Your Favorite MLP Episode: Round Two Series

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

While I wasn't a fan of Wonderbolt Academy's ending with Lightning Dust supposedly being kicked out of the academy, I wasn't really a fan of Magic Duel in general.  It was a fine episode and all but I can't really see why YOU BASTARDS WOULD CHOOSE IT OVER SLEEPLESS IN PONYVILLE so many people seem to like it so much.  Wonderbolts Academy, on the other hand, was the culmination of basically all of Rainbow Dash's character development, and did this quite well in my opinion.  My vote easily goes to WA.

[Rarietty 632]

I loved both, but the main reason I loved Wonderbolts Academy is because of how awesome Rainbow Dash was in it, thus making her my second favorite pony. I, for one, actually liked the ending and Rainbow's awesome confrontation to Spitfire, which is probably my favorite Rainbow moment yet. Sure, it was by far a perfect episode like Sleepless in Ponyville  but it was enjoyable and Rainbow was awesome. 

 

Magic Duel is my third favorite episode Sleepless in Ponyville is my first and Hurricane Fluttershy is my second due to it's humor, continuity, animation, gags and such. I think this is actually one of the funniest episodes for me, so it gets my definite vote. On other forums however, the response to it is really negative, and I have no clue why, but it seems to be an either love-it-or-hate-it kind of episode. 

 

Seriously though guys why did some of you pick Magic Duel over Sleepless in Ponyville last round. 

Edited January 16, 2013 by Rarietty

[Megas 27,136]

Wonderbolts Academy, I felt like it did a lot more for Rainbow Dash's character than Magic Duel did for Twilight, that and Lightning Dust is a better antagonist than Trixie

Edited January 16, 2013 by Megas75

[~Lawful Sturdy Wing~ 522]

Round Two Match Fifteen

 

See the bracket here: http://imgur.com/cViyM

 

Vote here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/203-cartoons-and-animation/65193959

 

Each day I will post one topic pitting two episode of MLPFiM against eachother. It's a contest to see which episode is the most liked by the board.

 

Also, the winner of this matchup would skip a round because there is no episodes to face it. In the interest of fairness, you have the option of naming an episode that was beaten in the first round to return for tomorrows matchup. Here, people have voted for Sleepless In Ponyville to return. That episode will come back. An episode needs five votes to be eligible.

 

Today's Matchup: Magic Duel VS Wonderbolt Academy

 

Perfect. I remember not really paying attention last round and voting for Wonderbolt Academy when that wasn't the episode being voted for -_- now is my chance to regain my dignity! wooohoo! Screw Magic Duel

[Thundershock 310]

i think magic duel is better,since trixie comes back in that episode,plus the ending is interesting.wonderbolt academy was good,but magic duel was better.

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,190]

I think that although Magic Duel was well written and all, I enjoyed Wonderbolt Academy too much to not vote for it. It answered all of the questions about when Rainbow Dash will FINALLY be asked to join the Academy and what will happen when it takes place. Personally, I never liked Trixie anyway. She was mean and crude and a total lier. And that doesn't change! Even though she says sorry at thr end of the episode, she still is vain as her last line proves. I think Wonderbolt Academy was better resolved by the end of the episode.

[Emerald Flame 381]

Wonderbolts Academy is my favorite episode of the season, so it gets the vote. Great characterization for Rainbow Dash, drill sergeant Spitfire, a great antagonist in Lightning Dust, what is there to hate? Don't get me wrong, I loved Magic Duel too, but I feel Trixie should have stayed an antagonist, and the fact that there was no punishment for taking over an entire town bothered me.

[Syrchalis 40]

Magic Duel was more interesting and exciting, but Wonderbolts Academy had so much canon for me which I really could need for my roleplaying site - there was not much in the show about how flying acrobatic teams like the Wonderbolts get recruits or how they practice - now with the Academy I have a nice canon base to work from.

 

So even though I enjoyed Magic Duel more, expanding the world I love to play in is more important.

Also: Rainbow Dash!

[Koori 156]

Both are very good...

 

I'll go for Wonderbolt Academy too because that was some deep Rainbow Dash character development and the episode did kinda put her dream at risk. The ending may not have been the best, but still it beats Magic Duel.

 

Magic Duel was actually well written and all and it was nice too see one-time character actually return. It means that even Gilda may come back, but that's another story. The reason why I think Magic Duel isn't better is because of the way Twilight beat Trixie. While it might feel like she cheated, she used at the same time her mind over brawl and that's okay and all, but it still feels... odd to me.

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

Lightning Dust didn't return, she was introduced, silly :3

 

 

My vote goes to Magic Duel, Wonderbolt Academy was good and all, but Magic Duel was awesome

I know that it was the first time Lightning appeared, I said that it set up an episode where she might return. I could see it happening. Plus, it would hopefully satisfy all the people who think she was mistreated or something.

[CrystalRose 636]

I voted for Magic Duel. I liked Wonderbolts Academy, and although I don't like Trixie very much I did like the references to other episodes, Twilight and Zecora's plan and the many little Fluttershy moments. <3

 

"I'll crack under the pressure, I'll snap like a twiiiiigg!"

Edited January 16, 2013 by CrystalRose

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

Oooh, tough choice. Both are solid episodes and offer great characterization for Twilight and Rainbow respectively...though I'm gonna have to go with Magic Duel on this one. Trixie was a better foil for Twilight than Lightning Dust was for Dash and the general atmosphere and stakes put forth in that episode were surprisingly dark in a good way. Plus, Magic Duel had Zecora in it, what more of a reason do you need?

Edited January 16, 2013 by PoisonClaw

[Wingnut 6,734]

Until just now, I wasn't tempted to look ahead and ask myself, "What episode do I want to win this tournament?"  But thanks to an excellent reply just above me, that decision has become very easy.  I mean, why not?  Although the title ostensibly identifies this as a Fluttershy episode, Rainbow Dash is also a star here.  If my two favorite ponies do go on to win this tourney, I'll be so proud of them I could burst! 

 

But Hurricane Fluttershy got it exactly right. It showed that yes, your best might be pitiful, no matter how hard you work. But even if you suck, you can feel proud about the fact that you are truly putting your best effort in despite dissapointment and you can be proud of your achievements, no matter how small. Hurricane Fluttershy feels real in its moral. Having Fluttershy try so hard and fail again made you love her more, and it made her final triumph much more of an accomplishment. Trying your hardest even if you are afraid and you are not very good is one thing. Trying just as hard after all of your hardest work failed is another.

 

As someone who feels like a failure after failing, especially in athletic endeavors when I was growing up, this moral hits close to home for me.  Besides that, Fluttershy didn't want to fly into the tornado in the first place.  And when she finally decides to participate, it started to overwhelm her.  But instead of quitting and bailing out, she found the courage to persevere and helped the team complete its mission.  Despite her physical shortcomings and her fears, she's one of the Elements of Harmony because she possesses the same asset the other five do: heart. 

 

Rainbow Dash also made her own journey here. How can you comfort a friend who you don't understand the plight of? And how do you continue to encourage them after they gave their best shot and didn't even come close to reaching you? It wasn't about the record anymore for Dash. It was about trying to help her friend the best way she could, even if she couldn't help much at all.

 

This episode also made me feel for Rainbow Dash. For once, the pegasus who normally has the power to do anything she wants, was powerless. If she could, she would've lent half of her wingpower to Fluttershy so she wouldn't feel so inadequate.  Cindy Morrow and everybody who helped to make this episode did a phenomenal job. 

 

Stellafera, for someone who's not a big Fluttershy fan, you sure do find a lot of nice things to say about her.  Moreover, your character and episode reviews are always a pleasure to read. Good critical writing skills and attention to detail continue to be evident. In fact, some of your articles look like they were written by a college student. Are you sure you’re not lying about your age?

[Scootalove 10,684]

I say, Hurricane Fluttershy. It showed that thanks to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy was able to overcome her taunting demons and proved to herself and everypony that she is a great flyer.

[Betez 1,734]

I'm going with Hurricane Fluttershy. I just feel like it's written slightly better than Secret of My Excess. While SoME does give a good lesson about greed, I feel like HF provides a better one, showing how a little thing can make a world of difference. So Hurricane Fluttershy for me as well.

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

As it stands right now, Magic Duel is winning over Wonderbolt Academy with a vote of twenty-seven to eighteen. I'm shocked by this.

[Scootalove 10,684]

Both episodes are good in my opinion.

 

But I prefer Wonderbolt Academy, because it was the first time I saw Spitfire, plus I got to see Lightning Dust first appear but teamed up with Rainbow Dash was epic. Magic Duel was good, because of Trixie coming back to try to get rid of Twilight but in the end Trixie went back to being good from being free from the corruption.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

As it stands right now, Magic Duel is winning over Wonderbolt Academy with a vote of twenty-seven to eighteen. I'm shocked by this.

I'm not. Magic Duel is one of the most overrated appreciated episodes of the season. Sorry, my fingers slipped.

 

I voted for Wonderbolt Academy because of Dash and her character development, plus Pinkie. And it was a step up for Merriwether.

[Stellafera 3,836]

While Wonderbolt Academy wasn't my favorite episode, or my second favorite, or maybe even my third favorite this season, it had my favorite villain. Seriously, she was written so well. At first, the episode leads the viewer, just like Rainbow Dash, into thinking that Lightning Dust is simply a better version of Rainbow Dash who tries harder and has more drive. But slowly, she seems to start making some questionable choices... and some mean ones... and then she almost leads the rest of the Mane 6 to their deaths... We are pulled along the same track that Rainbow Dash is, and therefore we feel invested in the plot. 

 

Plus, great Pinkie Pie. Plus, I think it's safe to say at this point that I'm a Merriwether Williams fangirl. She's the best at jerks and jokes, and delivered on both counts. 

 

I loved the opening of Magic Duel, but was very disappointed by the rest. It had some decent humor I guess? It really lacked a buildup of suspense.  It was supposed to have higher stakes, I could tell, but I didn't feel it. I think I had more concern for what Pinkie Pie would do if she didn't get a letter than I did when Twilight was banished from Ponyville. I may also be a touch bitter from one of my least favorite episodes beating FREAKING SLEEPLESS IN PONYVILLE WHAT THE FLYING FEATHER.

[Stellafera 3,836]

Moreover, your character and episode reviews are always a pleasure to read. Good critical writing skills and attention to detail continue to be evident. In fact, some of your articles look like they were written by a college student. Are you sure you’re not lying about your age?

 

Nope, although I seem to get that a lot. I go to a school with a lot of essay writing, so that might be one part of it. I also get plenty of practice from reading and posting on forums like these. They give me good opportunities to turn inwards and ask myself "Why do I like this?".

 

I appreciate the compliment, and while the soft spoken pegasus isn't my favorite, by this point, I can find something that I like about each of them. And when one of the biggest characterization episodes for Fluttershy is also my favorite in the series... predictable results ensue. Congratulations Fluttershy, you have graduated up to 5th best pony. 

Edited January 17, 2013 by Stellafera

[Zygen 6,065]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO_eLEUkGhE

That scene always strikes me in the heart when I see Fluttershy turn around in tears.. I don't cry, but I do on the inside.

 

Anyways if it hasn't become apparent enough, I do like Hurricane Fluttershy over Secret of my excess. Nothing against Secret of my Excess, but Hurricane Fluttershy has so many amazing moments and its a Fluttershy episode, Its arguably one of my favorites as a Fluttershy fan. Its a great episode really overall though. One of the more touching episodes actually. And it shows dash's caring side aswell pretty good.

 

So I'm going with Hurricane Fluttershy.

[SuperUltimateBrony 351]

Round Two Match Sixteen

See the bracket here: http://imgur.com/cViyM

 

Vote here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/203-cartoons-and-animation/65203177

Each day I will post one topic pitting two episode of MLPFiM against eachother. It's a contest to see which episode is the most liked by the board.

The reason I added this match is so Magic Duel doesn't skip a round. That wouldn't be fair. The winner of this episode faces Magic Duel later on.

Today's Matchup: Sleepless In Ponyville VS The Best Night Ever

[~Lawful Sturdy Wing~ 522]

Psss So we have the clearest representation and confirmation of scootalove vs the mane six having an awful time? Easy winner here. This ones for you Scootaloo!

[duidamasterXD 9,626]

I liked The Best Night Ever. It balanced out the focus on the Mane Six fairly well, and generally gave fans of each of them something to enjoy. The song was wonderful, Rainbow Dash was adorable, and it gave us a new side of Fluttershy to look at, which I liked at least. I loved the Cinderella parallels, especially Rarity smashing the slipper maniacally. I could relate to having dreams live up to your expectations, and it was heartwarming to see that even when everything falls apart your friends will still be there for you.

 

That said, Sleepless in Ponyville is hands down the best episode of season three, and it wouldn't take too much convincing for me to call it the best in the series. Scootaloo's development was neglected for so long, and it was wonderful for her to finally be more flushed out as a character. I could relate to her not wanting others to see her insecurities very well. It also made excellent use of suporting characters, Applejack was the straight mare as usual and Rarity camping was bound to be hilarious. Luna's role in the episode was unexpected but VERY welcome. Always nice to see more of the best princess . And of course Rainbow Dash was epic as always, but also showed some of the sensitive caring side that she's always had. Her taking Scoots under her wing was one of the most heartwarming things I've ever seen. More evidence for her being best pony . Anyhow this episode just made me feel good as a person after watching it.

 

Sleepless wins, and may it take down Magic Duel in its rematch.

Edited January 17, 2013 by DashForever

[Lo23 31]

As much as I love both episodes. I would go with Sleepless in Ponyville myself. I really do love the connection with RD and Scootaloo's mentor / sister relationship in the fandom and it is great the show made an episode around this and amazing one at that. That wing hug scene just has so many feels for me.