Welcome to the last week of Month of Positives, updating early because I felt motivated to do so after reading three to four other Fimfiction.net blogs, and because my hay fever's making it hard to think so writing 'Magnetism' is proving a little troublesome. In the case of this post however, while I have to create my fanfic progression section fresh on the spot, the top ten characters and favourites character trivia was created before I began suffering from chronic hay fever. Oh, and before I begin I would just like to say that you should not worry about my current hay fever problem, though it is annoying and hard to breathe I have had much worse, like that one case where my eyes popped out. Oh how I abused that incident to my advantage.
Now, while recent writing of 'Magnetism' has been slow, before the pollen in Britain spiked I managed to complete all but one section of chapter 1, and though slow, have managed to write up quite a bit of this last section. I also looked over the rough plans of my second chapter of 'Magnetism' and realised that, with exception to some great jokes concerning Fluttershy's animals and a great Angel Bunny charades scene, most of it will be new content. It appears I can't take the easy route on that one but no worries, I've got until August before uploading begins. Also, while my brain went dead with writing of 'Magnetism' I tried to start my edits of 'Thank You Cider'. I only managed to note down some of the key edits, and I'm sure I will spot more things to improve once I begin the editing process but I've got an outline so that when I feel motivated I can fix up the few mistakes of my fanfic. I wonder if I should try and submit it to Equestria Daily afterwards, would be neat to see it on there and it would certainly boost my fanfic's popularity. Enough of my writing progress, it's time for my top ten favourite characters.
10) Apple Bloom – Apple Bloom’s always been one of my favourite characters. Well to be fair, all the Cutie Mark Crusaders have been much loved by me, I enjoy their appearances in episodes and tend to really like the episodes with them as the focus a lot. As for Apple Bloom, I like her enthusiasm demonstrated in ‘Call of the Cutie’ and her open-mindedness demonstrated in ‘Bridle Gossip’. Her skill in carpentry is unexpected and unique for a girls cartoon, and like with all the apple family, I love her accent. Her interactions with the other Crusaders and Zecora also proves to be entertaining as well.
9) Fancy Pants – Monocle! I should probably expand on that but simply put, I’m British, Fancy Pants is the most British character in the show, and it’s nice to see a rich character that is in turn nice. He also has a monocle which as everyone knows makes him a wizard (you get the reference and you are full of win).
8) Rover – My favourite of the diamond dogs, which is in turn my favourite race within My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. The diamond dogs, with Rover, Fido and Spot in particular, are the antagonists I most want to see return mostly because I feel they would make good recurring foes. There not too powerful like Discord or Chrysalis and so such episodes won’t rely on a Deus-Ex-Machina to save the day, are nearer to Ponyville than the teen dragons, and are more openly criminal than the likes of the Flim Flam Brothers or Gilda.
But enough of what I’d like to see from the show and the diamond dogs, let’s get back to why I think Rover is awesome. First off he has my favourite design of any character in the series, it fits his personality well and I find it cool. His raspy voice is immediately recognisable; he clearly presents himself as the leader of his group, and has a surprising amount of wit and intelligence despite being fooled a few times by Rarity. It’s easy to see him both as an intimating villain and as a comical one, and is the one-shot character I most want to see again.
7) Sweetie Belle – Originally Sweetie Belle was my least favourite among the Cutie Mark Crusaders, this still meant she was within the top ten, but I preferred Apple Bloom over her, until ‘Hearts and Hooves Day’ which did wonders for my appreciation of this character. I like how, despite being a bit slow and spaced out, she isn’t depicted as being stupid and actually shows a lot of initiative in cases such as ‘Hearts and Hooves Day’. Her interactions with Rarity are the some of the most believable sibling interactions I have seen in a piece of fiction, and while she does cause trouble with her attempts to help you see how she is just trying to be helpful, and does hold a lot of admiration for her sister (for instance, despite having little talent for dressmaking, she wants to be good at it because she wants to be like her sister).
As season 2 has progressed her lines of dialogue have become sweeter, cuter, and funnier with the “Oh come on!” being one of the best executed lines of the entire show.
6) Fluttershy – I like animals. I’m not necessarily good with them but me and my family have always had pets in the house and I generally prefer their company to other people. Thus part of the reason I like Fluttershy, I can respect her preference to spend time with the animals than other ponies, relate to her days of being bullied (although my case was more people stealing my stuff to prevent me from working in the midst of class), and I generally like kind and shy characters in most stories/anime/cartoons/games.
5) Rainbow Dash – Though I’m not usually a fan of fast, athletic characters I do like proud characters. Her personality also allows for some of the better interactions with other characters, either through showing off her good points or through creating conflict and thus producing a more interesting story to follow.
I’ve also been surprised to find out that Rainbow Dash is the character I feel the most sympathy for, her being upset is to me, genuinely sadder than seeing any other character upset, even my favourite. She’s also the character most likely to take a fighting option to solve a problem something that I approve of very much, and her interactions with Fluttershy, even without shipping goggles, tend to be heart warming. Furthermore filly Rainbow Dash is the cutest filly so far.
4) Spike – He’s quite noticeable as the only male main character but is also surprisingly diverse. At times he is the young child he is and at others he is the most level headed probably because he ends up seeing most situations from outside the conflict. I love his charmingly sweet and surprisingly real affections for Rarity as well as his little brother to older sister interactions with Twilight. At times he can be surprisingly effeminate with wishes for greater masculinity, and at others he shows off his masculinity through the finer art of being a true gentleman.
3) Angel Bunny – Anyone here like Bender from Futurama, or Dan from Dan vs. They are jerks but you can’t help but love them. That is what Angel Bunny is, he is a lovable jerk. There is the ironic joke of him being a bully while being a cute little rabbit and the fact that his owner (although at times it seems he is the owner) is the element of kindness. He enjoys being evil as it were, it’s fun to be evil; however he also knows when to limit himself, call it quits, and be kind, particularly to Fluttershy who he is constantly trying to get to stand up for herself and voice her opinion (people seem to forget his moments in ‘Ticket Master’, ‘Dragonshy’ and ‘A Bird in the Hoof’). He just doesn’t like doing it because it’s no fun being the nice guy.
2) Scootaloo – I do not understand exactly why I like this character so much. I can understand why I like Scootaloo, I like her very fitting voice, her personality, her colour scheme (does help that my favourite colour is orange), and a lot of the smaller things such as lines of dialogue, interactions with other characters, and movement an actions I find enjoyable but I do not know why I like her to degree that I place her as my second favourite character.
Even odder, is how I’ve never understood the concept of role models or aspiring towards another person, and yet Scootaloo’s admiration of Rainbow Dash is a really lovable trait and is one of my favourite things to see the fandom effect, such as when they exaggerate it into Stalkerloo territory (which I can completely understand). So perhaps it is the culmination of all these liked factors, and how factors I dislike in other characters I appreciate here, that lead me to love Scootaloo so much.
1) Twilight Sparkle – Pinkie Pie and her ‘Twilight is my bestest friend’ song explains it best, She’s the cutest, smartest, all around best pony, though it was not until episode 8, ‘Look Before You Sleep’ that she became my favourite character and has remained there ever since. I had always liked the character, she was intelligent, had a love of reading, and was an anti-social without the need for some tragic back-story to explain it, she just found everypony else to be bothersome. So I was immediately able to relate to this character, I found her likable, and I enjoyed seeing such a character as the lead protagonist.
Then episode 8 came along and I found out how adorkable she was. Sure, I also found out that she is prone to certain cases of naivety, which makes sense considering she’s been a shut-in most her life, which I liked, and I could relate to her general lack of street smarts, but episode 8 was the first episode which showed just how cute she could be. So on top of a winning personality, she also became the cutest thing in the entire show and well, Twilight Sparkle became best pony.
Normally I would end here but the subject of my favourite characters is one I find myself enjoying the opportunity to discuss. Also, unlike the last time I discussed my favourite characters in which I listed my top 20 in order to flaunt how different my favourite characters list was to everyone else’s (far more male and non-pony characters on it than I expect anyone else to have), this list is missing three very important characters from it and so I would like to clear that up with a little bit of trivia. Many of the characters I love and like I consider equal in how much I like them, the list above was created with the idea of "If I was forced to choose with only one character being allowed in each spot" but if I were allowed to have characters share spots then the list would go like the following;
10) Pinkie Pie, Cranky Doodle Donkey.
9) Apple Bloom, Rarity, Applejack.
8) Fancy Pants.
7) Rover.
6) Sweetie Belle.
5) Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy.
4) Spike.
3) Angel Bunny.
2) Scootaloo.
1) Twilight Sparkle.
Also worth noting, if I wanted too I could list out my top 35 favourite characters without too much difficulty. Where some would be in comparison to others is a little hard to say however I know which characters I like/love before they begin to enter the neutral territory. I could add in how my favourite characters have changed, who I liked before and around what time/episode each character got into the top ten but I'll save that for another day. For now I would just like to ask of your opinions on my favourite characters, and who you consider your favourite characters? You don't have to list them in order, that is a hard task to accomplish with so many great characters in this show, but I'd like it to be the subject of discussion. This here ends the Month of Positives but don't worry, I'm not stopping these weekly blog updates. In fact, to counterpoint my Month of Positives, next week will be the start of the Month of Negatives, where I discuss my ten least favourite episodes, songs, pairings, and characters and I'll tell you now, trying to come up with a bottom ten for this show is really hard. Cheerio!
Friday 25 May 2012
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Month of Positives: Week 3 - Pairings!
Sorry for the late Blogspot update, this one has been up my Fimfiction.net blog for a while and I have only just gotten around to posting it here. Enjoy!
My progression with fanfiction this week has been strange. How much did I get of 'Open to Interpretation' written? Nothing this week but 'Magnetism' I got at least two pages written up. Anyway I will explain right now, I do not know when or whether 'Open to Interpretation' will be finished and uploaded. You see, 'Open to Interpretation' is a spur of the moment one-shot written mostly in response to the stream of SoarinDash fanfics being made because of the Canterlot wedding and also as an organised analysis of that one FlutterDash moment that the community has been arguing over. Its basic premise is literally about Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight interoperating the same scene in different ways, and then having Pinkie Pie end it with a great comedy moment. While writing the story I realised it wasn't very good, at least in comparison to my other works, however I've been enjoying writing it. What I have not been enjoying is how it has been distracting me from other works, such as those in the SSB and Kirby sections, as well as 'Magnetism' which I really need to consider my top priority. Basically, I have no set schedule for 'Open to Interpretation', it is a one-shot I will write up when I have the time and when I want too. For me, the focus is back to other sections and of course 'Magnetism' which I have had quite a bit of enthusiasm for. Admittedly my current workings on the story involve re-writing the rough first chapter of the fanfic, back when I planned on calling it 'Fun With Magnetic Ponies', but the scene I am currently on is almost completely new thanks to removing the plot device of a messed up spell, and instead adding something more original to explain the situation Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash get themselves into. Now we move onto my top ten favourite pairings, a subject I have been wanting to discuss since I read Ugugg93's blog post regarding the same topic (can be found at the following link; http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/11233).
10) HeartBurn (Little Strong Heart and Braeburn) – Bronies need more HeartBurn...the pairing of Little Strong Heart and Braeburn, not actual heart burn. I’m actually amazed at how little of this pairing there actually is, or perhaps it only gets featured as a side pairing and never the focus of a story or artwork. Regardless, I like this ship; they were both the most reasonable of their groups, and in turn acted as the ambassadors for each group and heck, when Applejack and Rainbow Dash were pushing the two it looked like they were trying to force the ship to be.
9) ScootaSpike (Scootaloo and Spike) – According to The Cutie Mark Chronicles the two have interacted, and I can see the two hanging out as friends (which could in turn develop into something more). The few times I have seen this pairing depicted I have liked, and I garner enjoyment thinking of their interactions.
8) SoarJack (Soarin and Applejack) – My head-canon dictates Applejack as straight and yet, this here is pretty much the only pairing I like that meets the requirement of a straight Applejack. There’s not much of this pairing but unlike HeartBurn I can understand why, they only had one interaction together (still more than some of the popular pairings of the Brony community), and yet that one interaction was enough for me to ship them. Soarin seems like a simple guy, not the brightest and a bit of a slob, but well meaning and enjoys life more for its basic comforts; the sort of character who would go well with Applejack’s not too ambitious basic comforts of work, food, and family lifestyle.
7) RariPie (Rarity and Pinkie Pie) – I have no idea. I really have no idea why I love this pairing so much other than the two bringing out brilliant comedy and speaking moments when they interact with one another.
6) DisLestia (Discord and Celestia) – This pairing is more of a background detail I like to consider in order to flesh out the relationship between Celestia and Discord, explain Discord as a villain, and give Celestia more depth. The moment Discord said about how he missed her and how grim Celestia used to be and still is was the moment the idea of them dating in the past popped into my head and then the comic ‘Discordantly by CrappyUnicorn’ just made me outright ship it. As I said though, this is more for background and as something for the two characters to look back on when they encounter each other as their opposition, not one I consider likely to happen in present time of the series.
5) DisPie (Discord and Pinkie Pie) – Laughter is Discord’s favourite element after all, and it was that line that also made me ship the two. They are very similar, to the point in which they feel like two sides of the same coin, with Pinkie representing the good side of chaos while Discord represents the dark side of chaos. This in turn allows them to understand one another as they also think on the same wavelength, a wavelength unlikely to be reached by the others. It’s also easy as heck to find adorable fan-art of this pairing, and I really like the works of Mickeymonster in particular.
4) TwiPie (Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie) – You should probably note that I’m a big fan of opposites attract, and TwiPie is a pretty big case of opposites attract. The pairing has a charm to it, they both have features that, if rubbed off on the other, would be beneficial, and they do share the odd similarity such as an inquisitive nature and cases of naivety. Overall it’s just a cute pairing and one that is easy to picture how they get together.
3) SweetieSpike (Sweetie Belle and Spike) – I’m not a fan of pairings in which the two characters have not interacted/have had little interaction however, considering the love triangle that this would cause, I came to like the idea of this. Then I found fan-art of it, mostly sad ones (there was one artwork where a crying Sweetie Belle kisses Spike with her saying "just pretend I’m her"), and I came to like this pairing as a whole. Furthermore with Spike trying to help Rarity all the time, and with Sweetie Belle naturally wanting to help her sister, I could see a bond being formed between them that could spur onto romance from one or both of them.
2) SpAirty (Spike and Rarity) – Rarity has always wanted a gentlepony, someone who would treat her as a lady, and though Spike lacks the pony part he is most certainly a gentledragon. The pairing was always something I considered cute, but not one I considered shipping until ‘A Dog and Pony Show’ gave some greater focus on it and demonstrated Spike’s feelings as genuine, not a mere flight of fancy. Then we had ‘Secret of my Excess’ and ‘Dragon Quest’, which not only made the pairing feel plausible but also showcased the possibility of Rarity sharing feelings for said dragon. A lot stands between this romance and yet it is one of the most plausible, backed up by the show to the point of it pretty much being canon, and has so many possibilities to explore in the realm of characterisation and relationships.
1) FlutterDash (Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash) – I usually hate cases of childhood friends becoming lovers, they tend to feel forced, as if there was no one else they would be with or love. This is certainly an exception as not only is FlutterDash my OTP of MLP:FiM, but is also my second favourite pairing period. Like I said with TwiPie, I do like opposites attract, I believe both characters can share decent characteristics with one another, and the two certainly have a connection the rest of the cast lack. Their interactions are always nice to see and my appreciation of the show has increased even more since coming to support this pairing. Also, nearly all their fan-art is simply adorable.
Now, while I have listed my ten favourite pairings of the series I feel that ending here would make this post feel incomplete. There are other pairings, which while I won't go into much detail, I would like to make note of. First off, the first ever pairing of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I ever supported was RariJack (Rarity and Applejack), which is rather funny considering my own head canon dictates the two of them as the only straight ponies out of the Mane 6 (I've pretty much always considered Fluttershy to be lesbian and Pinkie Pie to be Bi, while Twilight is Bi-curious and Rainbow Dash never thinks about the subject but probably wouldn't care about the gender of whom she liked). Also, two pairings that almost made it onto the list but got the tenth spot stolen from them by HeartBurn are RovIty (Rover and Rarity) and TrixBlood (Trixe and Prince Blueblood), the first being liked for a Mario-Peach-Bowser dynamic (Spike-Rarity-Rover) and the second because of the fanfic, 'Legion of Gloom'. I would to say that just because there is a lack of yaoi on this list does not mean I do not support homosexual pairings, it's just that few have caught my eye and there are few male characters with significant importance. I also support the occasional crossover pairing, with my favourite crossover pairing involving My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic being PinkieDan (Pinkie Pie and Dan from the Hub cartoon, 'Dan vs.'). Now I feel like I can conclude this post with satisfaction. Feel free to comment on any of these pairings and if you wish, talk about your own favourite pairings. I'm more than willing to reply and discuss other pairings that are not featured on this list of mine, cheerio!
My progression with fanfiction this week has been strange. How much did I get of 'Open to Interpretation' written? Nothing this week but 'Magnetism' I got at least two pages written up. Anyway I will explain right now, I do not know when or whether 'Open to Interpretation' will be finished and uploaded. You see, 'Open to Interpretation' is a spur of the moment one-shot written mostly in response to the stream of SoarinDash fanfics being made because of the Canterlot wedding and also as an organised analysis of that one FlutterDash moment that the community has been arguing over. Its basic premise is literally about Rarity, Applejack, and Twilight interoperating the same scene in different ways, and then having Pinkie Pie end it with a great comedy moment. While writing the story I realised it wasn't very good, at least in comparison to my other works, however I've been enjoying writing it. What I have not been enjoying is how it has been distracting me from other works, such as those in the SSB and Kirby sections, as well as 'Magnetism' which I really need to consider my top priority. Basically, I have no set schedule for 'Open to Interpretation', it is a one-shot I will write up when I have the time and when I want too. For me, the focus is back to other sections and of course 'Magnetism' which I have had quite a bit of enthusiasm for. Admittedly my current workings on the story involve re-writing the rough first chapter of the fanfic, back when I planned on calling it 'Fun With Magnetic Ponies', but the scene I am currently on is almost completely new thanks to removing the plot device of a messed up spell, and instead adding something more original to explain the situation Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash get themselves into. Now we move onto my top ten favourite pairings, a subject I have been wanting to discuss since I read Ugugg93's blog post regarding the same topic (can be found at the following link; http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/11233).
10) HeartBurn (Little Strong Heart and Braeburn) – Bronies need more HeartBurn...the pairing of Little Strong Heart and Braeburn, not actual heart burn. I’m actually amazed at how little of this pairing there actually is, or perhaps it only gets featured as a side pairing and never the focus of a story or artwork. Regardless, I like this ship; they were both the most reasonable of their groups, and in turn acted as the ambassadors for each group and heck, when Applejack and Rainbow Dash were pushing the two it looked like they were trying to force the ship to be.
9) ScootaSpike (Scootaloo and Spike) – According to The Cutie Mark Chronicles the two have interacted, and I can see the two hanging out as friends (which could in turn develop into something more). The few times I have seen this pairing depicted I have liked, and I garner enjoyment thinking of their interactions.
8) SoarJack (Soarin and Applejack) – My head-canon dictates Applejack as straight and yet, this here is pretty much the only pairing I like that meets the requirement of a straight Applejack. There’s not much of this pairing but unlike HeartBurn I can understand why, they only had one interaction together (still more than some of the popular pairings of the Brony community), and yet that one interaction was enough for me to ship them. Soarin seems like a simple guy, not the brightest and a bit of a slob, but well meaning and enjoys life more for its basic comforts; the sort of character who would go well with Applejack’s not too ambitious basic comforts of work, food, and family lifestyle.
7) RariPie (Rarity and Pinkie Pie) – I have no idea. I really have no idea why I love this pairing so much other than the two bringing out brilliant comedy and speaking moments when they interact with one another.
6) DisLestia (Discord and Celestia) – This pairing is more of a background detail I like to consider in order to flesh out the relationship between Celestia and Discord, explain Discord as a villain, and give Celestia more depth. The moment Discord said about how he missed her and how grim Celestia used to be and still is was the moment the idea of them dating in the past popped into my head and then the comic ‘Discordantly by CrappyUnicorn’ just made me outright ship it. As I said though, this is more for background and as something for the two characters to look back on when they encounter each other as their opposition, not one I consider likely to happen in present time of the series.
5) DisPie (Discord and Pinkie Pie) – Laughter is Discord’s favourite element after all, and it was that line that also made me ship the two. They are very similar, to the point in which they feel like two sides of the same coin, with Pinkie representing the good side of chaos while Discord represents the dark side of chaos. This in turn allows them to understand one another as they also think on the same wavelength, a wavelength unlikely to be reached by the others. It’s also easy as heck to find adorable fan-art of this pairing, and I really like the works of Mickeymonster in particular.
4) TwiPie (Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie) – You should probably note that I’m a big fan of opposites attract, and TwiPie is a pretty big case of opposites attract. The pairing has a charm to it, they both have features that, if rubbed off on the other, would be beneficial, and they do share the odd similarity such as an inquisitive nature and cases of naivety. Overall it’s just a cute pairing and one that is easy to picture how they get together.
3) SweetieSpike (Sweetie Belle and Spike) – I’m not a fan of pairings in which the two characters have not interacted/have had little interaction however, considering the love triangle that this would cause, I came to like the idea of this. Then I found fan-art of it, mostly sad ones (there was one artwork where a crying Sweetie Belle kisses Spike with her saying "just pretend I’m her"), and I came to like this pairing as a whole. Furthermore with Spike trying to help Rarity all the time, and with Sweetie Belle naturally wanting to help her sister, I could see a bond being formed between them that could spur onto romance from one or both of them.
2) SpAirty (Spike and Rarity) – Rarity has always wanted a gentlepony, someone who would treat her as a lady, and though Spike lacks the pony part he is most certainly a gentledragon. The pairing was always something I considered cute, but not one I considered shipping until ‘A Dog and Pony Show’ gave some greater focus on it and demonstrated Spike’s feelings as genuine, not a mere flight of fancy. Then we had ‘Secret of my Excess’ and ‘Dragon Quest’, which not only made the pairing feel plausible but also showcased the possibility of Rarity sharing feelings for said dragon. A lot stands between this romance and yet it is one of the most plausible, backed up by the show to the point of it pretty much being canon, and has so many possibilities to explore in the realm of characterisation and relationships.
1) FlutterDash (Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash) – I usually hate cases of childhood friends becoming lovers, they tend to feel forced, as if there was no one else they would be with or love. This is certainly an exception as not only is FlutterDash my OTP of MLP:FiM, but is also my second favourite pairing period. Like I said with TwiPie, I do like opposites attract, I believe both characters can share decent characteristics with one another, and the two certainly have a connection the rest of the cast lack. Their interactions are always nice to see and my appreciation of the show has increased even more since coming to support this pairing. Also, nearly all their fan-art is simply adorable.
Now, while I have listed my ten favourite pairings of the series I feel that ending here would make this post feel incomplete. There are other pairings, which while I won't go into much detail, I would like to make note of. First off, the first ever pairing of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic I ever supported was RariJack (Rarity and Applejack), which is rather funny considering my own head canon dictates the two of them as the only straight ponies out of the Mane 6 (I've pretty much always considered Fluttershy to be lesbian and Pinkie Pie to be Bi, while Twilight is Bi-curious and Rainbow Dash never thinks about the subject but probably wouldn't care about the gender of whom she liked). Also, two pairings that almost made it onto the list but got the tenth spot stolen from them by HeartBurn are RovIty (Rover and Rarity) and TrixBlood (Trixe and Prince Blueblood), the first being liked for a Mario-Peach-Bowser dynamic (Spike-Rarity-Rover) and the second because of the fanfic, 'Legion of Gloom'. I would to say that just because there is a lack of yaoi on this list does not mean I do not support homosexual pairings, it's just that few have caught my eye and there are few male characters with significant importance. I also support the occasional crossover pairing, with my favourite crossover pairing involving My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic being PinkieDan (Pinkie Pie and Dan from the Hub cartoon, 'Dan vs.'). Now I feel like I can conclude this post with satisfaction. Feel free to comment on any of these pairings and if you wish, talk about your own favourite pairings. I'm more than willing to reply and discuss other pairings that are not featured on this list of mine, cheerio!
Saturday 12 May 2012
Month of Positives: Week 2 - Songs!
It’s getting harder and harder to not see FlutterDash as canon, something that is not new as far as my OTP’s go. In the Kirby section I have never had any doubts that Kirby and Ribbon are in love, while in the Super Smash Bros section, the moment Ganondorf pops up in a story I keep on thinking about how in my SSB fanfics he has a crush on Jigglypuff. Yes, GanonPuff/JigglyDorf is my SSB OTP...it is very disturbing. Now onto other stuff though such as my fanfic progress and my favourite songs, enjoy.
‘Open to Interpretation’ is almost complete; however, even though it should be done before the end of next week, this does not mean I will be uploading it any time soon. I will, as I usually do, leave it alone for a while so I can go back and edit, but this will take longer than usual for I have other things to focus on in the meantime. I have lots of stuff to get to work on over on Fanfiction.net, as well as the edits to ‘Thank You Cider’ which I hope to be doing over the course of the next month. There is also the case of ‘Magnetism’ which I need to keep working on so that when I begin uploading in August, I’ll be way ahead with the fanfic. I’ll say more on ‘Open to Interpretation’ next week, saying what I think of the finished product without spoiling anything but for now just know that I’m still writing fanfics and that below you can see my top ten favourite songs of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
10) Welcome Song – It may be short but it’s also catchy and with wonderful music and sound affects playing throughout. It also has a conversation feel that I love to see in the songs of this show.
9) Cutie Mark Crusaders Song - No, I’m not talking about the BGM or Sweetie Belle’s short, I’m talking about the full length song in Show Stoppers. I genuinely love the song. At some points it reaches the ‘so bad it’s good’ level as listening to (and seeing) it becomes hilarious, while at other times it just really nice to listen too. The singing is cute, not bad enough to hurt but not skilled enough to make you forget that it’s supposed to be sung by children, while both the lyrics and background music are awesome.
8) The Flim Flam Brothers – Another conversational song, the Flim Flam Brothers song is the second catchiest song in the entire show. It imprints into your memory to the point you are able to sing lyrics from it at random, there are several funny moments just in the form of the singing, and never a dull moment. At first I felt this song was too long, and still feel that if this song was shorter the episode would have been able to fit in a slight improvement towards the ending, however the song itself works wonderfully for its length.
7) Twilight is my bestest friend – It’s a short song where in Pinkie Pie sings about how Twilight Sparkle is best pony. Do I need to say more? No, but I will note that this might as well be the theme song aboard the TwiPie fleet, and I love how Tara Strong slips into a Timmy Turner voice when she yells out Pinkie’s name.
6) The Perfect Stallion – When I first heard this song I immediately rewound the episode to listen to it again, and again, and again. Not just lovable to listen too, the things that go on while this song plays had me in hysterics. The little animation details (oh look, Lyra and Bon Bon are next to each other, and Doctor Whooves is next to Derpy), video games and funerals becoming canon, as well as little details such as Scootaloo not singing are terrific. My favourite moment though is the end, Apple Bloom’s question was the funniest part of the entire episode and still one of the most memorable moments of season 2 for me.
5) Art of the Dress – I hate fashion, have no fashion sense, and sucked at sewing...so why do I love this song so much? Easy, because it is sung well. It flows well, the lyrics work with what goes on, fits the episode perfectly, both parts fit in seamlessly with one another, and Rarity’s voice is just wonderful here. Furthermore it fit’s her character so well, if ‘Smile, Smile, Smile’ is effectively Pinkie Pie’s theme song then this here is Rarity’s.
4) Happy Monthiversary – This should be lower on the list but I just love this short piece. It’s one of the most subtle fourth wall breaking moments but undoubtedly one of the best, and the things Pinkie does as she sings is just great. Popping out of the cake at the end has managed to make me both grin and laugh aloud, and I’m not sure how I’m able to do that as one requires my mouth to be closed and the other does not.
3) This Day Aria – I do love a good villain song and this one was simply amazing. It felt fitting for the moment (although I do question how no one thought it was odd that the fake Candance was singing as she walked up the altar), and was sung wonderfully. It presented both Chrysalis and Candance well and I crack up every time I see Shinning Armour’s hypnotised face.
2) Winter Wrap Up – The catchiest song in the entire show, I first heard it back in November and it is still stuck in my brain. It has an excellent tune and as should be noted, is memorable. Furthermore it includes each of the Mane 6 and presents Twilight’s problem and situation very well (and also creates a bit of a downer to the end of the song).
1) Find a Pet – Originally only my second favourite song, this song was initially loved to a great degree for feeling like a musical. It’s a song that could have easily been done as a conversation (and as proof, they have many moments were they simply talk it) but they decided to sing it instead. This makes for some lovely comedy moments and an all round wonderful tune to it. Then I became a FlutterDash shipper, and as this is a Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash duet my love of the song increased even more. Finally I caught myself listening to this song more than any other, it’s tune, humour, and cheerfulness bringing me back to listen to it more and more. Thus, the Find a Pet song is now established as my favourite song of the entire show.
There you go folks, my top ten favourite songs of the show. Are there any that surprise you to see on this list? Are there any not included on the list that surprise you? Furthermore, what are your favourite songs? Feel free to discuss, I love to hear others opinions on such matters. Look forward to next when I will be discussing my top ten favourite pairings, all of which I support. Cheerio till then.
‘Open to Interpretation’ is almost complete; however, even though it should be done before the end of next week, this does not mean I will be uploading it any time soon. I will, as I usually do, leave it alone for a while so I can go back and edit, but this will take longer than usual for I have other things to focus on in the meantime. I have lots of stuff to get to work on over on Fanfiction.net, as well as the edits to ‘Thank You Cider’ which I hope to be doing over the course of the next month. There is also the case of ‘Magnetism’ which I need to keep working on so that when I begin uploading in August, I’ll be way ahead with the fanfic. I’ll say more on ‘Open to Interpretation’ next week, saying what I think of the finished product without spoiling anything but for now just know that I’m still writing fanfics and that below you can see my top ten favourite songs of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
10) Welcome Song – It may be short but it’s also catchy and with wonderful music and sound affects playing throughout. It also has a conversation feel that I love to see in the songs of this show.
9) Cutie Mark Crusaders Song - No, I’m not talking about the BGM or Sweetie Belle’s short, I’m talking about the full length song in Show Stoppers. I genuinely love the song. At some points it reaches the ‘so bad it’s good’ level as listening to (and seeing) it becomes hilarious, while at other times it just really nice to listen too. The singing is cute, not bad enough to hurt but not skilled enough to make you forget that it’s supposed to be sung by children, while both the lyrics and background music are awesome.
8) The Flim Flam Brothers – Another conversational song, the Flim Flam Brothers song is the second catchiest song in the entire show. It imprints into your memory to the point you are able to sing lyrics from it at random, there are several funny moments just in the form of the singing, and never a dull moment. At first I felt this song was too long, and still feel that if this song was shorter the episode would have been able to fit in a slight improvement towards the ending, however the song itself works wonderfully for its length.
7) Twilight is my bestest friend – It’s a short song where in Pinkie Pie sings about how Twilight Sparkle is best pony. Do I need to say more? No, but I will note that this might as well be the theme song aboard the TwiPie fleet, and I love how Tara Strong slips into a Timmy Turner voice when she yells out Pinkie’s name.
6) The Perfect Stallion – When I first heard this song I immediately rewound the episode to listen to it again, and again, and again. Not just lovable to listen too, the things that go on while this song plays had me in hysterics. The little animation details (oh look, Lyra and Bon Bon are next to each other, and Doctor Whooves is next to Derpy), video games and funerals becoming canon, as well as little details such as Scootaloo not singing are terrific. My favourite moment though is the end, Apple Bloom’s question was the funniest part of the entire episode and still one of the most memorable moments of season 2 for me.
5) Art of the Dress – I hate fashion, have no fashion sense, and sucked at sewing...so why do I love this song so much? Easy, because it is sung well. It flows well, the lyrics work with what goes on, fits the episode perfectly, both parts fit in seamlessly with one another, and Rarity’s voice is just wonderful here. Furthermore it fit’s her character so well, if ‘Smile, Smile, Smile’ is effectively Pinkie Pie’s theme song then this here is Rarity’s.
4) Happy Monthiversary – This should be lower on the list but I just love this short piece. It’s one of the most subtle fourth wall breaking moments but undoubtedly one of the best, and the things Pinkie does as she sings is just great. Popping out of the cake at the end has managed to make me both grin and laugh aloud, and I’m not sure how I’m able to do that as one requires my mouth to be closed and the other does not.
3) This Day Aria – I do love a good villain song and this one was simply amazing. It felt fitting for the moment (although I do question how no one thought it was odd that the fake Candance was singing as she walked up the altar), and was sung wonderfully. It presented both Chrysalis and Candance well and I crack up every time I see Shinning Armour’s hypnotised face.
2) Winter Wrap Up – The catchiest song in the entire show, I first heard it back in November and it is still stuck in my brain. It has an excellent tune and as should be noted, is memorable. Furthermore it includes each of the Mane 6 and presents Twilight’s problem and situation very well (and also creates a bit of a downer to the end of the song).
1) Find a Pet – Originally only my second favourite song, this song was initially loved to a great degree for feeling like a musical. It’s a song that could have easily been done as a conversation (and as proof, they have many moments were they simply talk it) but they decided to sing it instead. This makes for some lovely comedy moments and an all round wonderful tune to it. Then I became a FlutterDash shipper, and as this is a Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash duet my love of the song increased even more. Finally I caught myself listening to this song more than any other, it’s tune, humour, and cheerfulness bringing me back to listen to it more and more. Thus, the Find a Pet song is now established as my favourite song of the entire show.
There you go folks, my top ten favourite songs of the show. Are there any that surprise you to see on this list? Are there any not included on the list that surprise you? Furthermore, what are your favourite songs? Feel free to discuss, I love to hear others opinions on such matters. Look forward to next when I will be discussing my top ten favourite pairings, all of which I support. Cheerio till then.
Sunday 6 May 2012
Month of Positives: Week 1 - Episodes!
This blog update is coming to you late on this Sunday because last night I went to watch the Avengers. Go see it. Even if you haven’t watched all of the five films that lead up to it, or any of the five films for that matter, go watch the Avengers because it is mind-blowing. A simplistic story but it has great action, comedy, and character interactions. Anyway, today’s title is a bit of a strange one, and today’s subjects are completely different to what I was previously going to be talking about (though I will discuss those topics eventually). This being the first weekend of a new month means I can start something I’ve been wanting to do, ‘The Month of Positives’ and ‘The Month of Negatives’. Including this post and the three to follow, instead of discussing an episode I will instead discuss my top 10 favourite of a certain thing. This week it’s episodes (including both seasons), then it is songs, then pairings, then characters (note there have been a slight change to my top ten characters and it will also be going into more depth concerning why I like them, same as the ten episodes for today). Afterwards I will have the four posts afterwards address my 10 least favourite episodes, songs, pairings, and characters. With that explained I will now move on.
‘Open to Interpretation’. I had no plan to start writing this one-shot and yet the idea, the story, and the motivation, just came to me. Luckily it is only a one-shot, and is not going to be a very long one at that and so it should not delay the progress of my other story, ‘Magnetism’, which will come out during it’s scheduled time of August. I won’t reveal too many details about it but I will say that it includes FlutterDash, involves more Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie than my previous work, and concerns The Canterlot Wedding. Progress is going well and it should be done soon.
10) Secret of my Excess – Though this episode had quite a bit of competition in the form of A Canterlot Wedding Part 2 and Show Stoppers, ultimately this Spike episode won out. It was nice to see Spike have an episode to himself again, but even better to see an all round greater presentation of the character than that of Owl’s Well That Ends Well.
The beginning is a bit slow, but it has charm and paces itself well as build up for the big element of the episode; Spike changing due to greed. It’s a neat and original element concerning dragons and creates an interesting plot for the episode. First it works well as an element of mystery, and sets up some amusing scenes as Twilight goes from doctor, to vet, to witch doctor (as you would). Then it works well as an element of adventure as Spike begins his rampage and the others try to stop him. The episode reaches its funniest during the moments Spike goes from place to place, but not its best until near the end, when Rarity and Spike start to fall from the sky. That scene...teary eyed I was as I watched and teary eyed I become every time I do. The relationship of Rarity and Spike plays out wonderfully, it feels sweet as first but progresses into there being something beautiful and genuine between the two characters.
I also appreciate this episode for another, entirely different reason. This is the episode that made me a FlutterDash fan. I was already a Sparity fan, but the scenes of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash trying to stop Spike, from their good cop, bad cop act, the hug Fluttershy gives Rainbow as Spike smacks them down with his tail, and the way Rainbow just keeps on grabbing Fluttershy, it made me think something could be between them. From there I went on to read a few FlutterDash fanfics and that was that, I was a FlutterDash fan and it is now my MLP:FiM OTP.
9) May the Best Pet Win – My opinion of this episode improved a slight bit once I became a FlutterDash fan but it wasn’t exactly like it needed much urging. As my 5th favourite episode of season 2, it is not much of a surprise to see it on my top ten list, and here it is at position number 9.
The episode starts off with the creepiest moment in the whole of MLP:FiM, and then proceeds into showing a weekly event the Mane 6 (excluding Rainbow Dash) do, thus we get to see the characters having some normal time together. It naturally follows on with Rainbow Dash wanting a pet, one of Fluttershy’s cutest moments, and then Fluttershy kidnapping Rainbow so they can sing a duet together. I am perfectly okay with this. After my second favourite song in the series Rainbow takes on the role of a coach and puts the pets through various trials. Tank’s determination is both warming and amusing to see, and the ongoing joke of Fluttershy correcting Rainbow is memorable (and reminds me of the Monkey, Mankey joke). The canyon chase is well animated and more exciting than I expected it to be, and the episode concludes with an absolutely absurd but pulled off with a straight face ending. I love the song, liked Tank, and enjoyed the interactions between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
8) Over A Barrel – This episode gripped me with its introduction, and what I still consider the best opening in the entire season. Applejack’s part has me in hysterics and Rarity’s reaction to it was priceless. The conversation the characters have on the train is some of the best writing I have ever heard in a cartoon, and the episode appealed to me the moment it had the factors of them travelling (by train) to a new location, and encounter a new race (the buffalo in this case).
I really like the character of Chief Thunderhooves, his deadpan voice works so well for many of the comedy moments, I found the conflict itself to be both interesting and deep (though how it is resolved, not so much), and the negative reception to Pinkie’s song was such an unexpected twist. I enjoyed it myself but I did not expect anyone outside of a villain to dislike a good guy singing.
7) Party of One - While my favourite moment of this episode is Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's excuse, and Pinkie actually believing said excuse more so than any of the others, Pinkie going crazy is also a lovable moment. As well as Pinkie chasing Rainbow Dash. Pinkie conversing with Applejack. Pinkie's singing telegram. Rarity going so far as to shove her head in a garbage can to make her lie more convincing. Okay, there is a lot to love about this episode in regards to comedy.
But it is not just comedy where this episode shines, this episode goes to great extents to show Pinkie Pie as a much more deep and complex character than we had previously been given evidence to believe. Pinkie's need for friends and her need to make other ponies happy is an original idea as far as characters go, and is interesting to ponder on.
6) Sisterhooves Social –Now I don’t have a sister, but I have three brothers; two older, one younger, and that’s close enough, so I had an ability to relate to an episode about sibling relationships. In a strange case, this is an episode that stands tall not for its action or comedy (although the later is does feature to some extent via Rarity’s voice and dramatisation) but solely on its character interaction and development.
The relationship between Rarity and Sweeite Belle plays out in a manner where you can sympathise with both sides, Sweetie Belle means well but that in turn causes problems for Rarity. Furthermore it does a great job in demonstrating how different sibling relationships can be by presenting Apple Bloom and Applejack as an alternative sister pair. The moral is one of the few I appreciate seeing and the extent Rarity goes to win back her sister’s favour is another tear jerker.
5) A Dog and Pony Show – We need more episodes like this, adventure episodes with lots of action, lots of comedy, a clear group of antagonists, and world building. It also has some Sparity, and was the first time that Spike’s crush was presented as more than that, as truly romantic feelings.
Spike and Rarity both come across well in this episode, the former for things already said and the later for being able to stand up for herself but not in the conventional way. The diamond dog trio are an interesting group, both as a race and as enemies, they come across at first as simple minded thugs who are easily fooled and this creates a good amount of humour but then they surprise you by catching onto the tricks, and demonstrating that they are smarter than they appear. This episode has all the elements I love, including an imagination sequence, and I do wish for more episodes like this (as well as more diamond dogs).
4) Look Before You Sleep – A lot of people seem to be surprised when I cite this as not only my fourth favourite episode but also my favourite episode of the whole of season 1. I found the interactions between Rarity and Applejack to be enjoyable, particularly the fact that even after the first two episodes they aren’t friends, loved Twilight’s naivety and general adorkableness (this is the episode that cemented her as my favourite character), and I just like the charm it all has. It’s a simple plot but a well told version of it with interesting and likable characters, and many humorous moments (It also brilliant abridged versions of it).
3) The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 – It opens Rainbow Dash breaking into Fluttershy’s room and yanking the bed sheets off of her. Well that tipped it, this was going to be a good and holy heck was it a good one.
My complaints regarding this episode are all minor, and are instantly overshadowed by the positives. The opening, the song, the Flim Flam Brothers, the Rainbow Dash trying to get cider subplot, the FlutterDash hints (oh look, Rainbow let Fluttershy before her in the line), the apple rangers, there is just so much love packed into this one episode.
2) Hurricane Fluttershy – We’ve got Fluttershy hugging Rainbow Dash in Secret of my Excess, the two jumping in a haystack together in The Last Roundup, Rainbow bringing Fluttershy along to get drunk with her in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, the two going on what is clearly a date in Dragon Quest, and Rainbow Dash kissing Fluttershy in A Canterlot Wedding, all artillery for the S.S. FlutterDash. Then we have this episode. The S.S. FlutterDash is now armed with a nuke.
This show’s not just the best interactions between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, but also the best interactions between any two characters. Rainbow Dash comes across as more likable than any other episode in the series, Fluttershy’s problem is one that not only can many relate too, but is one of the best presented cases of the long term affects of bullying, and even the minor characters are enjoyable to see with a great variety of designs. The only reason this episode isn’t my favourite is that the one following is unbeatable in regards to comedy.
1) The Last Roundup – I shouldn’t even need to explain myself. Too many this episode is remarkable because of Derpy, for me that was only a nice bonus (I prefer her as a Where’s Wally character than having her as a speaking role minor character), my main focus was on the travelling, the locations, the background music (when they are looking for Applejack in Canterlot I just love the music that plays), the mystery, and of course, the comedy. All of the Mane 6 got some parts to them, Rarity only having a small bit and yet each of her moments was insanely funny, and Pinkie Pie shines. Her comedy is even greater than norm for her, Applejack comes across as both believable and realistic in her problem while still keeping in character, and the chase scene, oh gosh that was glorious.
Here I have put a lot of effort into making my top ten episodes here feel fresh as it were. I realise that I have already talked about my favourite episodes a lot so when composing this one I wanted to give a bit more detail to make it worth it, something I will be doing with my top ten characters as well. Next week though I shall tell of my top ten favourite songs, but probably won’t go into as much detail as I did with these episodes in explaining why I like them. Cheerio till then.
‘Open to Interpretation’. I had no plan to start writing this one-shot and yet the idea, the story, and the motivation, just came to me. Luckily it is only a one-shot, and is not going to be a very long one at that and so it should not delay the progress of my other story, ‘Magnetism’, which will come out during it’s scheduled time of August. I won’t reveal too many details about it but I will say that it includes FlutterDash, involves more Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie than my previous work, and concerns The Canterlot Wedding. Progress is going well and it should be done soon.
10) Secret of my Excess – Though this episode had quite a bit of competition in the form of A Canterlot Wedding Part 2 and Show Stoppers, ultimately this Spike episode won out. It was nice to see Spike have an episode to himself again, but even better to see an all round greater presentation of the character than that of Owl’s Well That Ends Well.
The beginning is a bit slow, but it has charm and paces itself well as build up for the big element of the episode; Spike changing due to greed. It’s a neat and original element concerning dragons and creates an interesting plot for the episode. First it works well as an element of mystery, and sets up some amusing scenes as Twilight goes from doctor, to vet, to witch doctor (as you would). Then it works well as an element of adventure as Spike begins his rampage and the others try to stop him. The episode reaches its funniest during the moments Spike goes from place to place, but not its best until near the end, when Rarity and Spike start to fall from the sky. That scene...teary eyed I was as I watched and teary eyed I become every time I do. The relationship of Rarity and Spike plays out wonderfully, it feels sweet as first but progresses into there being something beautiful and genuine between the two characters.
I also appreciate this episode for another, entirely different reason. This is the episode that made me a FlutterDash fan. I was already a Sparity fan, but the scenes of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash trying to stop Spike, from their good cop, bad cop act, the hug Fluttershy gives Rainbow as Spike smacks them down with his tail, and the way Rainbow just keeps on grabbing Fluttershy, it made me think something could be between them. From there I went on to read a few FlutterDash fanfics and that was that, I was a FlutterDash fan and it is now my MLP:FiM OTP.
9) May the Best Pet Win – My opinion of this episode improved a slight bit once I became a FlutterDash fan but it wasn’t exactly like it needed much urging. As my 5th favourite episode of season 2, it is not much of a surprise to see it on my top ten list, and here it is at position number 9.
The episode starts off with the creepiest moment in the whole of MLP:FiM, and then proceeds into showing a weekly event the Mane 6 (excluding Rainbow Dash) do, thus we get to see the characters having some normal time together. It naturally follows on with Rainbow Dash wanting a pet, one of Fluttershy’s cutest moments, and then Fluttershy kidnapping Rainbow so they can sing a duet together. I am perfectly okay with this. After my second favourite song in the series Rainbow takes on the role of a coach and puts the pets through various trials. Tank’s determination is both warming and amusing to see, and the ongoing joke of Fluttershy correcting Rainbow is memorable (and reminds me of the Monkey, Mankey joke). The canyon chase is well animated and more exciting than I expected it to be, and the episode concludes with an absolutely absurd but pulled off with a straight face ending. I love the song, liked Tank, and enjoyed the interactions between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
8) Over A Barrel – This episode gripped me with its introduction, and what I still consider the best opening in the entire season. Applejack’s part has me in hysterics and Rarity’s reaction to it was priceless. The conversation the characters have on the train is some of the best writing I have ever heard in a cartoon, and the episode appealed to me the moment it had the factors of them travelling (by train) to a new location, and encounter a new race (the buffalo in this case).
I really like the character of Chief Thunderhooves, his deadpan voice works so well for many of the comedy moments, I found the conflict itself to be both interesting and deep (though how it is resolved, not so much), and the negative reception to Pinkie’s song was such an unexpected twist. I enjoyed it myself but I did not expect anyone outside of a villain to dislike a good guy singing.
7) Party of One - While my favourite moment of this episode is Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's excuse, and Pinkie actually believing said excuse more so than any of the others, Pinkie going crazy is also a lovable moment. As well as Pinkie chasing Rainbow Dash. Pinkie conversing with Applejack. Pinkie's singing telegram. Rarity going so far as to shove her head in a garbage can to make her lie more convincing. Okay, there is a lot to love about this episode in regards to comedy.
But it is not just comedy where this episode shines, this episode goes to great extents to show Pinkie Pie as a much more deep and complex character than we had previously been given evidence to believe. Pinkie's need for friends and her need to make other ponies happy is an original idea as far as characters go, and is interesting to ponder on.
6) Sisterhooves Social –Now I don’t have a sister, but I have three brothers; two older, one younger, and that’s close enough, so I had an ability to relate to an episode about sibling relationships. In a strange case, this is an episode that stands tall not for its action or comedy (although the later is does feature to some extent via Rarity’s voice and dramatisation) but solely on its character interaction and development.
The relationship between Rarity and Sweeite Belle plays out in a manner where you can sympathise with both sides, Sweetie Belle means well but that in turn causes problems for Rarity. Furthermore it does a great job in demonstrating how different sibling relationships can be by presenting Apple Bloom and Applejack as an alternative sister pair. The moral is one of the few I appreciate seeing and the extent Rarity goes to win back her sister’s favour is another tear jerker.
5) A Dog and Pony Show – We need more episodes like this, adventure episodes with lots of action, lots of comedy, a clear group of antagonists, and world building. It also has some Sparity, and was the first time that Spike’s crush was presented as more than that, as truly romantic feelings.
Spike and Rarity both come across well in this episode, the former for things already said and the later for being able to stand up for herself but not in the conventional way. The diamond dog trio are an interesting group, both as a race and as enemies, they come across at first as simple minded thugs who are easily fooled and this creates a good amount of humour but then they surprise you by catching onto the tricks, and demonstrating that they are smarter than they appear. This episode has all the elements I love, including an imagination sequence, and I do wish for more episodes like this (as well as more diamond dogs).
4) Look Before You Sleep – A lot of people seem to be surprised when I cite this as not only my fourth favourite episode but also my favourite episode of the whole of season 1. I found the interactions between Rarity and Applejack to be enjoyable, particularly the fact that even after the first two episodes they aren’t friends, loved Twilight’s naivety and general adorkableness (this is the episode that cemented her as my favourite character), and I just like the charm it all has. It’s a simple plot but a well told version of it with interesting and likable characters, and many humorous moments (It also brilliant abridged versions of it).
3) The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 – It opens Rainbow Dash breaking into Fluttershy’s room and yanking the bed sheets off of her. Well that tipped it, this was going to be a good and holy heck was it a good one.
My complaints regarding this episode are all minor, and are instantly overshadowed by the positives. The opening, the song, the Flim Flam Brothers, the Rainbow Dash trying to get cider subplot, the FlutterDash hints (oh look, Rainbow let Fluttershy before her in the line), the apple rangers, there is just so much love packed into this one episode.
2) Hurricane Fluttershy – We’ve got Fluttershy hugging Rainbow Dash in Secret of my Excess, the two jumping in a haystack together in The Last Roundup, Rainbow bringing Fluttershy along to get drunk with her in The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, the two going on what is clearly a date in Dragon Quest, and Rainbow Dash kissing Fluttershy in A Canterlot Wedding, all artillery for the S.S. FlutterDash. Then we have this episode. The S.S. FlutterDash is now armed with a nuke.
This show’s not just the best interactions between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, but also the best interactions between any two characters. Rainbow Dash comes across as more likable than any other episode in the series, Fluttershy’s problem is one that not only can many relate too, but is one of the best presented cases of the long term affects of bullying, and even the minor characters are enjoyable to see with a great variety of designs. The only reason this episode isn’t my favourite is that the one following is unbeatable in regards to comedy.
1) The Last Roundup – I shouldn’t even need to explain myself. Too many this episode is remarkable because of Derpy, for me that was only a nice bonus (I prefer her as a Where’s Wally character than having her as a speaking role minor character), my main focus was on the travelling, the locations, the background music (when they are looking for Applejack in Canterlot I just love the music that plays), the mystery, and of course, the comedy. All of the Mane 6 got some parts to them, Rarity only having a small bit and yet each of her moments was insanely funny, and Pinkie Pie shines. Her comedy is even greater than norm for her, Applejack comes across as both believable and realistic in her problem while still keeping in character, and the chase scene, oh gosh that was glorious.
Here I have put a lot of effort into making my top ten episodes here feel fresh as it were. I realise that I have already talked about my favourite episodes a lot so when composing this one I wanted to give a bit more detail to make it worth it, something I will be doing with my top ten characters as well. Next week though I shall tell of my top ten favourite songs, but probably won’t go into as much detail as I did with these episodes in explaining why I like them. Cheerio till then.
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