DaBatGuy Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 While the story and moral were very basic and predictable I loved the humor and character development. It was nice to have another Spike focused episode and I'm glad they further explored his relationship with Twilight, showing that they're more of a mutual "bossy sister with young brother" pair. These last two episodes makes me want to draw some "D'aww" fan art of filly Twilight and hatchling Spike.I am disappoint with the climax/ending though. Was there any point in making the dragon a recolor of the one in "Dragonshy"? The scene would have been much more entertaining if they just used the same dragon, imagine if this happened:> The dragon has Spike cornered in the cave> A voice from off screen gets the dragon's attention> The dragon turns around and sees the shadowy silhouette of a pegusus pony at the entrance of the cave> the dragon cowers in fear assuming it's Fluttershy> Spike teases him for being afraid of Fluttershy of all ponies.> After a few seconds the moon light reveals that's just Twilight with Owliosous on her back, wings spread> The dragon, now embarrassed, gives chase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dessa Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 It was a low-budget episode. Almost everything it debuted in an earlier episode. We got to see some new areas of Twilight's library, which was pretty nice, because I LOVE that library.We got a new SpikeForm:1. Original Spike2. ManSpike3. Baby/Egg Spike4. All growed-up spike5. Dastardly SpikeI'm not sure Owlouicious was the Everfree Forest owl. But even if he was new, his animation was dead simple.But you know, low budget doesn't mean the episode couldn't be great. It was the writing. It was just loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittlePonyTales Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I am disappoint with the climax/ending though. Was there any point in making the dragon a recolor of the one in "Dragonshy"? The scene would have been much more entertaining if they just used the same dragon, imagine if this happened:> The dragon has Spike cornered in the cave> A voice from off screen gets the dragon's attention> The dragon turns around and sees the shadowy silhouette of a pegusus pony at the entrance of the cave> the dragon cowers in fear assuming it's Fluttershy> Spike teases him for being afraid of Fluttershy of all ponies.> After a few seconds the moon light reveals that's just Twilight with Owliosous on her back, wings spread> The dragon, now embarrassed, gives chase.So. Freaking. Genius.Seriously, this would've been great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZephyrBurst Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 My thoughts on the episode were pretty much the same everyone else. The only part that made me go "bleh" was the beginning with Twilight overstating how Spike was #1. The part with the mouse toy had me laughing, I also felt that was pushed just a bit farther than it should have, (at least for a kid's show) but I didn't think it took anything away.Though I did think this as well.http://ponibooru.413chan.net/_images/33 ... s_well.jpgDastardly Spike made the episode for me though. XDSo this owl guy... thing...You think he is a reoccurring character?I'm very sure he will be, but he'll be in the background more than anything and mostly only in the library. Just a guess.Anypony else get the feeling like Rainbow Dash is trying to shake Scootaloo's hero worship with her whole "take out the trash," bit? Someponies have been saying it is canonized scootabuse, but I get the impression from this and other episodes that as much as Rainbow Dash likes the attention, she knows that Scoots and the gang need to find their own path.I kinda think that, but another thought of mine is Rainbow Dash doesn't really know how to respond or handle that sort of attention. Scootaloo has shown that she is somewhat obsessive. I would say that Rainbow is possibly ignorant of this, not ignorant to Scootaloo looking up to her, but not understanding how much she does. This could eventually lead to Rainbow saying something to disappoint or even offend Scootaloo.That or she'll take advantage without trying to. I don't see Rainbow ever being intentionally malicious, I just don't see Scootaloo's obsession with her leading to something good. It just makes sense to me that Rainbow will eventually do something to let Scootaloo down.@DaBatGuy: That would've been badass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dessa Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Further theorizing: Owlouicious is a spy for some beings from the heavens, perhaps the 4 stars that helped Nightmare Moon? He was sent in the meteor shower to spy on Celestia's prized pupil, which is why he was so helpful. He's trying to get close to her so he can learn Celestia's secrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackFang Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Further theorizing: Owlouicious is a spy for some beings from the heavens, perhaps the 4 stars that helped Nightmare Moon? He was sent in the meteor shower to spy on Celestia's prized pupil, which is why he was so helpful. He's trying to get close to her so he can learn Celestia's secrets.g0aVCuFHt88 one thing i would like to point:the majority of complaints regarding this ep are based on the lack of char development, but, while i agree such thing is obviously welcome, we also have to, once again, remember the real target demography. im pretty sure Lauren and everyone in the team is having a rather harsh time trying to keep the balance between simplicity and awesomeness (with excellent results so far) to keep hasbro happy, so perhaps we are just trying to see way too deep on something that is not meant to be deep. its not like absolutely EVERY seemingly thinking entity needs a full fledged personality, that would just end making everything way too complicated for young kids to follow.tl;dr: its a cartoon for Celestias sake, stop wasting your brain on it that way and just enjoy it.although the spy theory would work wonders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therainbowtroll Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 eh. Not the best episode....But there was some laughfs. Twilight was so mean to spike. To be honest I thought she would be more understanding towards the book incident... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianblackberry Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 tl;dr: its a cartoon for Celestias sake, stop wasting your brain on it that way and just enjoy it.Yes, we know, but the strong and interesting characters is what brought many of us to the show, and is a major part of what places FiM above the pack of cartoons and why it is special. I don't expect every episode to be a major character development episode (even if those are among the best for me), but I feel there was a lot of opportunity here that was lost. Now I don't dislike the episode, although it may be among my least favorite, and not all episodes are going to be good, but I think with only a few minor tweaks this could have been so much more and still kept all the charm for the young audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Mint Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 hi hiI'm not sure if we're all using the same definition of character development, but I don't think character development is necessary at all for a show that is episodic. (as in, doesn't have an over-arching plot line) What is important is that the characters have motivations, emotions, worries, desires, etc. that anypony can relate to and empathize with. They don't have to be new or entirely un-explored motivations etc. etc. in fact I think in some cases it is better if they keep it simple. What they do need, however, is a way to show those feelings to the audience in a way they can understand and relate to. Instead of just having Twilight say "You're #1!" they might have shown in the opening scene the two of them helping each other out so the audience would see first hand (rather than by hearsay) that Spike relies on Twilight and how valuable their friendship is. It doesn't need to be anything we don't already know, it just needs to remind everypony in a way that is relevant to the episode at hand.On the topic of Owloisius: Aloisius, the name I am guessing they used as a reference, is the name of a famous warrior in olden times, so I think he may have more up his sleeve than just wanting a warm place to stay. (though having a warm place to stay is pretty awesome, and most folks don't always realize that until they have to camp out in below-zero temperature.) There were a few scenes where he witnessed first hand Spike's reaction, but never did anything about it. It wasn't until Twilight became concerned that he stepped in. Yeah, he saved the day at the end, but its still owlfully suspicious...The opening was definitely a stumbling block, and I see why people wouldn't be able to get into the episode after that. But I think that the rest of the episode after the credits was pretty much on par with Griffon the Brush-off or Applebuck Season in my book. Good, but not really on the top of the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphiteDoodles Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I thought this a solid mid-tier episode. It was average..nothing great! I wouldn't use this episode to hook anyone onto the show. It did still make me smile and I got a few chuckles out of it. I didn't expect to see Spike interacting with an adult dragon at the end of the episode. Considering I've seen a few pieces of fan art about it, it was interesting to see how that went down. I guess adult dragons are just generally cranky.I suppose I thought enough of the episode to buy a high-res version on iTunes. It wasn't the most awesome, but I still want to support the show any way I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonico Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I liked it. Not one of my favorite episodes, but still entertaining. Like some of the bronies here, Rainbowdash's "Taking out the trash" bit kind of made me go "HUH?!" too, but maybe it has something to do with a future episode. Overall though, I think the show had some good laughs and a nice, although worn out, lesson about jealousy at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dessa Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 one thing i would like to point:the majority of complaints regarding this ep are based on the lack of char development, but, while i agree such thing is obviously welcome, we also have to, once again, remember the real target demographyThe target demographic is little girls and their parents.http://ponibooru.413chan.net/_images/8385506f4090956f94506195c22511eb/644%20-%20deviantart%20lauren_faust.pngperhaps we are just trying to see way too deep on something that is not meant to be deep. ... that would just end making everything way too complicated for young kids to follow.You're selling kids too short, I think. Giving a character a personality isn't too much for kids to follow, nor is tying those characters into the plot.tl;dr: its a cartoon for Celestias sake, stop wasting your brain on it that way and just enjoy it.You've got 200 posts here. What have you been thinking about if not ponies?It a fansite for Faust's sake, stop fighting it and accept that taking it too seriously is the point.Besides, I've got brain to spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Krackle Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Brawler Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Related.Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Mint Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 hi hiTvTropes Entry on Dastardly WhiplashAlso:NN4v5-Z_TR8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianblackberry Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 hi hiTvTropes Entry on Dastardly WhiplashI like to think the Dastardly reference was for the adults, I am not sure how many kids today would have any idea who he is, even if the trope itself is rather common. ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Brawler Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 one thing i would like to point:the majority of complaints regarding this ep are based on the lack of char development, but, while i agree such thing is obviously welcome, we also have to, once again, remember the real target demographyThe target demographic is little girls and their parents.http://ponibooru.413chan.net/_images/8385506f4090956f94506195c22511eb/644%20-%20deviantart%20lauren_faust.pngperhaps we are just trying to see way too deep on something that is not meant to be deep. ... that would just end making everything way too complicated for young kids to follow.You're selling kids too short, I think. Giving a character a personality isn't too much for kids to follow, nor is tying those characters into the plot.tl;dr: its a cartoon for Celestias sake, stop wasting your brain on it that way and just enjoy it.You've got 200 posts here. What have you been thinking about if not ponies?It a fansite for Faust's sake, stop fighting it and accept that taking it too seriously is the point.Besides, I've got brain to spare.The problem analysis at this level is that it will inevitably ruin the show for people. While yes, Faust has said that the show is made for little girls and their parents, don't get the order confused: it is for little girls first, and their parents second. Simply put, there is no need to include adult oriented content at that rate of consistency because the first priority is children. The show hasn't failed it's original purpose if every 18-25 year old male gets bored and stops watching, but it does fail if it doesn't appeal to children. And, believe it or not, to children, it wouldn't be enjoyable with consistent deeper ideas because of the style. Spike talking about why he loves working so much wouldn't be enjoyable, simply because he's drawn in a very cartoon style, and kids aren't interested in that depth, because they haven't experienced it yet. And on the other side, older viewers probably wouldn't enjoy it either, because that level of abstraction in art isn't good for deeper thoughts; it would be like Dora the Explorer having a service announcement on shoplifting. While we all may find that hilarious, we're not going to take it seriously because of the context, and unless the original intent was humor, the point is missed. I.E. Spike telling a story about Twilight saving his life and him becoming her attendant to make up for it wouldn't be appealing, at least at some level, to anyone. And while, no, giving characters backstories isn't going above their potential, it is going above their interest.And as for the "taking it to seriously" purpose; my opinion is that the purpose is for people who like the show to be able to socialize under the topic of the show. If it's overanalysis, a good chunk of the forum, myself included, won't fit in here at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalpira Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 I like it more when the whole mane cast is involved, but it was still nice ^_^ However, that owl started to REALLY annoy me at a certain point --'But I'm still glad I can watch it on Youtube, since people here don't even know what MLP is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverwind Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 lol this was funny. The owl drove Spike to evil. Poor lil guy. Interesting to see that that dragon is still lurking about near bye... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teh_Brawler Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 lol this was funny. The owl drove Spike to evil. Poor lil guy. Interesting to see that that dragon is still lurking about near bye...Actually, it's a different dragon, it's just a palette swap ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Mint Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 hi hiAs an artist, sometimes I forget that people equate criticism with dislike, when for artists it is often the best kind of response one can get. You don't always have to agree with it, but it is often times more useful than someone just saying "I like it."I hope this conversation isn't getting too heated, I'm not very good at telling these things... Everypony is here, telling everypony else what their reaction to the show was. Regardless of who the target audience was, the message hit you, and me, and anypony who watched it. These are real, truthful feelings and opinions, and I don't think anypony ought to feel threatened because somepony else had a different reaction. One of the things I learned after four years of art history is that the artist's intent is only half of the work, the viewer's perception makes up the other half. This could be a good opportunity to see things from a different perspective, so please try to be sympathetic to other's points of view. (I mean srsly, it is possible to both be right from your own point of view.)I think perhaps we're arguing the same point here, its about how some things in a show would seem out of place.Kids are very emotional and are very empathic. Babies cry when other babies start crying, kids will sometimes fall and bump into something and either laugh it off or start crying depending on the reaction they get from an adult. Kids are very strong reasoners, their conclusions may not always be right, but they are usually reasonable. They might see the leaves on trees blowing and think "leaves cause wind to happen." Thats the kind of thing that I think people are talking about here. Its not about taking a time out for a lesson in calculus, its about making things seem reasonable. Kids may take situational things for granted more easily, but some stories will stick with a kid their entire life, its lessons standing up against all kinds of real life tests. For example: to this day, I still cannot watch Milo and Otis because I burst into tears well neigh immediately. Also, my dad first showed me Star Trek II when I was a little kid in elementary school, but the lesson about looking for different solutions stuck with me for the rest of my life."Be careful the tale you tell, that is the spell." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittlePonyTales Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 For example: to this day, I still cannot Milo and Otis because I burst into tears well neigh immediately."Be careful the tale you tell, that is the spell."I think you accidentally a sentence.Also, Into the Woods reference FTW.But you do make some good points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Mint Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 hi hiWhy can't I hold all these verbs? ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittlePonyTales Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 hi hiWhy can't I hold all these verbs? ^_^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphiteDoodles Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 hi hiWhy can't I hold all these verbs? ^_^You are both silly and I love you. Just sayin'. (That really did make me laugh out loud, I'll have you know. XD) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now