Friendship Isn't Magic

This is not an obituary for the show that has given me so much joy these past four years. Its death is not final, the heart is still warm, there are still lingering breaths, but the point of recovery has come and gone. Death is not a moment in time, it is a process that can be, under many circumstances, dragged out beyond the point where the quality of life declines precipitously. That moment has come and gone and all that lies ahead is the long decline.

This began in season four, when I noticed an obvious and ominous shift in focus away from a children's show that adults can enjoy, to an adult show that children can enjoy. Gone are the letters to Celestia, the friendship lessons, the childlike innocence, now there are references to people who are "horse famous" and stupid Internet "memes" that turn "tweens" into murderers. The characters had abandoned any sense of being real persons and were instead reduced to caricatures of themselves, with all depth removed and all the goofy aspects exaggerated. Any lessons that had been learned in earlier episodes had been forgotten and whole plots were reused unapologetically.

There have always been episodes that fall flat, episodes that were just average, but with season four about half the episodes I thought had failed. A few episodes hit it out of the park, but for the most part I was not looking forward to the next week's episode with anything approaching the same degree of enthusiasm I had before.

Season five has seen a worsening of the trend started in season four. The overuse of lens flare was toned down dramatically, but the stupidity has been ratcheted up. It's gotten so bad that I'm no longer not just unenthusiastic about new episodes, I don't want to watch them anymore. I have my first three seasons, that's enough for me.

This is no longer Friendship is Magic, this is Random Silliness, and the target audience was adult trendies with deep pockets and six self-diagnosed illnesses who like to giggle and clap at mindless "fun" and can't stand to have their little bubbles intruded upon by dissent in any form. They are the most vile, vitriolic, villainous group of pathetic, narcissistic losers on the planet. They constantly make recourse to the "just for kids" excuse whenever anyone opines that the show should return to its former quality, in so doing they are embracing mediocrity. FiM used to be of such high caliber that it created an unexpected adult fanbase. That quality is gone, many of the early people who put in a lot of effort and created a lot of amazing art and analysis have left, and the result is an even more vociferous praising of mediocrity from the fandumb. They are glad that the people who think are gone, because thinking is too hard, it gets in the way of "fun".

In early 2011 I remember having in-depth discussions with people about the show, the characters and themes, the amazing quality of the show's artwork. We picked it apart and admired how it was a refreshing departure from the standard fare in children's animation over the past decade. We discussed the real world implications of FiM. Those people are gone, off chasing something new, while I've been hanging back, hoping for a revival. It's been a good ride, but I think it's time to admit my optimism was misplaced. There isn't going to be a revival, just an escalating death spiral to Sponge Bob and all the other mass-market shit the networks have always produced for kids.

Princess Twilight Sparkle

A Spoileriffic Reivew

Season four began today with probably the best opener yet, but for all its awesomeness I am also filled with sadness. I am concerned that this may be the final season.

The two parter begins with now Princess Twilight practicing, and sucking at, flying lessons for a "big finish" she is going to be performing at the Summer Sun Celebration. To put Bronies' hearts at ease Twi tells her friends she is uncomfortable with flying and with her new title.

The theme song is different. Twi now has wings, the CMC and some others are there posing for a picture by Photo Finish, and Lulu is with Tia when they see the new picture in Canterlot.

Tia tells Twi that this is the first Summer Sun Celebration where she's not sad because it reminded her of when she had to banish her sister cause now they're back together. If this event happens only once a year then that means it is exactly one year since Lulu returned on the very first episode. Talk about one busy year!*

The beginning of part one is really sad and sweet with sad Twi being comforted by her friends. Twi is making a list and checking it thrice, and Pinkie Pie is being Pinkie Pie. There's a cute scene where Twilight bumps her head on the ceiling when she's worried about forgetting something, and another sad sweet moment where Princess Celestia tells her that she's not her student anymore, but is instead her equal. They grow up so fast.

Unfortunately Tia and Lulu disappear (with a rather worrisome shriek from Tia as she's captured), the sun and the moon are in the sky at the same time (not a big deal on Earth, as it happens all the time, but in pony world (Hippotopia - literally "place of horses" - if you will), when the sun and moon are together half the sky is day and the other half is night (which looked really cool how they blended together). The Royal Guard, with no other royalty to guard, come to Princess Twilight for direction, and she promptly directs them to get lost for the rest of the episode (pretty much).

Back in Ponyville, black weeds (that look poorly animated at times) start strangling everything and spiny thunder clouds are trying to shoot Rainbow Dash out of the sky. Rarity and Sweetie Belle are having trouble controlling their magic (and Sweetie Belle's magic is blue, just like her sister's, not green like it was in "One Bad Apple").

Twi gives everypony the Elements of Harmony and they summon Discord (who is singing "Winter Wrap Up" in the shower) who affirms that he is not behind these disasters, asking "would I lie to you?" To which almost everypony replies "yes," and Fluttershy giving a less sure "um, maybe?" Discord is kinda-sorta grateful that his good friend "Shutterfly" is giving him the benefit of the doubt. He points them to Zecora, who is having to flee her home now that the Everfree Forest is overrun by killer weeds. She gives Twilight a magic colour-changing potion, Twi drinks it, and all of a sudden she can see into the past. Part one ends with Twi witnessing Luna transforming into Nightmare Moon.

Part two begins with a very intense battle between Nightmare Moon and Celestia that was very reminiscent of this Lullaby for a Princess video. The similarities are spooky, really. The battle destroys the old castle and seems to injure Celestia at one point (very intense for MLP). Tia gets the Elements of Harmony and goes god mode to banish Nightmare Moon.

Cue more flashbacks. Twi sees when Tia and Lulu first beat Discord. We get to see which three elements each sister wielded. Judging by the colours:

Tia
Magic
Kindness
Generosity

Lulu
Laughter
Honesty (AJ - "Dependability")
Loyalty (RD - "Authenticity")

This is interesting because, after BronyCon when I outlined my own story about Discord and the EoH, I gave Tia and Lulu practically the same list of elements, with the only difference being Tia obviously had laughter, as she's always joking around, and giving Lulu Generosity because somepony had to get it and the other five were taken. I'm not going to change my story in light of the canon list, or any of the other events that happened in these two episodes.

When Tia and Lulu blast discord with the EoH he seems not to know what they are. However, at the same time, he throws "plunder seeds" on the ground in a plot to steal the elements and trap the sisters! Unless, he knew about the Elements but never thought Tia and Lulu would figure out how to use them. It takes a long time for those seeds to sprout because a great and powerful force is keeping them at bay.

The Elements of Harmony, it is revealed, come from a crystalline entity called the Tree of Harmony, located within the Everfree Forest. Just as I predicted in The Window, the EoH started out together as part of a single being of unimaginable power (though, in the story, I never specified what that being was). That it was a tree is very interesting. Just as the battle with Discord represents the Chaoskampf, where the demiurge or creator god brings about the world from the primordial chaos, the idea of a tree of unlimited power, uniting heaven and earth is a very common theme. The world tree, axis mundi, or kalpataru (a wish-fulfilling tree which is identified with the supreme God) appears in cultures all over the world (and is the supreme entity in the universe of pretty much all my stories, at least since 2006).



Unfortunately, the Tree of Harmony's power is almost gone, and the plunder seeds have begun to grow out of control. They have captured the princesses and are close to fulfilling their purpose of killing the Tree. The Mane Six go looking for it. They have to put the EoH back inside the Tree to recharge its power and restore the balance of the universe.

There's a fight, Twi is convinced to leave, but Discord says some sly remarks and Twi goes back to her friends. Twi almost dies, her friends save her (in a most awesome scene), she puts the Elements back in the Tree, the weeds vanish, and Tia and Lulu are saved. The Tree produces a box that cannot be opened without six keys that are going to be the focus of next week's episode.

Book ends! That great big thing Twilight was going to do at the Summer Sun Celebration? She flies up and makes her cutie mark appear in the sky, sonic rainboom style. Why couldn't she just use her magic? Why did she need to fly at all? Still, it is a very cute ending.

Overall, I would rate this two parter 98/100.





*On the other hand, if Apple Family reunions happen "every hundred moons" and there's been two so far, then eight years have passed already and Tia has just had a memory lapse or something.

OR the writers just make stuff up as they go along.

Thoroughly Analyzing "Equestria Girls"

The latest from Digibrony, a 20 minute piece of pure masterpiece that reminded me of why I loved Equestria Girls so much. Now I love it even more.

Fluttershy Is Best Pony?

That's certainly what this fan poll seems to indicate.



There was a month long official fan favourite poll and Fluttershy won. While some of us voted for somepony all together, the people have spoken and we won't be bitter about it.



I really like how the Hub made a video that represents the great diversity of the fandom. And Andrea Libman was in it too! Yay! A lot of fans wearing Derpy shirts were there and they didn't get censored! This is just full of fun.