What's your opinion on fighting, violence, and lasers in FiM?

[Dulset Tarn 441]

So let me ask everyone something to maybe get some perspective. For over two seasons the writers had the mane 6 dealing with threatening beasts like a manticore, a hydra, two dragons, a cockatrice, Cerberus, an ursa minor, Trixie (x2), ravenous parasprites, diamond dogs, rampaging buffalo, monster Spike, windigoes, Ahuizotl, dragon teenagers, etc etc, without once having fights or lasers help them at all. I think we can all at least say that that's the show we became fans of, right? So I ask all of you, do you believe that enormous streak had any value to the show? Do you think those carefully crafted escapes, Fluttershy staring down beasties, clever spells to pacify monsters, and multiple instances of attempted fighting only making things worse were all just essentially the same as a laser filled brawl? What do you actually say to the first two seasons that never once resorted to fighting to solve a single problem?

[Steel Accord 6,658]

I say good on them. Those were the solutions appropriate to the situations at hoof. Of course it had value. I just never saw it as specifically a pacifist message as much as it was one of teamwork and creative thinking.

 

You can cite as many (supposedly) violent and (supposedly) non-violent situations as you want. To me, there is no difference in the moral attitude the writers have been writing since they begun other than a very rarely botched execution of the episode's moral.

 

@@Dulset Tarn, 

 

I'm fully willing to take this to a PM if you are, my erstwhile opponent.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Steel Accord

[Cleverclover 1,525]

 

 

Honestly, while I agree the key moment was stupid, I think the whole key thing is insulting to most of the Mane 6 anyway. Remember when their element was what made them special and unique and able to solve problems in ways none of the others could? Well now, in every key episode, that pony is the only one struggling with their own element while all the others already know the answer. It trying to tell us that Dash is the least loyal, that Rarity is the least generous, because none of the others would have even struggled with something like that.

 

 

Actually, I honestly thought the mane five's key episodes were really done well, with the exception of Rainbow Dash's. They each did go against their Elements for a brief period, but there were fairly justifiable reasons behind it, and they each learned lessons that they had not learned before.

 

Rainbow Dash's key episode was done poorly, which is the reason why Rainbow Falls is usually panned. Because for her, the reasoning behind her going against her friends isn't quite as sound, and she actually does seem like she's betraying her character development and going against lessons she already learned---particularly the one from Wonderbolts Academy. 

 

Twilight's key also wasn't done well simply because unlike the other five, she was not required to reduce herself to the level of fallibility to receive it, nor did she learn any lesson pertaining to her Element. A better key episode could have been Bats! since at least it had her making a colossal magic-related blunder that she could have learned something from. 

[MechanicalDoom 300]

I think the violence is a nice touch. Violence isn't the answer. I know. There isn't exactly a war going on in Equestria, but in real life, war is very violent and is used in attempt to solve problems. In Equestria, violence isn't used to solve things. It's usually involved along with the friendship is magic stuff. Violence is basically secondary to friendship, but it has been shown (especially in the season 4 finale) that friendship makes violence seem pretty pointless. I think it was added to be interesting and cool to look at. I don't mind it at all.

[dekutree64 711]

I don't know if they've really gone too far with it. They don't use violence against the crocodile in Princess Twilight Sparkle. Just tie it up, which was presumably undone as soon as the black vines were all cleared away.

 

But I do love the way they dealt with monsters in season 1. Particularly the manticore and ursa, actually helping them rather than simply subduing.

 

The war scene in Over a Barrel seemed pretty violent to me, even if it was silly looking using pies as weapons. Sure it didn't solve the problem, but then fighting Tirek didn't solve the problem either, so things haven't changed too much.

 

The worst incident to me is in Three's a Crowd. First Twilight and Cadence destroy a beautiful and likely ancient flower, which incidentally destroys that worm's home, and then instead of apologizing they just beat the crap out of it and trap it under a rock. Maybe it was intended to be that the rock is a suitable replacement for the flower to close up its cave and it would be happy again afterward, but it sure didn't look like it.

 

On the other hand, it amuses me to no end that we have ponies with frickin' laser beams attached their heads

[Dulset Tarn 441]

The worst incident to me is in Three's a Crowd. First Twilight and Cadence destroy a beautiful and likely ancient flower, which incidentally destroys that worm's home, and then instead of apologizing they just beat the crap out of it and trap it under a rock. Maybe it was intended to be that the rock is a suitable replacement for the flower to close up its cave and it would be happy again afterward, but it sure didn't look like it.

Yeah, may as well offer that "alternate ending" that I mentioned before that, in my opinion, is much more faithful to the "season 1 feel".

 

Basically, everything goes more or less the same, the two princesses drive the wurm back into the ground (without lasers, maybe by cramming its mouth with a big rock or collapsing the ground under it, doesn't matter), Discord reveals he's been lying, wurm pops back up, sneezes on him, he gets sick, all the same up to there. BUT, at this point Twilight realizes that the wurm wasn't attacking them at all. It was living under the medicinal flower because it was sick, and using the flower to alleviate its symptoms. When they came to steal it, it went after them to keep the flower. So now they have a choice. They can keep the flower and cure Discord of his new sickness, or they can return it to the ailing wurm and leave Discord to get over the illness the long way. Naturally, since Discord just revealed he'd been pulling their chains the whole time, they actively decide to let him stay sick while returning the flower to the wurm.

 

I miss the season 1 feel when most beasts were just big creatures that wanted something.

[Pinkie-Guy 563]

I agree with you that season 1 has a different feel than season 4, not that it doesn't have its moments.  I didn't become a brony for the action scenes.

[Arctofire 225]

I like it. It made for a great action scene in Twilight's Kingdom. As long as its used in moderation then I approve it 100%.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Arctofire

[Soul Flare 403]

1. The vast majority of the episode in all seasons do not involve violence nor conflict. Violence is hardly "almost routine", not even in Season 4.

 

2. I don't recall the mane6 preferring violence over other solutions just as I don't recall Rarity kicking Suri in "Rarity takes Manehattan", nor Pinkie party cannoning Cheese in the face in "Pinkie Pride" (those are just examples). They solved those situation peacefully, and violence is only used where no other choice is possible, almost always in self-defense.

 

3. If the problem is villains being defeated by force, that's been there since the very first 2 episodes. Every big villain fell to the elements of harmony or whatever other magical artifact in an incredibly one-sided and short fight that never ends up physically hurting the villain. Nightmare Moon was turned back to being Luna. Chrysalis was merely kicked out of Canterlot. Discord was turned to stone and then "revived" and reformed. Tirek was imprisoned. Sombra is the only exception here, but he wasn't confronted directly, if I recall correctly.

 

4. Twi's "laser battle" with Tirek was a product of her desperation, not her aggressiveness. She had no choice. It didn't even really accomplish anything by itself, as Tirek still ended up getting the Princesses' magic. What really won was the usual magic artifact (the chest, in this case) that was able to overpower the villain in mere seconds. 

 

Violence is trivial in this show, and hardly an issue. That's my opinion

Edited January 11, 2015 by External Project

[NinjaFlutterbat 6]

Well obviously the villains are going to get stronger and stronger until it gets completely ludicrous like in Dragon Ball Z.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,153]

One method is not better than the other. Honestly, I would think it natural that as time goes on and a show moves on, more challenging obstacles are likely to come. Even cute things have to fight for what they believe in.

[[NULL] 906]

Oh no! How dare the writers give higher stakes to their plots! If this keeps up, they might even give the main six bigger responsibilities and stories that result in greater consequences, making them grow and develop as characters!

Why do we need conflict anyway? Every brony knows that making an engaging story should never be as important as keeping the show as cringeworthy kid-friendly as possible!

I'm leaving the fandom!

Edited January 17, 2015 by SpaceOnion

[RainbowTashie 378]

They were almost completely absent from the show in the early seasons, but lately they've become almost routine.

 

I'll give my opinion later, first I want to hear what others here think.

screenshot a laser scene? i don't remember seeing lasers.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Here's a good example, though not even mentioning the finale.

[Countess Noodle 607]

I don't mind a little violence in a show, if anything these characters are growing and I like that. With all the power they have it would seem a bit silly not to use some of it and it's not like they go out of their way to pick a fight with others. If you want a non-violent mlp show I suggest you watch Newborn Cuties. There, solved the problem.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

I don't mind a little violence in a show, if anything these characters are growing and I like that. With all the power they have it would seem a bit silly not to use some of it and it's not like they go out of their way to pick a fight with others.

What about the time Dash kicked a dragon in the face in season 1?

[[NULL] 906]

Basically, everything goes more or less the same, the two princesses drive the wurm back into the ground (without lasers, maybe by cramming its mouth with a big rock or collapsing the ground under it, doesn't matter), Discord reveals he's been lying, wurm pops back up, sneezes on him, he gets sick, all the same up to there. BUT, at this point Twilight realizes that the wurm wasn't attacking them at all. It was living under the medicinal flower because it was sick, and using the flower to alleviate its symptoms. When they came to steal it, it went after them to keep the flower. So now they have a choice. They can keep the flower and cure Discord of his new sickness, or they can return it to the ailing wurm and leave Discord to get over the illness the long way. Naturally, since Discord just revealed he'd been pulling their chains the whole time, they actively decide to let him stay sick while returning the flower to the wurm.

 

Oh god, that sounds painful to watch.

 

First of all, how would removing the lasers improve the episode? If they're going to drive the monster underground anyway, why not make it a scene where they fight it with lasers? How would a clumsy sequence where they lift a rock into the monster's mouth be better?

 

Also, if the monster wasn't attacking them, what was it doing? Asking politely? 

 

And last but not least, how is giving the plant to the monster a difficult decision for Twilight? And what would she even learn from it? Not to trust Discord? Respect animal rights? The whole point of the episode was to make the best of a bad situations, and also establish Cadence as adventurous, and wanting something less routine in her life. Shoehorning in an animal rights message would only make the episode seem unfocused.

 

 

I miss the season 1 feel when most beasts were just big creatures that wanted something.

The only times this happened in Season 1 was the pilot, and Dragonshy. And that was just to establish Fluttershy's ways with animals. The Diamond Dogs, Parasprites, and the Cockatrice didn't get any special "They're not evil! They're just misunderstood!" treatment. And if it makes you feel any better, "Bats!" is probably the first time in a while that they did this. Oh wait, they did something different with the formula, (adding Applejack's side of the argument,) so it sucks by default.

Edited January 17, 2015 by SpaceOnion