S05:E09 - Slice of Life

[DerpyFanatic 114]

DERPY.

 

 

 

SPEAKS.

 

 

 

*freaks out*

 

 

 

I <3 Tabitha St. Germain forever.

 

 

 

When this episode was announced months ago, I figured Derpy's new voice would be somewhere between the original and the revised Last Roundup voices, and it appears that I was correct. She doesn't sound full-on "hurr durr", but there's just enough derp left in to let you know that, yes, this is still the klutzy, goofy mailmare we know and love.

 

Lyra + Bon Bon is canon AND I LOVE IT. I've always had a spot in my heart for Lyra.

 

Luna is still best alicorn.

 

Time Turner is best Doctor.

[Luffyiscool 397]

it catered excessively to the Brony fandom

THAT.

WAS.

THE.

POINT.

 

This episode is a celebration, a "thank you" to the fans, by DOING EXACTLY THAT.

Whether you disliked it or not, this episode was done with the best of intentions by the staff. 

This episode is meant to be taken as its own thing, a hoorah that celebrates the thriving brony community and what we built these characters into.

[Cloud Strife 928]

I liked this episode. Weak and somewhat boring start (I didn't really get any of the Doctor Who references so to be honest Doctor Whooves was kind of annoying for me) but the ending was very strong, and how they handled Vinyl Scratch and Octavia managed to impress me a lot.

 

Not to mention they're doing really well with depicting Rainbow this season, which is automatically warming me up to it. They didn't give her some weird jerk line for her in order to make her humorous. Her "spoiling the mood" was completely authentic at the end, and it made me laugh.

 

All of the stuff that @Dark Qiviut brought up is the best analysis of this episode I think there is out there and there's nothing that they said that I could say any better. (That being said, I did actually like Lyra. She was valley girl, yeah, but it was subtle enough that it didn't annoy me. Although the Bon Bon exposition was kind of poorly paced.)

[Envy 6,162]

THAT.

WAS.

THE.

POINT.

 

This episode is a celebration, a "thank you" to the fans, by DOING EXACTLY THAT.

Whether you disliked it or not, this episode was done with the best of intentions by the staff. 

This episode is meant to be taken as its own thing, a hoorah that celebrates the thriving brony community and what we built these characters into.

 

Well, I guess coming from a non-Brony standpoint it just came off as very obnoxious.

 

Also, as I stated before, one thing that really got to me about it was that it looked like something straight out of the fandom, not just a nod to the fandom, it was so like watching something that the fandom would make that it just shattered the boundaries and that annoys me.

 

Oh well... I guess it won't happen again.

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,984]

No, I watched a TV show and kind of liked it, and then I decided to join a forum called "MLP Forums". I've joined countless forums... Even for series I didn't even like (but not to hate on them, I don't really remember my reasons...) lol. I'm a member of this forum, but it stops there.

Anyway, all I'm really requesting is not to call me a 'Brony', which I saw you were doing. Consider me a member of this "community" (forum), whatever, but it stops there.

This came out as strange to me for you seem very much like a Brony to me. I know people who were far less or not at all involved in anything MLP other than watching show itself (sometimes rarely at that) and still considered themselves Bronies.

[Envy 6,162]

This came out as strange to me for you seem very much like a Brony to me. I know people who were far less or not at all involved in anything MLP other than watching show itself (sometimes rarely at that) and still considered themselves Bronies.

 

Well, I don't put myself under that label for a lot of reasons. This really isn't the time or place for that.

[guest243535531ty43 219]

Well, I guess coming from a non-Brony standpoint it just came off as very obnoxious.

 

Over the course of several years the fandom created stories, art, and music surrounding characters who were largely unknown, discussing their lifestyles in intricate detail and with so much imagination, and now the show, out of its love for the rather large portion of its audience that engaged with it in this way, has given us a peek, or "slice", into their lives. I'm new so I don't have the same connection as someone else may have had. I find it difficult to love some background characters who for some fans are their favorite (though there are some I've grown to love even if only as an observer of the past work of bronies ), but I appreciate everything certain fans of the show have done with these characters and I love the show for connecting with the base like this. That's what makes this episode pretty special and really awesome, but for someone who doesn't see it the same way or like me didn't participate or contribute over the years to developing these fun, fan-made personas, I understand the feeling. There's something to recognize here though.

 

Also let Envy call whatever he/she wants to be called. It doesn't hurt anyone if he/she doesn't want to be called a "brony".

Edited June 14, 2015 by estoc

[Foliha 395]

No, I watched a TV show and kind of liked it, and then I decided to join a forum called "MLP Forums". I've joined countless forums... Even for series I didn't even like (but not to hate on them, I don't really remember my reasons...) lol. I'm a member of this forum, but it stops there.

Anyway, all I'm really requesting is not to call me a 'Brony', which I saw you were doing. Consider me a member of this "community" (forum), whatever, but it stops there.

Methinks the Brony, oops, community member doth protest too much...

 

What are you afraid of/ offended by?  Bronies (mostly) have lives outside of MLP FIM.  We don't shut down like C3PO when we aren't doing pony stuff.  Relax...

 

You have a pony persona (see avatar pic on your posts.)  You like the show.  (or not, as in the case of this ep.) You come here and engage in discussion.  But you get a tad huffy if someone calls you a Brony.  Brony, Brony, Brony!  There.  Are you diminished in any way? 

 

Heck.  I'm a 63-year-old lady and I'm definitely a Brony.  I don't care much for the term "Pegasister,"  but hay! It's all good.  Call me a Pegasister.  I'm here, I'm female.  It fits...

 

"Community Member Envy"  sounds so tedious.  Plus it's a pain to type.  And people won't know what CME stands for. 

 

You're among friends.  Smile.  Be happy. 

[SpeedIsMagic 37]

For evreypony who stated this was fanservice.

Please READ the Episode title; the Description, and watch the previews.
It is way past beyond crystal pony clear that this is a fandom tilted episode. 
A good one at that. 
It's been a one that most of the fandom has been waiting for a while.
As it shows a bit more of the lives between the obscure/not so obscure background ponies.
Confirms some headcanons and introduces some new cameos. It also gives us a little insight on some Royalty as well.
Not evrey episode of the series has to focus on one of the Mane 6, or the seasons plot Mind you.
I for one appreciate this episode being the 2nd episode that doesn't focus on the Mane 6.
The first being when Spike babysits the pets.

Please read up before you criticise the episode.
Then you'd go "oh it does cater to the fandom".

Roll out apologies, and carry on.
 

Edited June 14, 2015 by SpeedIsMagic

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I disagree vehemently. Just because they gave us this doesn't mean it will change what comes next. You think the Mane Six will mention the events of this episode or it will come into play later? I severely doubt it.

 

The show has always been great because it can appeal to almost everyone, that has not and WILL NOT change. Come next episode, it will be back to business as usual and that's not a bad thing in the slightest. 

You don't understand what I'm saying at all.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

You don't understand what I'm saying at all.

 

Explain then, so that I might.

[Satsuki Kiryuin 1,155]

I think the episode was cool. It's interesting to see what the writers could do with fandom-ideas. I'd rather if the episode were non-canon though haha, it's just too much at once.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I think this episode was the best of the season so far. So many nods to the fandom, especially with Lyra and Bon Bon. Great episode that really showed the talent of the writers IMO.

[ManaMinori 4,145]

dunno if anyone pointed this out, yet, but I adore how the Mayor's speech in this episode- and just the entire episode itself references nicely with what Sugarbelle said in the season 5's latter half of the premiere. "Sugar Belle: You can't have a cutie mark, Starlight! Either we're all equal, or none of us are!"

 

This syncs perfectly with what the Mayor said, with each character, even background ones, being the stars of their own stories as well, and having a part and role in the town, because it's not just the mane 6 who male MLP an interesting story to follow. Everyone's equal and a star

[Coco Pommel 669]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEkt9yPagsw

 

That's all I really have to say.

[Foliha 395]

My feelings on 'Slice of Life'...

"snip"

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.

Right on.  I think what it means to me is that we are way past the whole thing of "This is a show for little girls, and a few marginal types with self-image issues."  We are on the table with this as a show for everybody who loves it, and we hear you, fandom, Bronies, and let's do this!  Come on in, little girls, come on in, adults who appreciate good animation, good writing and good fun, and let's party! 

 

It's now acknowledged beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fandom affects the show, just as the show affects the fandom.  It's a symbiosis, and I for one see that as a good thing.

[Music Chart Fan 819]

She explicitly stated that it broke out of Tartarus. 

 

I guess I was confused a bit by Bon Bon's dialogue:

 

Bon Bon: My name isn't Bon Bon. It's "Special Agent Sweetie Drops". I work for a super-secret anti-monster agency in Canterlot, or at least I did until the bugbear went missing from Tartarus a few years back.

Lyra Heartstrings: What are you talking about?

Bon Bon: When it escaped, we had to shutter the whole agency. Every last shred of evidence of the organization's existence was destroyed. Celestia demanded complete deniability.

Lyra Heartstrings: ...What?

Bon Bon: It was me who captured the bugbear. I had to go deep cover here in Ponyville and assume the name Bon Bon. I never thought it'd be able to track me, but now it has.

 

Based on the order of Bon Bon's dialogue, I thought that the bugbear escaped from Tartarus, then Bon Bon recaptured it at some later point, and it escaped again. But, looking at the dialogue again, I guess it would make sense that the bugbear was captured (and put in Tartarus) and escaped only one time. So fair enough, that would take care of the "somewhere" part of my sentence.

 

You've never lived in a small town, have you....  Cranky is friends with Pinkie Pie, ergo, everyone knows him.  =)

 

Well, I lived in a city of about 12,000 people for most of my life. That may or may not be considered a "small town", but I guess it's beside the point; I don't think my thought process or social behavior would significantly change, regardless of the size of town I live in.

 

My thought is that it shouldn't automatically be the case that all the members of a "small town" are friends with and care that much about each other. Cranky is a (relatively) new resident of Ponyville, and moreover, said in his previous episode (A Friend In Deed) that he wanted to be left alone and was not interested in making new friends. He seems to have retained that personality in this episode, so I would think that Cranky hasn't been making too much (if any) effort to make friends with other Ponyville residents, and hence, the other Ponyville residents would barely know about him or be friends with him. I suppose it's possible (though I'm not sure how probable) that Matilda is well-known and well-liked around Ponyville, but I don't think we've seen any significant evidence that that's the case.

 

Regarding the possibility that everyone's going to the wedding because Pinkie is friends with everyone and she invited them all, I'm not sure that everyone should feel an automatic obligation to attend solely on that basis. If my friend A invited me to the wedding of B and C, and I only know B and C because A knows them (and may have introduced me to them at some point), then I would be very hesitant to go, considering B and C probably wouldn't really care whether I attended, I probably wouldn't know B's and C's families at all, etc. This would especially be the case if A isn't a particularly close friend in the first place, and considering that Pinkie is supposedly "friends" with everyone in Ponyville, I would think that Pinkie may not be particularly close friends with a lot of the ponies to whom she would have given invitations.

 

This would particularly apply to Cadence, Shining Armor, Celestia, and Luna. Even if Pinkie and/or Twilight sent them invitations, why would they necessarily feel any obligation to attend the wedding, if they don't really know the bride, groom, or much of anyone else there besides the Mane Six? The four of them are probably pretty busy with their jobs leading Equestria, the Crystal Empire, and the Royal Guard, so I would think that their free time (however much they have) is valuable, and it's hard for me to see how this wedding in Ponyville is a worthwhile use of their time.

 

A quadriplegic can have deep existential thoughts, but would be incapable of baking a cake.  Or maybe Gummy was deep in a philosophical reverie when Pinkie went out, and the time just slipped by as he crouched there parsing some obscure conundrum. 

 

Yeah, it's possible that Gummy is paralyzed, although if he is, is Pinkie aware of that, considering that she apparently seriously expected him to continue baking in her absence? That wouldn't seem to reflect very well on Pinkie. And of course, there are many other questions, such as how Gummy would have learned language, how he would have acquired the knowledge to be able to ponder philosophical questions, etc. As I said earlier, I don't think this one-off gag is worth all the questions and implications it raises.

[turk187 1]

Hello all.

 

Im just a bit of a brony. I like the show, but have never bought any merch or participated in the fan communities until now.

 

I downloaded ep 100 and LOVED it. Easily the best episode EVER. but, i was reading the comments on a torrent site and had to look up "Derpy" which eventually led me here.

 

because I know NOTHING about the MLP memes and tropes (just never got into that level of fandom) I didn't see this episode as a fan-service ep. to me it was just raw.

 

I loved the CMQ's joke about it all being sorted out in half-an-hour or so. LOL

 

I loved the music bit.

 

I loved Luna and PS bickering like sisters.

 

I LOVED the Doctor Who Refs.

 

I loved the bug-bear fight being all in the background.

 

I could go on.

 

I know there is a love/not-love relationship with all the fan stuff, but if you don't know any fo the fan stuff it was still a great ep.

 

Someone needs to compile a list of all the fan references for this show.

[Sobana 100]

I like how there always has to be a changeling at a wedding. =)

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

Explain then, so that I might.

 

Right on.  I think what it means to me is that we are way past the whole thing of "This is a show for little girls, and a few marginal types with self-image issues."  We are on the table with this as a show for everybody who loves it, and we hear you, fandom, Bronies, and let's do this!  Come on in, little girls, come on in, adults who appreciate good animation, good writing and good fun, and let's party! 

 

It's now acknowledged beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fandom affects the show, just as the show affects the fandom.  It's a symbiosis, and I for one see that as a good thing.

Exactly. That's what separates this from previous episodes. 'Slice of Life' is the culmination of a subtle change in direction that's been going on since around Season 3, from targeting little girls to recognizing teens and adults as well. It's one big shout-out from M.A. Larson to the bronies, maybe even a "thank you" for making the show as popular and long-lived as it is, and that's a groundbreaking moment no matter how you look at it.   They wouldn't even have thought of doing something like this in the early seasons, and now that it's been done I think many of us will look back on it as a milestone, especially if they do more episodes like it in the future.

 

The question I've been asking myself for the last few years and especially now is, how do I feel about this change? Is the difference important to me, and did I actually enjoy MLP more when it was just "a show for little girls and a few marginal types with self-image issues"? 

[Kawaiihusky 19]

So far, so good. Let's hope they keep the right pace. "great wickering stalllions!" Does The Doctor have a catchphrase i'm not aware of? (i've only seen....one episode of Doctor Who)

Each regeneration has his own catchphrase, so it depends on which doctor that Doctor Whooves is supposed to represent.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Exactly. That's what separates this from previous episodes. 'Slice of Life' is the culmination of a subtle change in direction that's been going on since around Season 3, from targeting little girls to recognizing teens and adults as well. It's one big shout-out from M.A. Larson to the bronies, maybe even a "thank you" for making the show as popular and long-lived as it is, and that's a groundbreaking moment no matter how you look at it.   They wouldn't even have thought of doing something like this in the early seasons, and now that it's been done I think many of us will look back on it as a milestone, especially if they do more episodes like it in the future.

 

The question I've been asking myself for the last few years and especially now is, how do I feel about this change? Is the difference important to me, and did I actually enjoy MLP more when it was just "a show for little girls and a few marginal types with self-image issues"? 

 

I don't think the show will continue this. As you said, a thank you, and a great one at that. It will go back to what it's good at and why we feel in love with it and that's not a bad thing. From the very start, Lauren wanted to make something that "little girls and their parents" could watch. Most of us just happen to be sans daughters.

[Lexamena 391]

I'm sure I'm going to be burned at the stake for saying this but I'll also say this is MY opinion. I do not think the bronies have or are carrying this show into success and the more I read this thread, the more I am getting the feeling that people think without the bronies, the show would have died with the pilot. Yes the episode was a recognition of the fandom and a thank you for being such big fans. That's big, and I can recognize that. But the writers chose ponies for this episode that have been important to the bronies, not because they need those particular ponies in order for  the show to be successful. I liked the episode alot, I've   watched it more times than I've watched any other in the entire series. It's a nod to the fans, but it's not a bowing down to them. 

[LHfunk 422]

Reading through the comments has shown me how people react to things. One thing I've noticed is that people hate how it was for the fandom. And those people obviously don't realize how important the fandom is! And how important this occasion is! It's just so weird to me that people don't like the episode that's "different". Would you want a normal episode for the 100th episode? I'd hope not! Anyway, that's what I thought about that. One other thing though. I've noticed how people are disappointed that Vinyl is mute. I was actually relieved she didn't speak! I like how she communicates just by actions. It would be cool to if she communicated with music too. I like her as being a mute character, it makes her more unique.

[Abia 258]

I do not think the bronies have or are carrying this show into success and the more I read this thread, the more I am getting the feeling that people think without the bronies, the show would have died with the pilot. Yes the episode was a recognition of the fandom and a thank you for being such big fans. That's big, and I can recognize that. But the writers chose ponies for this episode that have been important to the bronies, not because they need those particular ponies in order for  the show to be successful. I liked the episode alot, I've   watched it more times than I've watched any other in the entire series. It's a nod to the fans, but it's not a bowing down to them.

I think you've misinterpreted what most people are saying.

 

I do not think the bronies have or are carrying this show into success and the more I read this thread, the more I am getting the feeling that people think without the bronies, the show would have died with the pilot.

Heh, it's just plain silly to pretend that MLP wouldn't have reached the same success it has if not for Bronies. We are a huge part of the viewership. We help the ratings. We buy the merchandise. We do help. Of course the show would have continued beyond the pilot if not for us, but it definitely would not have taken the direction it did if we were not taken into consideration by the writers.

 

But the writers chose ponies for this episode that have been important to the bronies, not because they need those particular ponies in order for  the show to be successful.

Yes, that's the point. They've proven for four seasons that the show is successful without extra lines from the background ponies. They're catering to the fans. That's it. Most of us would continue to watch the show whether or not an episode devoted to background characters was released. I don't think anyone said that the characters in this episode are necessary for the show's continued success.