S05:E09 - Slice of Life

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Does anyone else think the Bugbear looks like a fusion of Beedrill and Pangoro?

 

 

So that's why the fans are complaining about pandas! *wink, wink*

[ShadOBabe 18,997]

I'm going to to think of this episode as a gift.

Because that's what it is. Something fun they put together to formally acknowledge the fandom.

And I think it can be taken or left from the canon as each person decides, so it really ruins nothing for anyone.

Just sit back, relax, and laugh at the self-referential humor. XD

Edited June 14, 2015 by ShadOBabe

[Shou 100]

Why so much arguing about the episode lol. I personally LOVED it but if you didn't like it, okay that's cool too

[Venomous 18,862]

I wanted Vinyl to talk so badly!

[Steel Accord 6,660]

I wanted Vinyl to talk so badly!

 

Would've been nice, but I actually like that they choose to keep her voiceless. Again, the creators didn't just take our fanon and canonize it, they kept the raw essence of the characters but still surprised us with them.

[Silverhoof 2,844]

Wow. just a couple of hours and we have 26 pages!

 

OK, I came into this with low expectations. Was I ever wrong! This was a hilarious episode, well done with great writing!

Dr Whooves and Derpy were great.

I enjoyed the switcheroo with Bon Bon having the secret past and not Lyra.

 

From Beginning to end I loved it!

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

My feelings on 'Slice of Life'...

 

It's a hell of a ride. There's so much to take in it's almost overwhelming. Every minute brought something else I never thought I'd see in canon:

Dr. Whooves and Derpy, Lyra and Sweetie Drops (codename Bon Bon), Octavia and Vinyl living and jamming together, and the return of Steven Magnet. Cranky and Matilda's wedding was the perfect way to organize all this chaos. Oh, and Ditzy's third voice is officially the best.

 

 

On the other hand, this is way more than a simple slice-of-life thing featuring the side characters; it's a 25-minute brohoof from the studio to the teen and adult fandom. I think it's safe to say this is the first episode of MLP that was created solely for the bronies from beginning to end, and they can't go back from that. It confirms once and for all that the show has changed. It will never be what it used to be.

 

What that means and whether it's important to you is for each of us to decide individually.

[Noemi Roronoa 29]

{Spoiler alert just in case. I haven't been on here in awhile and I don't want to ruin the show for someone else be accident!}

 

I can't help but fangirl over finally seeing Vinyl and Octavia as roomies! And I also ship Bon Bon and Lyra more now, I loved that secret-agent-monster-fighter twist with Bon Bon too, and the fact that they were happy in the end anyway.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Noemi Roronoa

[Dark Qiviut 22,378]

First impressions: This is actually pretty decent. Some of the content (particularly the pop culture humor like Bon Bon's "secret agent" and the Twilicane) feel a little hollow, and the bugbear sideplot was rather stupid. But the background characters were rather nicely done. In all, it kinda works…for now.

This is what I wrote here, and I'll write a bit more.

 

If you're not into the core fandom, then chances are you're not going to get many of the in-fandom jokes.

1. Bon Bon's "secret agent" angle is a very subtle joke at her two names: Bon Bon and Sweetie Drops, both of them official. Won't be surprised if it's a play on James Bond, too.

    

   @@Dolphanatic caught another reference to Bon Bon's "agent" work. One of the gags from the early seasons was how her voice was never the same. Sometimes it's very girly. Other times, it's very deep like "Mine's got rocks in it!" This solves the gag.

2. Derpy's reference to "Muffins" is a reference to her love for them that began in the fandom and became canonized after her Comic-Con toy was released with the muffin vectors.
3. Lyra sits like a P.O.'d human as both a callback to Swarm of the Century as well as a reference to a lot of the "Lyra likes human mythology" fanon.
4. Octavia and Vinyl together is a reference to how they're often together in fanonical work and headcanon.
5. The shark plushie that Octavia and Vinyl jumped over along the hill is a reference to "jump the shark."
6. Button Mash's reappearance is a nod to the background pony's reemergence in the fanon thanks to JanAnimations.
7. Derpy and The Doctor together is a nod to the popular DoctorDerpy ship and headcanon.
8. Berry Punch's barrel of "fruit juice" is a reference to the meme of her liking alcohol/wine.
9. Gummy's philosophical approach to the pony world is a hilarious meta reference to how he often looks like he couldn't care less.
10. Derpy the mailmare a reference to the popular fanon (which later became canon in Rarity's Micro comic).
11. Everypony not giving a buck about the monster attacks in Ponyville is a meta reference to the countless monsters that invaded the town.
12. Plenty of Doctor Who references, from the accent to the scarf and "Allons-y."
13. The horse heads that we see in many conventions.
14. The "bug bear" is a self-reference "pandering" joke.
15. Obviously, the Twilicane.
16. Derpy locking out the Mane Six.
17. Clearing up the friendship problem in "a half-hour or so" is possibly the best joke in the episode. It works so well because it's so matter-of-fact, doesn't feel like a joke, yet doesn't intrude in the story.
18. Shining Armor crying before the wedding. Liquid pride, anypony?

A question to everyone else: When Derpy looked through the vial of flameless fireworks, did it feel like a subtle reference to Derpy staring at the lava lamp? I don't know, but it somehow feels like it to me.

 

If you're not into fandom jokes or never fully got the grasp of them, then a lot of the fandom humor won't make sense. What makes a reference solid is how you can find them funny without having to completely understand them. A ton of jokes are very tongue-in-cheek with the fandom while still keeping the content rating in mind. While the core fandom will laugh from many of the jokes, some will only be confused because they won't get it. Consequently, some of these jokes will either go through one ear and out the other or only bewilder them more.

 

Sometimes the humor is there only for the sake of it. One of the worst is the random Twilicane. Good humor shouldn't be there "just because." They must have some level of in-story context. Otherwise, it's going to look like pandering. The Twilicane joke is plain pandering because it interferes with the rush of the climax. Bon Bon's "secret agent" is another, which I'll get to a little below.

 

On the flipside, the interaction with Doctor Whooves and Derpy feels incredibly natural. Both characters really play off each other. Doctor Whooves's very analytical and relies on a ton of science to equate and solve problems. His goal for wanting to create some level of magic without needing a horn really drives him to getting the best results possible, but sometimes overthinks things. His demeanor resembles the popular Tenth Doctor, which is finalized by his "Allons-y." On the other hand, Derpy is a simpler pony who prefers to focus on a calmer, simpler slice of life. She doesn't care a ton about the deep, scientific approach. She simply wants to do her job and wants to do it well. Unlike The Last Roundup, Derpy's squeaky female voice doesn't have that artificial, sarcastic edge; it's innocent, cute, aloof, and genuine.

 

Outside of Doctor and Derpy, the tandem of Octavia and Vinyl Scratch is magnificent. Octavia is the one who does all the talking, but she doesn't only make the scene. Vinyl Scratch's approach is more hands-on; while she's mute, her style of music does the talking. As a result, you can see how Vinyl feels, behaves, and reacts to the environment. The lack of dialogue forces Larson to show instead of tell, but Vinyl and Octavia really work like a team. Vinyl's dubstep/techno meshes with Octavia's classical standards and talents. Without just relying on the typical music, the two genres cooperate. Octavia wanted the wedding to be special; this was one way to make the episode special.

 

The weakest tandem is Lyra and Bon Bon. Their voices are clichéd, and the "best friends" dialogue is hammered in way too much. Sure, it only enforces and teases the popular LyraBon ship, but they lack plenty of personality. Without the exposition, Bon Bon would remain a flat bore. Their conversation and vocality feel way too plain, especially Lyra; without her minty green fur, she'd be your stereotypical valley girl. Bon Bon's "secret agent" joke doesn't fit, either, because the joke feels way too out there and relies a lot on telling the audience rather than showing despite having some historic context with the bugbear.

 

But you also dove into more of Cranky's history thanks to Steven Magnet. He and Matilda hit off (friendly-wise ) beautifully in the salon. Matilda was anxious, but Steven's suave, casual conversational attitude adds a bit of calm in between the storm. During all the chaos, it'd make the whole episode feel overwhelming. It's great to see them amicably talk for a stretch of time (and have SM grow back his mustache!). But he triggered those nerves when he told her the wedding meant everything, and with a very creepy closeup to boot.

 

Thankfully, Steven's relationship with Cranky isn't a dump. The resolution gave it some context when he gave Cranky part of his 'stache willingly. It revived his classic look before Rarity "corrected" it in Part 2 of the pilot, but apparently, he either isn't as vain as he used to be or he just wants to do the trimming himself.

 

The side plot of the bug bear makes the entire episode feel distracting. The main plot was to rush Cranky and Matilda's wedding because the invitation had the wrong date, but you're reminded of the constant battle. With it taking place only in the background, you don't really get how the battle took place; his defeat is only mentioned in exposition. You want to see how the Mane Six fend off the bugbear and keep the rest of Ponyville busy.

 

Conversely, one piece of exposition isn't merely dumped onto its audience. The SSMB's Gato caught this reference when watching one of the teasers, so he gets the credit:

 

 

Notice what Amethyst is wearing around the main part of her body and her left front leg. Each team has a captain. Amethyst was the animal team's captain, and the clothing style proves it. During the conversation, Amethyst claimed she hasn't done any organization since Twilight moved in. Winter Wrap Up is one of season one's earliest episodes, and the conflict was how Twilight could adapt to Ponyville without relying on magic all the time. The result: being the lead organizer of Winter Wrap Up. It's easily the cleverest reference of Slice of Life because it's a tiny detail with a lot of impact.

 

Even better is the moral. Mayor Mare's speech to the background characters was more than simply that. It was also dialogue to the bronies without being extremely explicit despite referencing the main cast. Mayor Mare said that Ponyville isn't simply the mane characters, but everyone else out there. Connect the same thing to the relationship the bronies have with the cast. The cast help make the show, but it doesn't feel complete without all of us. Everyone in Ponyville matters. Everyone who watches the show matters. Without bronies (me, you, adults, kids, male, female, and everyone in between), how can the show's popularity spread?

 

Finally, an open plot from season two is finally resolved. Following A Friend in Deed, you're left to open questions about Cranky and Matilda's relationship. For those who saw the animatic, you know it was being resolved this season. But how is it resolved, plenty asked? Slice of Life answers those questions by focusing on the rest of society rather than just the Mane Six.

 

So why did I critique this gift? The answer is simple: No one episode deserves special treatment. Just because it's a gift to the brony fanbase doesn't entitle Slice of Life to not get the same treatment as any other episode. Remember what Sugar Belle said to Starlight Glimmer in The Cutie Map, Part 2?

 

Sugar Belle: You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! Either we're all equal, or none of us are!

 

This applies. I treat the other episodes with the same analytical, critical breakdown. Like the "It's for kids" excuse, there's no reason to give this episode a pass, either. To claim this as "ungrateful" or "spoiled" is immensely disrespectful to not just this episode, but the others, too, including what's coming up later on. What I critiqued both positively and negatively here would get the same level of respect as any other episode. It doesn't matter how big a milestone this is. The core of a good episode is the story. Without a good story, this episode is factory-laden junk food, and it's always better to eat a scratch-made, fresh meal. Fortunately, the foreground episode holds up nicely at this point. How well it'll age is up for debate.

 

Is Slice of Life the best episode of the show? No. It has some flaws to work with, such as the background clutter and plain voices for both Bon Bon and Lyra. But it may be one of the most personal depending on who you talk to because it really connects with the core brony fandom. But some great characters shine through, particularly Octavia, Derpy, and Doctor Whooves. Plenty debate or look for fanon being crushed, when in actuality, plenty of fanon becomes canon, and whatever is left unsaid will only spark even fuller fanon and headcanon in the future. Slice of Life is pure fanon starter. The moral is appropriate for the show and relates very well to both the characters in the canon and the relationship between DHX and the bronies. Slice of Life keeps the bronies conneted thanks to the personal touches, themes, jokes, and overall moral. I don't know how long this series will last, but I'm sticking around for the ride!

Edited June 14, 2015 by Dark Qiviut

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

I just saw the 100th episode of MLP and all I can say is it was a total bundle of cuteness. I was most impressed by the fact that each and every background character had a distinct personality. I know a lot of fans feared the characters would be too flat like in pervious generations, but in my opinion that is not the case here. It seems like the writers had fun letting loose on this one and I like what they chose as canon for the background characters. I loved the "Muffin" line out of Derpy/Ditzy Doo. The pony with the hour glass symbol cutie mark being a scientist was cool. I was happy they cleared up the whole Bon Bon vs Sweetie Drops thing. The animation on her and Lyra was great. Listening to the voices closely I believe Bon Bon AKA Sweetie Drops is played by Andrea Libman and I think Lyra is played by Ashleigh Ball. Gummy's inner thoughts reminded me of a character in a book I read as well as a Land Before Time tv series episode where you could hear Spike the Spiketail's inner thoughts. Steven Magnet was a surprise. I was most impressed with the scenes between Celestia and Luna because we finally saw them interact like 2 sisters who have more flaws. It's too bad the princesses didn't help Twilight with the monster but for this kind of episode where the Mane 6 had to be out of the way I can forgive it since we would not have gotten the development of Celestia and Luna otherwise. I was surprised the mayor performed the ceremony with 3 princesses in the room who could have done it. I liked how Vinyl and Octivia are pretty much like they are in Equestria Girls and Equestria Girls 2 though the writers probably kept them that way to avoid too much fan territory. I liked how both the inside and outside of their house was divided right down the middle LOL. The lesson was very touching and nicely thought out. Of course it was great to see Matilda and Cranky Doodle finally marry about 3 seasons after they were introduced LOL. Cranky at Twilight's coronation was cute and funny.

[Noemi Roronoa 29]

{Spoiler}

 

As much as I wanted to hear Vinyl talk, I'm just glad they didn't put in a rainbow factory joke or anything. No offense Creepypasta fans, but I don't think we need to add darker secrets then a secret monster-fighting agency. (Just think of all the fanfictions that'll inspire)

 

{Spoiler} Gummy getting deep with his thoughts was one of the best things for me. I legit put down my pizza and lemonade and leaned in to listen, I even pressed my headphones close to my ears. I thought at the end, "I KNEW THAT LITTLE GUY WAS HIDING SOME HEAVY THOUGHTS"

[OtakuBrony 349]

Howdy all!

 

Holy mother of ponydom the 100TH episode is off the CHARTS!

 

Derpy returns with her Muffins moniker at the end.

(Derpy Muffins does fit IMO)

Tabitha St.Germain returns as the lovable Pegasus.

 

I knew the lovely and talented Kazumi Evans returns as Octavia (See RR as Adagio AND Octavia) But she voices Rose too??

OH MY HEAVENS!!

 

Peter New as the Doctor.

Not a bad performance.

 

Ashleigh Ball as Lyra: She fooled me with voice.

Pretty good.

 

Andrea Libman as Bon Bon/Sweetie Drops??

yay!!

That's all I can say.

 

Fun to hear Cathy Wessluck as Mayor Mare and Lily.

(Besides Spike)

 

Brenda Crichlow as Amethyst Star sounded sweet.

At least she getting more voicing besides Zecora. (And Matilda too)

 

Tabitha as Lotus Blossom.

Wow!

 

Steven Magnet is back and Lee Tockar doesn't miss a beat as the friendly neighborhood sea monster.

(Hugging Bulk Biceps was funny)

And voicing Gummy:

And Cadence. Luna and Celestia was there too!

YES!!

 

Funny both Celestia & Luna had a friendly squabble.

 

Shining Armor goes  Aw man

Andrew Francis was a hoot.

Glad to hear Britt McKillip as Cadence again

Richard Newman as Cranky was grumpy as ever.

 

MA Larson wrote a humdinger of an episode.

 

Only minor thing is: DJ PON3 doesn't speak!

(As Rainbow Dash sez: BOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!)

The DJ shoulda had a voice IMO.

 

See ya!

[Noemi Roronoa 29]

 

that is all

 

That is literally all

It's freaking perfect. I ship it!

[Glaive9Gko 82]

So I figure I may as well give my thoughts here
 

-- Doctor sucked! Waaaay too much time establishing stuff, not enough good jokes
-- Big Lebowski ponies were the worst part of the episode. Nothing. Fucking. Happened. Nothing got established about their character, not a single good joke was delivered, nothing relevant to the plot actually occurred. Complete waste.

- No Bonbon's multiple voices joke? Laaaaame.
- Ya know, for an episode that's intentionally wacky, I would have expected more commentary on the show. This ep needed more meta humor!
- Twicane. Really? And we're not gunna be clever with it? Come on, this was Double Rainboom levels of bad!

-/+ Steven Magnet at the spa. Okay, makes sense, and the scene is relevant to the plot kinda. I'm okay with this...kinda. No joke? Really? And no, Steven Magnet being a thing is not a joke!

(I think we can take something out of these points. REFERENCES AREN'T JOKES! Just having a thing exist in your world, however quirky it might be, is not an excuse for not being clever!)
-/+ Bonbon and Lyra were okay in concept, though I feel it could have had better execution. Though strangely enough, I'm completely okay with secret agent Sweetie Drops. Its dumb, but it was meant to be, and now I want stupid parody fanfics of it.
+ Jumping the shark. Okay, I think we all saw this joke coming, but it does fit.
+ Bugbear. God dammit.
+ Gotta love the flower trio! Those three are some of my favorite background ponies, and they have no real right to be! Hope to see more in the future!
+ Derpy's new voice is cute! Do I detect a slight hint of Brooklyn?
+ Vinyl and Octavia were solid. They didn't have to establish much for them and the played off each other reasonably. Could have been funnier, but reasonable

+ Shining exploding with liquid pride.
++ Royal sisters acting like sisters! YES!!!
++ Steven Magnet gives up his mustache. Okay, I daw'd. Great throwback is great.
++ Gummy gets his own big lipped alligator moment.
++ "Maybe its just a friendship problem and it'll be sorted out in a half hour or so." Well, at least we have some meta...

So yeah, some big hits and some big misses. So overall, I give this episode a sharkjump/10

[Steve Piranha 29,413]

I can't say I had the highest expectations for this episode, but I can say that as a simple and silly episode it worked well. I liked the focus to the characters, knowing them a little bit, hearing their voices, being more than the eye meets on (secret agent Sweetie Drops LOL W00T ), the fandom jokes... I should also applaud how the managed this whole pandering to the fandom by not really destroying any headcanons. My third favorite episode in the season so far 

[ManaMinori 4,145]

I like how DHX shot down not one, but two ships during the 100^th episode. First, and the most obvious one being Lyra and Bon Bon being just best friends, rather than lesbian horses, since the friends thing is stressed repeatedly. The second ship shot down was the Derpy and Doctor Hooves one, which was a bit more subtle. It's made VERY clear, though, that there's no romantic feelings between he and Derpy, because if there were, the Doctors' fireworks would've went off, like they did, ignited by love, from Cranky and Matilda. But they didn't go off with the Doctor and Derpy. Take that shippers. XD

 

on another note.......wonder if we'll see Dr Hooves doing sciencey-things with Bill Neigh, soon.

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,967]

the most obvious one being Lyra and Bon Bon being just best friends, rather than lesbian horses, since the friends thing is stressed repeatedly.

You can still refer to your partner as friend, can you not? But we are told that the two are best friends with one another. Whether that means just a friendship or couple relationship is highly dependent on your interpretation of that term and the context. If anything though, I'm thinking of all ships LyraXBonbon is the most likely canon-wise; couple relationship between them isn't definitely canon but it's not debunked either and I think MLPFIM staff intended to leave it open like that.

Edited June 14, 2015 by Tsaritsa Luna

[Kerberossz 1,929]

After seeing this episode, I have to say, that this was pure fun. The plot was meh, but it wasn't the point. Sweetie's one line about the friendship problem was my favorite. I'm not a fan of shipping, but hell, I enjoyed the pairing of these characters. I also liked that the Dr. Whooves has been pictured as a scientist and didn't cross the line. I have never understood why people like Derpy...so now I like her too. Octavia, the only BG pony I liked and now she has finally had voice. Awesome!. In my opinion this episode was the typical "filler" but I know that in this show this doesn't exist but still we can call it. I don't get why people hated it, okay it doesn't do anything with the main story or didn't have a proper plot but it was a gift to the fans. We should appreciate it. To sum it up I really liked this episode with all the references!(the Twilicane was so random, I didn't even know how to react but i liked it ultimately).

[SteveMorison 404]

Watched it again and liked it more the 2nd time, some cool concepts explored, but I don't think it's quite the greatest thing ever.

[Nila Bean 133]

I didn't hate or love it. I enjoyed it. Some parts did seem too forced though, but overall I liked it ^^

[Jeric 46,850]

Even better is the moral. Mayor Mare's speech to the background characters was more than simply that. It was also dialogue to the bronies without being extremely explicit despite referencing the main cast. Mayor Mare said that Ponyville isn't simply the mane characters, but everyone else out there. Connect the same thing to the relationship the bronies have with the cast. The cast help make the show, but it doesn't feel complete without all of us. Everyone in Ponyville matters. Everyone who watches the show matters. Without bronies (me, you, adults, kids, male, female, and everyone in between), how can the show's popularity spread?

 

You know, when the 'glow' of this episode passes, the moral is what will stick with me long after. I adored the Derpy/Doctor, Tavi/Vinyl, and even the Bon Bon/Lyra moments ... but it was the moral that was most impactful. Mayor Mare's speech nails something that I personally parroted in my life ... all ... the ... time. Seeing that the episode was driving to that final point is what makes it rise above the gimmick for me. 

 

Twicane was unneeded. I would have liked more Cranky time instead of Lebowski ... but minor quibbles when compared to a magnificent crescendo. 

[BritishBrony2012 792]

(SPOILERS)

 

 

 

I enjoyed this episode, like it when see more of Derpy, Dr. Whooves, Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl Scartch & Octiva. Also see bit of comedy of Princess Celestia and Luna. It's now one of my favorite episodes.

 

Also sorry, I disagree with these who say this episode will ruin the fandom.

[dekutree64 713]

Favorite Doctor line: "What's this word you keep using... 'man'..." Too bad Lyra wasn't around.

 

Luna handled the gift for Shining and Cadence's wedding? So she missed the battle for Canterlot because she was out shopping?

 

Sweetie's line about resolving problems in half an hour was brilliant.

 

Amethyst's line about losing her position as an organizer was rather sad It's like if Pinkie Pride ended when Pinkie was giving up being a party planner.

 

Octavia and Vinyl officially live together Their music was awesome. Larson's got guts having them literally jump over a shark. Way to tackle the jynx head on

 

Lyra and Bon Bon could have been handled better (specifically, Lyra should have given Bon Bon a kiss on the cheek when forgiving her), but their interactions still felt so romantic that it brings into question how often "best friends" means more than that, and whether rump bumping is something that couples do.

 

Gummy's internal monologue was great. I've always been a little worried that he was actually brain dead, but this makes it fun to go back and watch scenes with him and try to imagine what he's thinking.

 

The only thing that bothers me is that Pinkie was stuck outside during the wedding, since she was the one who brought Cranky and Matilda together.

 

All in all, it was an awesome episode. It feels like this has taken a snapshot of the fandom and included it directly in the show... and I feel lucky to be a part of it

[Buck Testa 5,505]

Sooo loved this episode. I'm forseeing many Secret agent Bonbon fics to come. Also the Doctor and Derpy are a thing! All of my yes on that! And Vinyl and Octavia were awesome, there was a flippin CHANGELING at the wedding, return of the sea monster, just so much yes in this episode. Love ya Larson, you keep being you man! 

[Mesme Rize 15,683]

I like how DHX shot down not one, but two ships during the 100^th episode. First, and the most obvious one being Lyra and Bon Bon being just best friends, rather than lesbian horses, since the friends thing is stressed repeatedly. The second ship shot down was the Derpy and Doctor Hooves one, which was a bit more subtle. It's made VERY clear, though, that there's no romantic feelings between he and Derpy, because if there were, the Doctors' fireworks would've went off, like they did, ignited by love, from Cranky and Matilda. But they didn't go off with the Doctor and Derpy. Take that shippers. XD

 

You actually gonna think that will stop the shippers from shipping? Oh boy, you got another thing comin.