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My Little Pony FiM Season 2 |OT| - Quality Has No Demographic
- Thread starter DrForester
- Start date
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
CHEEZMO said:
Human pony loves are pigs confirmed!
RomanticHeroX
Member
Keeping Granny Smith going is expensive.
Green Mamba
Member
Decent episode. Finally answered one question that had been bugging me for quite a while--why Sweetie Belle only sometimes appeared with Rarity. Sweetie Belle living with their parents makes sense.
The reveal at the end of the race genuinely caught me off guard. I kept thinking to myself, "The episode's almost over and they haven't solved anything yet!"
The reveal at the end of the race genuinely caught me off guard. I kept thinking to myself, "The episode's almost over and they haven't solved anything yet!"
Slamtastic
Member
RomanticHeroX said:
Yea, caught me by surprise, too. I love that the fastest way for Sweetie Belle to find out who it was, was to wipe the mud off Rarity's flank to see the Cutie Mark. Of course ponies would do that to quickly identify somepony.Green Mamba said:
Overall, this was just a pure "D'awww..." episode. Sweetie Belle was just too adorable, and seeing Rarity's sweeter side was awesome as well. It was almost heartbreaking to see the two sisters break up, but I knew they'd find back together, yet I couldn't see how.
Also, first episode without Twilight Sparkle? That's new. So that's why they used the Lesson Zero episode to let the other ponies send mail to Princess Celestia. This episode also showed that, yes, Sweetie Belle CAN carry an episode, with a little help from her sister. All we need now is a Scootaloo episode and all three Crusaders have had a focus episode.
You know even though I wouldn't say that this was a bad episode, this kind of episode is just not nearly as appealing to me. This is the kind of episode that is clearly made to help teach lessons to young girls, and while it's a clear step up from the MLP cartoons from the previous generations, if every episode was like this I would not be a brony.
This show is at its best when its breaking expectations and goes beyond the kind of thing you'd ordinarily expect from the brand. There's really pretty much nothing in this episode that struck me as pushing those kinds of boundaries, apart from maybe the burnt juice joke.
Of course I'm not saying every episode needs to be as batshit insane as Lesson Zero either.
This show is at its best when its breaking expectations and goes beyond the kind of thing you'd ordinarily expect from the brand. There's really pretty much nothing in this episode that struck me as pushing those kinds of boundaries, apart from maybe the burnt juice joke.
Of course I'm not saying every episode needs to be as batshit insane as Lesson Zero either.
i really don't see how the episode would differ for any sibling relationship with a significant age difference.ZealousD said:
sure the triggers for rarities anger might be different, but the message would be unchanged imo. sweetie belle isn't exactly a girly character in this episode.
Pandaman said:
Within the confines of the brand, sure. But a pair of brothers in their twenties aren't necessarily going to be looking toward cartoon ponies for lessons on how to treat each other as siblings.
But you're missing the point I was making, anyway. Like I said, this show is at its best when its pushing boundaries and it does things that might make somebody say "THIS IS MY LITTLE PONY"? When it breaks the confines of just being a show made for young girls. It's that element that created the brony phenomenon in the first place. Like I said, this kind of episode may be of higher quality than the previous MLP cartoons but it very rarely breaks away from our initial conceptions of what the brand could be.
Essentially what I'm saying is, if every episode was like Sisterhooves Social or Suited for Success, I'd be with all the detractors looking at all you and wondering what the fuck was wrong with you guys. You need more than just a higher quality girls' show to keep me interested.
A) You're right.
B) The fact that it does all that boundary-pushing stuff is in reality a huge extra, since its core target audience is not the new fanbase it has found, but little girls (even if the quality of entertainment/story it provides for those little girls is far higher than ever before).
B) The fact that it does all that boundary-pushing stuff is in reality a huge extra, since its core target audience is not the new fanbase it has found, but little girls (even if the quality of entertainment/story it provides for those little girls is far higher than ever before).
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Possibly the shows most dawww scene. AJ's face when she nods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS570BT_S0Y#t=15m09s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS570BT_S0Y#t=15m09s
Jintor said:
I understand that it's a huge extra. Trust me, prior to this show I had pretty much the lowest expectations in the world for this brand. The entire brand was based entirely around selling plastic toys to young girls. And they did it through tiny pink ponies. You really can't get much more transparent about trying to squeeze money from a very particular demographic then that. I was pretty much hostile to the brand prior to this show. It was a vapid commercial enterprise.
If this kind of thing was what represented the brand? I wouldn't be hostile, but I wouldn't be a fan either. I'd be like "it's a cute show for little girls, I guess". Again, I'm not saying that this episode is bad. Lord knows this is still massive step up from all the vapid shit that came before. This is watchable. But it doesn't really go beyond that.
Good episode. Definitely on the far end of the cute and heartwarming side of the series as opposed to the comedy or adventure episodes, but I think it's important that the series does this sort of thing once in a while. They flesh out the characters in ways that the other types of episodes have trouble doing, and provide the more leisurely moments in the series' overall pacing.
But then I also liked Look Before You Sleep and Owl's Well That Ends Well a lot more than most people seemed to, so your mileage may vary.
It's nice that we're seeing more and more of Granny Smith and Big Macintosh this season. They probably wouldn't work in larger doses, but the short bits they've been getting keep stealing the show.
But then I also liked Look Before You Sleep and Owl's Well That Ends Well a lot more than most people seemed to, so your mileage may vary.
It's nice that we're seeing more and more of Granny Smith and Big Macintosh this season. They probably wouldn't work in larger doses, but the short bits they've been getting keep stealing the show.
well yeah, but sweetie belle isn't in her twenties and hasn't had a couple decades to flush out her relationship with a sibling she doesn't even life with.ZealousD said:
No, i just didn't care about that part. I was addressing your specification that the episode was for 'little girls' because it presupposes your claim that the show would go back to being a little girls show.
I would however argue that having a sibling episode being equally as applicable to a young boy+older family member pairing is pretty boundary pushing for classic my little pony. Its a family relationship episode in a show meant to be watched by families asking kids to have a little more respect and patience for their parents time and for parents not to become totally absorbed and neglectful of their relationship with their child. it was only sister themed so the main cast would actually be in the show. >_>
As older animation fans who may not have children or much younger siblings, the point is lost on a lot of us.
in short, ask myke what he thought of the episode.
Pandaman said:
I know what's up with Myke. He likes cute things. I can like cute things too, but I wouldn't watch an entire show about them.
I'm not suggesting that the show is somehow going to slide backwards or anything. I'm just expressing my general dissapointment with this week's episode since I found very little of it to be very appealing to me.
Edit: I will say though that I really did think the burnt juice joke was really funny, and I did find it interesting that the one-off deal of having Rarity soaked in the rain can somehow result in a character design that's more appealing than the original.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Meanwhile, Offscreen.
RomanticHeroX
Member
I'd much rather watch that episode.
Regulus Tera
Romanes Eunt Domus
Suited for Success is exactly the type of episode that doesn't conform to the preconceptions of what a girl's show should be like, musical number aside.ZealousD said:
I can relate to the episode, being a younger bother at a fairly large age difference, too. Wanting to be with your older sibling, but getting on their nerves? Oh, yeah. Been there, done that. We laugh about it now we're both adults, but I must have driving my brother nuts at times, too.Pandaman said:
So, yeah, I can totally relate to Sweetie Belle this time. She really does love her sister, but she tends to show it in ways that annoys her. Same with Rarity, who loves her sister back, but can't help getting really annoyed at some of her antics. I guess this episode hit a little closer to home for me that other people. A good sibling relationship really is a precious thing.
Heh, and if the episode can make me this sappy about it, it must have done something right.
Dark Phoenix
Member
In terms of how this episode played out compared to the rest of the season, I thought this is up with the rest of them. Sure, it's a simple story, but one that's told very well. (The reactions to the twist confirms the irony worked well.) This episode might not have been groundbreaking or crazy, but the season needs simple stories. If you don't have the simpler, down to earth stories, the other stories lose impact. Also realize that this is a show for young girls and their parents.
Also, the character development in this episode was great.
Also, the character development in this episode was great.
Wolf Akela
Member
SonicX_Zero
Member
I'll be honest and say that I teared up a bit in the scene where Rarity was looking at Sweetie Belle's arts and crafts project with the change in the background music and all, but when she started talking I couldn't help but laugh a bit being a drama queen and all. Overall a very good episode and one that I clearly relate to.
Acerac
Banned
It just seemed to be lacking of any subtlety. *Shrug* Usually I don't mind the more vapid episodes if they're funny, but I found very little humor in this one.brian577 said:
Sorry?
I understand the fact that we like it is just a bonus. I'm not saying the show is wrong to be less entertaining to my age group, I'm just noting that that is how it came across.
burningranger
Neo Member
There was definitely a lot to like about this episode. I will definitely say though, Rarity/Sweetie Belle's parents weren't exactly what I was expecting. This was the first time we've seen a cross-breeding of races so far (at least with the mane cast) since the dad was an Earth pony and Mom was a unicorn. (Unless dad's horn was covered up by the hat and we never saw it) True, it was kind of lazy for the re-use of certain character models, but that tends to permeate quite a bit anyways through out the series. Definitely under utilized too, but their appearance at least did answer a few questions about Sweetie Belle and Rarity's origins. They got their hair and horns from mom and coat from dad. The dad struck me as a sports coach of some kind with his cutie mark and mustache. Not really sure with mom since we didn't see her cutie mark.
And as soon as I saw the team up's in the sister competition, I figured that was going to throw a few wrenches in the fannon works, especially with Dinky. Overall, a very cute episode. The ending got me too and it pretty much re-confirmed why Sweetie Belle is my favorite CMC. Tries so hard and things just go wrong. No RD/Scootaloo with the whole sister theme was a bit surprising considering we got a pretty heavy dose of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. True they aren't sisters, but I figured they'd get a bit of screen time that might have helped explain things a bit more of their relationship.
And as soon as I saw the team up's in the sister competition, I figured that was going to throw a few wrenches in the fannon works, especially with Dinky. Overall, a very cute episode. The ending got me too and it pretty much re-confirmed why Sweetie Belle is my favorite CMC. Tries so hard and things just go wrong. No RD/Scootaloo with the whole sister theme was a bit surprising considering we got a pretty heavy dose of Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. True they aren't sisters, but I figured they'd get a bit of screen time that might have helped explain things a bit more of their relationship.
Amibguous Cad
Member
ZealousD said:
Suited for Success was amazing.
In fact, I'd say that's where the show is at its best: when it's doing the stereotypical girly show thing, but doing it with characters and writing so damn good you don't care. Sisterwhooves Social didn't reach that level, unfortunately.
brian577 said:
What do you mean, you people?
My thoughts on Lesson Zero was that I absolutely loved it, although I didn't want every episode to be like that. This isn't necessarily a contradiction on my part. I just want some balance.
Amibguous Cad said:
Suited for Success is probably the most overrated episode of all!
To this day I still don't buy the whole idea that every single pony didn't like their original dress. That somehow all of them had unanimously poor taste! Seemed just as fake as the "resolution" in Over a Barrel.
RomanticHeroX
Member
Suited for Success nearly killed my interest in seeing what this was about. So many people recommended it as an introduction, so I tried it, and ended up turning it off during the song. It eventually becomes an alright episode but nothing up to that point suggests it's anything other than what you'd expect from My Little Pony. In short, don't pick that as an intro episode.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Suited for Success to be honest is a huge turn-off for me if it that would be the first episode. That or any other episode where singing comes off early.
MLP never had subtlety in the first place.
Acerac said:
MLP never had subtlety in the first place.
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
IMO they should just disband CMC entirely. This episode just confirmed the theory that the fillies work well when they're not obsessing over their cutie marks.
googleplex
Member
Apple Jack once again proves why she's the best pony.Morgadeth said:Daww
I thought it was Rarity that proved her superiority. If Berry Punch didn't have the strength and lowered pain threshold of an accomplished person of spirits, Rarity would have destroyed them all. Plus she might need glasses, she looked like she thought the finish line was closer that it was.
edit: Pinch is in the stands, presumably watching her mommy.
and I think Derpy is at 17:58
edit: Pinch is in the stands, presumably watching her mommy.
and I think Derpy is at 17:58
airmangataosenai
Member
Feels weird having the episode not end with Twilight Sparkle wrapping things up for us.
Acerac
Banned
Not a significant amount, no.That said, the message rarely seemed as hamfisted in previous episodes as it did in this one. I understand that this happens on occasion but the comedy just didn't seem to be there compared to the last few weeks.Ookami-kun said:
If others enjoyed the episode that's awesome. I'm just saying it is the first episode in season 2 that seems weak to me.
Alt ending!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZDyCT8yJR8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZDyCT8yJR8
Boss Doggie
all my loli wolf companions are so moe
Acerac said:
That's the thing though - it's not like this hasn't happened before. The charm is how they applied it with gusto and fun.