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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Live Reactions & Discussion)

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A thread to discuss My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and the tie-in media.

All of the usual forum rules 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.

     Original OP text 
I don't know WHAT the Hell happened (I blame shenanigans) but we're going to start from scratch. Post your feels for this awesome show again! Naow!

Edited by Mrph1 on Aug 26th 2024 at 10:24:26 AM

marston Since: Sep, 2011
#78851: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:12:32 PM

[up][up][up]"Not boring" doesn't immediately equal "Troubled relationship". Most people just like the character interactions between certain characters, and there doesn't have to be a conflict or relationship problems in order to make said interactions fun. Heck, the problem most people have with Good Sombra/Celestia is that it took up the entirety of that arc's story instead of having the mane 6 meet their evil AU counterparts, and that it also made Celestia OOC. It had nothing to do with the pairing being boring, as the idea behind it was interesting, just not executed very well.

edited 1st Jul '14 12:15:10 PM by marston

KingKix Typing the internet since '90 from Dante City Since: Jun, 2013 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Typing the internet since '90
#78852: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:16:05 PM

Why did people instantly think then that Discord and Celestia was gonna be canon/official if they read the comic's arc?

Dakota's blog An odd agent of justice
IrishZombie Since: Dec, 2009
#78853: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:17:02 PM

Perhaps after her relationship with Discord went sour, she picked up Sombra on the rebound?

JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing
#78854: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:22:42 PM

[up][up]Well, the finale came out before the comic, for one. Also, it's rather dubious whether the events of the comic are canon to the show.

EDIT: This is probably my favorite "waifu chart" joke.

edited 1st Jul '14 12:24:32 PM by JapaneseTeeth

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Sereg Since: Jun, 2010
#78855: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:28:57 PM

1. Any relationship, no matter how well your personalities mesh, is going to have rough spots by virtue of the fact that multiple people are involved. No two people are going to agree on everything.

This is an unfortunate reality.

2. Butting heads can be a sign of affection anyway.

Admittedly, this is why I ship Apple Dash. Because they seem to enjoy their scraps. But it won't stop seeming weird to me.

3. A couple could be non-boring without having problems.

If they don't have problems, they don't have conflict. That's almost the definition of a boring story.

4. Most people ship based on how interesting the relationship would be.

I've noticed. My point is that that is an alien mindset to me. Why should I chose my romantic partner based on how entertaining people will find the resulting interactions? As I said, most people ship for themselves. They want to be entertained. I ship for the characters. I want them to be happy.

Then again, I take matters of the heart very seriously and I am probably influenced by what I've witnessed in my own life.

The exception, of course, is crack pairings. There, anything goes.

KingKix Typing the internet since '90 from Dante City Since: Jun, 2013 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Typing the internet since '90
#78856: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:39:44 PM

[up][up]Oh, that makes sense

Perhaps another big wedding episode featuring the two will air during S5.

Dakota's blog An odd agent of justice
JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing
#78857: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:43:39 PM

[up][up]My question is why you'd apply that specifically to shipping and not to any other fictional situation. If you're writing "for the characters" it just means that they shouldn't ever run into any problems.

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darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#78858: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:52:21 PM

Yeah, if you didn't want anything to happen and your character to be happy, you'd have stopped Starswirl's adventures after the first story. Shipping's just another type of story action.

Starscream759 Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: In denial
#78859: Jul 1st 2014 at 12:56:48 PM

Hmm what to buy? What to buy on Amazon?

"Transform and Roll out!" Optimus Prime
Sereg Since: Jun, 2010
#78860: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:01:05 PM

@JT: Because I believe that your love life is the part of your life that you should actually have some control over.

In addition, when I ship characters, I'm expressing what I want for them. There are many things that I'd like characters to have, because I feel for them. But that doesn't mean that I'd give them those things when writing them, because a writer has to be cruel.

For example, Miki Sayaka's life is required to suck on epic levels. As much as I wish I could comfort her, I know that doing so would ultimately be harmful. Sayaka would not be who she is if her life wasn't made of awful.Sayaka's actually an interesting case in that I am a very aggressive shipper of Sayaka X Forever alone, because I believe that any other character becoming romantically involved with her would dilute her greatness.

But she's a special case.

JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing
#78861: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:03:26 PM

There are many things that I'd like characters to have, because I feel for them. But that doesn't mean that I'd give them those things when writing them, because a writer has to be cruel.

My main question is why draw the line at shipping, then?

And this:

I believe that your love life is the part of your life that you should actually have some control over.

Doesn't answer the question, as if you're remaining faithful to established characterization, it means that the characters themselves are capable of making mistakes. Giving them control over that part of their life means giving them the freedom to make bad calls, or at the very least, run into difficulty.

edited 1st Jul '14 1:07:08 PM by JapaneseTeeth

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Sereg Since: Jun, 2010
#78862: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:19:27 PM

I believe that you're misunderstanding me.

When I say, "I ship". I mean, "These are characters that I consider a good couple based on what I've seen. I like the idea of them getting together."

I similarly "like the idea of" many things happening to certain characters. Like Pinkie acting like a responsible adult. I guess you could say I "ship" Pinkie X acting like a responsible adult.

Yet, I would not normally write "Pinkie acting like a responsible adult". Because it would not normally be good for the story.

But this isn't any different from shipping in my case. I would never write a fic shipping two characters solely because I shipped them IRL. Because that would be an awful story. Especially from me (who has trouble with that aspect of writing, partially because I have no experience to draw on).

I would write a shipping story about a couple I anti-shipped where I'd make it clear why I thought that couple was bad. And I would write a story about a couple I shipped having other problems, but in that case, the story would not be about the fact that they got together. Finally, I would write a fic about a couple I thought should be together who had other things stopping them.

Does that explain it?

EDIT: There's also the fact that I'm a sentimentalist who takes love very seriously. And considers messing with the heart really vile (see my reaction to Romance Reports).

edited 1st Jul '14 1:21:51 PM by Sereg

JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing
#78863: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:20:47 PM

Yeah, I think a big thing is that lots of people simply define shipping differently. Personally, I see it as more of a "it would be really interesting if X and Y were a couple." How plausible it is or how well it would work is a factor, but far from the only one.

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Sereg Since: Jun, 2010
#78864: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:39:55 PM

See, I understand the concept of "this would be interesting". But, I'd never say that I shipped such a thing. I think ... another aspect is that shipping has implied ... "permanence".

Like, I could say, "You know what would be cool? The protagonist being thrown into prison for a crime they didn't commit!"

But ... I'd normally assume that they'd get out eventually. And that would be cool.

But having the story end with the protagonist stuck in a loveless marriage feeling miserable just seems depressing to me. Unless you're going for a specific type of work, surely you want to avoid that?

I don't know. Maybe it's coming from the fact that the idea of being married to someone who doesn't love you is one of the most horrifying things I can imagine (to me). As is getting divorced (largely because of the previous reason). I mean ... I'm pretty extreme about this. I have seriously put serious thought into the idea of never having sex with my future wife because of the chance that she might not like it (still undecided). So, yeah. My views on this are pretty extreme. I guess that that leaks into stuff like this.

JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing
#78865: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:47:44 PM

I'll just say that there's a huge middle ground between "loveless marriage" and "never having any conflict, ever." The mark of a good relationship isn't never having conflict; that's impossible. It's being able to work through the conflicts when they inevitably arise.

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darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#78866: Jul 1st 2014 at 1:50:55 PM

They don't have to be dramatic conflict either. It's why a lot of shipping goes for comedy and slice of life. Couples helping each other going through day to day small problems.

Sereg Since: Jun, 2010
#78867: Jul 1st 2014 at 2:27:43 PM

The mark of a good relationship isn't never having conflict; that's impossible.

Unfortunately.

It's being able to work through the conflicts when they inevitably arise.

Fair enough. Maybe part of my problem is that I don't really have much experience with ... well ... seeing that. My mother was disabled. Blind for practically the entire time I knew her. She had to trust my father pretty much completely. My step-mother practically walks over my father. My father may love her, but I really don't want a marriage like that.

Starscream759 Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: In denial
#78868: Jul 1st 2014 at 4:47:45 PM

"Transform and Roll out!" Optimus Prime
darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#78869: Jul 1st 2014 at 5:16:32 PM

Didn't know you like Jet Set Radio, Star. Played that on the Dreamcast when it came out. Fuck I miss videogames.

Starscream759 Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: In denial
#78870: Jul 1st 2014 at 5:26:30 PM

@Dark I vaguely recall playing that game but ever since I've played the Sonic Allstars games I have a desire to play that game again. And damn is that soundtrack catchy or what.

Looks like I'm gonna be busy buying stuff off Steam this summer.

edited 1st Jul '14 5:32:55 PM by Starscream759

"Transform and Roll out!" Optimus Prime
darkabomination Since: Mar, 2012
#78871: Jul 1st 2014 at 5:32:39 PM

Indeed. That's Naganuma for ya.

Starscream759 Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: In denial
#78872: Jul 1st 2014 at 5:38:54 PM

@Dark Now that is one cool remix there.

"Transform and Roll out!" Optimus Prime
JapaneseTeeth Existence Weighed Against Nonbeing from Meinong's jungle Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Mu
Wryte Since: Jul, 2010
#78875: Jul 1st 2014 at 5:47:21 PM

^ That seems to be going around today, judging by ^^.

Also, queens.

edited 1st Jul '14 6:22:04 PM by Wryte


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