tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post570709254424910623..comments2024-03-04T02:09:30.979-06:00Comments on One Man's Pony Ramblings: MLP is Changing, and I'm Not Sure I Like Where it's HeadingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-5303667522273821952013-02-06T21:29:44.761-06:002013-02-06T21:29:44.761-06:00Now, season 3 isn't totally absent characters ...Now, season 3 isn't totally absent characters screwing up either. The CMC can be counted on for some goofing, Applejack goes way overboard, and Too Many Pinkies actually had a pretty great basic setup if you ask me (though I am biased because I had started to plan a story where Twilight tried to juggle friend groups so as not to let anyone down, and was really pleased to find out that the show picked up something that was, essentially, a better version of what I had thought up). But I think that there's a tendency away from... letting these characters be flawed in ways that drive the story, perhaps. (Like Dash is kept -really- morally pure in Wonderbolt Academy, which I think hurts it dramatically)<br /><br />The other thing I notice a lot that sort of disappoints me is that there's a lot less emphasis on friendship this season. In seasons past, friends were the people you could count on to help you out of a tight spot--or, if the problem was between friends, it could be resolved by an appeal to friendship of some sort. Even in the Season 2 finale, the thing that pushes Twilight over the edge into the crazies is that none of her friends believe her. A lot of episodes this season... don't really use the characters who aren't the lead of the episode to very much effect. One of the good points, I thought, about Spike at Your Service was that finally the entire main six got together to try and address a problem again. It's the sort of thing where, again, the season opener was about Twilight having to do something by herself, and sending the others off to do something different while she focused on the real problem.<br /><br />Part of what worries me about Twilight as an alicorn is that, I think... the act of setting her apart from her friends, or implying that she's ascended to a higher level or whatever because of her worth. To me this show has never been about worth. It was about trying to be a better friend and better person because those relationships were their own rewards. So when the writers talk about Twilight's special journey, or destiny, or how this season is about her "magical development" all I can think is that those aren't the things I care about. I care much more about her learning what it means to be a better friend, and a better person.<br /><br />To which end--I can understand the theory that there aren't any more stories in that, and that's why this season is different. But I'd like to think that that's not true, that a room full of obviously-talented writers can still come up with new and surprising ways for friendships to be tested. Relationships are such a fundamental part of human life, after all, that it shouldn't be possible to ever exhaust all there is to say about them.<br /><br />Anyway, I don't know. Part me is totally aware that I just really hate change, but I feel like more of the same from MLP would have suited me just fine. I also can't help but feel that if these episodes weren't all chained together I would like any of them individually just fine.<br /><br />On a side note, I've never seen David the Gnome, and there's nothing for me to be nostalgic about MLP for, but I do find myself feeling that way. I think the show lives in a realm of deliberate nostalgia to an extent--by being so genuinely... childish, almost. By wearing its heart on its sleeve and saying that's not only good, but how things -should- be done. It feels like your childhood, even if your childhood had the 90s version of cartoons, which bear rather little resemblance to MLP.<br /><br />(Apologies for rambling--my pen gets carried away with some... most of the time)Fedora Maskhttp://www.fimfiction.net/user/Fedora%20Masknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-59237772927928787822013-02-06T21:29:03.543-06:002013-02-06T21:29:03.543-06:00This post mirrors a lot of my own apprehensions th...This post mirrors a lot of my own apprehensions that I've been feeling since the start of Season 3, especially regarding the alicorn Twilight business (about which, more in a sec). I've felt a lot like something was missing from this season, almost from the outset. Maybe it's that the season isn't fresh and new, as others have suggested. Soge in particular raised a really interesting point about looking at the first two seasons in terms of being about different sorts of things, leaving this season without the ability to draw on either the "newness" of season 1 or the "ironing out character flaws" in season 2.<br /><br />That being said, I think my biggest gripe is that the show does feel like it's cutting itself off from "ironing out character flaws." To me, coming in 75% of the way through Season 2, back-and-forthing it through the rest of S2, then watching S1 in order, the show has always been about those character arcs. Even in the weaker, early episodes of Season 1, Twilight is one of my favorite cartoon leads, because she struggles with basic issues but as a very intelligent person. I'm not a big fan of Boast Busters, for instance, but having Twilight spend the episode refusing to stand up for her friends, because she feared that displaying her talents would brand her a show-off struck a chord. It's a very clear arc--Twilight goes from not wanting to stand out to realizing that it's okay to take pride in your own talents, as long as you aren't a jerk about it. But, most importantly, the reasons for that arc make perfect sense as well: they come from a place of real importance to Twilight as an individual, her fear of losing her newfound friends. To be sure, she's making a mistake there, but she's making it for really relateable reasons.<br /><br />I feel like season 3 has lost sight of that a bit. It's not just the lack of lessons but on the whole the tone of the episodes is... less about learning, and more about already knowing. I liked "Flutter On" okay (although I defy you to tell me if it's Fluttershy's story or Discord's--it should be Discord's but it plays him so close to the vest that it's hard to sympathize with him), but there's a line in it where Fluttershy says "Of course I know what Discord's doing. Do you think I'm that naive?"<br /><br />Well, maybe she should be. Because as much as I love to see characters who are smart (and Season 3 has plenty of moments like that, for instance Spike seeing through the fake Timberwolf), I -relate- to characters who have to struggle with their own weaknesses. To me that's been the most consistent thread through seasons 1 and 2, that they're always about characters coming to grips with some fear or insecurity they possess, or a mistake they've made along the way. Watching characters learn and grow by making those mistakes is so much more compelling than watching them realize that they were "prepared for this" as the song in the season opener puts it. Fedora Maskhttp://www.fimfiction.net/user/Fedora%20Masknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-21660547888678089372013-02-06T05:25:32.632-06:002013-02-06T05:25:32.632-06:00This man speaks truth.This man speaks truth.Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-52966113001613674962013-02-05T20:23:49.312-06:002013-02-05T20:23:49.312-06:00Monoshy and wobniaR is best find a pet remix<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzjcS0DRxog" rel="nofollow"> Monoshy and wobniaR is best find a pet remix </a>DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-36150469455347332082013-02-05T18:57:50.318-06:002013-02-05T18:57:50.318-06:00I love Find a Pet! Seems like it's been the ha...I love Find a Pet! Seems like it's been the hardest to remix for the fandom's musicians though. Foozogs is the only one that did a version I liked, but good lord do I pop for it :)InquisitorMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10209346997929773686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-75592160388735398272013-02-05T17:26:21.403-06:002013-02-05T17:26:21.403-06:00Nopony expects the drum & bass inquisition!Nopony expects the drum & bass inquisition!DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-58094056618338894052013-02-05T16:51:54.009-06:002013-02-05T16:51:54.009-06:00InquisitorM on Fimfiction or inquisitor.M@hotmail....InquisitorM on Fimfiction or inquisitor.M@hotmail.com<br /><br />Make your pitch :)InquisitorMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10209346997929773686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-60219210319305961152013-02-05T15:21:27.497-06:002013-02-05T15:21:27.497-06:00Inquisitor, how can I contact you to discuss the p...Inquisitor, how can I contact you to discuss the plushie? I don't think Chris needs me cluttering his blog anymore than I already do. As far as I know, you can't send messages on Blogger, and I can't send messages or post comments on FiMFiction without an accountHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-38123174540108787012013-02-05T13:21:05.783-06:002013-02-05T13:21:05.783-06:00Ooooh, Ultrasonic Sound reference. Unexpected.Ooooh, Ultrasonic Sound reference. Unexpected.InquisitorMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10209346997929773686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-72271483563356796802013-02-05T12:08:46.280-06:002013-02-05T12:08:46.280-06:00I think InsertAuthorHere nailed it. Season 3's...I think InsertAuthorHere nailed it. Season 3's episodes have been pretty hit or miss, but I don't see it as a sign of a decline, but a consequence of things going on behind the scenes.<br /><br />I thought the first half of season 1 was relatively weak compared to what came later. Which makes sense, because these were the episodes where the characters were getting to know each other. Watching those, I get the sense that the writers were finding their legs and trying to find a good pace. And with the last half of season 1, they found that good pace.<br /><br />Season 2 I think was the strongest. Even with Faust gone, the writers had settled into a comfortable pace and were able to churn out one great episode after another. There were a few duds, but all in all the writing was very strong.<br /><br />Then you get to season 3, where the number of episodes gets cut and you have a shake-up of the writing staff. So now the writers find themselves in a period of transition, and are trying to adjust. Some have done so gracefully, with really solid episodes like Sleepless in Ponyville and Just for Sidekicks, but others haven't found their pace, so you get those duds. And because there's fewer episodes this season, those duds hurt harder.<br /><br />All in all, I remain optimistic. If the show continues into a fourth season, then there's a chance the writers who struggled with this season will find their pace again next season and give us a really strong season once again.John Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01440476810236159695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-986554089430417152013-02-05T06:01:21.501-06:002013-02-05T06:01:21.501-06:00I love the idea of MLP grognards/genwunnersI love the idea of MLP grognards/genwunnersHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-37527381472872920732013-02-05T05:57:14.149-06:002013-02-05T05:57:14.149-06:00I loved Beast Wars as a kid! I vaguely remember s...I loved <i>Beast Wars</i> as a kid! I vaguely remember seeing the original series before that, but <i>Beast Wars</i> was the version I <i>really</i> watched, and the one that got me to buy the toys. Forget a gun, that Megatron turned into a T-Rex! Villains like him were always my favorite characters at that age<br /><br />Maybe what MLP needs is more transformations. I mean, it worked for DBZ. Twilight goes alicorn, Fluttershy becomes a dragon, Rarity... I dunno, a gun? I got nothin' for the othersHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-63578449600127618172013-02-05T05:40:16.448-06:002013-02-05T05:40:16.448-06:00I knew Andrea Libman was, but not Tabitha. I'...I knew Andrea Libman was, but not Tabitha. I'm kinda excited, even though the screenshots I've seen look terribleHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-84577582044401050172013-02-04T23:49:24.843-06:002013-02-04T23:49:24.843-06:00I don't see myself leaving the show over some ...I don't see myself leaving the show over some decline. Or silly marketing ploy. Or vitriolic fandom. Even the episodes I like the least have redeeming moments and entertainment value. And nothing that comes ahead can erase what came before. So even if I lose interest in the show, there's still a draw to the fandom. I'd just be a fan of what was rather than what is.<br /><br />"There are doors I haven't opened and windows I haven't looked through. Going forward may not be the answer, maybe I should go back."DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-69739388852601171582013-02-04T23:46:27.235-06:002013-02-04T23:46:27.235-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-66213775030809033492013-02-04T23:45:18.303-06:002013-02-04T23:45:18.303-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-16276740685913359952013-02-04T23:13:49.365-06:002013-02-04T23:13:49.365-06:00I second your feeling about CR. I love his stuff, ...I second your feeling about CR. I love his stuff, and he is the reason I started watching MLP, but his recent comments about Season 3 has been depressing to say the least.Sogenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-23421314981492936672013-02-04T22:36:20.271-06:002013-02-04T22:36:20.271-06:00On her blog Tabitha St. Germain says she is workin...On her blog Tabitha St. Germain says she is working on a new version of <i>Maya</i>. And so the world comes full circle.PonydoraPrancypantshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08824984665648805856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-6756362566125261922013-02-04T22:35:28.586-06:002013-02-04T22:35:28.586-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.PonydoraPrancypantshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08824984665648805856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-24941224849195683952013-02-04T22:12:53.137-06:002013-02-04T22:12:53.137-06:00Sadly, I have to agree about the fandom. I keep a ...Sadly, I have to agree about the fandom. I keep a fairly active blog on Fimfiction, and about half the posts lately have been trying to calm down fires and tell people to stop freaking out.<br /><br />There are a lot of causes, but here's a few I can think of:<br /><br />- Fans are terrified. Ever since Faust left in the first season, there have been scores of fans looking for <i>any</i> sign of decline and chalking it up to the current staff not getting Lauren's glorious vision.<br /><br />- Fans don't trust Hasbro. And admittedly, Hasbro hasn't exactly been the nicest company to its franchises, as any Transformers fan will attest to. But at the same time, there seems to be this blind panic to anything that might imply that Hasbro's marketing department now runs the show, despite it always running the show.<br /><br />- We've become a huge fandom over the years, apparently producing more fan content than many much older franchises could dream of. This means that you're going to get angry, vocal fans from time to time. And sometimes, they just drown out the saner voices.<br /><br />- People fear change. That's really the heart of the Alicorn Twilight firestorm. People are afraid that it'll completely alter the show for the worst.<br /><br />I can share your frustration. It's hard just trying to discuss how much you enjoy the show when everyone is busy banging their heads against the walls. Hell, I went through an incredibly depressing (for me) falling out with Chad Rocco (the "Familiar Faces" guy who did a retrospective on the franchise, and who I loved to watch) after he made some incredibly stupid arguments against Season 3 and called a fan who disagreed a "little girl" on twitter.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it is just the nature of the beast. Bronies are just like any other fandom, and you will have some bad apples that spoil the bunch.<br /><br />And you know what? I'll throw my support behind you on Princess Twilight. If the writers pull this off, it could breathe a lot of new life into the series and create plenty of new possibilities for even better episodes in the future.InsertAuthorHerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16563861820054827515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-10238815624837335802013-02-04T21:53:33.516-06:002013-02-04T21:53:33.516-06:00MLP fandom is changing and I'm sure I don'...MLP fandom is changing and I'm sure I <i>don't</i> like where it's heading.<br /><br />This is just about the only fan site where I read the comments anymore. I still love the show, despite occasional less-than-stellar episodes, and I enjoy talking (communicating) about it... or did until lately. It's not just the sudden, unbelievable intense Twilicorn firestorm. I think that fan "appreciation" has been taking a gradually more negative tone as time passes.<br /><br />And... yeah, I just had the impulse to give a tentative thumbs-up to Twilight earning a princesshood... and had a visceral reaction to my immediate assumption of what the replies were going to be like.<br /><br />Even here. Really, I came very close to just deleting this whole post.<br /><br />Well, I still enjoy the show and some fan art and fics. I guess I should stick to that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-54089212887175765882013-02-04T20:26:37.589-06:002013-02-04T20:26:37.589-06:00Yessss someone else who doesn't like Find a Pe...Yessss someone else who doesn't like Find a Pet (and somehow posted before me!) Admittedly, I like Webber, but yes, I thought it was too musical-y, all over the place, not enough time to build on the good parts (mostly Fluttershy's bouncy adorableness), and far, far too many asides.Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-19906241505980887142013-02-04T19:49:39.651-06:002013-02-04T19:49:39.651-06:00I started off at the end of season 1. I've fou...I started off at the end of season 1. I've found season 3 to be almost as enjoyable, and far better than season 2, and I think the minor efforts at continuity that you point out have helped a lot. I don't even demand season-long arcs, of the sort where you can't watch the episodes out of order without losing track of the plot, but stuff like the Gala arc in season 1 was great. Just tiny bits of arc like that are perfect for a show like MLP.<br /><br />Blueshift understands that the purpose of the show, however good it may be, is to sell toys, and that Hasbro is cocking things up by not keeping the toys and the show close enough together. I loved seeing Blossomforth in Hurricane Fluttershy because I love her toy (though I still need one ;_; ). A few characters have made the jump from screen to plastic, but it's precious few, really. The blind bag three-packs have helped. If you're a big toy company with a big show meant to sell your toys, you could do worse than listen to what Blueshift is suggesting. (Things are different if you're a fan looking for a good cartoon with good characters, etc...)<br /><br />As an aside, speaking as a Transformers fan... You live. :V But then, none of the shows have ever been about good characters, good plot, etc., Beast Wars being the unexpected standout, and even that started to suck in season 3. But really, it's all about the toys. I just bought the <i>exact same toy</i> recently because they put fucking spikes on it. SPIKES. That's <i>it</i>. And they get in the way of transforming the damn thing anyway!Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-85090297990638168962013-02-04T19:47:04.957-06:002013-02-04T19:47:04.957-06:00I'll never understand Find a Pet's popular...I'll never understand <i>Find a Pet</i>'s popularity. It's too Andrew Lloyd Webber for my tastes, though I love the "yellow-striped bat" line. <i>Art of the Dress</i> is far superior<br /><br />Considering the popularity of background ponies, I imagine quite a few fans would enjoy seeing them get more screen-time as Blueshift suggests, though accusations of "panda throwing" would likely be hurled aboutHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-65035263641493291422013-02-04T18:06:43.581-06:002013-02-04T18:06:43.581-06:00I don't think the show is going downhill--or a...I don't think the show is going downhill--or at least, I'm not ready to say that yet. What I am beginning to fear is that the direction it's going in. That direction seems like it will abandon elements which I place a premium on in favor of elements that are far less important to me in a cartoon (or at least, in this cartoon).<br /><br />Or maybe that won't come to pass. Or maybe there'll be a new show director for season four, who will move the show towards the tone and style that drew me in in the first place. Either way, I suspect that will be largely independent of whether or not the show gets better or worse.<br /><br />I have a friend who loves a cartoon called "Phineas and Ferb." I watched a few episodes with him. It was pretty good. I didn't like it, mostly because it was smugly self-aware and the blocky, unnatural-looking animation didn't appeal to me (also, one of the characters had a voice that really grated on me; I could also have mentioned that above. It's the reason I've never gotten into shows like <i>The Simpsons</i> or <i>Family Guy</i>: Marge and Loise's voices are just painfully raspy and sickly-sounding, and I find them uncomfortable to listen to. FiM, thankfully, doesn't have any similarly unpleasant voices in its main cast. But that's neither here nor there, and this aside is getting pretty unwieldy, so I'm gonna go ahead and get back to my original point). I hope that FiM retains the quality which, for me, separate it from P&F, but only time will tell.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11581572699330155065noreply@blogger.com