Problems we as a community have noticed with the show.

[BlinkZ 1,151]

Expostion dumps goah yeah lots of those.  Breezies episode was loaded with it...and it lead it zip, zero, nada.

[SveciaDash 364]

Fluttershy caring more about animals than her friends as seen in power ponies.

[Static Electricity 729]

Oh boy:

 

1: The Elements of Harmony f***ing suck. Aside from the fact that they're Deus-ex-Machinas, they make little no sense/do not work within the narrative itself.

 

2: The Mane 6 do not work as a group.

 

3: Twilicorn was a gigantic wasted opportunity. The fan reaction might've had something to do with this...

 

4: EQG f***ing sucks. And so will the sequel.

 

5: The development the characters undergo is quickly forgotten/discarded by the next episode.

 

6: Cadence was a bad character.

 

7: Hearth's Warming Eve was a sucky, sucky episode. I'll give out some reasons as to why if you're interested.

 

8: Flight to the Finish had the most atrocious pacing I have ever seen throughout the series.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Static Electricity

[Venomous 18,818]

1. FlutterShy learns the same if not similar lessons in every episode which she is the focus.

 

2. Spike seems to have to re-learn that he is important to Twilight.

 

3. RainbowDash never really seems to fully understand the lessons she learns.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

Oh boy:

 

1: The Elements of Harmony f***ing suck. Aside from the fact that they're Deus-ex-Machinas, they make little no sense/do not work within the narrative itself.

 

2: The Mane 6 do not work as a group.

 

3: Twilicorn was a gigantic wasted opportunity. The fan reaction might've had something to do with this...

 

4: EQD f***ing sucks. And so will the sequel.

 

5: The development the characters undergo is quickly forgotten/discarded by the next episode.

 

6: Cadence was a bad character.

 

7: Hearth's Warming Eve was a sucky, sucky episode. I'll give out some reasons as to why if you're interested.

 

8: Flight to the Finish had the most atrocious pacing I have ever seen throughout the series.

 

2. What do you mean?

 

4. EQG not EQD.

 

5. This really isn't true for the most part, though Fluttershy, the CMC, and Rainbow Dash have come under fire for this.

 

6. She's slowly developing, and is harmless imo.

 

7. I would if you don't mind.

 

8. Pacing is a constant problem in the show, due to its inconsistency, and is very much subjective. That's the main reason I don't say much, if anything about it.

1. FlutterShy learns the same if not similar lessons in every episode which she is the focus.

 

2. Spike seems to have to re-learn that he is important to Twilight.

 

3. RainbowDash never really seems to fully understand the lessons she learns.

 

1. Yea, they're similar, but never the same.

 

3. This was actually mainly an S2 problem, but Rainbow Falls was basically retreaded ground.

Edited March 20, 2014 by DryColt84

[Freewave 1,145]

To me the biggest issue with Season 4 is that Twilight has zero to do other then offer sage advice that is often ignored. She has zero princess responsibilities and yet is fitting the Mary Sue cliche that people were worried about. That makes her pretty bland this season, especially for someone who is now more powerful a role then the other mane 5.

 

Another thing that really is a danger to the fandom IS this massive amount of episode analysis. That part of the fandom has exploded in the last 2 years (thanks to Digobrony and others) and i'm not sure that's a great thing. It's a kids show first and when adults are critiquing it with a microscope it takes the fun out of a show deisgned for kids that's also fun for adults. It makes everyone upset about the "dumbed down plots" when thats not what's really occurring. That's not a great recipe for long-term success to support the show but equally hate it at the same time (see Simpsons fans who say it should have been cancelled years back).  It also leads to a herd mentality where people can't make up their own minds on whether an episode was good.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Freewave

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

To me the biggest issue with Season 4 is that Twilight has zero to do other then offer sage advice that is often ignored. She has zero princess responsibilities and yet is fitting the Mary Sue cliche that people were worried about. That makes her pretty bland this season, especially for someone who is now more powerful a role then the other mane 5.

 

Another thing that really is a danger to the fandom IS this massive amount of episode analysis. That part of the fandom has exploded in the last 2 years (thanks to Digobrony and others) and i'm not sure that's a great thing. It's a kids show first and when adults are critiquing it with a microscope it takes the fun out of a show deisgned for kids that's also fun for adults. It makes everyone upset about the "dumbed down plots" when thats not what's really occurring. That's not a great recipe for long-term success to support the show but equally hate it at the same time (see Simpsons fans who say it should have been cancelled years back).  It also leads to a herd mentality where people can't make up their own minds on whether an episode was good.

 

I kind of agree, but I think it comes down to a philosophy I have: "If you hit something hard enough with a hammer it WILL break."

 

So I don't look to break the show by chipping away at small problems, I instead look to nail the bigger spots (the spots that NEED to be acknowledged as weak).

[Static Electricity 729]

2. What do you mean?

 

I don't really feel a good group dynamic. It just seems kinda forced, and there only for the plot's sake.

 

 

4. EQG not EQD.

 

Whoops XD

 

5. This really isn't true for the most part, though Fluttershy, the CMC, and Rainbow Dash have come under fire for this.

 

While I do find that the characters have changed, I would attribute this to the writers becoming more accustomed at writing the characters, rather than intentional development.

 

6. She's slowly developing, and is harmless imo.

 

Meh, I don't really see it. She just feels kinda forced and unnecessary.

 

7. I would if you don't mind.

 

To start off, why are the Mane 6 the actors? They don't seem to have any practice, nor does it make much sense they play characters which appear to be caricatures of themselves.

 

Also, the story really fails from a world-building perspective. What caused the conflict between the ponies in the first place? Why are all the leaders so stupid? Why are all the right-hand-ponies intelligent?

 

 

8. Pacing is a constant problem in the show, due to its inconsistency, and is very much subjective. That's the main reason I don't say much, if anything about it.

 

I know, but this episode spent more than half of it's running time on the first act..

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

It's a bit of a stretch, but the reason isn't for an antagonistic attitude or childish stupidity, but the obvious role she played as: a know-it-all, archetypical DEM to finish the episode.

 

To quote from one of my points in EQD: Because Twilight mastered the Magic of Friendship and figured out how to memorize a very transformation spell (one that hasn't been used before) very quickly at the very end. When you have characters know how to solve problems by using very strong magic that appeared for the first time, you really risk losing dimension to her character and having the writers using them as a copout for ending episode conflicts unless you dial her intelligence back.

Well, I saw this pointed out but Twilight already used two spells in previous episodes which caused species transformation so it's not like it's REALLY the first time we're seeing it.  Which was Best Night Ever where she turned mice into horses to pull the carriage, and the spell where she was trying to turn an orange apple into an orange in TMPP and hit a bird and frog, turning them into a creepy mixture of the two.

 

Honestly, I think you take this show way too seriously by some of your gripes with it. You hated Big Mac and Cheerilee because of an end of episode joke? "Cheerilee and BM rubbed salt in the wound by acting like the love poison never went away. It was cruel, disgusting, and out of character of Big Mac (for a while, he went into my hated character list"   On that point I have to say, Seriously? Lighten up a bit.

 

But hey, I DID find something that both of us can agree on. Somepony to watch over me had the worst and most dangerous moral to date.  "Want your older siblings/parents to trust you and believe you're capable of caring for yourself? Go do something extremely reckless and dangerous but survive."   Honestly, this was a terrible episode that really portrayed AJ out of character and I didn't find funny at all.

[Dark Qiviut 22,209]

@@Never2muchpinkie,

1. Some differences between Twilight's transfiguration spells in TBNE and IAEBB.
   
   The Best Night Ever: This ensemble episode had obvious build-up to it. The Ticket Master and Suited for Success established some continuity, while others referenced stereotypical clichés from typical feminine entertainment simply to parody them. While it's a temporary spell (turned into mice again at midnight, ala Cinderella) like the breezie one several seasons later, it doesn't turn her friends into them, isn't used as an out for the writers, and takes place in the intro. Meanwhile, it was very evident that Twilight et al were going to have major involvements, and Twilight was actively studying the spell before enacting it.
   
   It Ain't Easy Being Breezies: Unlike TBNE, this was a Fluttershy episode, and the rest of the Mane Six's roles was much smaller. The entire episode was in Fluttershy's point of view, where she learned how sometimes the best method of kindness was to put your hoof down and be blunt. Plus, this was her key episode, so her morals, character, and (supposedly) moments revolved around her. However, as the episode neared its end, Twilight (who impacted very little up to that point) suddenly came in, declared she was able to conjure a very powerful spell in just a few short hours without the book with her, and suddenly changed themselves into breezies. It wasn't established up to that point, making her appearance and blatant toy bait a Deus Ex Machina. (For anyone who claims that she's done this otherwise, like maybe A Dog & Pony Show, that doesn't change the fact it was bad storytelling. It's not okay then; it's not okay now.) Even more unfortunately, as this was her key episode, the "you're-free-from-jail" ending overshadows Fluttershy's moment and the entire process of reestablishing herself.
2. Read the whole sentence from that post:
   
   

   It was cruel, disgusting, and out of character of Big Mac (for a while, he went into my hated character list before I smartened up), Cheerille (same here, except I never liked her that much in the first place), and the show.

   Like what I said, "before I smartened up." I don't hate Big Mac anymore (hell, not for nearly two years), and he's now a top character of mine. And most of these feelings were from way back in season two, where I didn't focus a lot on quality nor any time in the analysis community like what I do now. So my perceptions of these characters and understanding of when the characters are in character and well written are much sharper now.
    

   Honestly, I think you take this show way too seriously by some of your gripes with it.

   I've responded to this in other threads, including EQD posts, and I'll write it here. I know it has the quality to tell good, if not great, all-ages, family-friendly stories. That was the mission statement when I first joined the fandom in 2011; it hasn't changed. More importantly, DHX knows how important quality storytelling means to the fandom and FIM's popularity, which is why Faust and crew worked their tails off just to create a good series. Not taking it seriously, both the small and large issues, means I'll accept whatever quality comes.
   
   That — won't — fly.
   
   "Audience" doesn't determine its quality. Otherwise, Pixar, Hey Arnold!, the classic Disney films, The Powerpuff Girls, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, or other high-quality family products won't have such good quality control. I can have fun with FIM, and I still do. I'm also along for the ride nowadays because FIM is good, yet also has plenty of gigantic holes to fix; so I expect FIM to improve on their issues in the future.
   
   Because it's good, but can be done much, much better, I take FIM very seriously, and that won't change.

3. Somepony to Watch Over Me's botched moral is definitely awful. I'll have to agree with you; it's broken and dangerous. But the worst moral? That's a stretch. The moral is bad, but bad in a way that's similar to Feeling Pinkie Keen, Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, and Spike at Your Service: poor execution or poor wording. The phrasing of it was unintentional, and Sonneborn tries to fix it up. One Bad Apple's is worse because it tackles a sensitive, real-life issue; fails miserably; and doesn't bother covering its broken moral up. OBA's moral's not just broken. It's blatantly broken.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Never2muchpinkie 208]

Like what I said, "before I smartened up."

 

I didn't forget the entire quote. The point was that you felt that way at all. That you hated the characters for that and found it cruel is a bit of an over-the-top reaction to me. It was clearly meant to be an end of episode gag.

 

 

 

With how the script's language states, because they took a stand against the one who'd bullied them, they're being bullies, too. That moral is dangerous, because you're telling people young and old how it's morally wrong to stand up to a bully, especially if perhaps the last possible way to stand up to one is to fight back. It's especially bad to children who're bullied or will be bullied in the future and don't know how to defend against a bully. So what if the bully brandishes a weapon like a knife, gun, screwdriver, mace, or closed fist? Well, the present moral says, "If you defend yourself against a violent bully who carries weapons, you're just as bad as the bully." So, out of embarrassment and shame, this'll make some kids not want to fight them.

 

I can't agree with you on this. There is a big difference between standing up for yourself, and doing something out of revenge that can potentially cause serious harm or death to your bullier. When you start doing things like that you sink down to the level of the bullier and it doesn't make you a better person for it.

 

Secondly on that point, you act as if something kidssee in a show is the end-all, be-all of everything. But you completely ignore or forget to mention the role of parents in this. If anything, you should be blaming parents if they're so incompetent that they let TV parent their kids exclusively. This is the kind of show where lessons should be gateways to communication, not ironclad unbreakable morals.  After seeing this episode parents can discuss what happened with their children, and if they agree with it and their own stance on it. Even if it isn't handled well, it can still be learned from. "Babs didn't get punished for her actions. Do you feel that was right or wrong?" "Do you think the excuse that Babs was bullied in her hometown gives her an excuse to pick on others?" Etc.

 

And if you know your bully has a weapon like a knife, why would you want to try to fight them in the first place? In that you're referring to something unstated in the show, while, again, the actual moral presented by the show is to tell an authority figure. which would make more sense.

 

 

 

 

I agree that revenge isn't the best option, and that's something the CMC did right. They realized the error of their ways and saved Babs.

UMM...WHAT?    They didn't realize ANYTHING themselves and would have gone along with their plan with a clear conscience if AJ hadn't told them about Babs being bullied. That statement also contradicts something you said earlier, which is that you didn't like the CMC excusing Bab's behavior. Now it's okay because it made them change their mind about their plan?  Now you're excusing THEIR behavior because they felt bad about it and tried to save her?

 

 

 

 

Rarity in Sisterhooves Social is one of my all-time favorites that follow this demonstration and is slowly climbing up on my all-time favorite list as a result. She didn't pay any attention to Sweetie Belle, lost her cool, berated Sweetie, and didn't want to spend any quality time with her. As a result, their relationship was fractured, and Sweetie was too hurt to easily forgive her. When Rarity tried to say sorry, Sweetie didn't simply forgive and forget because she hurt her and wanted it to stick. Therefore, Rarity had to team up with Applejack to rectify it. By disguising herself as Applejack, Rarity was able to team up with Sweetie Belle and come in second. They forgive and forget, and Rarity learns a valuable lesson.

 

Why was Rarity in the wrong here? She made a mistake in forgetting that that day was the day Sweetie was supposed to start her week long stay there, but that's a forgivable error, as we can all forget important things.  The reason she didn't pay attention to Sweetie Belle is that she was "on the clock" and had to finish up dresses for a client.  

 

The reasons she lost her cool and berated Sweetie was all because of things SWEETIE BELLE did that were wrong. SB had good intentions, but she still messed around in Rarity's workroom, stole her jewels from the drawer with the justification that "Well, you got more in your workroom" and took her cashmere sweater from where it was. 

 

And I think Rarity handled herself very well. She scolded when Sweetie Belle messed with her stuff, which is a perfectly reasonable reaction to finding your younger sibling was doing so, and when she felt she was getting pissed she reined it in and smiled and let it go. On the third occasion, when she felt she was going to snap at SB, Rarity  told her she needed some time alone so she wouldn't freak out.  And it wasn't exactly about not wanting to spend quality time together, it was that what SB was proposing wasn't something she was interested in.  

 

So really, while Rarity wasn't perfect in this episode, she certainly shouldn't have been the one begging for forgiveness either because she wasn't the only one at fault.

Edited March 21, 2014 by Never2muchpinkie

[Dark Qiviut 22,209]

@@Never2muchpinkie,

1. Just because it's an end-of-episode gag doesn't make it funny. What Cheerilee and Big Mac did was mean-spirited and out of character, especially since the CMCs worked their tails off just to stop the spell. A horrid way to end the episode.
2. The method the CMC chose — how they fought back — wasn't correct. I won't disagree on that. But to say I'm excusing it is foolish. There's a difference between explaining their actions and justifying those actions. The booby-trapping wasn't an excuse, but to say they had no reasons to prove they're not afraid is ridiculous. They had a good reason to defend themselves against Babs and tell her to not bullying them ever again. The lack of justification was the method.
   
   Once more:
   

   There's a really big difference between a previously bullied kid bullying innocent kids and the bullied kid taking a stand against their tormentor in response to being constantly stalked, harassed, and assaulted up to this point.

   
   In OBA, the CMC, along with the secondary moral, said that because they wanted to take a stand against a bully and prove they're not afraid, they were being bullies, too. It wasn't the actions, but the actual thought of standing up to Babs. That's completely dangerous, because sometimes you HAVE to defend yourself against and stand up to a bully. If an armed bully puts a kid in a corner, what the moral is saying that by fighting back, you're as big a bully as the armed bully. There are situations where you have to fight back because sometimes fleeing doesn't do it. If you see an armed bully, then you should tell an adult…but if you're being attacked by an armed bully, then you may need to fight.
   
   Bullies like power, and one way for a bully to stop bullying is for the bullied to prove they still hold some power. Babs bullied because she wanted the power, and the CMCs were tortured and stalked everywhere they went.
   

    

   Even if it isn't handled well, it can still be learned from. "Babs didn't get punished for her actions. Do you feel that was right or wrong?" "Do you think the excuse that Babs was bullied in her hometown gives her an excuse to pick on others?" Etc.

   This logic holds absolutely no water. Any bullied person, young and old, would know right away that what Babs did was wrong, because she put the CMCs in a proverbial corner even though they didn't want to fight back. And any bullied kid or adult would also understand how being bullied doesn't excuse you from bullying at all. OBA, on the other hand, does excuse Babs's behavior, which worsens her actions, as she already knows what's like to be bullied.
   
   Because Babs stalked, harassed, and assaulted the CMCs for several days, she should've been punished, period.
   

    

   In that you're referring to something unstated in the show, while, again, the actual moral presented by the show is to tell an authority figure. which would make more sense.

   Once again:
    

   Yes, telling a grownup is the first thing to do when bullied, but bullying almost never ends there. Even if telling a grownup about being bullied does solve it, you could have your friends and other adults shun you or perhaps be just as bad as the bullies if they side with the bully instead of the bullied. Plus, there are so many examples of people who have or had suffered from the effects of bullying, and the adults in their lives couldn't or wouldn't do anything to curb the problem. Hell, some have been driven to suicide due to their peers being unable or doing nothing to stop the bullies.

   There's no disagreement here. It's a very good idea to tell an adult first before you act. But once more, Applejack states that the whole thing could've been avoided if the CMCs told her initially. "The whole thing could've been avoided" are the operative words; in layman's terms, "Tell an adult, and the bullying problem will go away very quickly forever." That almost never happens, and I (and MrEnter in the review I linked) already described how many have killed themselves because their adults wouldn't or couldn't do anything to stop the bullying. And like I said earlier, AJ was incompetent throughout for convenience's sake and glared in the background at the end.
   
   To repeat this one more time, One Bad Apple paints the solution to bullying as all-purpose. That each situation and situation of bullying is iron clad. There isn't. Bullying is very complex, and what helps makes this episode disgusting is how this episode tells kids (and parents) it's not. You have people like me harping on One Bad Apple because the concept is contrived and lackadaisical. It's very flawed, convenient, and transparent with extremely broken logic and morals. It's an insult to the bullied and bullycide victims out there.
   
   If you want to communicate the subject of bullying, research it and then show it while treating your audience (and its complexities) with respect. OBA spits in the face of the bullied and families of those who killed themselves from bullycide. This was a tricky subject, and OBA factually fails. Miserably.
   
   There are many episodes where characters don't suffer adequate consequences for very poor behavior. One Bad Apple is one of the most glaring because Babs needed to be punished, yet received the best possible outcome instead.

3. Rarity deserved the consequences of her actions. Because Sweetie Belle wanted to help her and make her feel better, she cleaned up, did the chores, and created a picture for Rarity, all without knowing how important they were. Sweetie wanted to feel like a useful part of the family with Rarity with her mom and dad on vacation. Her reward: anger, panic, and frustration. Each time Sweetie tried to help, Rarity panicked, scolded, and later yelled for cleaning up Rarity's studio. She didn't know what she did was wrong because she wasn't warned beforehand and simply wanted to make Rarity happy and proud of her. In her mind, she was useless, and that hurt. When Rarity rejected the Sisterhooves Social because it was "uncouth," that was the final straw. By rejecting the idea of going and spending time with her sister, she basically told Sweetie Belle, "My time working for my clients is more important than you." That crushed Sweetie's feelings and made her rightfully angry.
   
   It was only after Sweetie Belle spent some time in SAS did she see the good things her sister did. However, like what I wrote before, one of the most common subtextual themes in this show is how characters say "I'm sorry" and wash their hands clean. Sometimes saying "sorry" isn't good enough, especially if Sweetie felt really hurt. Sweetie was still very bitter by her sister's attitude towards her earlier and wanted her to know she wasn't going to put up with any more hurtful shit from her. As such, the context rightfully punished Rarity for her actions, and the punishment fit the crime.
   
   As saying sorry didn't help, AJ had to tell her how be a noble, proud sister by using the "apple pie" metaphor. (Basically, you can be sisters [make the pie], but you can't make a great bond without knowing and understanding each other [but you can't make a great pie without great ingredients].) Story-wise, the best way to have Sweetie trust and forgive Rarity was to be a sister who understood her feelings and prove it. When she hid in the mud, Rarity disguised as AJ (with AJ's help). They didn't win, but they got something more important: a closer bond and fantastic, in-character character development for each. Sweetie Belle and Rarity re-bonded, and the episode ended.
   
   Sweetie had every reason to be mad at Rarity, and Rarity deserved the consequences she received for her attitude. But none of it approached out of characterization nor unlikeability. It was realistic and handled beautifully, and both became better characters as a result.

There needs to be many more episodes where if one character does something wrong or stupid, then he or she needs to learn the consequences. Make the consequences adequate so the character and audience understand the implications and actions so they can learn and grow, but make sure the characters' actions are in character without disregarding continuity and likeability. Far too many episodes are quite hollow because often, the characters don't get rewarded for their best efforts, suffer little consequences, or have to learn the lesson via plot conveniences/poor characterization.

 

Speaking of a glaring example, there's one I have in mind now, which I greatly overlooked.

 

Angel Bunny from Putting Your Hoof Down. His actions were EXTREMELY too out of character, even for him. He kicked a bowl of vegetables and then slapped Fluttershy across the face. That was domestic violence, and he shouldn't have been rewarded. To make matters worse, he punted Fluttershy out of the house for not creating the salad he wanted. The only consequence he received was The Stare during the montage. It wasn't until Discord made him miserable in Keep Calm did he truly get his comeuppance. When a comic does it better, then you're doing it wrong.

 

Speaking of PYHD, almost every single contrived character was an asshole. There are over ten one-shot characters behaving like assholes just for plot convenience. To make matters worse, every one of them she bumped into before the seminar was never seen again. None of them were punished for their actions. The only two ponies to rightfully get their comeuppances were in Act 2: the gardener from The Best Night Ever for over-watering a section of her garden and a mare for cutting in line.

Edited March 22, 2014 by Dark Qiviut

[Adorkable 2,737]

I haven't really noticed anything wrong with the show lately.

 

Except too many CMC episodes.

[DryGuy84 (Inactive) 927]

I haven't really noticed anything wrong with the show lately.

 

Except too many CMC episodes.

 

May I say that I like your avatar, and that it matches your username perfectly?

 

No there aren't they're just all clumped together.   

[FriendshipIsMedic 5]

Ok, Heres the Thing. This Thread is about the Problems (in your opinion) with the Show. If you have something to add, post here. ill Start.

 

1. No Long lasting changes in Normal Episodes.

 

Hasbro devaluates the meaning of the normal episodes.

 

E.G say, you are watching mlp season 3, you only watch the Season Premiere and the Finale. You know what? IT SEEMS YOU HAVE MISSED NONE OF THE STORY, as only the premiere and the finale are relevant to Normal Episodes. Luckily we have a hint of a change to this, as in some episodes Something glares in a Rainbow, like the Cloth in one of the older episodes of s4.

 

2. Too Simple Storys.

 

As metioned before, if you miss 25 normal episodes, you wont notice it, as the plot only changes in the Premiere and the Finale. Also there are overused Episode schemes:

 

I. Sister-Sister Conflict: A does something what B doesnt like, hate grows, everything clears up in the end

 

II. Difficult Desicion: Somepony Litterally needs 10 Minutes to Decide a simple thing. You know what? THEY ALWAYS DECIDE FOR THE FRIENDS (also, see Problem 1)

 

Thats it from me, if you can add something, feel free to post!

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

My only real gripe with the show is that it is forever tied down by product placement. The show is amazing for a 22 minute commercial, but that's all it is at the end of the day. A commercial. The show could really explode in quality if it were not based solely on the sales of toys for existence.

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

I don't really see isolated, self contained episodes as a problem at all.

 

It's the interaction that reaffirms the principles of Friendship is Magic that's important.

 

Unless they brush it off like the Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, then it really isn't an issue with me.

 

I don't think this show is meant to be a continuation in each episode like some anime, but remember the target demographic is for children and sometimes it's the self-contained episodes that really resonate with people.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Carbon Maestro

[PrymeStriker 408]

I don't have any gripes with the show overall. I break down each episode/story and criticize them instead. With that, I wish season four had more consistent quality within the first half of its run.

[Pastel 7,627]

I'm glad the main plot only evolves during the season premiere and finale. Otherwise there would be too much changes from one season to another.

And I personally prefer the episodes "in the middle" of a season.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Blobulle

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

Wasted potential.

This show has a wonderful world of which the audience knows next to nothing. They make great stuff, like the Crystal Empire and never really explore it. Everfree seems to have changed from a dangerous place that now has a fast-travel focus, meaning: the forest means nothing now. Important and unique characters (within the show's universe) as Sombra, Chrysalis, Star Swirl, Cadance and Celestia that have almost no development while a character like Discord, that has overstayed his welcome, keeps appearing again and again for fan pandering. Even Luna doesn't have real development, just some thing she does that doesn't mesh well with her past. Some times the best part of the episodes are some moral problem that is completely incidental to the plot. Bats!, for example. Celestia's and Luna's conflict, is another example. How does unicorn magic work? Sometimes it seems that just reading some verses is all that is required, when other magics require a conscious and sustained effort.

 

Nonsensical premises.

Wouldn't somepony like Twilight know the dangers of going about reading any book aloud? Even Rarity, in a world where these things are just laying around. Oh... And the Breezies...

 

Poor use of characters and disrespect for established canon.

It refers back to my first point. I just can't get over how Daring Do is a real pony in Daring Don't and Twilight going after Zecora and not Luna in Magic Duel. Not to mention that characters that are supposed to be doing something, like the Royal Guard, never do anything (not that we know what they are supposed to be doing, but in a world that monsters can attack any time there should be at least mention of some sort of defenses). The Crystal Empire (that one that spreads happiness and love through Equestria) is ignored most of the time in this regard.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I don't have any problems with the show. If there were no commercials  after the intro, I would be a bit happy. Sadly, that won't happen.

[Alicorn Fluttershy 152]

now, the show IS aimed towards little girls. but really? why is Lyra in the cloudsdale coloseum in sonic rainboom? i mean come on!

[Noodles 109]

 

 

Nonsensical premises. Wouldn't somepony like Twilight know the dangers of going about reading any book aloud? Even Rarity, in a world where these things are just laying around. Oh... And the Breezies...

um no all Knowledge is good Knowledge and she has been shown to be a bit reckless with her use of magic. the Breezies are more of a taste thing. I personally don't care one way or the other. they commit the sin of being forgettable except the one that just wanted to get home!

[Jeric 46,837]

Simple stories are not an issue for me at all.

 

This is really the illusion of 'authorial intent' vs. the viewer taking ownership of what they don't see. You know how we all have our own head cannons that complete the motivations, backstories, personalities, etc of elements and ponies that are not shown? That is how great stories are made. The reader/viewer/player world builds as they experience.  If you have a fandom around the product, then you have the potential of individual experiences becoming part of a group tapestry. That tapestry is what makes being a Brony fun for me.

 

Another example would be the Star Wars Saga.  Star Wars IV-VI is a very simple tale with a lot of gaps. Fans created head cannons and group tapestries to explain things that were left ambiguous and not addressed. Star Wars I-III had more complex narrative and over developed world that tried to explain too much.

 

I have a problem with the stupid HUB logo all over the animation. That is what needs to change.

 

I could talk about this topic forever, but I have a brisket waiting for me.

 

Edited April 30, 2014 by Jeric

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

um no all Knowledge is good Knowledge and she has been shown to be a bit reckless with her use of magic. the Breezies are more of a taste thing. I personally don't care one way or the other. they commit the sin of being forgettable except the one that just wanted to get home!

My problem is not that the breezies are forgettable or not. It's that the premise for the episode doesn't make sense. Or at least needed more explanation as to why things happen the way they do. For example: the breezies need the breeze so that their magic is activated and and the pollen doesn't go bad. But the entire episode, the problem seems to be that they need it to reach the portal, because they just camp in Flutteshy's house and suddenly the pollen means nothing. And also, they live in a place that doesn't have what they need? Why? Why do they need to come to Equestria, and gather the pollen? Is there only one portal? They make one travel and then a return travel to the portal? Or does the portal change from one place to another? Why did they forget their families that probably need the pollen just to party at Flutterhys's? I like this episode, because of the implied interaction between the ponies and the breezies, but it doesn't make sense.

 

About the books... Being careless is one thing. You think that you are in control and that you can keep bad thing from happening. People that drive while texting, for example. But Twilight is supposed to have studied magic among the best in Equestria. If there are such books, she must know they exist and that reading them activates their magic. In that episode, Twilight is not thinking "Oh... I may activate this book's magic by reading, but I'll read it anyway". She acts as thought there can be no harm in reading the book. It's different. In one example, the person texting knows that this can cause an accident, but thinks it's under control. In the other example, it's as if the person is completely oblivious to the fact that driving and texting has a possibility of causing an accident.