My Little Pony

[Zixinus]

Appearently she decided to make Pinky Pie less chubby.

As seen here.

Still like both representations, both capture Pinky Pie's manic energy.

[Bright]

The thing is, her normal design of Rarity is awful. The gala dress looks perfect, but the artist's other attempts at Rarity outfits quite simply do not look fashionable or stylish. They look like something a granny would wear.

[LaCroix]

I've personally been relying on the Apple scale, which comes to about the same conclusion (it pegs AJ at about 3"4'). It's nice to see corroborating evidence, though.

So they're Falabella ponies

[lordofchange13]

So yeah, these are pretty much the best "humanized pony" fan pictures I've seen:

http://french-teapot.deviantart.com/gal ... 4#/d3h6s67

http://french-teapot.deviantart.com/gal ... 4#/d3hdj52

I mean, damn, look at them!

CURSE YOU INTERNET, why you got to make Fluttershy so hot? all nice, except for pinkie pie.

[Kuja]

So yeah, these are pretty much the best "humanized pony" fan pictures I've seen:

http://french-teapot.deviantart.com/gal ... 4#/d3h6s67

http://french-teapot.deviantart.com/gal ... 4#/d3hdj52

I mean, damn, look at them!

I think this one's more accurate:





I stand by my comparison.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Speaking of corruption, here's Radiant Malevolence.

[NoDot]

Since there isn't going to be a new episode today, I figured I'd post some thing I found on rpg.net (from just after "Lesson Zero") to spark some discussion.

I think it's Impostor Syndrome. From the descriptions I've found it fits horribly well.

I suspect prior becoming Celestia's student she was from a solidly working class household. Good student, bit of a bookworm, nothing extraordinary. Not even any particular magical talent prior to her Exaltation. All of a sudden, BOOM! The God-Empress herself becomes her personal mentor, her pet/personal assistant/adopted little brother is a effin' dragon. She ends up rubing elbows with the best students in Equestria and kick their asses to become the best mage in the land. Her life looks like a bad mary sue fanfic.

Part of Twilight doesn't believe she deserves it. Heck I don't think she can process all the awesomeness that is her life. Can't fault her to feel like a fraud.

Bad things happen when this interacts with her obvious ocd tendencies.

I'm no expert, so I thought I'd ask some people more knowledgeable than I: does this hold water, or is the person reaching?

[RogueIce]

I have to say, "Luna Eclipsed" is a really good episode. Incidently, for the person above who said they couldn't think of a "justification" for Celestia's (theoretical) actions this ep, I do have a few. Just need some time to get them sorted and managable.

I will say, that this scene (large image) is definately the most poignant of the episode, if not the entire series to this point. It just says so much without any words needing to be spoken.

If I could get rid of that The Hub watermark without making it look like crap, it'd be an instant desktop background for sure.

I don't know if I could put this as the best episode of the series (so far) but it's definately up there. It had some real heart and emotion in it, as well as plenty of good humor. And it handled the blend very well, in my opinion. Better than most "kids shows" manage, but I think "better than most 'kids shows'" is something you could give to the series as a whole.

[Starglider]

If I could get rid of that The Hub watermark without making it look like crap, it'd be an instant desktop background for sure.

Here you go.

[Zixinus]

To the weird question asked:

About Luna's behaviour: the explanation isn't that complicated. Sure, Celestia could have gotten someone to update her, but I think that right now she wants that to wait (she's been ruling, what? 1000 years at the very least? she probably isn't in a hurry to do anything). She may be focussing on regaining lost time, between ruling Equastria and the usual "getting up the sun" thing. She may be focussing on reconciling with her and gradually getting her up to speed.

The fact that Luna gone running around in Ponyville may have been something that she didn't foresee until much later.

She ends up rubing elbows with the best students in Equestria and kick their asses to become the best mage in the land.

Where is this? The only reference so far is "magical kindergarden" or something.

That, and remember Trixie? She actually wanted to avoid getting into a pissing contest with her, up until her friends forced her into it. I can hardly call that Mary Sue behaviour.

[evilsoup]

I have to say, "Luna Eclipsed" is a really good episode. Incidently, for the person above who said they couldn't think of a "justification" for Celestia's (theoretical) actions this ep, I do have a few. Just need some time to get them sorted and managable.

As Luna was hiding her insecurities behind the ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE etc, I like to think that Celestia did tell her to reign it in. Maybe Luna even listened, at first; but when she got to Ponyville, the only way she could bring herself to speak to the ponies was by falling back on all that traditional stuff.

Better than most "kids shows" manage, but I think "better than most 'kids shows'" is something you could give to the series as a whole.

'Better than most kid's shows' is pretty much the definition of damning with faint praise. I'd actually say that this is one of my favourite shows on at the moment; it's certainly more consistently entertaining than (for example) Doctor Who.

She ends up rubing elbows with the best students in Equestria and kick their asses to become the best mage in the land.

Where is this? The only reference so far is "magical kindergarden" or something.

That, and remember Trixie? She actually wanted to avoid getting into a pissing contest with her, up until her friends forced her into it. I can hardly call that Mary Sue behaviour.

You're missing the point, that post isn't saying that Twilight's a Mary Sue, it's trying to evaluate exactly what are her psychological problems. Even though she is the best at magic (and she certainly is up there, see the first bit of the Trixie episode), a part of her doesn't think she's worthy; and that's what drives her to the neurotic need not to be 'tardy' - because then she'd be found out as the fraud she believes herself to be.

Now I don't agree with this evaluation: in Lesson Zero we learn that she had problems even as a little filly (ffs, you got your doll a miniature notebook for pretending to do homework? Little Twilight, go outside and play with the other children), so I don't think Imposter syndrome is the whole explanation.

[Zixinus]

Wait, someone wants to psychoanalyse Twilight Sparkle?

Are they mad?

I mean, I know that she is a relatively deep character, but she's a cartoon character for fuck's sake.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Why not we've psycho analized Vader, and most of the Fire Nation's quirky Quartet/Trio....

[evilsoup]

MLP isn't exactly The Wire, but it does have consistent-enough characterisations for some level of psychoanalysis. And as we've just had an episode focussed around Twilight Sparkle having a nervous breakdown, I don't see how it's mad to try and pin a label on what exactly her problems are.

I don't see what her being a cartoon character has to do with it, cartoons don't necessarily have to have two-dimensional characters.

[lordofchange13]

I don't see what her being a cartoon character has to do with it, cartoons don't necessarily have to have two-dimensional characters.

Isn't the fact that MLP's characters are more then two dimensional, what has drown many of fans to the show?

[evilsoup]

...that was the point of my post, yes.

Also, Egophiliac is being awesome again.

[lordofchange13]

...that was the point of my post, yes.

Also, Egophiliac is being awesome again.

I am just saying that this show has gone beyond being a simple children's cartoon. has it been explained why Luna turned into nightmare moon? i mean not why she got jealous, but rather why did her physical form change?

[evilsoup]

If it were up to me, her change in physical form would be a deliberate choice for the same reason as her using the ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE in the latest episode - it would have been a way to cover up her own insecurities by hiding behind the shape of Nightmare Moon.

However, it's been confirmed (sort-of) by Lauren Faust that some kind of external magical force was acting on Luna, so basically daemonic possession is responsible. Though of course, that doesn't entirely rule out my interpretation, depending on how the NMM-daemon works.

I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with 'goes beyond a childrens cartoon'. I know what you're getting at, but MLP is still obviously aimed at six-year-old girls. It just so happens to also be a very good show; in an ideal world, all childrens' television would be up to the same standard.

[lordofchange13]

I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with 'goes beyond a childrens cartoon'. I know what you're getting at, but MLP is still obviously aimed at six-year-old girls. It just so happens to also be a very good show; in an ideal world, all childrens' television would be up to the same standard.

That i can agree with.

Your idea of Nightmare moon/Luna being able to shape shifting would hold weight as seen in the latest episode when Luna takes on her evil ship to fuck with the children.

[Crazedwraith]

She still needed prosthetic fangs though. I think the Nightmare moon form seen in this episode was a magical illusion. Like her see through Hair.

Was it just me or did Luna look bigger in this episode? Or was that just because she was next to regular ponies and not Celestia?

I may have graduated from just watching clips of Fluttershy being cute, to watching entire episodes since the sfdebris review.

Got to say, Fluttershy is best pony. Or maybe Scootaloo. Just because that name is awesome.

One thing I wonder about though is the message of the pilot and cutie mark chronicles. Do you really want to tell people that friendships are super-special-awesome things that are practically predestined? Seems to contradict a lot of episodes that demonstrate what care and attention you have to pay to your friendships.

I mean what friends did Twilight make? The ponies that Celestia forced her to go and meet? And Pinkie Pie, I suppose. The Rainbow Dash connection was just silly.

I wonder how long they can spin the Cutie Mark Crusaders out before they become tired. Or like in Return of Harmony accidentally destroy Equestria. Seems like they could have really good couple of episodes where the CMC get their cuties marks and then their friendship is almost ruined because the thing holding them together is gone.

[evilsoup]

No, Luna definitely was bigger. According to Lauren Faust (creator of the show, she left after the first series but still gets pestered by fans over on deviantart) Luna's increased size and funky new hair-do are because her powers were 'reset' by being Elements-of-Harmony'd in the pilot, and now she's growing in to her full power. In a lot of fan-art about young Celestia, you'll see that she has pink hair instead of what she has in the show, for the same reason.

WRT the fangs: in the pilot, NMM didn't have sharp teeth. So those were just for the benefit of the children she was scaring.

CMCs: I actually quite like them. They have an episode coming up soon ... I think they could probably spin that story out for the rest of the second series without it getting annoying, but they'd definitely have to get their Cutie Marks by the end of the second series/beginning of the third. And then show them doing stuff relate to their talents.

One thing I wonder about though is the message of the pilot and cutie mark chronicles. Do you really want to tell people that friendships are super-special-awesome things that are practically predestined? Seems to contradict a lot of episodes that demonstrate what care and attention you have to pay to your friendships.

Well, the show is called Friendship is Magic...
But seriously, I don't think that's necessarily a contradiction: friendship as an important, powerful thing - but something that still needs to be nurtured.

Fluttershy is best pony.

That's a mighty funny way'a spellin' Applejack ya got there.

[lordofchange13]

No, Luna definitely was bigger. According to Lauren Faust (creator of the show, she left after the first series but still gets pestered by fans over on deviantart) Luna's increased size and funky new hair-do are because her powers were 'reset' by being Elements-of-Harmony'd in the pilot, and now she's growing in to her full power. In a lot of fan-art about young Celestia, you'll see that she has pink hair instead of what she has in the show, for the same reason.

WRT the fangs: in the pilot, NMM didn't have sharp teeth. So those were just for the benefit of the children she was scaring.

CMCs: I actually quite like them. They have an episode coming up soon ... I think they could probably spin that story out for the rest of the second series without it getting annoying, but they'd definitely have to get their Cutie Marks by the end of the second series/beginning of the third. And then show them doing stuff relate to their talents.

One thing I wonder about though is the message of the pilot and cutie mark chronicles. Do you really want to tell people that friendships are super-special-awesome things that are practically predestined? Seems to contradict a lot of episodes that demonstrate what care and attention you have to pay to your friendships.

Well, the show is called Friendship is Magic...
But seriously, I don't think that's necessarily a contradiction: friendship as an important, powerful thing - but something that still needs to be nurtured.

Fluttershy is best pony.

That's a mighty funny way'a spellin' Applejack ya got there.

don't know whats wrong with you two, is fluttershy and applejack synonymy's for Rainbow Dash?

One of the anounced up coming episode imply s that apple bloom may be getting her Cutie mark very soon.

[Crazedwraith]

That's a mighty funny way'a spellin' Applejack ya got there.

Applejack's fun and all. And she deserves more episodes to develop her. But lets face it she can't cheer or troll Discord like Fluttershy can.

As for Rainbow Dash. She needs to be about 20% cooler.

Oh dear. I'm talking in memes. The shame the shame.

[lordofchange13]

As for Rainbow Dash. She needs to be about 20% cooler.

Oh dear. I'm talking in memes. The shame the shame.

SACRILEGE!! if she was 20% cooler, the weather would destroy all life on earth/equestria because all the hurricanes created from the freezing air.

[evilsoup]

Pinkie Pie = pony of obnoxiousness
Rarity = pony of fabulousness
Fluttershy = pony of social anxiety disorder
Twilight Sparkle = pony of being goku
Rainbow Dash = pony of being a low-down rotten cheat
Applejack = pony of not starving to death

So you see, Applejack is the best pony.

However, she does have one major problem, and that is that she is practically perfect. Unlike the rest of the cast, she has no major flaws, so it's hard to write episodes about her.

Look at Rarity, for example. She's getting a bonding episode with Sweetie Belle, but AJ doesn't need an episode like that as she's already pretty much Ultimate-level Older Sibling.

One of the anounced up coming episode imply s that apple bloom may be getting her Cutie mark very soon.

Haha, no, that's not what's going to happen.
Spoiler

It's called Cutie Pox and the leaked discription goes:

Applebloom finally gets her Cutie Mark! But joy turns to panic as she gets a second, then a third, then a dozen cutie marks.
--
So no, that doesn't sound like she's going to actually get her Cutie Mark. By the end of the episode, I fully expect the status quo to be restored.