SouthpawLink

I'm gonna be myself, no matter what I do And if we're different yeah, I want you to be true to you If you follow me, we'll put our differences aside. We'll stick together and start working on that school pride! C'mon, zev_zev, come aboard the Equetria Girls 2: Rainbow Rocks hype train!

Yes, I saw the sonic rainboom too! It's a little too early for me to comment on it, but I'm quite interested in knowing how they've justified Twilight going back to Earth/the human world. On the Entertainment Weekly Web site, a few posters pointed out that Rarity was escorted by the humanized Diamond Dogs.

At the end of Sweet and Elite, when asked if she knew the rest of Mane Six, Rarity slowly walked backwards before answering that she did. For a split second, I thought she'd deny knowing them in order to maintain favor with the uppercrust ponies. Another very sad moment was when Rarity and Spike were falling to their doom in Secret of My Excess and Spike tried to confess his love for her before she tearily stopped him, indicating that she already knew. Two truly touching moments! (Seeing Twilight get chewed out in A Canterlot Wedding is also high up there on my list.)

You beat me to it; "love" and "tolerate" do not have quite the same respective meanings in Christianity as they do in our current society (I didn't say "modern" because that usually implies superiority, and I don't think that can be said of the current state of Western civilization). I'd be happy to explain, but I'd rather not derail the topic nor start an argument.

Several years ago (long before I'd ever heard of MLP: FiM), I took the MBTI personality test; can you guess which type (pony) I scored as? Anyway, Twilight's my second favorite pony. I love that she's rational, highly organized and that she loves to study; she reminds me so much of myself! (I also enjoy watching her go crazy over missing deadlines!)

@GrimCW It's a real religion: http://englishrussia.com/2010/02/17/russian-gadget-hackwrench-religion/

Respectfully, I think you have overanalyzed certain aspects of the episode. There actually is some scientific evidence behind the phenomenon known as "love at first sight." Overall, I think much of the episode rings true as to how things work in real life. People will go to great lengths to get someone else to become attracted to them, and some will still have feelings for another even after finding out that that person likes somone else (I can vouche for the latter point from personal experience). The smallest positive gestures can give us hope that our crush is finally coming around; again, I've been there. As for Rarity having a crush on Trenderhoof without having met him, well, this happens in real life, too. How many teenage girls (and even the rare twenty-something) have pictures of pop stars covering their bedroom walls, and how many faint when they finally see him in concert or up close? It is not uncommon. Perhaps what is odd here is that Rarity is, presumably, more mature -- as well as older -- than your average teenaged girl, and so we'd expect her to be a bit more rational and restrained towards those in whom she's interested. Regarding Rarity getting angry with Applejack, again, love does that to people. It can cause us to act irrationally and make us liable to misinterpret the actions of others. Just as she clung to every positive gesture from Trenderhoof, so too did Rarity misread Applejack's words and actions (that she secretly did want him). Rather than get angry with Trenderhoof for liking Applejack, Rarity directed it towards the object of his affection; again, I have seen this happen before. I think that Rarity's comment to Applejack could have been better phrased, "I had forgotten who I was, but you know me quite well." She changed who she was in order to win Trenderhoof's heart. Maybe it's easier and/or faster to reuse well-known background ponies than it is to come up with brand new ones? I don't think much, if any, thought was put into whence they were coming. Rarity sitting on top of the plough and trying to use it like a carriage was simply a joke, in my opinion, and shouldn't be read into too much. I want to end by saying that I do appreciate the analysises you give on the episodes, and they are a pleasure to read!

Garth once asked Wayne a similar question:

We haven't quite gotten to that point yet, and thankfully so! (The above picture shows a Russian cult that worships a cartoon mouse, Gadet Hackwrench, from Disney's Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers.)

I agree that Trenderhoof was inconsiderate towards Rarity, considering how she so obviously threw herself at him. He should have recognized her affection towards him and let her down gently. That, however, would probably have made for a short episode. He actually gave her some attention here and there throughout much of the episode and that's what made her feel as though she still had a chance with him. Anyway, I love watching Rarity be a drama queen, and so this episode delivered in that respect. I'm not quite sure yet where to rank "Simple Ways" among Rarity's episodes; it's pretty good, but I'm certain that it isn't my favorite. Edit: I think "Sweet and Elite" is my favorite. I haven't watched too many episodes more than twice, so I'll have to refresh my memory before being able to rank all of them.

A great episode overall, but it would have been nice if Rarity's obession over Trenderhoof had been even briefly mentioned in a prior episode (preferably, in a prior season); I know it's difficult to plan that far off in advance, but still, it would have made this episode that much better. Also, when Rarity asked Spike how could he know what it's like to be obsessed with some other pony who likes somepony else, perhaps her sadness caused her to forget that time when she and Spike were plummeting towards Equestria and she acknowledged his love for her. I can totally understand Rarity getting angry at AJ because Trenderhoof liked the latter; brain activity is similar in those who are in love and those who are on drugs (we're not ourselves when we're head over heels for somepony else). Applejack, for a brief time, became an obstacle for Rarity's most desired object, and that caused her to be angry and envious. Love has the capacity to override everything else we enjoy/care about, and sadly, including our friends as well. While watching the episode, I thought Applejack would get her key by teaching Rarity the value of being honest with herself about who she is (based on the synopsis that she'd be out of character to gain Trenderhoof's affection).

I'll agree to wait and see, and hey, it could make for a very funny episode. On the other hand, I hope that the writers do not return to this well down the road (i.e. having two other Mane Six characters fight over somepony). I'm also hoping that this is a one-off episode, because any long-term romance would undoubtedly affect that pony's relationship with the rest of Mane Six (e.g., having to divide her time between him and them, on top of her job) in a negative way (most likely).

Why, yes, that'd be very kind of you! How about a fully-body picture of a smiling Rarity?

I think that Rarity's moment with Spike (when they're falling down to Earth) in "Secret of My Excess" and her siding with the Mane Six at the fancy party in "Sweet and Elite" were two of the series' most powerful moments. And her scenes in "A Dog and Pony Show" jumped out at me as being simply amazing — that's when I transitioned from liking Fluttershy the most to her. So many other people have written well of her, so there's little for me to add. Maybe I'll do a character analysis of my own one day, and I suppose that is praise enough — wanting to write an essay on a cartoon character simply for the fun of it. Rarity is best pony.

Rarity, followed closely by Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy. I like Rarity for her formal manner of speaking, etiquette, love of cleanliness and attention to minor details (cleaning up the books instead of helping with the tree branch). She's a lady and possibly the most mature of the Mane Six. She's not, however, above her friends (she'll try to make them happy, if she believes she knows better than them), even though she desires to be a part of the upper class in Canterlot; she's cultured, and I'm glad that somepony like her is on the show and presented in a positive light. I like Twilight Sparkle for her love of knowledge and rational explanations, her slight social awkwardness and her organizational skills. She can also be sarcastic at times, but she's usually understanding and supportive; she's not one to boast, either. It's funny to see her lose her mind and go crazy every once in a while, usually because she overworked herself. Fluttershy is very helpful but also, obviously, shy. She too has a breaking point. I love her gentle nature and how she's sometimes unsure of herself, even around her friends. These are my three favorite ponies because I can relate to them the most (I see a part of myself in each of them); also, I think Rarity and Twilight Sparkle have gotten the best "focused on them" episodes, and I'm impressed with how well they're both written. I like each member of the Mane Six, and the three unmentioned ones certainly have traits and personality quirks that I'm fond of or wish I had in a greater degree; I find it very hard to rank one of them last.

Regarding Fluttershy, she does seem more confident around animals, and she'll stand up for herself and others if she's pushed far enough. She's also quite close to Rarity (going to the spa with her) and tried to please her even though she wasn't happy modeling; I'd say that makes her loyal as well. And her shyness isn't extreme enough to keep her from leaving her home and going food shopping or attending parties. Plus, she does know a thing or two about fashion (a hidden passion of hers, perhaps?).