A thread to discuss My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and the tie-in media.
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apply. In addition, please remember that the thread is discussing a kids' show, and it's primarily focused on the work itself, not the fanfic — in particular, we don't want to see lewdness creeping in.
Edited by Mrph1 on Aug 26th 2024 at 10:24:26 AM
Seemed clear to me why Luna was so attached. Replace 'Winter' with 'night' and how closely does what Snowdrop was talking about echo Luna's issues at the time. Especially since it seems this was fairly close to NMM.
And Too Good for This Sinful Earth wha? Where did that come from?
And when was this cuase, don't recall that bit at all. And, that IS kind of what led to the whole Nightmare Moon thing. Not being appreciated enough.
Yeah the set up went overboard. But, again, Christmas Special. That's what they do.
edited 14th Jun '14 8:25:17 PM by Seraphem
It's subtext, I'll grant you, but there are definitely undertones of "No one understands Snowdrop because she's so much more pure than they are".
And the issue wasn't that Luna felt Snowdrop understood her, it's that the animation greatly oversells it. Luna says how much Snowdrops means to her and how only she understood her despite that they barely interact. The statement "she was the only one who understood me" simply isn't borne out by what we actually see. If they had shown them talking or spending time together or something it might have worked, but as is it seems like Luna is just talking about how awesome she is just to make sure the audience gets it rather than because Snowdrop actually is awesome.
The exactly quote is "She was the only one who ever truly knew my night". There's a transcript here.
And again, the issue isn't that she understood Luna, it's that there's almost no setup for it.
Also, I just want to point out the Fridge Logic in the ending, where they use up her last snowflake despite there being no reason whatsoever to do so. They know how to make their own.
edited 14th Jun '14 8:30:07 PM by JapaneseTeeth
Reaction Image RepositoryUmmm, It had become tradition to start each winter with one of her snowflakes. To share her gift. Tia gave a whole little talk to Luna about how they shouldn't hoard it.
Given Nightmare Moon happening, the whole reasons for it... we already know at least from Luna's perspective most ponies didn't give a crap about her night, at best. Or at worst hated them. And it clearly didn't happen the next day. Yeah they got closer. And if Luna knew more ponies that appreciated her night, NMM wouldn't have happened in the first place. She might not have been the only on to do so, but just the only one Luna herself knew. And given this clearly took place near her Fall, since Snowdrop dies after she was banished, yeah I can see Luna having a skewed perspective on things.
Hell given how messed up Luna likely was around that time, how desperate for some praise and acknowledgement. I could buy her feeling that way JUST on what Snowdrop said in that speech. Without needing to get to know her better.
edited 14th Jun '14 8:37:11 PM by Seraphem
So you get a fixed payout when you're done? So it's just dividing the amount entered by time elapsed? Sounds pretty simple. I could probably code one for you in Javascript if you want.
Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play![]()
It's never stated in the episode that that's a tradition. That conversation just boils down to "But it's her last snowflake" "We should use it anyway" "but why?" "because"
The fact that the others have been used doesn't imply "they've been traditionally using one every year", only that they've been using them and have only one left. The fact that it's the first snowflake ever (even though it can't be, as they had snow before that, but I'll let that slide) is all the more reason not to use it because of its historical importance.
Here's the sequence of events as I see it:
They hold a contest to determine the centennial symbol.
Snowdrop makes a snowflake, demonstrating how she could find beauty in winter.
Celestia and Luna like it.
1000 years later, it's the only one of her snowflakes they have left.
Nowhere in there is any indication that Snowdrop's snowflakes are part of any tradition; just that they've used them. The idea that they've been using it like that doesn't contradict what we see, but it isn't really implied to be the case very strongly.
edited 14th Jun '14 8:44:36 PM by JapaneseTeeth
Reaction Image RepositoryWhen the entire opening narration is talking about the first snowflake of Winter. We know that she made many of them, and Luna was in no way surprised they'd been used, just that they were down to just the one. It was used AS the first snowflake of that winter. Everything makes pretty clear thats the case.
First it's not being subtle enough, being to blunt, now it's not being blunt enough?
I wondered about that too. Was previously falling snow then just clumps? Because snowflakes are very small configurations forming clumps together. It's MLP so that may be the case giving all the Magical Underpinnings of Reality, but it's not stated.
Also, I have a hard time believing Snowdrop could be treated that way. Yes Babs was bullied too but she was an exception, and the teacher was right there.
And she could very well have known Snow would need help with her project but did nothing.
Seemed perfectly clear to me. And again it doesn't need to be subtle to be good.
And that was a far far cry from other far worse bullying that goes on right under teachers' noses without a damn ting being done. Also a public school teacher not being perfect and a kid in class not getting personal specialized attention or getting the short end of the stick. This is unrealistic how? School tends to be far worse then even that so, yeah dont see to big an issue
And yeah before that it was just globs of snow or hail stones. And yes, pony magic and all. We already saw that ponies do hoof carve all the snowflakes for winter.
I have a transcript of the opening narration in front of me, and it really doesn't place much emphasis on "the first snowflake of winter" as being any sort of traditional thing. It's only shown as being important in the context of being the beginning of winter, and there's no real indication that the ones Snowdrop made are used in that fashion.
Also, reading the transcript, I just want to point out that the Fridge Logic also kinda shoots the message in the foot. Snowdrop is all "woe is me" during everything, even though she:
1. Procrastinated on a major project (to the point that she hasn't even started when the rest of the class is finishing up)
2. Lied to her teacher about it rather than asking for help, even though her teacher makes it clear she'd get full credit
3. Continued to procrastinate until literally the day before the thing is due
All of her moping about being useless rings a bit hollow when the only reason she's useless is because she never actually tries to do anything.
edited 14th Jun '14 9:10:11 PM by JapaneseTeeth
Reaction Image RepositoryYes it is. Subtle is a requirement for good. Good requires subtlety. The only exception is Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped, and Snowdrop doesn't fall under that heading.
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There's another exception: Action Movies Again, Snowdrop doesn't qualify.
Though Snowdrop 2: Frozen Fury would be awesome. Starring Snowdrop as a Blind Master who uses snowflake shaped shuriken.
edited 14th Jun '14 9:12:22 PM by JapaneseTeeth
Reaction Image RepositoryAlso, the hearing the stars thing sounds like pure glurge. Unless she's breaking the fourth wall and hearing the sound effects of the show.
Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's PlayAnd get called out in front of all the other foals that she is already having a hard enough time with? Yeah she should have, but at the same time, can't blame her for being afraid to.
And no subtle is not a requirement to being good. Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped.
Again yes, it overdoes the Glurge. Like a very large amount of Christmas Special tend to.
edited 14th Jun '14 9:14:49 PM by Seraphem
Honestly, it kinda casts the actions of the rest of the class in a different light as well. I'm not denying that they were jerks to her, but there may be a Jerkass Has a Point element to it: if Snowdrop puts the effort into group projects that she does into the one we actually see, I can kinda understand why the other ponies wouldn't want to have to deal with it. Blind or not, if she isn't even putting for any effort, it's just going to make the project miserable for everyone.
She could've just stayed after school to ask. Or asked her mom for help. Or done... anything, really. We never see her even attempting to work on the project until the very end.
edited 14th Jun '14 9:18:30 PM by JapaneseTeeth
Reaction Image Repository

Also Luna says something to the effect of "She was the only one who understood me." When her sister of all ponies could not.
Either way Celestia and Luna just seem there to shill her.