Double Rainboom

[Dark Qiviut 22,399]

Normally, because it's a fan animation, I tend to be much more lenient in my comments. However, Zachary Rich helped produce this whole piece (along with 104 other people) with the intent to graduate from Savannah's College of Art and Design. This fan-made episode is out there to prove to everyone that he is ready to work in the professional field. Therefore, I'll review it as if it truly is a professionally published piece.

 

This is a strong animated piece, with lots of action, characterization, and humor. Rich and crew took what is My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and created something that could fit within the realm of the canon while inserting of their own ideas. What are really strong is the following:

• Without question, the animation is the best part of Double Rainboom. One key component in animation is the fluidity of it, and it was extremely well-done. In some cases, it flowed a little better than some parts of the showand really pushed the boundaries of Adobe Flash, something DHX has been able to do.
• The characterization of Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash are, for the most part, IN character, especially given the current timeline, which is somewhere in season two. Twilight retains that adorkable edge while freaking out, getting annoyed at the right moments, and caring at the right time. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, retained that recklessness that she didn't dispel until Wonderbolts Academy. She likes to push herself to the edge, occasionally going too far, and used to fly very recklessly. In Read It and Weep, she flew so wildly, she crashed and broke her wing. Pinkie Pie's antics worked extremely well, retaining that cheery, bubbly confidence that everyone knows so well.
• The pop culture references are abundant, but don't intrude to the story. WeLoveFine, EQD, Toy Story, Harley Quinn, and so on blended right in the piece, and you have to really slow down in order to find it.
• The plot twist was shocking, but made a lot of sense. Whether you love it or hate it, NO one saw that crossover coming. But it was done in a way that works given the fantasy, folklore, and logic the canon provides. My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic exploits their zany worldbuilding, but so does The Powerpuff Girls, and a lot of the crew worked on both projects. Lauren Faust, in part, worked as a storyboard artist in Powerpuff Girls, and the simplicity in PPG's characters and atmosphere are noticeable in FIM.
  
  At the same time, Rich and crew carefully researched various theories, especially the idea of exploring and ripping through an inter-dimensional, space-time continuum. There were bits and pieces foreshadowing the crossover, but there was one that, following the interview on Everfree Radio, gave it right away.
  • Twilight's contraption when holding Rainbow Dash back. I remembered seeing it once before when the preview was uploaded on YouTube a few weeks ago, but didn't know where. Rich explained that it came from the Powerpuff Girls episode, Bubblevicious (one of the most popular PPG episodes, by the way), and it rang in my head wondering how I missed that! It was subtle, but very clever.
• There's another part of the professional world of MLP:FIM that shines: the background score. It shines here, too. Andrew Stein (MandoPony) did a splendid job with the music, giving it his flavor, but simultaneously blending in the canon. It's fast when needed, somber when needed, and hilarious when needed. It added so much flavor to Double Rainboom.
• The humor is top-notch and follows the zany roots of both The Powerpuff Girls and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The funniest part is easily Rarity's hairdo becoming Twilight's, scaring away Spike.
• There were plenty of brony references, but almost all of them came during specific moments where it didn't intrude to the plot. The Scootachicken joke belonged, and it was hilarious. Derpy had more secondary screentime than seasons one and three combined, desperately trying to eat her muffin (but couldn't); and you can't help but feel for her. WeLoveFine and EQD were there, but were so subtle and so quick that you couldn't spot them immediately. Berry Punch's brony reference for her alcoholism is there, too, but almost unnoticeable because it was in the background.
• The tones for all of the characters match. The Powerpuff Girls were perfect. Twilight Sparkle, voiced by Rina-chan, closely associated with Strong's voice; and the same is said for Pinkie Pie. The only one that was half-and-half is Rainbow Dash. But despite the different voice, the way it was conveyed (her tone) matched her headstrong reckless character that was prevalent during seasons one and two.
• The crew did a spectacular job portraying the consequences of the double rainboom. It was forceful and damaging. Ponyville was in shambles, as if in the middle of a nuclear explosion. They wanted it to be graphic, and they got it.
• The end credits are akin to one of a Pixar film. Instead of being an afterthought, it's part of the episode, which is a very clever touch.

But there were also rather noticeable flaws.

• One brony reference was redundant: Snowflake's "YEAH!" Albeit funny, it ate up too much time on the clock.
• Some of the animation look like it was tweened too much. The biggest example is Fluttershy escorting the chickens before Rainbow Dash zoomed by — It was rather choppy.
• Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup's lines were way too simple to display much genuine character. The only moment where the character was displayed was Buttercup's aggression during the fight with the monster.
• The script was to the point, but it was actually too simple. While many of the lines were in character, some didn't have the depth necessary to make the characterization as convincing as it should, especially the Powerpuff Girls'. Better lines from them and more hilarious conversation between the PPGs and Dash (and maybe Professor Utonium, if you want to brainstorm) would provide such great chemistry.
• The explanation for the double rainboom was nonexistant. Where did it come from? It's evident through the script's effects that, if going fast enough to break through the speed of sound AND light, a double rainboom causes a rift in the continuum, landing the individual who's going through it into another dimension. But there was never any history or backstory behind it in the form of the actual script. It came off as extremely abrupt, and we still never got the full details behind them. In other words, given the current writing, it's a glaring plothole.
• Twilight's mere anger following Rainbow Dash's return didn't match. She was worried that Dash would kill herself, and then couldn't find her. She showed absolutely NO relief that Rainbow Dash is back in one piece, just frustration and anger, and it didn't fit her one bit. A combination of both (combined with disappointment) would've been much more in character.
• The deus ex machina, while fitting in the canon and Pinkie's "fourth wall breaking" was stupid! Despite the foreshadowing early in Double Rainboom, there was absolutely NO buildup for it, and it made no sense, even in the context of the letter.
• The letter to Celestia fit: Dash drank the potion without thinking ahead and resulted in some serious consequences. But the letter felt very incomplete and didn't have the right enough polish for it to make it very convincing. (The reference with Pinkie entering through the "FL" door was hilarious, though.)
• The episode is too short and didn't have the balance between Rainbow Dash's hilarious scurrying in Townsville and Twilight's method to get her back to Ponyville. It was exclusively Rainbow Dash's side of the story, and part of the plot suffered from it. Double Rainboom's plot would've been much better if the perspective was more omniscient here, focusing on both Rainbow Dash and Twilight. If the perspective was balanced, then Pinkie Pie's portal traveling wouldn't be such a rough deus ex machina, and Pinkie Pie's inclusion would've made more logical sense.

In short, Double Rainboom had very great polish in its animation, and there was a lot of heart. There were minute, but very glaring issues in the executions of the PPG's characterization and concepts that bogged down Double Rainboom, so what could've been even greater wasn't. Nevertheless, for a long production, Rich and crew did a marvelous job laying down the groundwork needed for the fandom to come up with future material. He shows that he is ready to go out into the professional world of animation once he graduates, and I can't wait to see what other ideas he has in mind in the future. Very good work!

Edited March 31, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[Argumedies 1,748]

I just got done watching it and I thought they did a damn good job on it. I'm not a PPG fan but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. I got a kick out of all the in jokes.

These people put a lot of time and effort into it and it’s a shame that most of you cannot appreciate that effort because it doesn’t live up your standards. That's pretty selfish if you ask me. I swear that some of you are not happy unless you’re tarring something to shreds.

What's the old saying? If you don't like something then do it yourself. So when you make one yourselves then you can say what could have/should have been in it or not.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Argumedies

[Thundershock 310]

I think it was very good for a fanmade episode.The beginning was kinda boring,but it quickly got interesting when rainbowdash came to the powerpuffs world.(Although i wish Rarity was in the episode though)There should be a sequel to this.

[Wingnut 6,991]

Before I start, I was wondering if Dark Qiviut would give Sonic Rainboom one of his detailed, thorough episode reviews.  Sure enough, he did, and he showed once again why he's one of the best critics among our members. 

 

I just watched Double Rainboom and, wow, what a thrill it was! Here are some of my initial reactions.

 

I love the music and the nods to the Powerpuff Girls movie. Rainbow Dash essentially drank Chemical X and BECAME a Powerpuff Girl! The unintended carnage inflicted by the double rainboom is also a PPG reference as Townsville was similarly destroyed in the movie. All of this was obvious to me well before Rainbow Dash wormholed her way to Townsville. I suspect Zachary would've obtained Cartoon Network's permission for all of this even before adding their characters to the cartoon.

 

Here are some of the other things I liked:

 

-Rarity's Twilight makeover was funny, as was seeing Snowflake again. YEAH!

-I was concerned that there wouldn't be a good reason given for the occurrence of a double rainboom. But I am satisfied with Twilight's talent enhancer concoction as a plausible explanation.

-Seeing everypony's reaction as the new and improved Rainbow Dash zipped through Ponyville was hilarious.

-I liked the vignette where Twilight describes how the talent enhancer would impact each M6 pony.

-And, as a big Powerpuff fan in my own right, the entire crossover was a totally unexpected and pleasant surprise. I'm so glad I was smart enough to watch it before reading comments and spoiling the whole thing.

 

I also have a few nitpicks:

 

-Zach fell a bit short of his goal of having visuals that are 100% true to MLP:FiM. Like any good artist, Zach is probably his own worst critic and he is aware of this. The animation is closer to 90% show accuracy. It's still superior to any other non-official stuff I've ever seen.

-Twilight's lab equipment is a bit too modern looking for Equestria.

-For Bronies who aren't also Powerpuff fans, Dash's journey to Townsville was probably seemed pointless and boring.

-Too many references to other programs and movies. Was that a Domo in the moon?

-The story and the moral themselves were mediocre. The pacing also left something to be desired. But Zachary Rich wasn't attempting to write an award winning novel here. The emphasis was on everything else including the music, the voice acting, and the visuals. Please don't insult our intelligence by saying the VAs are professionals. They are amateurs and they did a good job for amateurs. Everyone who worked on this project put forth their best effort and I applaud them for, all things considered, a job well done.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Wingnut

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I had a feeling that the episode was going to be wall to wall references and fandom nods, but somehow they crammed in even more than I expected. Color me impressed. The animation was very good, the story left something to be desired but it was still enjoyable. It's always great watching Antoinette cause mayhem and get into trouble, so that was nice . I never got into Powerpuff Girls so I suspect that some of the power of the crossover was lost on me. Still, I'm glad I got the opportunity to watch it.

 

Overall I enjoyed it, but I think I actually liked Snowdrop more. 

[Zygen 6,066]

I personally really liked Double Rainboom, sure not everyone did, but eh not everyone likes all the cannon episodes either .

 

The best part about the whole thing is it shows just how much talent the fandom has, and it can only really improve from here. This whole thing was made from fans, and it was actually pretty darn good, sure it wasn't perfect, but considering it was made from fans it was darn good.

 

The animation is definitely the best part, its not entirely show accurate, but it is pretty close. The voice acting was pretty well done, even though it obviously wasn't perfect. The writing of the characters was actually pretty well in character, and the interactions felt like a cannon episode in my opinion.

 

It even had a little bit of humor that I found myself laughing at.

 

The story I personally though was pretty well overall, however I will agree it was the weakest point and could've been more focused on and did feel a bit stretched at some points, mostly towards the end. However I still liked it overall. Though Snowdrop was much better in this department.

 

Besides i'm really not much of a critique, I typically am quite easy to please honestly. So regardless of others who may not have enjoyed it I say I spent my 25 or so minutes well, and in the end thats all that really matters to me .

 

I can't wait to see more things like this even better as the fandom's talent expands .

Edited March 31, 2013 by Zygen

[Limey 524]

It was good, much better than I thought it would be. My only niggle was the amount of references, and the fact that quite a lot of the episode was just Rainbow Dash flying. Surely they could have cut down on that a bit, I know its 'kewl' and all but did we really need as much flying as we got?

 

Oh and the Troll face. The inclusion of the troll face was the most utterly stupid and unneeded thing ever, and kind of ruined it a little for me. What was the point in it? Can someone explain why it was their other than 'LE MAYAMAYS 20% COOLER XDXDXD'. I'm sorry, but using memes for humor is just cheap and plain lazy.

[Viscra Maelstrom 3,718]

i found it okay. the musical cues were definitely the best and most show-accurate in the episode. animation-wise it was pretty good, bar some parts that looked kind of weird (then again, it's not like the original show didn't have animation errors). the sound-design left me a bit tame, tbh. some parts could have used a sound-effect or two, particularly it sounded very quiet when the ponies were walking in a few places. the plot was completely wack-ass to me. it was fun for a one-go watch, but not much else to me. maybe i'm just losing interest in these kinds of things.

[TheSupremeLeaderOfChaos 1,206]

First things first. It was great. I thought it was very well made, and the voice acting was impeccable. The animation was amazing for a fan-made episode and the jokes were funny. I am very proud of our fandom for doing this, and I think it is a step in the right direction between bronies and Hasbro. I enjoyed it a lot. It has helped ease the restlessness that has filled me since Season 3 ended. Those people did a very good job.

[Equity 61]

I thought it was pretty good, definitely worth watching. I'm beating a dead horse here, but the animation really is superb - almost show-quality, in fact.

 

The whole cross-over thing really took me off guard, though. I'm not a fan of the PPG, but it was cool seeing their reactions to Dashie just showing up out of nowhere - I thought Bubble's pure adoration for Dash was, well... adorable. Definitely a good match-up there.

 

However, what really bogged this whole thing down for me was the pacing. It just feels so flat at times, like they're trying to make the characters work towards another event or something but it just comes so slowly. Even during the actions scenes, it feels extremely dry, with dialogue barely hitting hard, or sometimes hardly hitting at all. I guess it's because fabulous people behind this crazy, ambitious thing were more hell-bent on just dazzling us all with their slick animation. But, still - something I've noticed.

 

Anyway, all in all it was fun watching. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing lands some of the animators new jobs!

[Rolls Royce 606]

I just finished watching it about an hour ago, and I was impressed by it.  I enjoyed the writing, the animation was great, and the music cues were also very nice.  I'm a person that enjoys seeing references to other shows in a show, but I feel like it went a little overkill in some points.  I just have to say this is the reason I will be in the fandom long after the actual series comes to an end, which I hope it doesn't do for a long time, because we have the talent to make actual full length episodes, and for the first full length fan made episode ever, it was very well made.

[~Chaotic Parsley~ 240]

Finished watching it earlier and all I can say about it was LOL.

 

The animation was epic. The only thing that threw me was the VAs. I don't know why but it just didn't sound serious enough (like the show) Twilight sounded a lot like that from the .mov series and Rainbow sounded a lot like that from the FiW series. But I digress. 

 

I loved the whole ripping through the space time continuum and such.

 

Hopefully he makes another :3

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

So, I watched Double Rainboom, I have some complaints.

The audio: the voice actors were okay, but the recording quality was terrible. The sound guy should be given a F for the course, it sounded like they used $10 mics and put metal buckets over the VAs heads.

Story: I agree on this being the weakest link. For being roughly 25min without credits and such, there wasn't a whole lot of plot going on. There were large amounts of nothing and I felt like we could've gotten so much more. it's frustrating, really. What they chose to give shout-outs too could've been picked better. The jokes were lacking as well. 

Animation: Pretty Good, no complaints other then some some sub-par modeling.

All in all, I'd give it a 3.5/5. It was nice, but I'm far prouder of Snowdrop as far as fan projects go.

[Bendy 1,821]

I love crazy stuff like this!

 

The only thing I didn't like about Double Rainboom was that Pinkie Pie didn't take Rainbow Dash to more parallel universes.

 

--

 

Seriously though.

No matter how good something is. Someone out there will hate it. 

Also opinions.

“Oh, it’s too original and weird.”

“Or oh it’s too normal and not original .”

What do you want people? 

Edited March 31, 2013 by Rush

[NavelColt 22,880]

Different perhaps and somewhat out of this poniverse which is totally fine. In fact i would rather see such things from fans. Something out of the ordinary and experimental.

 

I keep seeing people saying that the cameos were horrible or that they were this that or the other thing, and that they only wanted ponies. Frankly, seeing as how crossovers aren't libel to happen in the actual show, I would've thought people would be excited for crossovers in fan content of this quality since it's your only real chance to see it. Apparently not

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

I just finished watching it, and I thought that it was good.  The animation was gorgeous, and the music that I noticed was also very well done.  It was a little slow-paced (I actually think that it could have worked better being only 22 minutes...) and the PPG crossover seemed odd to me (though that could be because I never really cared for that show).  Overall, I would say that this is easily one of the best looking fan-made videos, but if I'm looking for a good story, I'll stick with the Doctor Whooves radio plays.

[moduz94 78]

 

 

You don't know how much I hate to admit it...but this time they are right...damn it....when I heard the back to the future theme I expected dash to get to the past and do some serious damage to the continum (you know, like in BTTF ) but instead I got Catoon Network...meh...

 

I mean it was cute and all but....gosh it could've been so much more....soooo much more...Zach, stick to animation and don't to the writing as well man.

 

 

Today we learned: Never let the Director be the same guy as the Editor be the same guy as? the Writer. top lel

Edited April 1, 2013 by moduz94

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I keep seeing people saying that the cameos were horrible or that they were this that or the other thing, and that they only wanted ponies. Frankly, seeing as how crossovers aren't libel to happen in the actual show, I would've thought people would be excited for crossovers in fan content of this quality since it's your only real chance to see it. Apparently not

 

Yes, this is exactly what I was trying to say.  We got a full-length episode that was fairly close to show quality, but that was able to do things that the real show could never do.  And they even had permission from everyone whose material they were using.  Something like this will probably never happen again.  Personally, I think it is better that they did what they did - rather than just doing something that the real show could have done. 

[Mr. Jaguar 1,403]

Ok, after having just finished watching the episode, I can say with utmost certainty that this was a damn good episode. The animation and voice acting were superb, and the plot was enjoyable, there was never a moment where I was thinking "ugg, just get it over with already....", nope, it kept my interest held from beginning to end. I hereby declare that this episode is a 7/10 Rarity's ( :D :D :D ), as well 1 Rarity seal of approval

 

 

Good fan-made episode.

[VelvetDivan 96]

Okay, so after some thought, here are a few tweaks I feel could've gone a long ways toward improving the writing of the episode while keeping the general spirit of it relatively intact.

 

Pacing problems: playing cat and mouse with the potion vial in the lab was a gag that went on far too long. It was briefly useful as stalling while Twilight provided some exposition, then it turned into padding.  Eliminate that and similar moments, and use the saved time elsewhere, like showing the devastation wrought by the double rainboom at the end (seemed very scant to me) or to add a short scene of the rest of the mane 6 struggling with the situation in Equestria while RD's in Townsville.

 

Rainbow Dash making any reference to a double rainboom = no.  Even a single rainboom was pretty much just rumor before she pulled it off.  No one had ever heard of a double rainboom, and Dash just isn't capable of speculating on the existence of a doubled version of the phenomenon based on any of the science I've heard bronies speculate on (breaking both the sound and light barriers.)  Instead, while she's hanging there in space (internal monologue instead of speaking aloud to cut down a little on the talking-in-vacuum absurdity) she could speculate on producing the BIGGEST, BRIGHTEST rainboom EVER!  Complete with trademark voice-breaking squeal on 'ever.'  

 

Change the structure of the fight against the Townsville monster.  Dash gets in that first good lick, and is making her second run when the monster's plea for mercy brings her up short.  The sudden braking catalyzes the wing-crippling.  She has to bluff with the monster from that point on.  (Funnier, and leaves her helpless in this new universe almost from the get-go, making allies important.)  Further monster-beatings from the PPGs totally optional.  

 

Instead of being chased by the PPGs, making them antagonists, (leading to her time in Townsville spent as a boring chase scene with no creative cartoon mechanics to speak of) Rainbow enlists their help (fine, she's bounced upon and hugged until Prof Utonium shows up and insists the PPGs help Dashie get home.)  

You could provide additional impetus to get rid of Rainbow, showing that her presence is causing instability in the space-time continuum (another excuse to show off neat visual effects.  Picture rainbow-colored lightning strikes, or 4th-wall bulging effects like a BSOD trying to burn its way through the sky.)  

It's reasoned that a second double rainboom, penetrating reality at the same point RD entered Townsville, should allow her to return home.  (As far as collateral damage, just toss in a line about how they'll be ahead on the post-monster rebuilding budget because of Dash's intervention anyways.)  

Using the PPGs as booster rockets, Dash pulls off a second double rainboom, (perhaps changing the animation or colors of it considering the involvement of the PPGs and the different animation style of the PPG universe, and to keep the rainboom effect from growing stale) emerging back in Equestria in the fire-scorched clearing, battered and wing-sprained but safe.  

 

Instead of the angry silent treatment from Twilight...  A frantically calculating/experimenting Twilight rushes to embrace her stupid reckless friend, then has to be pried off of RD by AJ and Fluttershy as she flips out a bit in the 'are you CRAZY?!' vein.  RD downplays the whole thing, says she'll be fine in "no time."  AJ and Rarity part some tree branches to let her see the devastation she caused.  Cue Spike and letter-writing.  (I chose to eliminate Pinkie's dimension-trotting not because it wasn't appropriate to Pinkie's character, but because I felt Twilight would never have been able to prepare a potion for her that quickly, or would have *used* it that quickly before she had exhausted other options.  If time allowed, a passing reference to an attempt at making Pinkie pan-dimensional could've taken the form of a Pinkie sick from a failed potion rolling around on the floor, or a Pinkie popping back into existence wearing any number of items from other shows, that sort of gag.)

 

 

Optional: as the mane 6 leave the clearing to return to town and start rebuilding, no one notices the lingering crack in the earth with the tell-tale black and white spiral lurking within.  Less-subtle: character of your choice's head/arm thrusts up out of the portal a split second before the credits roll.

 

 

Yes, it's easy to criticize, and difficult to create, I know this.  I'm a writer.  I struggle with motivation issues, and have so many half-finished stories sometimes I wonder if I've created a new, frustrating medium for readers.  I just hope I've managed to show that if they'd spent a little more time writing, bringing that end of it up to match the awesome quality of the animation, they would have produced a better end-product.  While it's far too late now, I hope Zach and the other students who worked on the project take the lesson to heart.  The most spectacular-looking work has no staying power without a good story behind it.

[SparkBrony 379]

Just finished watching this. It was great! The animation was wonderful and the voices were spot-on. The reference to the Powerpuff girls was cool too. (Even though I've never seen that show). Btw, for anyone who doesn't know, Lauren Faust directed the powerpuff girls too.

[Neptunebyte 22]

I liked the episode, thought the animation was great, voices were great, and the cameos and crossover were excellent. It is a fan made episode, and it wasn't perfect, but it was great. I hope to see more of these come from the fans.

[푸딩군 48]

I really like it.

i love the weird role Pinkie Pie had on this xD

and the animation and voices were pretty good!

 

and well, Derpy was amazing too on it xD

i really found cute the muffin thing :3

[GrooveBroove 680]

Just got done watching it recently and really liked it. Some parts felt a little awkward (the beginning with no voice dialog) but as a whole I thought it was done well.

 

The twist there was definitely a lot of fun to see. Not to mention all of the VAs did a great job. Also I loved all the jokes there for the fans.

[Ghost 173]

 I liked Double Rainboom. It was fun to watch and kept me entertained from beginning to end. I read some comments pointing out flaws in the animation, but I usually never notice that stuff, so I thought it was great. Maybe it wasn't 100% show quality, but it was still very well done. The VA's were also great and the music was perfect  .

 I'll agree the plot could have used some improvement, but I still enjoyed it and will likely watch it again.

 

 

The PPG crossover was completely unexpected and I'm not surprised it got such a mixed reaction and even upset some people, but I'm glad they took a risk and did something we'll never see in an actual show. However, I did expect a large amount of fan service and don't get why that upset people. It's a fan-made production made for the fans, so of course there will be some a lot of fan service. 

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by Ghost