Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
Tee hee!
That was an omission that many seem upset about. I really liked the story as a stand alone. I am sure that they will tackle it someday.
I loved this episode. I think it was a great departure from typical holiday shows that focus on religion or giving or tradition or any of the normal themes. This theme was just a straight up message of "Peace on Earth, good will to ponies." I can't think of another show that has so honestly addressed this as a topic. I think that by stepping away from Christmas and re-imagining it as Hearth's Warming Eve, they were able to do away with those tropes and write a story which is closer to what Christmas ought to be- rather than what it has become. A+++++++ for the humanistic message as well.
It was also pretty dang subversive. The first scene of the play had some anti-capitalist messages. The leaders were portrayed as selfish, aggressive, incompetent elites who created more problems than they solved. It was up to the less powerful groups to ignore their bad governance and decide for themselves to work together. The writer was super sneaky and awesome with those touches.
And the wendigos? BADASS. Such a great villain for this tale. Brilliantly done. The original folk tale of those creatures were filled with horror tales of demonic possession in times of hardship and a lack of resources which would lead to cannibalism. That is a perfect metaphor for dangerous competition and the evil done in its name. Toned it down for the kiddies of course, but I thought that was wonderfully done.
I loved the costumes and the pagenty stuff. I guess the one thing that I wish the episode had more of was more of a self aware aesthetic that this was a play. It was kinda like the storybook sequence in the pilot and I am still a theater nerd at heart. I loved how that was done in the beginning with the hearth and the obvious props, but I am dying to know how they portrayed the wendigos on stage.
Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demimonde
That was an omission that many seem upset about. I really liked the story as a stand alone. I am sure that they will tackle it someday.
I wasn't upset or significantly bothered by it. What this story says to me is how all ponies are self determined. They didn't need a single (or a duo) all powerful pony to give them light and guidance. They tilled the earth (Dirtville!), cleared the sky (Pegasopolis!) and raised both the moon and sun (Unicornia!) all on their own. I did get a tweak when their unified Equestria flag was the traditional sun and moon with alicorns (allegedly Celestia and Luna). But that can be waved away by the distance of time. No current pony knows what that symbol of unity may have looked like. I myself was imagining some combination of the three individual flags. I'm not hurt or offended or anything by the omission - but of course I'm totally curious about the majesty's appearance in pony history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demimonde
And the wendigos? BADASS. Such a great villain for this tale. Brilliantly done. The original folk tale of those creatures were filled with horror tales of demonic possession in times of hardship and a lack of resources which would lead to cannibalism. That is a perfect metaphor for dangerous competition and the evil done in its name. Toned it down for the kiddies of course, but I thought that was wonderfully done.
I wasn't aware of the "true" history of wendigos. I was trying to figure out what to call them - Ghost Horses? Winter Spirits? then Twilight was all "windingo!" (sic) and then I was still scared because these artists don't pull punches sometimes. They were fantastically animated, very much unlike anything else in all of Equestria, even some of the more frightening monsters. Just as they should be because if everypony stops getting along you can be frozen to death!
So, everypony, get out your mythological monster cards and check off Wendigo.
Manticore
Water dragon
Hydra
Gryphon (not a monster in Equestria)
Dragon
Wendigo
With the exception of the Hydra, all have been defeated, confounded or mollified by some aspect of cooperation or friendship. (I also may have missed one or two. I'm doing this from memory first thing in the morning.)
Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
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Originally Posted by BrotherMan
How could I forgot the cockatrice!
The famous last words of so many brave adventurers.
__________________ The miracle of the appropriateness of the language of mathematics for the formulation of the laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve. -Eugene Wigner
Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
I liked the last episode well enough, though not my favorite.
The episode did make me wonder about the ponies left behind. They couldn't have all made it to Equestria. What became of the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies left in the Old World? Did they freeze to death? Did they die of starvation?
Did they become wendigos?
Are they planning on following the lucky ones to Equestria someday?
Also, what happened to the native Equestrians? Genocide?
Srsly,. the above is nothing more than me thinking of more MLP alts for COH. That's all.
Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
Do we have concrete evidence that ponies can die?
So far as I can tell they get treatable injuries only. From ANYTHING. But they act afraid anyway.
__________________ Hear me / and if I close my mind in fear / please pry it open See me / and if my face becomes sincere / beware Hold me / and when I start to come undone / stitch me together Save me / and when you see me strut / remind me of what left this outlaw torn
Re: My Little Pony: Detractors We Will Tolerate and Love the Shit Out of You
Quote:
Originally Posted by Demimonde
The leaders were portrayed as selfish, aggressive, incompetent elites who created more problems than they solved.
Well, obviously this part was simply propaganda from the current regime. The leaders of the past were incompetent dolts, don't you know, and things are much better here, which just happens to be under the benevolent rule of our beloved Princess Celestia...