's on-screen, magic happens, and I never get tired of watching her. And of course, Kazumi Evans' beautiful singing voice is always a treat. Here's hoping we get another Rarity song soon. Out of a cast of already-amazing characters, Rarity stands out above the pack, and is indisputably my favorite pony. Hopefully, that answers OP's question.

I think "overrated" has come to mean "People are liking something that I don't like."

I drew a thing. Rarity - Keeping Up Appearances by Dr. Mechano I hope you all like it!