Batbrony

Superman (2025) Teaser Trailer Good evening, everypony. I noticed that no one had posted a thread on James Gunn's upcoming Superman film in the aftermath of the first teaser's release, so thought I'd fix that. Now, I'm not here to break down the teaser second-by-second or anything like that. I will, however, describe what this very promising teaser made me feel. As most of you who know me here know, Batman is and always will be my favorite superhero in general. When it comes to the DC vs. Marvel debate in general, I'm not a hater or anything, but I do prefer the DC universe as a whole over the Marvel one. It's just a personal preference though, it's not that I dislike Marvel or anything, merely that I slightly prefer what DC can be at its best in particular. Now, that all being said, coming from an admitted Bat-fanatic, I am telling you my sincere and honest feelings when I say... that Superman has, and always will have, the potential to be the most special superhero out there for everyone. It's not simply that he's the OG superhero of comic books. It's not that he has the biggest fanbase (he probably doesn't). But there is not a single superhero out there who, when they have creators who know how to handle them correctly and what they are all about at their core, is better suited to inspire hope in others. To push people to want to be better today than they were the day before. To do whatever little we can to make this world a better place than it was when we came into it. That is Superman at his core. He may be the "big blue boyscout" or even have big nicknames like "the Man of Steel" or "the Man of Tomorrow," but there's a quietness to him that truly lifts him to a far more special status than people realize. You see, Superman's not going to introduce himself as the Man of Steel or the Man of Tomorrow. Superman's the type of guy who, no matter how powerful he is, when asked by someone "Who are you?" is happy to simply reply "A friend." That is my single favorite scene of the first Christopher Reeve's Superman film, and it gets to the core of who Superman is and why he's so special. This movie, for the little we've seen and know about it, seems to GET Superman. James Gunn genuinely loves the comic book characters he works with, and appears to have a genuine passion for Superman and what is most important about him to people. Even the tagline, something as simple as "Look up" seems to get it, it reminds me of the original film's tagline "You'll believe a man can fly." And if he pulls this off as the launchpad for his DCU, I think not only are we in for a real treat, but that Superman (2025) very well may prove to be one of the most special and important superhero films in years. After all, I think all of us can agree that we could all use a little bit more hope right about now. But what do you think, everypony? What are your thoughts on the teaser, the film itself, or even just Superman as a character? I would love to see all of your thoughts below.

Yeah and I mean this is probably what I'm leaning towards doing. I'll just have to make sure cash tips are prepared ahead of time since they did already communicate that cash is preferred for tips (which is pretty standard for the spa industry). But thanks for chiming in, appreciate all the feedback on this topic!

I hear what you're saying, and I'm certainly not trying to be the part of a problem. As Fluttershutter said, that's unfortunately the reality of tipping culture here in the U.S. For me, my original question was more of a courtesy question than anything else; I don't like to assume what people's salaries are and, based on what I've seen as far as reviews go along, I'm hoping this spa appointment does in fact come with exceptional service, it looks like a very well-reviewed facility. Usually I'm not one to overthink tipping since most of the time it's for services I decided to get that very day, I think the one reason I'm putting thought into it in this case is because it's for a type of appointment I don't always have the chance to book, and which I already booked months in advance, so I'm just trying to make sure I'm prepared to tip accordingly (assuming the service is worthy of the tip, of course). That and, like I said, I've never had a spa appointment where I'll be working with not one, but TWO spa technicians, my massage therapist and esthetician.

Oh I fully accept that different countries have different standards for tipping (or not tipping at all), as a history teacher it's hardly mindblowing that different cultures are going to have different cultural practices. Seems like your system works pretty well for you! Probably not gonna be the route I take, especially given that I don't know what their typical rates are. I AGREE that some places are ridiculous about tipping (there's nothing that peeves me off more than when you're picking up drive thru and they ask if you want to tip, like, why, I had to go there myself and they're not waiting on me???), but with a spa this is both about being courteous but also recognizing that there's a lot of effort and care put into these services (assuming, of course, they are GOOD services). But again, agree to disagree, to each their own. Seems like a good policy, though my question was more specifically about a spa service split between a massage therapist and an esthetician (and both services DON'T cost the same, hence why I'm not sure how I should tip both).

@Iforgotmybrain you raise a fair point but thank you for the feedback. That route may indeed prove to be the better option. Besides, with the appointment being nestled between Christmas and New Year’s Eve I don’t mind giving both a bit extra during the holiday season.

Good evening, everypony! Got a bit of a headscratcher here that I thought I'd run by you lovely folks since I'm not quite sure myself what the right answer is. I just got myself a spa appointment set up for late December at a local place and it'll be my first trip there, but unlike the previous two appointments I've had, this time I know for a fact that I'll be working with at least two spa technicians, a massage therapist for the first half and an esthetician for the second half. My quandary is this: standard tipping at spas is anywhere from 15% at the low end to 25% or more at the high end (with 20% kind of accepted as the baseline medium). The spa let me know that they typically prefer cash tips and said that if I have more than one technician they provide envelopes for splitting the tips. The problem for me is that the first half of my appointment is probably going to be about an hour long and cost $100 while the second half will be AT LEAST $130 (probably more since I may add some add-ons to the facial) and probably somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half long. Typically I'd have no issue tipping both technicians the same amount, but in this case I'm not sure that would work UNLESS I went above 20% for both of them. If I tipped them both 20% for the services provided, my fear is that the massage therapist will feel undervalued, but if I tip them the same amount my fear is that the esthetician may feel undervalued. This place looks lovely and has great reviews, so more than anything I just want to ensure that I'm fairly compensating anyone I'm working with there, especially if there's a chance it could become a spa I end up frequenting in the future. So my question for all of you is what do you think is proper spa tipping etiquette in this instance? Tip your spa ponies, er, spa technicians, everypony!

Thank you very much, @Tao, that sounds like a lovely show you've recommended! And thank you as well for kicking off further reviews, I'm excited what other underrated gems folks may have to recommend! If I may ask, when did this show come out? Is it a product of the 90s, or early 00s? Or am I totally off.

Good evening, everypony. It's been far too long since I posted a thread of any kind on our lovely forums, but I recently got a fun idea in mind that I hope others may enjoy as well. The premise of this thread is quite simple: What are some 'underrated gems' you've adored in media, be they films or television shows, literature, even music or artists? Whatever your underrated gems may be, please provide us with a review of them. It can be as long or as short of a review as you want, I only ask that, if the media in question is telling some kind of story and you go very in-depth into reviewing that story, please disclose if you are about to share any sensitive spoilers. After all, none of us want to ruin the potential experience of these gems for others before they've even had a chance to experience them, now, would we. To start things off, I'll offer a spoiler-free review of a show I just finished that I very much believe strongly fits into the 'underrated gems' category for very good reason: the anime adaptation of 'The Quintessential Quintuplets.' 'The Quintessential Quintuplets' - A Needle in a Haystack For those who aren't familiar with the title, 'The Quintessential Quintuplets' is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by one Negi Haruba (probably his most prominent creation to date). The biggest reason why I believe it is easily an underrated gem starts with the genre it fits into. You see, 'The Quintessential Quintuplets' is... a harem anime. Yes, yes, I know, some of you may be wondering what I'm doing even bringing up this genre. For those who may not know WHAT exactly a harem anime is, I'll try to explain what 99.99999999999% of them are as simply as I can. Essentially, in order to qualify as a harem manga/anime, you need a story where three or more characters have some form of romantic feelings for the main protagonist (usually, but NOT always, a high school age male character). In many harem stories, it is VERY possible that the protagonist may even end up in the long term in romantic relationships with all or most of their love interests in the story, no matter how ill-advised or unrealistic such a conclusion may seem. Another popular outcome is that the story will end with the protagonist ending up with only one of their love interests, BUT, in order to satisfy the all of their fans who may favor different love interests, the creator of a harem manga/anime may actually create multiple endings where the fans can see the protagonist ending up with their favored love interest (which some people seem to be cool with but me, IDK, I feel like that's kind of cheating). Harem stories are notorious for a few reasons. Generally speaking, they unapologetically engage (almost as their singular focus at times) in rampant fan service and low-brow humor (even great ones like 'High School DxD' do just that, though that particular title does it so hilariously over-the-top that one could argue it's at least aware of what it's doing). Most of the time, it is about as low-brow wish fulfillment as you could get in published stories, not all that different from what you might encounter in really bad fanfiction. Here's where 'The Quintessential Quintuplets' first stands out in this genre. You see, right from the start, the story makes clear that not only is our protagonist, Futaro Uesugi, going to end up with one of the titular quintuplets... he's going to straight up marry ONE of them! And, seeing as they are (largely) identical quintuplets, the readers/viewers are going to spend most of the story trying to figure out just who he ends up with. Already you can see that this is a stark contrast to what I've described above as constituting the majority of harem stories. From the get-go, you've got (1) a promise that there will only be one definitive love interest at the end of the story and (2) a mystery to try to unravel based on whatever breadcrumbs the author might give you along the way. But what about the characters themselves? How do they hold up? This brings us to the meat of my review. I'm going to spend the rest of this review setting up for you the six main characters in as spoiler-free a manner as I can, along with a few odd notes here and there about the animation and storytelling. I want people to check out this show (or the manga, whichever you prefer) but I think it's most enjoyable going into it without knowing entirely what to expect. Still, if you prefer going in totally blind, stop here now and just read the rest of my review after you've checked out the story for yourself. The Main Characters Futaro Uesugi Futaro Uesugi is an interesting protagonist to describe because he is simultaneously a strength of the story, but ALSO one can easily argue NOT the main reason one would get hooked onto the story. He is neither a flawless 'knight in shining armor' nor an unrepentant, over-the-top pervert (two of the more common tropes for male protagonists in harem manga/anime), but rather a flawed character in his own right who has plenty of growing to do of his own. Despite the fact that he has nearly flawless grades and an impeccable work ethic, there's a lot of social cues and just things about people in general that Uesugi DOES NOT understand at the start of the story, and it greatly hampers him in what is for a good chunk of the show his main endeavor, that is, tutoring the five sisters (who all have pretty abysmal grades). It's an awkward situation as is, but the fact that he's quite a bit of a workaholic curmudgeon and just doesn't easily get along with people - with the exception of his dad and little sister - in general makes his job ten times harder, since he really has to force himself to learn and grow quite a bit in order to actually gain the trust and respect of any of the sisters. His journey is a fun and satisfying one to watch, and believable too since he never leans into any character type in too extreme of a manner. Hell, at many points he's behaving just as ridiculously, if not even more so, as any of the sisters ever do, and it makes the show's antics all the more enjoyable to watch. That said, there are points in the show where it can feel like Uesugi is more plot device than the main character of the show. Partially this is simply because I think for most viewers at some point the sisters will become the main reason they're along for the ride - both because you'll probably figure out who your favorite is, get caught up in the mystery of who 'the Bride' will end up being, and just get really invested in the sister-dynamics between all five of them as well as their growing relationships with Uesugi - but I think it's also because, for like 95% of the show, Uesugi IS NOT pursuing any kind of romantic relationship. This is a strength, don't get me wrong, it is genuinely pleasant that the majority of the show is just focused on how the base relationships between all six main characters grow outside of romance, and I don't think it would be possible for the mystery aspect of the story to work if he was more actively involved in the romantic pursuits himself, BUT it does mean that the majority of romantic intentions or inclinations for most of the story are developed and pursued by the sisters themselves, which sometimes leaves Uesugi feeling like a 'prize at the end of the tunnel' if that makes sense. Still, he's a very good and very well-written main character, even if I would hardly ever say he's the main reason everyone's here for the ride. Ichika Nakano I'll be real, ya'll have NO idea what a dramatic mess this character can be The "big sister" of the quintuplets (namely because she was literally the firstborn out of the bunch), Ichika is almost as frustrating as she is compelling. Compared to some of the other sisters, she is much more sure about the things that she wants in life (which I will NOT spoil here) and decisive about wanting to pursue those things, but she can also be a bit of a hot mess despite herself. This means that QUITE a lot of the actions she takes initiate a surprisingly large amount of events in the show, events that don't just impact her but all of the other main characters as well at times, and she doesn't always appreciate the consequences of her actions until they've already caused messes all around. The best way I can describe Ichika without spoiling anything about her is this - there is an excellent chance that at least at SOME points in the show, she will be your favorite quintuplet, and at OTHER points in the show, she won't just be your least favorite, you might straight up hate her guts. Believe me, she is all over the place, but thankfully it never feels necessarily out of character or like bad writing, she's just a bold and brash character with a personality that can be a hot mess a lot of the time. At the end of the day, I found her character arc to be one of the better ones, even if there were some aspects of it that may have been a tad bit unsatisfying. Nino Nakano Oh, in case it wasn't clear from the above image, BEHOLD, the show's tsundere! And boy does she live up to the name... The second oldest of the Nakano sisters, I'll be honest, Nino oftentimes acts more like the oldest than Ichika does. NOT in the sense that she's the most responsible of the sisters, oh no no, far from it, more so in the sense that she oftentimes tries to function as the glue keeping all of the sisters together AS a quintuplet unit. In this role, she's not exactly warm and fuzzy, but rather largely suspicious, if not straight up hostile, to anything she perceives to be a threat to how she and her sisters function together *cough cough* Futaro Uesugi *cough cough*. Yes, in case you hadn't figured it out by now - or haven't heard of the term before - this is our show's tsundere, and for those of you who DO know what that is, you probably won't be surprised to learn that Nino inspires some incredibly strong feelings in fans of the show in terms of how likable and unlikable she can be (if you end up watching both seasons, you will probably find yourself distinguishing between S1 Nino and S2 Nino PRETTY heavily, there is a drastic difference between the two based on the character arc she embarks upon). Overall, it would not be inaccurate to say that she has one of the most drastic character arcs out of any of the sisters, and she is definitely one of the fan favorites with an incredibly passionate fanbase. Me personally, while she was not my favorite of the sisters, she did have my second favorite character arc and by the end of the show I just absolutely adored the direction and execution of her character, not just in how her relationship with Uesugi had developed, but with her entire family as well as the direction she chose to seize for herself in life. Nino Nakano is definitely one of the gems of the show, and definitely responsible for some of its best standout moments that will delight and stick with you as a viewer. Miku Nakano Hey... you know what time it is? That's right, it's BEST GIRL TIME!!! Ok, I know I am completely basic for liking Miku Nakano the most out of all of the sisters - really the only sister who probably rivals her for fans is the previously discussed Nino - but I can't help it, I just really enjoy this character and the arc she went on (it doesn't hurt that she has a GREAT character design in a show with really good character designs). I won't lie, this is going to be tough you guys, not spoiling anything while describing what makes Miku such a compelling character, but I'll do my best. So Miku is easily the most introverted out of all the sisters, but not really in a Fluttershy way for the most part. In most respects, she seems fairly sociable, she just feels uncomfortable with the idea of shattering the unity of the sisters by having or getting anything they too don't have (she says many times, especially in the first season, that she thinks they're supposed to be equal in most respects and it seems she takes that quite literally). It also means it's very difficult for her to fully latch onto anything that uniquely makes her, well, her, or at the very least be vocal and outspoken about it. So as you can probably guess, a lot of her character arc is all about building her own confidence in herself but, even more importantly, learning how to love herself and accept that it's OK to want or have something that your sisters don't. I wish I could say more than that, but again, I really don't want to spoil anything here. I will also add that I've heard another reviewer point out that it's pretty apparent as the show goes on that, as the most introverted sister, Miku is probably the best observer of the bunch, that is, she can be a wallflower when she wants to be but she probably is the best out of all the sisters at observing and paying close attention to the actions of others, including her sisters. Speaking as a guy who's an introvert myself, that makes total sense; we introverts can oftentimes be so in our own heads that by the time we think of something fitting to say the conversation others are having may have already shifted to a completely different topic, but if we're giving conversation our full attention, we can actually be quite observant. That's probably why I enjoyed her character arc so much, I honestly think that this is a great depiction of an introverted character going on a very realistic and uplifting character arc. It doesn't take her to Fluttershy-like extremes, but still does a nice job of emphasizing how hard certain actions or behavior can be for introverts that other people wouldn't think twice about. I can't guarantee she'll be everyone's best girl, but for me, she was definitely my favorite out of the sisters as well as my favorite character of the show in general. OK, even by anime girl standards this pout face is the stuff of legend! Yotsuba Nakano Ah yes, Yotsuba, the character you'd get if you were to crossover Pinkie Pie's chaotic good nature with Rainbow Dash's freaky athleticism. That's... not even an inaccurate description if I'm being perfectly honest. Anyways, how to describe Yotsuba? Well, she does have a really great character arc, it's just really weirdly paced, and from what I know about the manga, I think the show rearranged the chronology of some of her major character moments and I really don't agree with that writing/directorial decision. I guess the best way I can put it is that, by the time you finish the story, you will probably have a full appreciation of Yotsuba's character, but you'll also be really, really, really frustrated with just how so much of her story has been paced. There are huge stretches of the show that just seem to relegate her to a supporting character role, and it feels weird a lot of the time given that she's one of the first sisters to actually embrace Uesugi and buy into what he's trying to do for the sisters. Personality-wise, besides the RD-like athleticism, there are seriously a ton of parallels that can be drawn between Yotsuba and Pinkie Pie. It's not just that she is such an airhead at times that her randomness reaches unfathomable heights, but much like Pinkie Pie, she does harbor some hidden insecurities and anxieties, and in Yotsuba's case, those have gone a long way towards dictating a lot of her self-worth, or rather, the lack of self-worth she feels about herself. Out of all of the sisters, she probably is the one who naturally struggles the most in her school work; like, the others all either have a single subject they excel most in or, to put it even more plainly, it's usually indicated that a majority of them just haven't applied themselves as much as they could through the years to their school work. Yotsuba, however, is quite literally dumb as a rock, and her default fallback defense mechanism for the insecurities and anxieties that stem from knowing how dumb she is when it comes to academics is to try laughing it off like it's not that big of a deal. In reality, however, it is a HUGE deal for her, and the root cause of a lot of the personal issues and struggles she spends most of the show grappling with. I cannot in good faith say that Yotsuba is my favorite character out of the sisters, far from it, but I will say that the excellence of her overall character arc - even if the execution is a bit clunky - combined with the fact that she is singlehandedly responsible for some of the show's funniest and most random moments, makes Yotsuba a really solid and enjoyable character throughout the entirety of the show. D'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww, I know it's from the manga, but just look at that cute widdle bunny-face she's got going on!!! Itsuki Nakano Oh boy, Itsuki Nakano... Itsuki Nakano is befuddling. Now, do not mistake me, that is NOT to say that she's a bad character. As I've already said, I really enjoyed all of the sisters and truly felt like they were the heart and soul of the show. That said, Itsuki's place in the show AT TIMES is perhaps the most difficult to figure out. She never feels like a third- no wait, um, fifth wheel (I guess), but there are just some times in the show where you can't help but wonder what exactly she wants or if she even knows. She's an enjoyable character, I mean, as the "little sister" of the group she has big "little sister" energy - if that even makes any sense for quintuplets but in this case it kind of does - and her infatuation with food is always a funny gag. I don't want to spoil her main character arc, but I will say that, while all of the sisters mention their mother at some point, Itsuki's in particular is very closely tied with their mother but also discovering herself and who she wants to be, and I really did enjoy that aspect of her character the most. If I had to pick out where she really shines most, I'd say it's really during maybe the first half of Season 2? Maybe the first 2/3 of it, I don't know. THAT SAID, there is an elephant in the room I need to address. Without giving away WHAT exactly it is, Itsuki, through no fault of the character herself, does have literally the single worst story arc of any of the characters, and the messed up part is that it literally comes in the movie that wrapped up the main storyline of the show. The only forgivable thing about it is that it LITERALLY comes and goes, I'm not kidding, it takes up maybe 10-15 minutes of the movie AT MOST, and then it's just GONE. But that's also one of the reasons it's so bad. Again, I can't spoil it, but I assure you, if you get that far, you will know it when you see it, and most likely you will hate it. Those of you who have seen all of QQ already, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Thankfully, it doesn't ruin Itsuki herself, it doesn't really hurt her character at all, it's just a bizarre and completely out-of-left-field moment and I truly, truly can't explain where it even came from. Andddddddd... that's kind of Itsuki, she's a perplexing character at times but not a hard one to enjoy. Itsuki and Pinkie Pie have a lot in common when it comes to their appetite and metabolism... you'll know what I mean if you watch it Miscellaneous Items Since this is a largely character-driven show, there's not a whole lot else to be said, but I will throw in a few short notes about two key points. The Animation You know, it is what it is. Probably the nicest thing I can say about it is that all of the character designs are lovely, and there's some really neat, little details that tie into some key points about the characters. For example, all of the sisters wear some kind of item that denotes how old they are among the sisters, and I'm not even kidding, but as the show progresses - especially towards the end - they do some fun, little changes with Miku's hair to convey how she's growing as a character. I know this is manga art, but I do have to admit I'm a sucker for these character designs But beyond small details like that I really can't say much else. This show isn't an animation masterclass, but it's not meant to be an animation masterclass, so don't go into it expecting one, it is mostly there to deliver a compelling story backed by really, really solid characters, and on that front it delivers splendidly for the most part. The Storytelling This is a VERY tricky one for me to talk about. Because while I have largely no complaints about any of the characters in QQ themselves, the storytelling is kind of another matter. OK, let's start with the good. The premise is probably the strongest element of the storytelling here since it's such a strong, compelling hook for audiences. You're offered the promise that our protagonist will marry one, JUST ONE, of these identical sisters, and you're not even really told how interested in him all five of them will be. Alright, cool, we've got a solid mystery on our hands here. But it gets even better when you realize that this is NOT following typical harem story logic where pretty much every potential love interest falls for the protagonist almost as soon as they meet him/her. No no no, all of the sisters actually develop very DIFFERENT levels of feelings for Futaro at a very different pace. Some of them don't even fall for him at all in Season 1! This makes the execution of the story even more fun to watch, since you have to keep telling yourself, OK, even if I'm cheering for someone who's been in love with him since earlier in the show, there's always a possibility that he's going to end up with someone who doesn't develop feelings for him until later in the show. Yup, love me a good hook combined with solid execution Here's where the story gets tough to evaluate... there's kind of points where it sort of cheats. What I mean by that is that, when you get to the ending, you can honestly say to yourself, "OK, this ending makes sense and I can be satisfied with it... buttttttttttttttttttttttttttt, there's some parts where the show feels like it cheated by withholding some vital information from us for longer-than-necessary stretches." Now, let me be clear, I say THE SHOW feels like it cheated. What do I mean by that? Well, after I finished watching it, I actually learned that they reordered a HANDFUL of key scenes from the manga and frankly I was perplexed by that creative decision to say the least. It truly felt like there was no rhyme or reason to that reordering, and for the life of me I still don't know why they handled it the way they did. The ending of the show itself also really shouldn't have been a movie, and not just from a storytelling perspective. For an anime movie, especially for a show like this, it feels WAY too long, and I'm sorry but the animation quality in the film itself really isn't even an upgrade from what the show itself typically offered so I have no idea why they even finished it as a theatrical film (yes, theatrical) they really would have been better off just making a shorter third season or something. Now, I know it sounds like I'm ragging on the show here, but no, despite the botched execution of some key points in the storytelling, especially when it comes to resolving the mystery, I still really loved and enjoyed the Quintessential Quintuplets. It's a fun show with some very enjoyable characters, but most importantly, when you consider what SO many other harem stories typically are, and then compare that to what THIS show is, it's a bucking miracle, really! Like I said, if you've never watched it before, you really should. I think you'll find that it is, in fact, quite the underrated, hidden gem! Well, that's all I've got for this first review. I'm dying to see what underrated gems you all would like to promote. Have fun with this thread, everypony, and remember, if you do decide to include spoilers, kindly hide them for those folks hoping to check out what you're promoting before they read any, won't you?

Which AMA? I've done some fic contests in the past for our Poniverse group on Fimfiction, if that's what you're referring to. One of my highlights on the forums was also the time I got to interview Elley-Ray Hennessy (the V.A. for Mistmane and several other characters on MLP: FiM, as well as BFFs with Tabitha St. Germain). That was so much fun and I've never really done anything else like that in the fandom, though I did also help with the interviews for a few other guests like Jenn Blake (who was an absolute DELIGHT to get to know!).

*goes to the Muffin-Signal's location* "What do you mean it didn't mean 'FREE MUFFINS!'?!?!"

Thank you Wing, and likewise, feels like we're the old coots of MLP Forums these days!

*sees the signal in the sky*

Thank you so much for the kind words, Dark Horse! I don't think I was at the 2019 BronyCon, I was at I believe the 2016 BronyCon (the only one I ever got to go to, and to date the only pony con I've ever been to) which was I think one of the first times the Poniverse staff had a panel at one of those cons. I can't remember if you were there, I do know a fair number of staff were there. Good to know you're a teacher as well, big time solidarity there. But honestly what gives me even less time is chasing around a two-year old filly like my whirlwind of a daughter! She is quite the spitfire, and it "concerns" my wife and I that in the little she's watched MLP, she already seems to gravitate towards Pinkie Pie the most! I live in SW Michigan, so these days the most likely pony con I'd have the ability to get to would either be Ponyville Ciderfest in Milwaukee (which has been on my bucket list for a long time) or Whinny City in Chicago (IDK if they're still doing that one or not, I listed Ciderfest first since, even though Milwaukee is slightly further away, it'd probably be the cheaper trip for us). But hey, hanging out with everypony here is always a perfectly wonderful option as well, when time allows it. Love you all and thank you all again!

Gosh, you guyssssssssssssssss!!! *sigh* Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better fandom community to still belong to, and as far as the brony fandom goes, MLP Forums and Poniverse has always been my fandom "home". Even with life's craziness, I need to put in more effort to still be more active around here, both because I still have so many wonderful, old friends here, to see what new ones I may be able to make, and just to do whatever I can to contribute to this amazing pony community and, of course, spread the magic of friendship. I love you wonderful fillies and gentlecolts, now and always, and this honor is both incredibly appreciated and unexpected. THANKS EVERYPONY!!!

I'm not going to lie, this is very difficult to read and process. Jeric's clearly touched this entire community, but I am glad to say she wasn't just a fellow staffer or mentor for me, but a dear friend. I will probably have more to say than this, but for now, I pray that Jeric's wife, children, and loved ones - including all of her friends here - are getting the love and emotional support that they need. Rest in peace, my friend. You were one in ten million, and I pray that you and Jess have been reunited. A song, for those who may need some uplifting right now

I've only befriended you recently, @Princess Silky, but based on our limited interactions I've no doubt you'll help make our community a better place. Please lean on any of us, old and new, that you may need to, we'll do all that we can to support you and your efforts for Poniverse!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PJBqlnKC28 I don't get it, but that doesn't mean it isn't damn funny. Still, I DEMAND THAT JERIC PUT TOGETHER A DARING DO COSPLAY FOR HIS WIFE AS WELL!!! Mostly so she can then put together a Rainbow Dash cosplay to compliment it and make faces at you like this (in public, for the record, for ultimate lols): Honestly this is the only respect in which the Cozy Glow vote is a missed opportunity. People, you need to understand that one's spouse knows better than anypony else how to achieve maximum public embarassment for their spouse! THERE IS A CLEAR, APPARENT REASON SHE WANTED DARING DO?! Either way, the photos that come out of all this should be to die for. Still, I can't help but also be sad that there is now know reason for Jeric to go out and acquire a chaise lounge. Well, other than just because it's classy as hell to have a chaise lounge ready at hoof at all times, but ya know, besides that.

I LOVE that Nightmare statue, what's it made of and who's the artist, if I may ask?

Oh understood, perfectly, from your original post I wasn't sure if you were speaking just for yourself or if that was your general feeling about tattoos on others as well. But thank you for clarifying.

And that's totally valid, for sure. The one thing I'd caution you on in terms of your thoughts on tattoos is that, while some people may get tattoos for their aesthetic look alone, for most in my experience, it's more about getting something that holds personal value or makes a very personal statement for them. That doesn't even mean it's a SAD one alone, but just something important about themselves that they want to capture in this way. That sort of meaning should not be disregarded, I don't think, at least in evaluating the value and worth of tattoos. But again, it is NOT a bad thing not to want to get tattoos for yourself either, believe me.

I disagree in this respect (though I can understand if IP based tattoos don't feel as meaningful to other people); if the meaning and importance is there FOR YOU, I think IP based tattoos can be very personal (see my post above). The next one I'd like to get at some point is based off of this shot from the final Violet Evergarden movie, and holds very personal meaning to me: As long as the PERSONAL statement is there in the tattoo, IP based or not, that's what I think matters. But again, I also know that that is going to vary from person to person, and some people may feel that it needs to be more original than that in order to hold that personal value for them.

Heheheh, I technically have two. The first one on my left shoulder is a VERY loose reference mind you, since it's not an image that most people associate with this franchise. This is a crest from the Halo franchise associated with New Mombasa. This was one of the few images I could find that I could use here and isn't a perfect representation of the tattoo I have; mine is in an actual crest and has the words "Finish the Fight" written above it. Which is both a Halo 3 reference but also a personal creed, and something I got before my senior year of undergrad as motivation. My second tattoo is something both my wife and I got based on a franchise we love, Fairy Tail. It's just the Fairy Tail emblem, but we got it after our wedding as a symbol of our ties together, seeing as the main gist of the Fairy Tail guild is that they're more a family of misfits than just a guild. This is more or less what mine looks like and I got it on the right side of my chest. I'd love to get more tattoos in the future, and, as long as they have personal connection to me, I won't hesitate to get ones based on franchises. In fact, the next one I could most easily see getting is based on a shot from one of my favorite anime of all time, Violet Evergarden. BUT, I must stress this and cannot stress it enough... make sure, whatever tattoo you get, that you're getting it for a reason that's meaningful to you. That doesn't mean it has to be deep or super emotional, tattoos can be fun and playful. But if you're just getting the tattoo because you think it looks cool, and not because it'll hold any significant meaning to YOU, it's probably a waste of time and money. This is your body and a tattoo in my mind instantly becomes a part of your story of you; that's something that should matter to you, even if most people won't see it depending on where it's at.