Fluttershy seems off this season

[ReverseFaller 2,484]

Fluttershy has been acting a little strange this season, if you ask me. Here are some things I've noticed about her that didn't quite seem right.

• She didn't get mad when her friends were in danger in Power Ponies. She just kind of accepted that they lost, and wouldn't get angry about it. What about in Dragonshy? She stood up for her friends there, against the dragon. I thought her friends being in peril would've triggered the Flutterhulk.
• In Bats, she didn't seem to care about Applejack's apple farm that much. She even suggested that maybe they just give it to the bats.This is very inconsiderate towards Applejack, and her family. She also felt bad about using the stare on the bats. Why? She didn't feel bad about using it on the chickens in Stare Master, and they weren't causing anybody any harm. She'll use it on Chickens just to get them to go back to their coop, but she's hesitant to use it to help her friends?

Has anybody noticed her acting a little differently this season?

[Moonbacon 384]

it's called character developtment 

but yes she does indeed seem off

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

just give it to the bats.

She only wanted to give the bats a section of the farm in an attempt to control the damage.

 

I don't think she's been acting different she just hasn't had her moment in the spotlight yet and there hasn't really been anything good for her to play off. All she's done this season so far is play roles (flutterhulk, flutterbat) that are out of character for her. Some of her scenes almost felt a little awkward, like the writers just gave her a filler line here and there that don't really add any progression to the story but just do so so that she doesn't go an episode without dialogue. At least that's what I feel has been happening. I'm sure she'll get time later on in the season to come good though.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Bucky_McGillycuddy

[Sig Hoovestrong 838]

I say, is her popularity, gating to her head.

[ReverseFaller 2,484]

Bucky_McGillycuddy, on 05 Jan 2014 - 09:55 AM, said:

She only wanted to give the bats a section of the farm in an attempt to control the damage.

 

I don't think she's been acting different she just hasn't had her moment in the spotlight yet and there hasn't really been anything good for her to play off.

 

I know. But initially, I thought she dropped a comment about just letting them having it. I could be wrong though.

 

I still personally think some of her actions this season have been a little contradictory so far. I suppose we should wait for her to get her moment though, before her jump to conclusions.

[Nature's Spell 526]

It's also called plot convenience. The writers change the characterization to fit the plot and that's partly because each writer writes the characters differently. There is no "Fluttershy" there is a baseline, but beyond that you'll see variation.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Nature's Spell

[SpikeyWikey07 58]

O RLY?!

 

I've probably noticed this already, yet I'm still watching. xD

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

 

 

I know. But initially, I thought she dropped a comment about just letting them having it. I could be wrong though.

Oh, maybe she did. I just might not remember 

 

 

It's also called plot convenience. The writers change the characterization to fit the plot and that's partly because each writer writes the characters differently. There is no "Fluttershy" there is a baseline, but beyond that you'll see variation.

That's probably my favourite thing anyone's said about the series and also the show's biggest issue. The characters could definitely use a little more continuity.

[Shanks 10,816]

Fluttershy did not want to give the entire farm to the bats, she just wanted one section of the farm to be given to them which she believed was the most humane solution as well as the most beneficial to Applejack. The issue I have with Fluttershy though is the inconsistent manner in which she has been written, it seems like she learns a lesson in an episode and then forgets it a few episodes later. There has been some lesson that have kind of stuck but it seems like they are doing everything in their power to keep her a doormat forever which makes her character feel stunted and forced a lot of times.

[Scootalove 10,689]

I think it's the way the writers write her because, we all know that the writers show a different way on how they characterize her when they either write an episode centered around her or she is involved in the episode in some shape or form. The writers do write her differently, but the problem is they can't keep her character consistent.

[Anilewe 2,178]

To be honest, I wanted to create a similiar topic myself. Fluttershy seems off in Bats! and while I like her development I was a little dissapointed. In this episode she was thinking only about vampire fruit bats and how to make them stay in Applejack's orchard. For me it was a little odd, because I think that they could be fine somewhere else. People seem to forget that they're vampire fruit bats and apples aren't their only aliment. They would find fruits in Everfree Forest or Shy could make some kind of garden just for them. 

 

Fluttershy cares about animals, this is rather obvious. But what about nature? The trees were dying! And Applejack? Her lifehood? It's her friend, she should care about it, too! In the end of the episode, Fluttershy got everything, while Applejack got nothing. Applejack had to apologize, sacrife her big apple and make that sanctuary for bats. And I have a problem with it, because we can't say that AJ was completely wrong, she was just concerned about her farm and Ponyville. We can't even say that turning into a vampire was a traumatic experience for Fluttershy, because she didn't know what happened and they had to explain it to her. 

Edited January 5, 2014 by Anilewe

[GoldenCal 52]

Fluttershy did not want to give the entire farm to the bats, she just wanted one section of the farm to be given to them which she believed was the most humane solution as well as the most beneficial to Applejack. The issue I have with Fluttershy though is the inconsistent manner in which she has been written, it seems like she learns a lesson in an episode and then forgets it a few episodes later. There has been some lesson that have kind of stuck but it seems like they are doing everything in their power to keep her a doormat forever which makes her character feel stunted and forced a lot of times.

She does seem more assertive in her opinions with Keep calm and Flutter on and most Recently Bats!

In earlier seasons you wouldn't have expected to put up a fight against the rest of the Mane 6 opinions

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

 

 

In Bats, she didn't seem to care about Applejack's apple farm that much. She even suggested that maybe they just give it to the bats.This is very inconsiderate towards Applejack, and her family. She also felt bad about using the stare on the bats. Why? She didn't feel bad about using it on the chickens in Stare Master, and they weren't causing anybody any harm. She'll use it on Chickens just to get them to go back to their coop, but she's hesitant to use it to help her friends?

 

Applejack and Fluttershy are often deemed the hardest characters to write for due to Fluttershy's inconsistent character between the writers (Really it's like the writers as a whole can't agree on what they want Fluttershy to be) and Applejack's "plainness" this was also the first episode to feature both of them together so maybe it was just hard to write them together for the first time.

[M'gann M'orzz 745]

Fluttershy's problem is that her archetype really can't be used for all that much, so they have to make her go out of normal character to derive plots from her.

[Nature's Spell 526]

Fluttershy's problem is that her archetype really can't be used for all that much, so they have to make her go out of normal character to derive plots from her.

That's an interesting observation and I think a true one. But I think it's something you can say about all the characters at times. It's something the writers often do.

[FNGRpony 658]

She doesn't seem off, she is off.

 

she's gone from best pony for me to least pony.

That's an amazing fall in 8 episode.

 

I consider we've seen some nice leaps, bounds, stumbles and climbes in characters,

I understand not everything works, 

but her best quality is being cute,

 

and she hasn't even really been that cute this season.

 

I can be fair it's the writing staff giving the others more time to shine,

and I'm okay with that.

 

it's been an amazing season,

and making sacraficing flutter shys excessive air time and cuteness was necessary.

 

Still kinda sucks.

[Frosty Flurry 173]

hmmm yes.... I agree with others

I guess this is character development and making her more interesting

But still i want her to return to normal

[M'gann M'orzz 745]

She doesn't seem off, she is off.

 

she's gone from best pony for me to least pony.

That's an amazing fall in 8 episode.

 

I consider we've seen some nice leaps, bounds, stumbles and climbes in characters,

I understand not everything works, 

but her best quality is being cute,

 

and she hasn't even really been that cute this season.

 

I can be fair it's the writing staff giving the others more time to shine,

and I'm okay with that.

 

it's been an amazing season,

and making sacraficing flutter shys excessive air time and cuteness was necessary.

 

Still kinda sucks.

Being cute alone isn't a great character trait, I mean it's enjoyable but it's really quite dull in the long run.

[Moonlight 7,288]

Each writer seems to write Fluttershy differently, from Meghan McCarthy's Dragonshy, to Chris Savino's Stare Master, all the way to Cindy Marrow's Hurricane Fluttershy. Fluttershy's character type honestly isn't much to work with, as most episodes seem to follow the basic "Fluttershy is shy and/or scared of something; she overcomes her shyness or fears; end episode". So they do have to make her act differently to get the plot going or to at least work correctly. 

Edited January 6, 2014 by WheatleyCore

[FNGRpony 658]

Being cute alone isn't a great character trait, I mean it's enjoyable but it's really quite dull in the long run.

people are willing to like pinkie on the sole fact she's silly.

(party of one happened a long time ago so yeah).

 

it's a gimmick, just like being cute.

Pinkies managed to be the right kind of skilly at times this season for me..flutters cuteness has been ...miss.

entirely.

[Nature's Spell 526]

I've actually found it interesting listening to the writers discuss the writing process. In the interview I referenced in another thread with Dave Posky he was asked who's the hardest to write for and he felt Rarity was the most difficult followed by Pinkie. He thought Fluttershy was the easiest, at least for him. I'm not sure what the writers would make of our critiques. :-)

Edited January 6, 2014 by Nature's Spell