tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post7180315877814378543..comments2024-03-04T02:09:30.979-06:00Comments on One Man's Pony Ramblings: 6-Star Reviews Part 138: AnthropologyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-80450047287354857022013-04-18T05:04:00.523-05:002013-04-18T05:04:00.523-05:00Hear, hear.Hear, hear.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-29628356163397300422013-04-07T17:11:31.577-05:002013-04-07T17:11:31.577-05:00More a testament to the fandom's incredibly ba...More a testament to the fandom's incredibly bad taste.DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-38787871435654046202013-04-01T16:57:17.810-05:002013-04-01T16:57:17.810-05:00I have to agree that the first few chapters are th...I have to agree that the first few chapters are the best, especially because the way it weaved the canonical events into the narrative combined nostalgia and cohesiveness. Indeed, I admit things got really interesting around the point when Lyra was at the Gala and expecting, at any moment, to be accosted by Celestia. It was an excellent moment of tension and suspense, and one of my favourite parts of the fic.<br /><br />There were some gems in the second part, but they were always in cases when pony culture was being compared to human culture. The problem was that, by this point, these gems were the main - eventually, the only - reason I kept reading. The ending I found anticlimactic because none of the human characters felt at all appropriate for the roles allocated to them, or were even vaguely interesting as characters. I came away not with any sense of satisfaction, but with a puzzled and annoyed "That's it?"<br /><br />My biggest peeve was how Bon Bon, the main skeptic, was essentially reduced to a jerk or a cosmic punching bag every other scene. Lyra was certainly entertaining, and I did enjoy watching her go after every detail to uncover the conspiracy even when I was shaking my head at her, but she came across as self-absorbed and oblivious to others for the most part. Even when the story tried a rather transparent character assassination by making Bon Bon utterly unlikeable at the end, I think it's not a good sign that I still sympathized more with Bon Bon than with the actual main character.<br /><br />In summary, I do admit I enjoyed it more than the OP did, but then I'd probably focus more on the first part anyway, and would agree that it's not so great after that.Impossible Numbershttp://www.fimfiction.net/user/Impossible+Numbersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-64916393201396052862013-03-29T15:28:49.327-05:002013-03-29T15:28:49.327-05:00If that is truly the case, then you gotta hand it ...If that is truly the case, then you gotta hand it to Winningverse Cloud Kicker. It's testament to her irresistible charm.DeftFunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15383241789583487786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-88815551143563741882013-03-28T20:55:13.692-05:002013-03-28T20:55:13.692-05:00Oh no way! I was thinking the same thing about My ...Oh no way! I was thinking the same thing about <i>My Roommate is a Vampire</i>.DeftFunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15383241789583487786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-26929398973010285462013-03-28T13:26:49.293-05:002013-03-28T13:26:49.293-05:00I read this story on a plane. It was great to pass...I read this story on a plane. It was great to pass the time but nothing that blew me away. I think some of the questionable plot issues are more related to keeping the story family friendly and to focus on entertaining rather than storytelling. Then there's the "destiny" aspect explanation.<br />Still I can't disagree, but I can easily be more forgiving for something that was inherently enjoyable as long as you are not trying to analyze it.DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-20431206843780252262013-03-28T13:19:16.619-05:002013-03-28T13:19:16.619-05:00Winningverse Cloud Kicker being her default person...Winningverse Cloud Kicker being her default personality in every fic is far more annoying and I dare you to disagree.DPV111https://www.blogger.com/profile/01437920503784386649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-16640321040419629242013-03-28T12:37:45.156-05:002013-03-28T12:37:45.156-05:00Oh, you always know what to say!Oh, you always know what to say!DannyJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273313206696087395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-19186746292119188312013-03-28T06:35:45.502-05:002013-03-28T06:35:45.502-05:00I'm still waiting for someone to do something ...I'm still waiting for someone to do something with Alcorn State University. Most people wouldn't notice the extra "i", or would think it was a printing error 'cause they wouldn't know what an alicorn was. It's perfect!<br /><br />I really wanna respond with some clever counter-reference, but all I can remember from that fic right now is that ghoul doctor and lesbian ponies *shudders*<br /><br />That's all on you. I just used a standard term, but you had to bring fanfiction into this (on a fanfiction blog? Seriously?) and now I look like a PTSD sufferer. Great going, Present. Jerk :PHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-69304162727672525952013-03-28T05:33:30.012-05:002013-03-28T05:33:30.012-05:00I have three currently, none of which are subtle e...I have three currently, none of which are subtle enough to wear to work (the EQD University one <i>almost</i> is).<br /><br />And seriously, "in the stable"? You make me sound like I have a pipbuck. Yes, I just made a Fallout: Equestria reference. I blame you.Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-55942667304117076732013-03-27T22:12:46.602-05:002013-03-27T22:12:46.602-05:00Wait, you're in the stable?! (Chris, I think y...Wait, you're <i>in the stable</i>?! (Chris, I think your blog may be haunted. I just heard a large, collective groan)<br /><br />You should definitely get a pony shirt. Feels great to go to work wearing "Daft Pon-3" or a mustachioed Rainbow Dash (well, before the union got all weird about the dress code, anyways), and it's always great when somebody recognizes the characters<br /><br />There are subtler options, too. Pretty sure I saw a Running of the Leaves hoodie that just looked like something you'd get from a marathon, and I have one with a picture of Tom. At least get the TrotCon shirtHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-54815765683144489112013-03-27T21:49:13.486-05:002013-03-27T21:49:13.486-05:00Think of your comments as a counterbalance to mine...Think of your comments as a counterbalance to mine. Like you, I have little to say about the fics (mostly because I haven't read most of them until <i>after</i> Chris reviews them), but I'll leave lengthy or multiple comments anyways. Taken together, our comments average out to a reasonable amount of "not-much-to-say"<br /><br />Alternatively, you could remind yourself that brevity is a virtueHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-751865581479473992013-03-27T18:08:07.638-05:002013-03-27T18:08:07.638-05:00I keep seeing that shirt and really wanting one. E...I keep seeing that shirt and really wanting one. Except that I'm totally incognito as a brony and have too many shirts as it is. :BPresent Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-48746698573067631142013-03-27T14:54:33.661-05:002013-03-27T14:54:33.661-05:00I think this review sums up my opinions on the fic...I think this review sums up my opinions on the fic pretty well. Nice writing style, good initial premise, draws you in, but later on makes some bad choices and the narrative becomes disconnected. I still liked it well enough, I suppose. Not one of my favourite stories ever though.<br /><br />You know, I've noticed recently that my comments are always among the shortest on this blog. I feel so bad, because all the other intelligent people write their own little mini reviews in the comments, and all I can ever say is "I agree with this!"<br /><br />One day, you'll review a story I have a really strong opinion on. Then I can have my fun.DannyJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13273313206696087395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-20972619703503424362013-03-27T13:13:28.307-05:002013-03-27T13:13:28.307-05:00I enjoyed the first third but the transition kille...I enjoyed the first third but the transition killed whatever sympathy I had for Lyra. She abandoned every single friend she'd ever had and everything she knew, and entered an alien world, just for the sake of changing her shape. Someone <i>that</i> obsessed is scary, not sympathetic.<br /><br />-iisawAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-64574936265767637432013-03-27T13:07:29.095-05:002013-03-27T13:07:29.095-05:00No thumbs-up button here, so I'll just add a v...No thumbs-up button here, so I'll just add a very heartfelt, "AMEN!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-15040887586519452062013-03-27T12:22:11.087-05:002013-03-27T12:22:11.087-05:00Oof, this story was a tricky one for me, and it ac...Oof, this story was a tricky one for me, and it actually inspired a much stronger reaction out of me than other, shall we say "controversial" works from this fandom (like My Little Dashie), mainly because I really enjoyed the start of this story and was really disappointed by the ending.<br /><br />I don't mind the Lyra human-obsession stuff, and besides you can't really fault this story for using a tired cliche because it wasn't a tired cliche yet; Anthropology was the story that got that tired cliche rolling in the first place. But anyway, I loved the first third of this story, because it's just an easy-going, slice of life fic with an entertaining premise. Lyra is obsessed with finding out if humans exist, hijinks ensue, yadda yadda yadda. I really liked that stuff.<br /><br />But the problem is, just as you pointed out, there's a gigantic disconnect between the first and second acts of this story. And I feel like this is a flaw with the fundamental premise behind this fic:<br /><br />Much like My Roommate is a Vampire (another story where I loved the beginning and was disappointed by the ending) there's this big question hanging over the head of our protagonist (here it's "Do humans exist?"). And for the story to move forward beyond the easy-going slice of life stuff, at some point that question has to be answered. But the answering of that question causes a huge shift in tone, which makes the last two-thirds of the fic really hard to reconcile with the first third, to the point where they don't even feel like they're the same story (My Roommate is a Vampire isn't quite as bad as Anthropology in this regard, but a lot of the charm of the initial premise does get lost).<br /><br />So rather than a premise that builds to a resolution at the end, the author has created a fic that resolves the initial premise only a few chapters in, and then has to act upon that resolution. Indeed, rather than have one core premise that drives the fic to its conclusion, there are THREE: "Do humans exist?" followed by "Can Lyra adjust to being a human?" to finally "Can Lyra save the world?" It really is like reading three different stories that are only loosely tied together.<br /><br />And frankly, I think you were too easy on this ending. Yes, there was an attempt to reconcile the first two acts, but I found it incredibly rushed (especially next to the relatively easy-going first two acts), and we didn't even have a solid sense of a few of the humans who wind up playing key roles. It's like JasonTheHuman got bored with writing this thing and decided to just hurry it along to a climax.<br /><br />There are few fan fics I can ramble on like this about. I suppose this is a testament to JasonTheHuman's skill at drawing readers in - he does offer a compelling premise and his writing style isn't half bad, two things I can really admire about him. But the payoff of this fic left a whole lot to be desired.John Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01440476810236159695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-64644328814033448652013-03-27T08:02:30.752-05:002013-03-27T08:02:30.752-05:00"Lyra and her human/hand obsession/fetish is ..."Lyra and her human/hand obsession/fetish is something that I've long since grown sick of"<br /><br />Jesus H. Christ flipping flapjacks in a log cabin, do I ever hear you there. Next to Twixie and hooking Octavia up with Vinyl Scratch, this is the fandom obsession that most makes me want to put a hole in a wall using my own head. It would be incredibly tiresome and obnoxious by this point even if it had been in any conceivable way funny or interesting to start with, which it certainly never was.The RPGeniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02752937839502693108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-41494003543584863722013-03-27T07:05:23.313-05:002013-03-27T07:05:23.313-05:00I hope that someday's soon. You could pull su...I hope that someday's soon. You could pull such a story off. Would she actually be obsessed with humans, or just human features such as hands or seated posture? I've always found the latter more interesting, with her either not aware of humans or only discovering them later. Just imagine her reaction when she learns there are creatures who possess everything she loves!<br /><br />Heh, just realized I'm wearing my Lyra shirt right nowHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-71600590995471309222013-03-27T06:51:06.369-05:002013-03-27T06:51:06.369-05:00I know absolutely nothing about college basketball...I know absolutely nothing about college basketball, but my bracket's not doing too poorly. I'm currently tied for 8th in the Brony Brackets, 10th in my uncle's thing, and winning the one my mom put together :D<br /><br />Shame about <i>Anthropology</i>. I was expecting something completely different. I actually still love human-obsessed Lyra, but her turning out to be a human sounds like a wish-fulfillment tale in reverse. Actually, that could work as a commentary/parody, but it doesn't sound like that's what this wasHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-66247245213298353072013-03-27T05:37:43.249-05:002013-03-27T05:37:43.249-05:00Is it weird that, out of all the well-realized cha...Is it weird that, out of all the well-realized characters who actually appear in the show, it's Lyra and (one of) her fan-crafted personality(ies) that I identify with most? Because it's true. Her obsession with humans ties in so well with a lot of my life, and the dumb thing is it's not even canon. I have a story planned around this, someday.<br /><br />However, I can't see how a story would work taking a human-obsessed character and not just sending her to Humania, but revealing that she is actually human. Unless antics stem from her still being obsessed with humans and hands and so forth while in a world where they are commonplace, that is.<br /><br />Also, this story spawned <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4dWMxTWTXE" rel="nofollow">an awesome song</a>.Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-20855644771184884312013-03-27T03:07:26.211-05:002013-03-27T03:07:26.211-05:00Anthropology is one of the most frustrating storie...<i>Anthropology</i> is one of the most frustrating stories I have read in this fandom. The first third is very well done, making great use of the characters and a tired meme while weaving the narrative through the episodes out at the time. But once it becomes about Lyra going to the human world, the story completely breaks down.<br /><br />The most frustrating part is how Jason seems to eschew <i>anything</i> remotely pony-related for the middle chunk of the story, and only seems to begrudgingly bring the equine antics we actually go to places like Fimfiction to read about into the fold towards the end. The human characters are utterly uninteresting, which makes the fact that we just abandoned the more three-dimensional supporting cast in favor of these wastes of words all the worse. And we give up the well-realized setting of Equestria for a near-perfect human world where nobody actually asks important questions anyone in real life would, while everything lines up perfectly for Lyra.<br /><br />To put it simply, it stops being a FiM story and becomes something I would expect a thirteen-year-old girl to write in creative writing. And Jason is a solid writer, so there is simply no excuse as far as I'm concerned. This story started so good, only to become more and more unfocused, cliche, and downright pointless as it went along.<br /><br />But none of this tops how much the ending frustrated me. It'd be charitable to really call it an ending, as the whole story just comes to a standstill. There's a lot of stuff still left unresolved, and since Jason has said that he doesn't want to do a sequel (unless he's changed his mind and I haven't found out yet), none of this will ever be dealt with.<br /><br />Also, as Bugs mentioned, the misanthropy is rather disgusting. I've certainly seen worse (I've dealt with Chatoyance in the past; if you don't know who that is, I envy you), but it's still a pet peeve of mine. I guess that the reason the human world is portrayed so perfectly is to counter Celestia's spiel a few chapters earlier, but it doesn't offset the fact that, again, humans are chaotic beings who can easily be convinced to kill each other.<br /><br />So we had a story that started off very good, but after the first third fell to pieces. What a shame.InsertAuthorHerehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16563861820054827515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-61555054141565535842013-03-27T01:53:47.579-05:002013-03-27T01:53:47.579-05:00http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE#t=1m6shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE#t=1m6sAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-66008579139540241302013-03-27T01:21:35.330-05:002013-03-27T01:21:35.330-05:00Wonderful blog post. Internet is evolving social m...Wonderful blog post. Internet is evolving social media toward the future, and as up and coming blog things look good. I hope to be like you! Buy free space with great deals on airline tickets from home. Pet food from variety of flavors as well!<br /><br />check out my blog: <a href="http://5z8.info/nsfw_jkxj" rel="nofollow">http://5z8.info/nsfw_jkxj</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-31365659370925185262013-03-27T00:08:09.678-05:002013-03-27T00:08:09.678-05:00[spoiler territory]
However, beyond the well-repre...[spoiler territory]<br />However, beyond the well-represented culture shock, there’s pretty much nothing in the earth chapters that’s worth praising. The characters Lyra meets are incredibly flat and indistinguishable besides the mere basics (if you were to ask me to name the difference between say Monica or Audrey, you might as well have asked me to move a mountain with my bare hands; I suppose inviting a someone you just met on the street is incredibly “weird” into your home to stay says something about you, but that’s done for reasons clearly more connected to plot than to character). As much as I disliked Bon-Bon as a character here (she has a tendency to get annoying really fast given her constant whining), she still had more going for her as a foil to Lyra than any of the humans that Lyra met. <br /><br />Plotlines also are handled inadequately. Lyra first job to search for her real parents, wasn’t really interesting to begin with (mainly because, like I said, Lyra is someone I find more amusing than sympathetic enough to care for her plight; that and I found it bothersome how Jason handled her relationship with the parents who raised her, we don’t always get along with our own parents but there’s nothing in their relationship (besides them discouraging her to read about humans) that suggests she would drop the moment, it’s just far too cold to be believable and it ultimately makes Lyra come across as well… an ungrateful bitch), but it’s resolved by mere coincidence and ultimately feels unearned for the character (she barely did any work to solve it). The next one involving Discord was more or less dropped on the reader with no setup (no explanation is given how he escape), and quite frankly I couldn’t buy how the humans reacted to the situation (for one, you would probably see a lot more shock at seeing a pegasus or a unicorn). I have my issues with the elements of plot device, but the use of them here was awful. The show makes it clear that friendship has to exist between all users, no just one. Some of the humans haven’t even met each, how can there be a friendship between such people so the plot devices work. And ultimately, it’s so anticlimactic and feels unearned for the character (why should I cheer for her victory). But it’s not the only problem with the plot. <br /><br />Elements are also setup for something larger but are not adequately resolved, if at all. Such things include as well as the possibility that Lyra might (through the use of “The Last Unicorn”) might have been in error to return as a human or what exactly the relationship between humans and ponies was in the past. The whole presentation of humans as so chaotic they would destroy themselves (not saying we wouldn’t, but that has nothing to do with chaos), was rather infuriating as well, it almost can across as misanthropic (and also came close to the whole “ponies are our betters”, probably the aspect that aggravates me the most with this fandom). Because of this, the whole story tests my patience far too often, and leaves me thinking, does this story even know where it’s going. There’s almost no real conflict involved and the characters aren’t developed enough to hold one’s interest for any “hot tub moments”. <br /><br />[end of spoiler]<br /><br />Final Thoughts<br /><br />Early on, I can understand why people like “Anthropology” and why it became popular. Yet, it falls apart the longer it gets (and that length doesn’t help either). <br />In short, I conclude the following:<br /><br />• The only good things here are amusement that conspiracy theorist Lyra creates in the early chapters and the culture shock of the latter ones.<br /><br />• The characters are incredibly flat and indistinct. <br /><br />• The plot is poorly constructed and executed.<br /><br />• At the end, I didn’t like this piece and was bored or annoyed for much of it.<br /><br />• Seapony Lyra is the best Lyra. <br />Bugs the Curmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12995195569022345933noreply@blogger.com