History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue27To28

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: What sympathy the deer had for having their forest home demolished, they squandered by invading Ponyville and Canterlot despite their having nothing to do with and being sympathetic to their plight, plus their [[FantasticRacism thinking too little of ponykind to care much]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: This could have been a good arc had it focused on the Everfree Forest or the deer. Instead, we get a [[StrawCharacter straw villain]] that could make the villains of ''Captain Planet'' cringe in embarrassment that still [[DesignatedHero failed to make the deer the good guys in comparison]], and a conflict [[IdiotPlot that should have been resolved before the ponies got involved]].
* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Well-To-Do shows up in the middle of Thicket [[IHaveYourWife with Bramble tied up]] and only accompanied by [[TheDragon Jargon]] seeking to have King Aspen sign a contract.[[note]]He already forced Bramble to sign a contract to become Fun Fun Lands' mascot: which in most cases would be illegal due to it being classified as Contractual Fraud and Child Labor due to the fact that Bramble's a minor and was coerced into signing the contract against his will.[[/note]] You have the numbers, just attack the two to get Bramble back and kill the prick then and there!
-->'''[[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]]''': ''STAB HIM WITH YOUR ANTLERS!''

* IdiotPlot:
** The story would be over in one page, if it ever happened at all, if any of the characters acted intelligent for just a moment. King Aspen could have sent an envoy to meet with Celestia and Luna in person; Twilight could have used her powers and authority as Princess; the deer and ponies could have taken Well-To-Do hostage when he ''walked right into Aspen's throne room''. Instead the ponies are completely useless to do anything while the deer jump straight to eco-terrorism without any regard for the chaos they cause. Further, the resolution of the conflict (the deer just invade the construction site and kick Well-To-Do and his workers out) could have been done at the start of it all without the need to attack Ponyville.
** '''''Princess''''' Twilight could've simply had Well-to-Do arrested for assaulting royalty after he '''''more than once''''' physically threw her and her friends out of his office.
** Well-To-Do's final plan of action consisted in him kidnapping the king of a sovereign nation and enslaving him to be the mascot of his theme park, apparently assuming nobody would find this an issue. Everyone else seemed to find this a genuine long-term threat.

* EightDeadlyWords: Between the [[HateSink shallow, unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had ''[[DeusExMachina significant]]'' [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash some {{story arc}}s did, likely because readers had stopped caring one way or another.

--'''[[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]]''': ''STAB HIM WITH YOUR ANTLERS!''

* FridgeLogic: It's stated in the story that just getting rid of Well-To-Do isn't enough, the ground is so destroyed by his construction that the deer's magic cannot coax anything else to grow there. At the end of the issue plantlife ''does'' return to the area, because of... the biogenic milkshakes Well-To-Do was selling in the park; they fall in the soil and make it fertile again. Yup, deer magic, which is specifically focused on the cultivation and care of the forest, doesn't work, but that does, because... reasons.

* FanonDiscontinuity: In spite of [[AscendedFanon confirming the fanon]] of deer being the equivalent of elves, the development was disregarded by fan since ''these'' deer were [[TheScrappy everything criticized about the stereotype]].

* TheScrappy: If all the other entries on the page haven't tipped you off: fans don't really care for King Aspen and the deer in general. Note that deer as elves was a popular {{Fanon}}, but they had all the negative traits of such with the intended pros [[DesignatedHero falling flat]].

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The deer. It's hard to tell if the forest is attacking Ponyville and Canterlot autonomously, or if the deer deliberately steered the new growth towards who we know to be innocent civilians. Combine this with FantasticRacism, and some interpret them as ecoterrorists at best, and militaristic warmongers looking for an excuse to invade at worst.
* {{Anvilicious}}: The GreenAesop is as heavy-handed as any similar '90s kids film you could name, complete with the Mane Six being inexplicably eager to knock down trees to solve their problems so they can get lectured by the deer, and a villain right out of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanet''.

* FridgeLogic: It's stated in the story that just getting rid of Well-To-Do isn't enough, the ground is so destroyed by his construction that the deer's magic cannot coax anything else to grow there. At the end of the issue plantlife ''does'' return to the area, because of... the biogenic milkshakes Well-To-Do was selling in the park; they fall in the soil and make it fertile again. Yup, deer magic, which is specifically focused on the cultivation and care of the forest, doesn't work, but that does, because...

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Blackthorn, for being a ReasonableAuthorityFigure in contrast to [[FantasticRacism Fantastic Racist]] Aspen and TheLoad Bramble. Within minutes of taking control of the deer, he invokes LoopholeAbuse to ignore the contract that forbids the deer from attacking Well-To-Do, and not only declares full intent to invade the construction site, but recognizes the Mane Six as allies in the task and has them help out by recruiting the forest creatures to fight with them. He's pretty much the only heroic character who isn't stupid and incompetent.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Blackthorn, for being a NoNonsenseNemesis ReasonableAuthorityFigure in contrast to [[FantasticRacism Fantastic Racist]] Aspen and TheLoad Bramble.

* EightDeadlyWords: Between the [[HateSink shallow, unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had ''[[DeusExMachina significant]]'' [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash some {{story arc}}s did, likely because readers had stopped caring one way or another.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Blackthorn, for being a NoNonsenseNemesis ReasonableAuthorityFigure in contrast to his [[FantasticRacism Fantastic Racist]] father and [[TheLoad Load]] brother.

** '''''Princess''''' Twilight could've simply had Well-to-Do arrested for assaulting royalty after he '''''more-than-once''''' physically threw her and her friends out of his office.

* IdiotPlot: The story would be over in one page, if it ever happened at all, if any of the characters acted intelligent for just a moment. King Aspen could have sent an envoy to meet with Celestia and Luna in person; Twilight could have used her powers and authority as Princess; the deer and ponies could have taken Well-To-Do hostage when he ''walked right into Aspen's throne room''. Instead the ponies are completely useless to do anything while the deer jump straight to eco-terrorism without any regard for the chaos they cause. Further, the resolution of the conflict (the deer just invade the construction site and kick Well-To-Do and his workers out) could have been done at the start of it all without the need to attack Ponyville.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Between the [[HateSink shallow, unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had [[DeusExMachina significant]] [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash some {{Story Arc}}s did, likely because readers had [[EightDeadlyWords stopped caring one way or another]].

* FanonDiscontinuity: In spite of [[AscendedFanon confirming the fanon]] of deer being the equivalent of elves, the development was disregarded by fan since ''these'' deer were [[TheScrappy everything wrong with this]].

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Between the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive purely]] [[HateSink unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had [[DeusExMachina significant]] [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash some {{Story Arc}}s did, likely because readers had stopped caring one way or another.

* EightDeadlyWords: Between the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive purely unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had [[DeusExMachina significant]] [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash some {{Story Arc}}s did, likely because readers had stopped caring one way or another.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The Deer. It's hard to tell if the forest is attacking Ponyville and Canterlot autonomously, or if the Deer deliberately steered the new growth towards who we know to be innocent civilians. Combine this with FantasticRacism, and some interpret them as ecoterrorists at best, and militaristic warmongers looking for an excuse to invade at worst.

* RootingForTheEmpire: Given all the criticism the Deer received many readers wound up rooting for Well-To-Do, if for no other reason then [[ScrewYouElves to screw them over]]. They wonder why the ponies didn't, given the Deer proved no better and they would have gotten an AmusementPark out of the deal otherwise.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: This could have been a good arc had it focused on the Everfree Forest or the deer. Instead, we get a [[StrawCharacter straw villain]] that could make the villains of ''Captain Planet'' cringe in embarrassment that still [[DesignatedHero failed to make the Deer the good guys in comparison]], and a conflict [[IdiotPlot that should have been resolved before the ponies got involved]].

* FridgeLogic: It's stated in the story that just getting rid of Well-To-Do isn't enough, the ground is so destroyed by his construction that the deer's magic cannot coax anything else to grow there. At the end of the issue plantlife ''does'' return to the area, because of... the biogenic milkshakes Well-To-Do was selling in the party; they fall in the soil and make it fertile again. Yup, deer magic, which is specifically focused on the cultivation and care of the forest, doesn't work, but that does, because...

* AssPull: It's stated in the story that just getting rid of Well-To-Do isn't enough, the ground is so destroyed by his construction that the deer's magic cannot coax anything else to grow there. At the end of the issue plantlife ''does'' return to the area, because of... the biogenic milkshakes Well-To-Do was selling in the party; they fall in the soil and make it fertile again. Yup, deer magic, which is specifically focused on the cultivation and care of the forest, doesn't work, but that does, [[FridgeLogic because...]]

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: This could have been a good arc had it focused on the Everfree Forest or the deer. Instead, we get a [[StrawCharacter straw villain]] that could make the villains of ''Captain Planet'' cringe in embarrassment that still [[DesignatedHero failed to make the Deer the good guys in comparison]], and a conflict [[IdiotPlot that should have been resolved before the ponies got involved.]]

* AssPull: It's stated in the story that just getting rid of Well-To-Do isn't enough, the ground is so destroyed by his construction that the deer's magic cannot coax anything else to grow there. At the end of the issue plantlife ''does'' return to the area, because of... [[spoiler:the biogenic milkshakes Well-To-Do was selling in the party; they fall in the soil and make it fertile again]]. Yup, deer magic, which is specifically focused on the cultivation and care of the forest, doesn't work, but that does.

* TheScrappy: If all the other entries on the page haven't tipped you off: fans don't really care for King Aspen and the deer in general.

* EightDeadlyWords: Between the [[CorruptCorporateExecutive purely unlikeable villain]], the hypocrisy of the deer squandering what sympathy they had, and the ponies [[CantArgueWithElves failing to call the latter out]] or do anything useful on their own, many wrote off "Root of the Problem" by part 1. While the finale had [[DeusExMachina significant]] [[IdiotPlot criticisms]], it failed to cause the backlash the writers previous {{Story Arc}}s did, likely because readers had stopped caring one way or another.

* DesignatedHero: The Dear. King Aspen claims that the reason Ponyville is being torn up by vines from the forest is because a construction company of ponies and minotaurs are tearing down trees to build an amusement park, and they must replant the forest away from the development site to replace the many animal homes being lost; any pony homes destroyed in the process is simply LaserGuidedKarma. He's not in the right, but you can understand his position... until the final panels show the forest's vines have reached Canterlot, and tied up Celestia and Luna and hung them from a tower. At this point he passes DisproportionateRetribution and straight into self-righteous hypocrisy. The blatant FantasticRacism of the deer and the obvious parallels between them and [[CantArgueWithElves elves]] only makes it harder to see them as the heroes.