The Herd

[Quiver]

So...

As anyone else listened to the Friendship Games soundtrack yet?

(If you haven't and plan too, heads up: it contains at least one song that seems to be a pretty big spoiler)

[A Joe in the Bush]

I've been avoiding spoilers like the plague, so no. Is it as good as the Rainbow Rocks Soundtrack?

[ParadoxicalZen]

So....I've nearly finished the first episode.....

 

 

This could get messy.

 

 

You're all mean for inciting my curiousity

[A Joe in the Bush]

Spoilers for friendship games.

That was way better than I thought it would be, and I had pretty high expectations.

First off, I loved Twilight's song about finding her place. For a short while that was my new all-time favorite MLP song. It really matched how a lot of the less social people feel. Heck, I felt that way for a long time.

But then Unleash the Magic happened. Wow. That was amazing. This soundtrack was awesome. I'll definetely be buying this one.

Dark!Twilight was awesome. That whole fight paralleling the first movie's fight was spectacularly done, and I'm glad that the Crystal Prep kids, who were honestly pretty cool in their own way, got their chance to redeem themselves. But I didn't like Twilight's spiel about understanding magic. When sunset said she was destroying this world to get it, I fully expected Twi to say something like 'why should I care? This world has never done anything for me!' Wasted opportunity there.

Fair warning though, there's a small scene at the very end, where the Mane7 are having a picnic next to the portal. This scene completely spoils the finale of season 5. If you don't want spoilers, stop the movie at this part. That pissed me off pretty good. This was definetely supposed to come out after season 5. Stupid Hiatus.

Now then, I'm going to go rewatch my favorite bits.

Edited September 27, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Quiver]

Sorry Joe; meant to reply to the music question, never got around to it, and with the movies release, figure I'd just leave it...

US release, of course. No idea when the UK gets it...

But the music is good. I think Rainbow Rocks is a stronger soundtrack on the whole, but there are some songs on Friendship Games -like Unleash the Magic- which are just better.

Seriously. I listened to that song on a loop for ages. So great.

So....I've nearly finished the first episode.....

This could get messy.

You're all mean for inciting my curiousity

>: D Edited September 27, 2015 by Quiver

[A Joe in the Bush]

Sorry Joe; meant to reply to the music question, never got around to it, and with the movies release, figure I'd just leave it...

US release, of course. No idea when the UK gets it...

But the music is good. I think Rainbow Rocks is a stronger soundtrack on the whole, but there are some songs on Friendship Games -like Unleash the Magic- which are just better.

Seriously. I listened to that song on a loop for ages. So great.

>: D

 

Same. I'm still listening to it.

[A Joe in the Bush]

What is the plural version of Draconequus? Is it draconequi? Draconequuses?

[Kaymyth]

What is the plural version of Draconequus? Is it draconequi? Draconequuses?

 

I believe that it's "trouble".

[A Joe in the Bush]

Well, yes, but that's not very helpful. (Though I will be quoting you in my story)

[Kaymyth]

Well, yes, but that's not very helpful. (Though I will be quoting you in my story)

 

 

Honestly, that's about as scientific as you really need to get.  You get a group of them, and you have a "shenanigan".

[Quiver]

Okay, so...

 

I have some pony fic ideas. Specifically, I have some ideas about Sunset Shimmer, because she's awesome.

 

Anyway, I was wondering; is there anyone here who vvolunteers as tribute who wouldn't mind me PMing them about stuff? I'd rather not post stuff until I get a decent amount of it written -I have a bad tendency to talk rather than do, and I really want to do these!- but I tend to work well if I can sound ideas off of people (if for no other reason than to stoke my ego )

 

Any takers?

[Edgedancer]

What is the plural version of Draconequus? Is it draconequi? Draconequuses?

Are there even multiple of them?

 

Okay, so...

 

I have some pony fic ideas. Specifically, I have some ideas about Sunset Shimmer, because she's awesome.

 

Anyway, I was wondering; is there anyone here who vvolunteers as tribute who wouldn't mind me PMing them about stuff? I'd rather not post stuff until I get a decent amount of it written -I have a bad tendency to talk rather than do, and I really want to do these!- but I tend to work well if I can sound ideas off of people (if for no other reason than to stoke my ego )

 

Any takers?

I'm not exactly deep into the fandom, so I'm not sure how much help I would be but if you don't mind that perspective I'd be happy to help.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Okay, so...

 

I have some pony fic ideas. Specifically, I have some ideas about Sunset Shimmer, because she's awesome.

 

Anyway, I was wondering; is there anyone here who vvolunteers as tribute who wouldn't mind me PMing them about stuff? I'd rather not post stuff until I get a decent amount of it written -I have a bad tendency to talk rather than do, and I really want to do these!- but I tend to work well if I can sound ideas off of people (if for no other reason than to stoke my ego )

 

Any takers?

I would be more than happy to volunteer.

 

Are there even multiple of them?

In Fannon there are.

[Quiver]

So...

 

MLP/Stormlight Archive crossover.

 

Thought ya'll might be interested.

[A Joe in the Bush]

Spoilers for Crusaaders of the Lost Mark:

 

This might be the best written Episode so far. We finally get a look at both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She's been struggling under a overbearing Mother who wanted to use her as a tool, and never really had a chance to find another way. This is how Sunset Shimmer's Reform should have gone. DT didn't change instantly, she still struggled with the choice. But she made the right one, when showed the eventualities of her choices, her bitter mother or the CMC.

 

This was also another Musical Episode, which have always been my favorite.

 

And Finally, OHMYGODTHEYGOTTHEIRCUTIEMARKS!!! I actually yelled out loud at that. That honestly surprised me. I didn't expect that until the Season 5 Finale. I'll bet they're going to be a major part of the Finale.

 

Last thoughts:

I want to play on that playground.

Photo Finish, Fancy Pants, Fleur De Lis, Twist and Button Mash all showing up? Wow.

They actually sent a picture to the Princess.

Edited October 10, 2015 by The Only Joe

[Quiver]

My thoughts on the episode:

 

Overall, I liked it. It has a very Magical Mystery Cure vibe to it, which I think it intentional; after all, both stories deal with the ending of characters story arcs (Twilicorn, Cutie Marked Crusaders), so they share a lot of similar elements. The musical numbers are the most obvious example of the comparision , but I also think the way that the CMC recieved their cutie marks is a deliberate call back. After all, we've seen ponies get their cutie marks before, and it has never involved them floating into the air and descending back to the earth Twilicorn style.

 

However, I do have a problem with the episode, namely: Diamond Tiara's redemption.

 

Now, I've said in the Random Stuff thread that I believe Diamond's redemption and the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting their cutie marks are perfect thematic points, that should be worked together. After all, it was Diamond Tiara's bullying that (indirectly) put the CMC together in the first place. Kobold makes a good point that Diamond isn't really the villain of the CMC arc, that it's more about what she represents, which... yeah, that's true. After all, last season Silver Spoon pointed out that the the Cutie Mark Crusaders don't really care about Diamond and her anymore in 'Flight to the Finish', in that they refuse to even rise to the bait of being called blank flanks anymore.

 

I still feel that Diamond Tiara is a thing that needed to be addressed, however. She's been a secondary character of the show for five years now... and frankly, as enjoyable as I found her antics in season two, she was in desperate need of characterisation. Especially after her actions last year where she made fun of Scootaloo for (if you subscribe to the theory) being disabled.

 

(Seriously. Flight to the Finish made me hate Diamond Tiara. Not in a 'love to hate' kind of way, but straight up 'Go Die' way.)

 

I like Kobold's point that Diamond Tiara is just the voice of the real enemies of the CMC -their insecurities, fears and worries abut the future. But I feel like this episode did a great job of tying that role into the character herself, and giving her actual development in the process... because it did so by finally addressing what it is that Diamond's cutie mark means.

 

For a character who set's so much stock on cutie marks, it's strange that we never hear her boasting about what her's means. I'm sure I've read at least one story where people joke that (since it matches the one on her head) it stands for accessorizing. The show more-or-less confirms that it represents Diamond' talent at Leadership (a theory I've followed for a looong time now) ... but this is the first time that Diamond herself has realized it. Her moment in the treeehouse is pretty blunt: she got her cutie mark, and has no idea what it actually means. 

 

(Which definitely fits as an allegory for growing up too soon, but that's a discussion for another day).

 

Diamond realizing what her cutie mark dovetails pretty nicely with the finale, I think. After all, what do the CMC say right before they get their cutie marks? 

 

I don't care if we never get our cutie marks!

 

It's a thing they've been building too for a while; after all, they made nominal comments to the effect of being Cutie Mark Crusader Bounty Hunters in the Troubleshoe's episode, but the CMC haven't had an episode where they pursued their cutie marks since season Two. This season had just been the final push of maturity for them to get past it... which might be why we had an episode with them confronting their shadow's early in the year, but this is the first time we've had them confront Diamond. Their journey was already more-or-less over. This wasn't the climax of their story; it was their Scouring of the Shire.

 

Now, I'm not saying that this episode was perfect, because it wasn't. Frankly, there is one major flaw with the episode.

 

For a story which the fandom (myself included) are calling the Diamond Tiara Redemption Episode... Diamond Tiara isn't redeemed.

 

I feel this, more than anything, is the big problem with the episode; the introduction of Spoilt Rich. 

 

As I've said, after Flight to the Finish, I hated Diamond Tiara. She was, very solidly, an atagonist... and very obviously her own antagonist. We can certainly work backwards and see Spoilt Rich's influence in previous episodes -she comes across like one of those women you see on shows like Dance Moms, pushing their children to ridiculous extremes... but that changes those episodes. In fact, Spoilt's existence changes Diamond Tiara's dynamic so fundamentally that she isn't Diamond Tiara anymore.

 

In the past, everything that Diamond did seemed to come from her. We got glimpses of her home life, after all. Remember the Zap Apple episode? Remember Filthy Rich?

I've always thought that episode did a great job of exploring the 'don't judge by apperances' thing. Yes, it's obvious with Granny Smith... but Filthy Rich plays into that theme as well. When we first see him, he's a slick businessman, father to one of the episodes antagonists, and insists on being called "Mr Rich" rather than Filthy. He comes across as... well, kind of a jerk.

And the episode ends with him forcing Diamond to play with the other kids. In fact, throughout the episode, he expresses nothing but the utmost respect for Granny Smith and the Apples. When I first watched it, I expected him to be a villain... and at the end, I realized that he wasn't. In fact, he seem's like a decent guy. Which means that Diamond didn't get her attitude from him.

 

I liked that. And now we find out that she got the attitude from her mom.

 

That... is annoying. Because it means that Diamond changes from an antagonist to the more stereotypical "bully who bullies because they have a bad home life". That's... frustrating. I don't doubt that there are many -many- examples of it in the real world; look at the cycle of abusive families, for instance. However -aside from being a tired out trope by this point- it has a few corrolary effects I dislike.

 

For one, it re-enforces the "bad people have bad stuff going on in their lives" thing. As well as a stereotype... well, sometimes, that's just not true. Sometimes, people are just jerks. Giving someone a tragic backstory doesn't necessarily make them any deeper, it's just a short cut.

 

More troubling, though, is that it fundamentally alters Diamond's story arc, for the show and for this episode. Her previous actions set her up as an antagonist for the CMC; a redemption story would then be "how do we turn an enemy into a friend". however, because of Diamond's home life, we don't actually get a redemption story. We get a story about a bullied kid standing up to a bully.

 

The family life angle is a stereotype, but it's one that can work; I point to Pacifica Northwest as an example of it. Her story arc in season two is all about overcoming familial pressures and expectations. But Pacifica's first episode was all about her social standing in Gravity Falls (on a personal level), while her second appearance was all about the standing of her family within the town. They were elements of the character from the beginning.

 

By contrast, everythign Diamond Tiara has done has always seemed to be directed by, come from, and bring direct benefit to, Diamond Tiara. The glimpse we got of her home life before this episode simply did not support the "my family puts pressure on me to succeed", because it seemed as if Diamond was the only member of her family who actually cared about the social standing of Ponyville.

 

Introducing Spoilt Rich, then, feels artifical, an attempt for them to back build logic for Diamon'd actions... but it also, in a way, absolves her of them. It wasn't Diamonds fault; it was her families. She had a bad upbringing... and if Diamond doesn't have to make up for her past deeds - if they weren't really her fault- how can she be blamed for them? If she isn't blamed for them, then how does one achieve redemption?

 

Simple. Diamond hasn't been redeemed, because this isn't a Diamond Tiara redemption story. And that's frustrating, because a genuine redemption arc for her would be fascinating. 

 

We've seen Diamond lose to the CMC before; the big difference this time was that Silver Spoon didn't stick with her. Instead of having Diamond walk away in a mope, why not have her break down, the way Rainbow did for Tank? That was one of the strongest moments this year, because it was an expression of pure, rage tragedy. Why not have Diamond do that instead? It would add a lot more weight to the CMC's "Is it weird I feel bad for her" line, and set up why they want to befriend her now.

 

Now... overall, did I like the episode? Yes. I do feel that Diamond and the CMC's arcs make sense in context of one another. But I feel like Spoilt Rich really does drag the story down.

 

...Oh, and the Cutie Marks? They're okay. They are a little small -it's hard to make out the details on them- but that might be, in part, because the character models for the CMC are pretty small. My only real comabout them is tat the solid purple is a pretty boring colour scheme; I think I'd have prefered them if the central image of each -the apple, the music note and the wing- had been picked out in a different color. It would have made them pop a bit more and look more visually distinctive.

 

Still, I don't hate this episode or anything.

[+Slowswift]

Thoughts on Hearthbreakers?

[Kobold King]

Thoughts on Hearthbreakers?

 

 

 As you can see, I'm extremely excited. Best episode ever.

 

 

Well maybe not that, but this is definitely one of my new favorites. I loved the obviously Amish-inspired Pie family, and the humor really rocked.

 

 

Also, MarbleMac is the best ship.

[+Slowswift]

As you can see, I'm extremely excited. Best episode ever.

Well maybe not that, but this is definitely one of my new favorites. I loved the obviously Amish-inspired Pie family, and the humor really rocked.

Also, MarbleMac is the best ship.

I agree wholeheartedly. A new favorite, and a new ship, all in one? Score!

[Kobold King]

I agree wholeheartedly. A new favorite, and a new ship, all in one? Score!

 

 

Also, I think we can all agree that the day Hulder's Boulder begins to crack is the day Equestria's apocalypse begins...

[+Slowswift]

Also, I think we can all agree that the day Hulder's Boulder begins to crack is the day Equestria's apocalypse begins...

That would be interesting...

...I think I just found the backstory for Epic!Limestone.

[A Joe in the Bush]

I was surprisingly meh about it. Really only liked Granny's conversation with the elder pies. The rest just didn't do anything for me.

*shrugs*

[Blaze1616]

I really enjoyed the episode, and Hulder's Boulder not breaking when it fell truly surprised me. Perhaps we're learning about dragon etymology in Equestria? Such as lack of incubation turning eggs into stone? *shrugs*

 

I hope Marble becomes a more used minor character. She'd make a good friend for Fluttershy.

[Quiver]

So, this is a thing I found. Some awesome artwork, and interesting lore, for a Game of Thrones-style take on My Little Pony.

[Quiver]

Okay, yes, this is a double-post... but to be fair, this is kind of a special occassion! Sort of? After all, you guy's know what tonight is?

 

 

So, yeah! Happy Halloween Nightmare Night! In honor of that, I thought I'd share some creepy brony music, to try and set the mood for today!

 

Rainbow Factory by Wooden Toaster

Yes, that Rainbow Factory. This is the song that inspired the fic of the same name. The violin's are frightening and hard to get out of your head...

There's also an animation someone made using Source Video Make,r but... I was  a bit iffy on whether it counted as "too dark" to post on the forums. So instead, you just get the creepy original.

 

Want it, Need it (cover by Miu)

 

I haven't heard the original, but I love this cover. The vocals have this really dreamlike, demented quality to them, one which sort of remidns me alternatively of a witch and someone who is having a breakdown... both of which pretty perfectly describe Twilight from Lesson Zero.  

 

Hail to the Queen by Navybrony

 

Seriously Twilight, stop being crazy. It makes people write creepy songs about you. Stop it.

Or don't, since the music tends to be pretty awesome. Whatever. Anyway, again, a song I like.

 

For the New Lunar Republic ~ Hymn to the Moon by Miu

Maybe not a 'Halloween' song, per se, but one which is related to Luna, so I figure I might as well add it. Like with Want it, Need it, Miu has these really haunting vocal performances, which I like, so...

 

Confrontation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWVWMC_AmQo

Again, not exactly "Halloween", but Luna related, so what the hay- here it is! And an animation this time. The song is a ponified version of "Confrontation", from the Jekyll/Hyde stage play. And, after the Tantabus episode, the sentiments expressed in the song are even creepier, since... it's not that far from canon...

(And just a link this time, since, for some reason, it won't let me embed it on the site...)

 

So... yeah. The Brony fandom has a lot of awesome music, though I believe that was something we'd already established...? Anyway, enjoy Halloween everyone!