@Kitteh_On_A_Cloud Have you read the comics? The first story arc (which they're collecting into a TPB) deals with the Changelings and definitely refrains from making them "soft." It sounds like they'd be right up your alley.
As far as the Discord thing goes, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was very rushed. On the other hand, I like seeing redemptive arcs, and I like seeing conflicts resolved without violence (even the relatively tame magical violence that just turns you into stone). Maybe that's just because I play too many videogames, where violence is the default problem-solver.
@Kitteh_On_A_Cloud if you want evil, in the comics Chrysalis curb-stomps a kitten in front of the CMC
Q is my favourive character in "the new generation" (but his appereance in ds9 and in voyager are less memorable), and I consider him a great actor. Unfortunatley i have no idea of what bronies or my little pony are.
Clearly, 'twas no idle threat. That's still an ample supply. PoniParti seems fairly well balanced, but lack of rogues means all hell breaks loose whenever there's a trap. ...which would be about par for the course, really.
I just hope that that 'Equestria Girls' crap is a side-project, a spin-off, and not something they're really going for in the 4th season... Bratz and Monster High are bad stereotypes of themselves already anyway. I don't get why in order for a teenage girl to be 'cool' and 'accepted', she has to dress in a slutty way and act like a snobbish cold bitch with an attitude. Is this an American thing or something? Also, now that Twilight 'magically' became an Alicorn (and spends the rest of her life lazing off as a so-called princess, I guess) I don't see where the show will catch up again. Bring in another protagonist? It wouldn't be the same. Also, Twilight's transformation happened way too soon. We barely got to know her, just like her friends. But of course Hasbro had to make a dump on the series with its stupid franchises. The last episode of season 3 just felt fake and rushed to me, and thus was quite a dissapointment. We even see Twilight flying with her wings, while she just got them. Also, the whole party is unbalanced now. Rarity's the only unicorn left now in between the two pegasi Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and the two normal ponies Applejack and Pinkie Pie. I just don't think Twilight was worthy of becoming the ruler over a whole kingdom (Equestria) yet. Too soon. /rant
Everything I've heard points to the Equestria Girls spin-off as being just that--a spin off. It doesn't look like it will have any impact on the main series whatsoever. And yeah, it seems to be an American thing, though I don't know that it is exclusively so. We're still stuck in the "virgin/whore" dichotomy when it comes to teenage girls.
As far as the Alicorn thing goes, I'm withholding judgment until I see the full implications in season 4. Sure she's a princess now, but so was Cadence, and up until the Crystal Empire was restored she was doing jack squat aside from babysitting Twilight. We really don't know what this means for Twilight except that she has fancy new wings and a fancy new title (and we've been informed on the side that this doesn't mean Twilight is leaving her friends).
And while I agree that this instance is rather shaky, I like that the show is allowing the characters to grow and change and get measurably closer to their goals, as opposed to keeping them stuck in a stasis for fear of ruining the formula. We've seen these characters grow over time, and acknowledging that, such as by sending Rainbow Dash to the Wonderbolts Academy, is a risky move. Especially given how change-averse fandoms are.
@Kaigen: The question here is, though, was Twilight's goal ever to become a real princess? Wasn't it more like a goal Celestia had in mind for her? To make Twilight a princess to replace her on the throne? I wonder how Luna would react to that... If I were her, it would be like getting a kick in the face, especially after 1000 years on the moon. Which reminds me, weren't Alicorns immortal, god-like beings? Then why would Celestia want Twilight on the throne? So many things just don't seem to add up, and I doubt we'll get an explanation, knowing Hasbro's not aiming for a more mature audience anyway.
And those are some interesting questions I expect to be addressed in the next season, though some of them might be implied rather than outright stated. After all, the idea that Alicorns are all immortal god-like beings is one the fandom came up with; we took it as an implication when Celestia and Luna were the only alicorns present--both of whom seem to be immortal, god-like beings but who are not explicitly stated to be so (heck, anything about Luna's personality is mostly inference based on how little screentime she's gotten)--and we've had to adjust to the idea that maybe they (alicorns) aren't ever since Cadance appeared.
And character development isn't just about characters moving towards their life goals, it's also about how they adapt and deal when life throws them a curveball they weren't expecting.
Either way, this might be the point where bronies have to come to terms, like the Transformers fandom did long ago, with the fact that the show exists to sell toys. That doesn't mean we can't criticize boneheaded plot decisions, but it's something to keep in perspective.
@Kaigen: I know that... Every good cartoon gets destroyed by greedy money-making somewhere along the line anyway nowadays... *sigh*
Like just about any cartoon from the eighties, the only reason My Little Pony exists in the first place is to sell the toys better. You should simply count yourself lucky it was actually a legitimately pretty good cartoon for a while.
Hell, even after this, it'll probably continue to be better than most.
The cartoon - what little I've seen - looks well-made, and I suppose I wouldn't mind watching it when I'm babysitting my sisters' kids. But the whole Brony thing? I'm going to be blunt... guys, get a life, man.
I once saw an image macro of Rarity's ass, with the text: "I WATCH IT FOR THE PLOT".:D
I often find myself annoyed at the way some bronies will strike these ironically masculine poses. To me, the whole point is articulating that it's okay for guys to like things intended for girls; that there's nothing wrong with expressing some femininity. Self-consciously going on about plots and liquid pride and how the show is really badass just undermines that.
I once saw an image macro of Rarity's ass, with the text: "I WATCH IT FOR THE PLOT".:D
I often find myself annoyed at the way some bronies will strike these ironically masculine poses. To me, the whole point is articulating that it's okay for guys to like things intended for girls; that there's nothing wrong with expressing some femininity. Self-consciously going on about plots and liquid pride and how the show is really badass just undermines that.
I don't think the message the show's trying to bring across is that it's ok for men to like girly things. That is what most people derive from it. Lauren Faust actually intended for the show to be gender-neutral, thus enjoyable for both boys and girls, which is completely different. The whole 'I'm a man yet I gotta prove I can still keep my masculinity even though I like this cartoon' thing is just silly. We live in quite a modernised age, where a lot of things are accepted which were big taboos in the past, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage in several countries (and on-going). I find people making fun of others just because of a couple of ponies quite immature. It's like the classic school bully pestering a kid because he/she is wearing braces or glasses. Don't like it? Think what you will of it and move on with your own life. Keep to your own business. Watch/do/read/etc. what makes YOU happy. A world in which all people will peacefully live together is just an overblown ideal anyway.
I'm often told by people I generally respect on these matters how well made and written this show is, or how much alike Fluttershy and Aerie are... but still, I've never watched it.
I do still enjoy watching a lot of other kids shows though. Mainly things I remember growing up; like the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, Dangermouse, Rugrats - particularly with those last two I often notice and find things funny that I doubt I would have gotten at all when I was younger.
If I REALLY liked the two-part pilot, but I have found mostly every episode since then pretty iffy, is it ever going to reach the heights of the pilot again, or should i just stop? The last episode I saw had everyone having to go inside because of the rain or something (I didn't finish it).
If I REALLY liked the two-part pilot, but I have found mostly every episode since then pretty iffy, is it ever going to reach the heights of the pilot again, or should i just stop? The last episode I saw had everyone having to go inside because of the rain or something (I didn't finish it).
It's funny but this is pretty much the opposite of my reaction. I was kind of iffy on the pilot, but was drawn in by the episodes following it. It depends on what you liked about the pilot, but if it was the high adventure, then most of the episodes don't cater to that. If you got to the rainy episode, then you saw the episode where they're dealing with the dragon on top of the mountain. If that wasn't to your liking, then the series probably isn't your cup of tea. You might enjoy the two parters that open and close season 2 and open season 3, but the rest of the show isn't necessarily going to suit your tastes.
I just disliked how they 'tamed' Discord into a good guy. I mean, he's the element of Chaos, you can't just 'tame' Chaos. That's ridiculous. I felt the political correctness oozing all over the episode. 'See, children? Even big, bad bullies deserve a chance and have friends!' Discord never really was a bully or a villain, he was just fooling around, doing what he does best: creating chaos.
He just went from Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Good. As a Baldur's Gate player, you shouldn't see this as all that outrageous.
Edit: Also, you forget that it is a show for children, to whom you need to be as un-subtle as possible in order to teach them some early values and people skills.
@Kitteh_On_A_Cloud@Chow Or even just from Chaotic Evil to Chaotic Neutral. I was just reflecting this morning about how his "taming" never really involves him starting to care about the other ponies around him. Think of it this way: in the end, it isn't that he empathizes with Fluttershy's hurt feelings or feels bad about the destruction of the Apple family's livelihood, he feels bad because he doesn't have a friend anymore. It's still a fundamentally selfish motivation.
And I think arguing that he never really was a bully or villain minimizes his actions during The Return of Harmony. He basically mind screws the entire main cast, overriding their free will to subvert their personalities and break their spirits. He basically converts Ponyville into a sort of Limbo (ask Dak'kon if Limbo is a nice place sometime). He may not be the "BWAHAHA I kill everyone!" sort of Chaotic Evil, but he is still essentially a sociopath who treats other sentient beings as toys for his own amusement (and shows no real concern about what effect that has on them).
If you want unredeemable bullies, though, there's always Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon .
I feel like I should point out that Limbo is a Chaotic Neutral plane, not Chaotic Evil one. By the same regard, I feel Discord is closer to Neutral than Evil.
True, I was more getting at the point that he took a normal town and turned it into a place where nothing is predictable and life is a series of jump scares as weird stuff keeps coming at you out of left field. Limbo isn't evil, but it's still a very unpleasant place to be if you aren't adapted to it, and turning a chunk of the Prime into Limbo indefinitely isn't something that you can characterize as "just fooling around."
Calling Discord Chaotic Neutral just reminds me of all the horror stories about the player who says "my character is Chaotic Neutral, that means I can do anything I want!" And besides, a being of pure chaos could be anything from Chaotic Good to Chaotic Evil. The Good/Evil part doesn't necessarily adulterate the Chaos, it just inflects it.
@Kaigen: I still think it's kinda lame. Also, I dislike how kids nowadays are being spoon-fed such sugary 'we all have to be friends!' series. I watched The Animals of Farthing Wood and Watership Down when I was a kid. Both series showed how cruel life could sometimes be for animals, yet I grew up untraumatized. The shows just showed the ways of nature. Characters died. Of course that was sad, but at least it wasn't blown up and turned into a drama-fest. What irked me most is how Discord in the end submits to Celestia, who's the most useless princess I've ever seen. Hell, if she's so powerful, beating Chrysalis should've been a piece of cake for her. Yet all we see her do is sit on her behind while making Twilight do all of the dirty work. I understand she's more of a figure who symbolizes power, yet I feel she's somewhat unnecessary. And why is she princess and not a queen? As far as we know, her parents don't exist/have died/are in another country. She's the oldest of two, so naturally she should be Queen, no? Just some things that irk me a bit.
@Kitteh_On_A_Cloud The Princess/Queen thing was pure executive meddling, according to Faust.
As far as the tone goes. It doesn't bother me at all. You just have to look anywhere else on TV (or in video games, or novels, etc.) to find plenty of stories that come down to the idea that the world is a nasty place and violence is ultimately a workable (if not preferable) solution to many of life's problems and conflicts. I like having a show that lets me be optimistic for a little while, that suggests that evil can be redeemed and that there's a peaceful solution to most problems.
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Unfortunatley i have no idea of what bronies or my little pony are.
Clearly, 'twas no idle threat. That's still an ample supply.
PoniParti seems fairly well balanced, but lack of rogues means all hell breaks loose whenever there's a trap.
...which would be about par for the course, really.
As far as the Alicorn thing goes, I'm withholding judgment until I see the full implications in season 4. Sure she's a princess now, but so was Cadence, and up until the Crystal Empire was restored she was doing jack squat aside from babysitting Twilight. We really don't know what this means for Twilight except that she has fancy new wings and a fancy new title (and we've been informed on the side that this doesn't mean Twilight is leaving her friends).
And while I agree that this instance is rather shaky, I like that the show is allowing the characters to grow and change and get measurably closer to their goals, as opposed to keeping them stuck in a stasis for fear of ruining the formula. We've seen these characters grow over time, and acknowledging that, such as by sending Rainbow Dash to the Wonderbolts Academy, is a risky move. Especially given how change-averse fandoms are.
And character development isn't just about characters moving towards their life goals, it's also about how they adapt and deal when life throws them a curveball they weren't expecting.
Either way, this might be the point where bronies have to come to terms, like the Transformers fandom did long ago, with the fact that the show exists to sell toys. That doesn't mean we can't criticize boneheaded plot decisions, but it's something to keep in perspective.
Hell, even after this, it'll probably continue to be better than most.
I do still enjoy watching a lot of other kids shows though. Mainly things I remember growing up; like the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, Dangermouse, Rugrats - particularly with those last two I often notice and find things funny that I doubt I would have gotten at all when I was younger.
If I REALLY liked the two-part pilot, but I have found mostly every episode since then pretty iffy, is it ever going to reach the heights of the pilot again, or should i just stop? The last episode I saw had everyone having to go inside because of the rain or something (I didn't finish it).
Edit: Also, you forget that it is a show for children, to whom you need to be as un-subtle as possible in order to teach them some early values and people skills.
And I think arguing that he never really was a bully or villain minimizes his actions during The Return of Harmony. He basically mind screws the entire main cast, overriding their free will to subvert their personalities and break their spirits. He basically converts Ponyville into a sort of Limbo (ask Dak'kon if Limbo is a nice place sometime). He may not be the "BWAHAHA I kill everyone!" sort of Chaotic Evil, but he is still essentially a sociopath who treats other sentient beings as toys for his own amusement (and shows no real concern about what effect that has on them).
If you want unredeemable bullies, though, there's always Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon
Calling Discord Chaotic Neutral just reminds me of all the horror stories about the player who says "my character is Chaotic Neutral, that means I can do anything I want!" And besides, a being of pure chaos could be anything from Chaotic Good to Chaotic Evil. The Good/Evil part doesn't necessarily adulterate the Chaos, it just inflects it.
I always played Dash as a swashbuckler. It fits with lore considering that their very acrobatic and fast on their feet
As far as the tone goes. It doesn't bother me at all. You just have to look anywhere else on TV (or in video games, or novels, etc.) to find plenty of stories that come down to the idea that the world is a nasty place and violence is ultimately a workable (if not preferable) solution to many of life's problems and conflicts. I like having a show that lets me be optimistic for a little while, that suggests that evil can be redeemed and that there's a peaceful solution to most problems.