#the episode is called “It Isn't the Mane Thing About You”

[pony-town-skinz]

remember that one time when rarity went punk in season 7? yeah, i think about it all the time :,) she looked insanely cool!! wish she kept the look for longer than half an episode xD

#pony town #mlp #mlp fim #mlp g4 #my little pony #rarity #punk rarity #according to the mlp fandom wiki #the episode is called “It Isn't the Mane Thing About You” #season 7 episode 19 #i love that punk pony!

[mayzi33]

*clears throat.*

(apologize in advance for any mistakes english isn't my first language)

Alright. Here we go.

Look, I haven't watched MLP in a LONGGGG time. But recently with all the stuff I missed our and since the fandom is still pretty much alive and well I decided to take peek by peek in the seasons I haven't watched.

Until I came across, these guys

And I have so much to say.

I didn't write a script for this or anything so I don't know where this rambling is going so I just ask you to bear with me for as much as you can, okay?

Look, watching the Young Six episodes I've experienced one of the things that angers me the most. SUCH. WASTED. POTENTIAL.

You're telling me we got whatever the hell is G5 when instead we could have gotten THESE GUYS???? THESE COOL, UNIQUE CHARACTERS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY THAT MAKES SENSE AND HAVE SI MUCH POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE SICKEST LORE ARCS IN MLP???

I homestly don't know what Hasbro WAS THINKING in giving them so little screentime. There's so much I have to say but I'll try my best to keep my thoughts organized.

First things first, we'll need to talk a little about G5 or "Make Your Mark" series or whatever. I personally enjoyed the movie, though the story didn't make much sense (we'll get to that later) the characters were pretty nice, the songs were catchy and the animation was mwah. I didn't bother to watch all of the G5 series, because- (pardon to all who enjoy it) it's so. Freaking. Boring. Like I know there's a pony girl that's supposed to a traitor among them but then grows onto being their actual friend and there's a villainess and that whole conflict and yada yada yada. But honestly there just isn't anything I found enganging in the entire thing. I can't explain it, it just feels- off. I know I probably don't have much right to talk, cause again, only now I'm diving into the mlp again after missing out A LOT, but I just can't bring myself to like that series.

Now, the whole School Of Friendship saga in the G4 series with our beloved Young Six, I know some people had some issues with it and it didn't please everyone, and while it does have some flaws and is certainly not perfect, you can't deny there was lots of potential. (I'll try to not overuse that word I'm sorry)

I personally, really liked the concept of different creatures from different cultures coming together and forming the perfectly diverse friend group. Episodes like The Hearth's Warming and What Lies Beneath were particuarly really fun, it was nice to dive into their cultures and backstories while also watching the six of them be vulnerable in front of one another and grow closer. If only they had more screentime and more deep episodes like that, they could have been in the top 10 found families in cartoons.

Now, just some other reasons as to why I think they're interesting characters and should've gotten more than what was given to them.

Because

1- Their whole deal is that they're not all ponies, that they have diversities. We get to learn lots about their different cultures and customs. It would've been way better to teach children about acceptance and respectijg differences while also being entertaining

2- We got not one, but TWO male characters in the group. It would make little boys that are interested in mlp feel more comfortable and valid for it. AND those two males also have distinct personalities and their own active roles. Gallus leader of the group, and Sandbar being the only pony therefore the one to stand up for his friends.

3- While they're supposed to be the new represantives of the elements of harmonies, their personalities are still interesting and different from the Mane 6.

Onto that, I really like how it's implied they could be the next helders (or whatever its called) of the elements of harmony. Given their special connection to the tree, how similiar they are to the previous groups (Mane 6 and The Pillars) and how Twilight LITERALLY LIFTED THEM UP AS WELL WHILE SHE SPOKE ABOUT HOW THE ELEMENTS WILL LIVE ON, it would've been such a cool concept.

Onto that, I wanna talk a bit about each of their characters too and how I think they could've been dealt with.

Gallus is the element of magic, but unlike Twilight who's all open and confident-spoken about friendship and all, Gallus is probably the one in the group that's the most closed-off and dislikes getting all cheesy. It would've been interesting seeing his development as the helder ot the element of magic. AND ESPECIALLY since he doesn't have magic in the first place, since Twilight and Starwirl were unicorns. So maybe he could make posions? Get powers someway else? Many posibilities

Sandbar is the element of kindness, but unlike Fluttershy he's extrovert and down to making friends. His overrall personality is that he's constantly very chill-going and nothing seems to ever upset or annoy him. So it also would've been interesting to see how that pattern would break, especially because of his element.

Yona is the element of honesty. She's probably the one that has the hardest time adapting to the Equestrians among the group, and even tried to act like a pony instead of herself one episode. It would've been interesting to see how her element of honest reflects on how she should be true to herself, especially since her Yak culture comes a lot with honor.

Ocellus is more the element of genority, yet, unlike Rarity, she's a lot more like Fluttershy, being timid and insecure, while also being smart and well-read like Twilight. It would've been nice if her development with her element would be gaining confidence in herself and being generous to others that way. Especially since she has a fear of being like the old changling queen (forgot her name) so imagine if she just turned out to be the opposite of her. Instead of selfish and cruel, being generous and kind.

Smolder is the element of loyality, but also like Gallus, she's also not into cheesy stuff. But what I find imteresting about her is how she tries to keep her tough, agressive persona (since thats how dragons are) yet it is revealed she's actually interested in cute, fluffy stuff like tea parties and dresses. So it would've been cool to see her growing confident in admiting her interests, therefore being more like Rainbow Dash, who's always confident on herself

And last but not least, Silverstream is the element of laughter. But what's hooking about it is the fact that Silverstream herself probably hasn't KNOWN what laughter is for a long time, having to hide under King Sombra's rule. She's very talkctive, creative and extrovert, like Pinkie Pie, but she also has her trauma that haunts and intimidates her, unlike Pinkie who usually faces her fears headfront. Another great development story.

So just hear me out, okay. I don't care if MLP is over. I don't care if there's G5.

We. Need. A. Young. Six. Spin-off. Series.

I know it sounds crazy, but I genuely think this idea could work out if it was handled well enough, and Hasbro could make some good money out of this.

Just bear with me. A spin-off series set on the timeline between season 8-9 aka, still on the School Of Friendship, focused entirely on the Young Six. We could still get the Mane 6, of course, but mostly as support characters. It doesn't have to be particularly long series, (though maybe that could work as well IF handled with enough care) maybe just 2 seasons or so. And I'm not thinking like a slice-of-life or fun little extra kind of thing, I'm thinking of ACTUAL lore. Just more about how the tree and the elements work, and how these six students could grow into being their new helders. In each episode it becomes more and more evident to them and the Mane 6 themselves that they're going to be the next generation of the elements. So imagine once they all fully it figure out and talk about it, the Y6 suddenly feel this pressure about how they're supposed to live up to their teachers and fear that they have to be EXACTLY like them. So we see Sandbar taking extra kindness classes with Fluttershy, Yona taking extra honesty classes with Applejack and heck even Gallus is taking studies more seriously (especially since he's supposed to be the element of magic which I find interesting cause he doesn't really have magic at least not the way Twilight and Starwirl do. ) So we could have an entire episode about the M6 getting through to them and showing they don't have to be JUST LIKE THEM nor The Pillars. They can be their own people.

Another main-plot idea would be having more villains, probably trying to test them or tear them apart (cough cough like Swift Foot from the idw comics cough cough) or maybe you could even fit someone as intense as King Sombra in there.

And, of course, more onto their characters, flaws, backstories and cultures! I would love to see more about their people and customs, just as much as I would love to explore their traumas, fears, ugly sides and how they overcome it together (cough cough found family COUGH COUGH GAGS)

And another thing, I especially would've liked to explore Yona's and Sandbar's relantioship.

I MEAN LOOK AT THEM-

Don't they give massive beauty-and-the-beast vibes? I love how their colors and body types contrast with one and another, and their personalities aswell. Yona being loud, cheerful and clumsy while Sandbar is calm, thoughtful and carefree. I just love the big girl x soooorta small guy vibes and I especially loved how gentle and reassuring Sandbar was towards her in that episode. I mean, "I don't care if you're not a pony, you're the best Yona I know." SERIOUSLY? WHO WROTE THAT LINE? I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM A HUG. And also, onto the spin-off series matter, it would also be a cool topic to explore. Imagine if some ponies/yaks are judging them for having a relantioship while being different species and they learn to ignore them and live past that??? I usually don't care much for romance, (always prefered friendship and found families) but this would've been a nice little arc and episode theme to see.

Lastly, (I'm almost done I promise) to the more technical/economical part.

Like I said in the beggining, I genuely think Hasbro could make some good money out of this. Firstly because it will be using the G4 characters and lore and not...whatever mess of a plot G5 is.

And secondly because, if they took the time to give them some cool power-up designs like they did with the Mane 6, I'M SURE the toys would sell.

I mean- JUST LOOK AT THESE COOL DESIGNS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET?? (not mine, credits to whoever made it, you ate that)

DON'T THEY LOOK LIKE A TOY SET THAT WOULD CATCH THE CHILDREN'S EYES ON THE TOY AISLE? OH YES I THINK THEY WOULD.

And if anything, they could be as bold as to make an extra Equestria Girls (well, girls and boys series) with them. I know it sounds kinda dumb, especially given the fact that I'm not sure about how that would work given that when Spike went to the "human dimension" or whatever he turned to a dog... So Smolder would also be a dog? Sandbar would be the only actual human in the group?... BUT I'm sure they could come up with some excuse to make it work. Give them some cool, colorful outfits for different events and I'm sure it would sell. And ESPECIALLY since with Gallus and Sandbar in the group, it could get the attetion of young boys aswell.

Anyways. That was it.

Uhm. Conclusion: Hasbro should hire me. I know what I'm talking about. I think. At least a bit.

And I genuely think this could work if only SOMEONE gave it the time and care.

I don't know how to end ramblings so uhmmmm thank you all for coming ti my pep talk.

They deserved better.

#my little pony #my little pony ramblings #ramblings #young six #student six #gallus #sandbar #yona the yak #ocellus #silverstream #smolder #they deserved better #my little pony g4 #my little pony g5 #my little pony analysis #thoughts #idk what other tags to add

[mdhwrites]

Don't you think it's short selling Sasha and Marcy by saying they aren't major players?

Like it's kinda weird you'd sooner consider the Wartwood citizens to be more major than those two. I mean those guys (like Ivy, Maddie, Croaker, Wally, Toadie, and Felicia) only get like one or two focus episodes per season individually at best and it's not as though they have much of a story arc with them or have as much involvement in the overarching story the same way as Sasha and Marcy do.

Like if you count all the episodes that put Sasha or Marcy in a major role, I'd argue they may actually have more focus episodes than Polly (who appears more than them).

For crying out loud, Matt Braly has outright lumped Sasha and Marcy in as main cast in Tweets with one for season 3B even having him outright state Sasha and Grime are main cast in season 3. Voice director Eden Riegel also lumps Sasha and Marcy's voices as part of the main cast with Anne and the Plantars so they're clearly intended as major players, or at least higher on the prominence scale than the Wartwood citizens.

And it makes me wonder how you would classify characters in other shows that are too prominent to be lumped as simply supporting and nothing more, but also aren't 24/7 main cast.

Owl House has Amity, Willow, Gus, and Hunter (who are kinda similar in prominence with Sasha and Marcy) as not being 24/7 main players like Luz, Eda, King, and Hooty, but also too prominent to be lumped as just supporting and nothing more like the Hexside characters such as Boscha, Skara, Bump, and the Blight Twins.

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic has Starlight, Celestia, Discord, Luna, Trixie, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders as not being 24/7 main players like the Mane 6 + Spike, but too prominent to be lumped as just supporting and nothing more as well.

Star vs the Forces of Evil has Eclipsa, Tom, Moon, Ludo, River, Janna, and Pony Head in that same territory as not being 24/7 main players like Star and Marco, but too prominent to be lumped as just supporting and nothing more.

Steven Universe has Connie, Greg, Peridot, and Lapis in that same territory as not being 24/7 main players like the main 4 Crystal Gems (Steven, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst), but too prominent to be lumped as just supporting and nothing more.

Sasha and Marcy certainly have way more prominence than the Wartwood citizens and I feel you're kinda underestimating them into being minor supporting and nothing more, ignoring their importance to the show's story.

Well, I deleted this after not wanting to deliberate on the definition before but if this is going to come back each time I say what is my opinion:

I have never called Sasha or Marcy minor supporting characters. I even admitted in my last blog to Sasha being the primary antagonist for 2 seasons, just that her presence isn't really felt. Honestly, I've been trying to be NICE to Marcy but she has seven episodes dedicated to her... If you REALLY stretch the definition because I'd argue half of those are actually about Anne while we're simply told things about Marcy for Anne to wallow about or Marcy is just there for moralizing at Maddie in what is actually a Maddie episode so that's closer 3-4 which puts her on par with TOADSTOOL. If not straight up behind him.

I'm not saying they're unimportant. I'm not saying they're bad. Just that the focus of the story is on change and on community. Singular characters struggle to fit those themes. Sasha exists for two entire seasons just to challenge them as she opposes Anne's willingness to change, is stubborn in her refusal to change and loses her community because she's not willing to show care to them. It's really good... But it's SEVEN episode segments out of almost EIGHTY. And in s3, she gets two more dedicated to her and then is more an ensemble member for the Oum stuff, especially mother Oum, and then helps in the final fights of the finale, with a bit of her being commander sprinkled in like any random Wartwood citizen before.

And why is that? Because she joins the main cast the same way ALL of Wartwood is a part of the main cast. In finding community, she finds a place amongst the main players but I do not consider HER, INDIVIDUALLY, to be a main character, just like I don't argue Hop Pop or Polly are INDIVIDUALLY main characters. Honestly, questionably even Sprig.

It's the idea that a supporting group of characters can come together enough to build a main pillar of the show better than any one of them. If you claim NONE of the Wartwood characters are main characters, you trivialize the ENTIRE SETTING. But those characters are interconnected enough, tied together so tightly as a joint unit of characters, even if only one or two may get focus per episode, that you can see their change happen gradually in their own, collective arc.

And that arc is more important and arguably even more powerful. After all, if Wartwood hadn't changed, Sasha would never have gotten her second chance. She'd have died in Turning Point. Or they wouldn't have ever gone back to them in the first place. Marcy might have been told to piss off simply because she was from Newtopia because they didn't want to be looked down on. The armies might not have come together if Wartwood and others weren't moved to start thinking of the bigger picture rather than petty squables.

These are all critical to payoffs in the show and the themes, just as much, if not more, than anything with Sasha. It's why I think Thai Temple is one of the most important S3A episodes because it reassures that you don't have to go to a fantasy realm for community. There are lots of them who wish to share who they are, welcome in people with open minds, etc. like that and who will support each other in dark times.

There's a reason why Anne's final words to the Core, her refusal of it absolutely, isn't about Marcy and Sasha. It's about the world. And of course she's the one standing there because she has had the biggest impact on, and impacted by, the various communities of Earth, Amphibia and Wartwood especially. She is fighting for them, for they are her greatest treasures.

SO. With my having hopefully made myself clear: Let's talk about some of the claims you make with other shows so I can dig myself a hole. If you just want the Amphibia stuff, you can leave now.

TOH is a fucking nightmare to classify. Main characters often are meant to be storytelling engines, help establish what is most important to the show and set the status quote for antagonists and side characters to disrupt. Again, it's why Sasha actually makes a great primary antagonist early on for the capstone episodes because she does challenge Anne on much of this, just isn't around 99% of the time.

TOH has the problem that a story can be poorly written enough to make you wonder "WHO THE FUCK IS THE MAIN CAST!?" There's ALL sorts of arguments I could make, not helped that just time wise, Amity takes up a literal third of the show and doesn't help themes, doesn't push the plot forward and mostly doesn't fit the show's GENRE even. But time wise, she actually gets close to as much, time especially Luz, as Eda does. Eda spends literally NO time with Luz in the second S1 after all because she's too busy spending time with her sister.

Gus and Willow are LAUGHABLE to be called main supporting characters because every single one of Willow's episodes is actually someone else's and Gus gets one every half season and they also had to break their magic for one of them with a retcon. Hell, Willow gets maybe a dozen lines in the entirety of S2A and then I'm not sure if she actually says more than two lines to Luz in the entirety of S2B.

The only other one I can comment on is MLP which I watched... A bit over five seasons if I'm remembering right (I despised Starlight's redemption as one of the worst redemptions I've ever seen, let alone how it felt like they were performing character assassination on others to make Starlight look good afterwards) so this is from that perspective.

And like... No. Just no. Not even the entirety of the Mane 6 are always there and Spike certainly isn't around 24/7 but the only characters you listed, besides Starlight because yes, she was made into a main character, who got more than MAYBE two episodes a season are the Cutie Mark Crusaders. A lot of the fandom WISHES Luna and Celestia did more instead of feeling like a stiff breeze can incapacitate them and getting mentioned does not make you a main character. Trixie was a reoccurring villain but not very often. Even with the CMC, Apple Bloom is a main supporting character of Applejack... But they themselves are more side characters. They're along the same vein as most of the Wartwood citizens honestly.

None of them are bad mind you, I have been inspired by all the characters you've listed (Michael Hudson on fimfiction and no, I do not condone everything there but I don't like denying my past and so I don't nuke the entire account) before and I like a lot of stories with them. It doesn't make them main characters. At best, I'd put them in a middle tier where they're just supporting characters and part of that's simply because SIX MAIN CHARACTERS IS A LOT OF MAIN CHARACTERS. It's kind of hard to get in a word edgewise when that's the case, something TOH also suffers from.

I keep main character status TIGHT because those are the characters the story genuinely revolves around. If your existence only revolves around a different character, you're probably not a main character. As an example of my own work: In Rich Witch, I'd argue Pythia, despite being a part of the main 5 girls, is not a main character. Arguably, neither is Blair as she takes on more of an antagonist role. The main characters of that series are Azu, Igni and Daina. If a plotline doesn't have any effect on those three, I'm not going to include it.

And I think that's just straight up better for storytelling, at least if you're going for a tighter, more focused narrative. After all, the six protagonist for MLP work BECAUSE that show isn't about having a tight narrative so having a wide breadth of perspectives to potentially invoke stories is useful for it.

Amphibia is not the same way which is why I argue if anyone is the main character than Anne... It's in units because the whole of those people being affected matters more than any singular one. And that isn't me calling them bad, or unimportant or disinteresting. It's just me classifying it as I believe and that will paint how I analyze the show.

Sorry if you don't like it.

======+++++======= Side note: Don't expect more blogs on this topic. I have now addressed it but I don't think it's actually that useful of a point to deliberate, not when I'd rather talk about how effective the characters are regardless of their specific titles. After all, for as much as I want to teach with this stuff, it's still MY opinion and this is how I view the show.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

#amphibia #sasha waybright #toh critical #MLP

[gra-sonas]

Alex Manes and Michael Guerin take a big step in their relationship when they decide to move in together in the Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 premiere. This move's importance cannot be understated. It emphasizes their development as individuals and as a couple while still showing they have room to develop -- together. Plus, it bodes well for the fan-favorite couple heading into the alien drama's final season. "Steal My Sunshine" knows how significant this decision is for Alex and Michael because their scenes together in this episode call back to pivotal moments from the past seasons. If that's not an excellent way to kick off the rest of Malex's cosmic love story, what is?

Roswell, New Mexico is another CW reboot of a WB series -- this one Roswell, which premiered in 1999. Michael Vlamis plays Michael Guerin and Tyler Blackburn plays Alex Manes. Alex is a military veteran who loves music while Michael is an alien mechanic and scientist. Alex and Michael fell in love when they were younger, but outside forces drove them apart -- including Alex's abusive, homophobic father Jesse Manes. The pair endure and survive a lot of trauma from both their childhood and adulthood. In the show's latest season finale, they finally rekindled their romance, like a certain Grey's Anatomy couple.

"Steal My Sunshine" finds Michael leaning into his doubts about their relationship's progression. Last season's newcomer Dallas becomes a necessary voice of reason who holds up a mirror to some of Michael's experiences and encourages him to "find the courage to push past this." Michael's internalized pressure comes from a reasonable place after breaking a miniature gazebo that holds sentimental significance to Alex. This gazebo becomes the source of everything from character backstory and meaningful references to Malex's past to a possible bridge to their future.

Alex shares that he created the gazebo with his mother as a symbol of his ideal Roswell. By the end of the season premiere, Alex tells Michael, "I don't need to build a pretend world when I get the chance to build the real thing with you." It's a big deal to hear these two repeatedly assure the other of their love. It's extra special that Alex and Michael can speak about their insecurities with each other without fear of rejection. It's also incredibly meaningful that afterward, Alex asks for Michael's hand because that's where they'll start. That small gesture is grand for Malex considering Roswell, New Mexico's past.

Alex and Michael held each other's hands in front of the statue memorializing Jesse Manes in the Season 3 finale "Never Let You Go." It's then that Alex and Michael knew they had finally beaten Jesse. They were a unified front in that episode and it all started with holding hands. Such a gesture may seem minuscule in the physical intimacy department, but it's not for Michael and Alex considering the abuse they faced for holding hands and loving each other in the past. Now they get to build a safe and loving home together, which is beautiful. It's also something Roswell, New Mexico has been building to with the fan-favorite couple. Who can forget when Alex sang to Michael in a crowded cowboy bar?

One of the lines Alex sang in the Season 2 episode "Mr. Jones" was "I can build your heart a home, and if I did, would you come home?" Michael walked out of the bar, believing their timing wasn't right. But in the Season 3 episode "Angels of the Silences," Michael told Alex, "I'm home." Michael and Alex are each other's home; nevertheless, sometimes Michael needs extra reassurance, which is why Alex says "Guerin, you are the one piece that I cannot go through life without," in that same episode. Alex echoes that sentiment in the Season 4 premiere when he assures Michael that the gazebo isn't everything to him.

Despite Michael's initial doubts, he and Alex are now in a good spot in their relationship. They're embracing vulnerability and tackling challenges together. Even though "Steal My Sunshine" suggests this season is leading up to a Liz and Max wedding, there's a possibility of a Malex wedding, too. Michael shows great interest in understanding how Max knows it's the right time to propose to Liz. Plus, it would be incredibly fitting for Alex and Michael to continue building their ideal world at the actual gazebo in town. Whether wedding bells are in Alex and Michael's future or not, they're building a home in their shared space and each other before the series finale, and that's spectacular.

#malex #alex manes #michael guerin #rnm speculation #rnm spoilers

[pumpkinspiceshiplover]

MLP AU!!!!

Basically, you know that one episode where Pinkie clones herself? Well, this is kinda of an AU based on that.

Right after Pinkie clones herself another "clone" is discovered.

Expect.... she's different.

She has much more muted coat and mane colors than Pinkie. She also seems to not care about fun at all. The only member of the main 6 she trusts is Apple Jack. (This will be explained later in the AU.) She has her own memories that differ from Pinkie's but are somewhat similar. And so they main 6 are torn on what to do. Yes, she is another copy. But she's also almost an entirely different person. Eventually, they come to the decision to keep her under close watch while in Ponyville until they come up with a more permanent solution.

(The contrast between the two)

- She goes by the name Diane since she doesn't want to be called Pinkie

- She unlike Pinkie, is terrible with new people and often either scares them off or fights with them

- She's much more pessimistic and sarcastic

- Quieter Too

- Hates any implication that she is just another version of Pinkie

- She trusts Apple Jack because she doesn't just see her as a clone

- She actually really likes sweets but pertends to hate them, so she isn't anything like Pinkie

- Identity issues and outbursts all the time (which all things considered is fair)

- Unsure why she exists

#mlp g4 #my little pony #my ocs #pinkie pie #mlp pinkie #mlp fim #mlp #Gacha Club #My AU #alternate universe #Emo Pinkie Pie #Pinkie clone episode #gacha designs #a03 fic ? #apple jack #mlp applejack #original #have a good day #original au #headcaons

[glapplebloom]

So let’s give this another look.

Back in 2019, I made a little article about defending Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood using context from the one episode. Though I still see people calling them Bad Parents. You know who else gets called a bad Parent? Goku. Yes, it's a funny joke about how he usually is either training or dead (sometimes both), but Goku does care for his family and has shown it numerous times. Even TFS worked to fix that joke by using it to build their version of Goku. So the question remains: are they bad parents?

As a childless single man, I can tell you I have as much knowledge on raising kids as I have knowledge of quantum mechanics, which is to say little to none. But I am a researcher so looking for articles and information is what I’m good at. And I’m using  healthline.com's article about “Bad Parenting: Signs, Effects, and How to Change It”. Using the stuff here as well as evidence from the show and comic to see if they show signs of it or not.

1 - The Big 2

There are two things that happen that automatically puts you in the Bad Parent category. The first being the most obvious one to disprove: Abuse. Since their job takes them around the world, they have no opportunity to do any kind of abuse onto Scootaloo. And when they are there, there is no physical abuse, emotional abuse, or the other one I refuse to say about an underage kid. Even the comic wasn’t physical abuse since those were controlled environments that Scootaloo could have outed herself at any time.

The other is Neglect. You think being away means they got this. But let’s look at nspcc.org.uk to see what Neglect is. 

Physical neglect: A child's basic needs, such as food, clothing or shelter, are not met or they aren't properly supervised or kept safe.

Scootaloo is in a home with Aunts and were given their blessings by the parents.

Educational neglect: A parent doesn't ensure their child is given an education.

Scootaloo goes to school.

Emotional neglect: A child doesn't get the nurture and stimulation they need. This could be through ignoring, humiliating, intimidating or isolating them.

The parents ensured that Scootaloo had someone taking care of her prior to the Aunts' permanent residence in Ponyville. They don't ignore her as they continue to write letters to her. She's not isolated as all of Ponyville knows her, and the only humiliation she gets is by her own actions.

Medical neglect: A child isn't given proper health care. This includes dental care and refusing or ignoring medical recommendations.

Pretty sure she has access to a good medical care when needed.

So no, neither Scootaloo’s parents (and Goku while we’re at it) do not show these two things, The only time Gohan was physically neglected was when Piccolo kidnapped Gohan while Goku was dead.

2 - Over or under involvement

They’re not helicopter parents, so take that over involvement out. But while they did provide scootaloo with shelter and food, did they ignore Scootaloo’s needs beyond that? I don’t think so. Remember, their plan to move to a closer location with Scootaloo was because they wanted to give her more attention beyond writing letters to her. When she finally stopped trying to trick them into staying in Ponyville and showed them why she needed to stay, they were willing to accommodate her need.

And the comic shows that they’re involved greatly as they stopped what they’re doing when Scootaloo finally says something about what is happening and listens to her when she insists on going to the ice cream parlor before their own plans. Having a job that takes you away from them doesn’t mean you’re not under involved with them. It's just that to provide them with everything they need, they have to go where the job takes them. And ensuring that they have people who can give them emotional support on the spot when they can’t show that they are invested in their kid.

3 - Discipline

Is Scootaloo left for herself? Prior to Flight to the Finish people joke about Scootaloo being an orphan. It wouldn’t be until that episode that shows she has a place to live in that looks pretty good. And it was the books (I forget if it’s the Chapter Books or the Comics) that confirm she has Aunts to take care of her. Add to that the episode that finally established Scootaloo has alive parents and showed that she has an entire system of ponies who take care of her. Between her Aunts, the Cakes and Rarity I’m pretty sure she has enough people to discipline her.

In fact, one of her caretakers is Rainbow Dash. And she has shown that she can let Scootaloo be on her own to make her own decisions but will be there to give her a helping hoof when needed. So I think it is safe to say Scootaloo is not disciplined too strictly or loosely. And when with Scootaloo, they didn’t yell. They didn’t make strict commands. At worst, they did let her off to do her own thing but she was with friends so they knew she was in good hooves.

4 - Withdrawing affection and attention and Shaming

They have never shown to withdraw their affection for Scootaloo when she disagrees with them. They ensured that they loved her and were planning this move to give her the attention she wanted. And when they saw how much Ponyville meant to her, they were willing to let her stay and continue the letter writing and visits. They didn’t shame her for not listening to them or not liking the things they do. They respected her wishes and likes. 

So no, Scootaloo’s parents are not bad parents. They have a job that is important to Equestria and that takes them away from Scootaloo. They ensured that she has an emotional support system by having the Aunts take care of her. They continue to write letters to Scootaloo. They listen to her when she speaks. They respect her decisions. In short, they’re good parents. They gave Scootaloo everything she needed as best as they could given their circumstances. 

Did this convince you or do you have a different outlook? Feel free to reply about your take.

#research bin

[sultrydisdain]

halia thomas / faceclaim, detailed appearance and fashion

a good thing to know about me is that i'm EXCEPTIONALLY basic (and mostly okay with it), and i have never once been able to picture halia as anyone but tswift. so uh. here's a deep dive into halia's appearance, as well as her looks over the years.

general notes:

halia is nowhere near as polished as taylor, probably with the most obvious reason being that she's just an upper-middle class person, both in the muggle and wizarding world.

halia has dusty blonde hair; it has a wave pattern that lends to frizz. she seldom tames this, though she might pin her hair back or braid it to attempt to Tame The Mane. for much of her life, her hair is long; she cuts it short for the first time around 2 years after sirius has been sent to azkaban.

her fingernails are a disaster. she has a nasty habit of chewing them whenever she's nervous. the edges of her nails are often bloody, and she keeps them short.

unlike taylor, she does have some freckles, both on her face as well as on her shoulders and arms. her eyes are the same deep, almost ocean like, blue.

as an adult, she doesn't wear makeup often (though she enjoyed wearing it during her final years at hogwarts), so she won't often sport the signature red lip that taylor has in most photos.

fashion:

despite being raised largely in the muggle world, halia does have a strong fascination with the more eccentric styles seen in the wizarding world. how much she explores this varies based on her timeline.

keep in mind many of these photos are not going to be super accurate to the era she's living in, but are as close as i can find. it's safe to assume that halia follows a LOT of trends seen in both the wizard and muggle worlds, and the images may not perfectly reflect that!

early/mid school years:

long hair, lots of volume, simple clothes (she usually wears her uniform/robes anyway). she loves skirts and pretty blouses when choosing her own clothing. she has a little newsboy-style cap she loves to wear during these years, though she often gets rebuked for trying to wear it in class.

late school years / early time in the order:

her style becomes more eccentric, less restricted by the hogwarts dress code. she keeps her hair long, though she does get a fringe cut. some of her outfits border on dutiful housewife chic. someone help her.

post-sirius in azkaban:

when she isn't at home in her pajamas (i'll discuss her months long depressive episode at a later date), halia begins to pull back on her eccentric style, dressing in what i would call ... Rich B*tch Attire. (in my fic, this is what she looks like while she and severus are together). she cuts her hair short, and, though she does wear more whimsical clothes -- such as the dress on the left -- she sticks to more classic, vintage styles. since she is generally more withdrawn, she doesn't really indulge in some of the more out there trends of the 80s.

hogwarts assistant/tutor:

her fashion sense by the time she's 32 is a little more traditional to what you might see in hogwarts from its professors. she loves soft, rich velvets in crimson or emerald green, nicely tailored slacks paired with loose-fitting button ups, long and warm coats, as well as simple gold accents. she usually wears boots or sensible heels and has a couple of cloaks she wears. her favorite is a velvet green one, much like the one in the photo above.

#about halia #long post // #i know no one cares i just want to talk about Her

[clowncalvary]

My Opinions On The Mane 6 Based On How Little I Know About My Little Pony

I have never watched a single episode of My Little Pony in my life. The most I have ever interacted with this series is being a small child at 7 and chewing on their soft silicone heads. Those tiny combs sucked for trying to comb out the pony hair by the way.

This was encouraged by two quadrantmates, and now I'm pulling everyone else along on my journey as I learn about the "Mane Six", hehe, horse pun.

Twilight Sparkle -

Starting Thoughts: I am still convinced that she is the villain of the show. Like, the actual true villain, but my moirail insists that she is actually the main character. Which, by the way sounds like bullshit because if being on tiktok has taught me anything it is that Rainbow Dash is the main character.

Her Design: Okay, why does she have wings in some pictures and not in others? Is that relevant? I think there is something called an alicorn, but I don't know what that is. I thought there were just pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony. Is it mean to say that I kind of hate her just on sight alone? I'm sure she's a very lovely….pony, but I just don't like her design at all. Very, Not Like Other Girls.

Her Voice: I'm going to be honest. It sounds like the voice actress was asked to do "little girl" and she nailed it. That a child. No other notes.

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: Becoming the princess of friendship sounds like the most fake made up shit I have ever heard in my life. I also don't understand why she would need to send "Friendship Reports", what the hell do you even report on? Your friends did fingerpainting for an hour? Uh, hoofpainting. Yeah. Love that her dad's(?) name is Night Light though.

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: Is the student of pony god? What the fuck did she do to deserve that shit? When pony god says that you're a lonely bitch and you need friends. Also, the fact that pony god has a magic school is incredible; and that Twilight Sparkle really does have a fucking fake ass job. Should have just called her a professional mediator. I don't think she deserves to be a god in the form of an alicorn, but that's just my opinion. She is definately going to use that for evil, tyrant princess coming to you soon.

Rainbow Dash -

Starting Thoughts: This is the main character, right? Took me forever to remember her name at all despite this, but I remembered all my training from Homestuck. I'm pretty sure this is Dirk's favorite pony. Yeah, I honestly don't know anything else about her besides she is Dirk's favorite and people are really weirdly into her.

Her Design: Oh she has wings which means she can fly! Literally looks like she should be the gayest pony, but is kind of giving me more emo girl vibes because of the hair. Rainbow lightning bolt makes no sense, idk what is going on there. OH GOD, WAS SHE THE CUM JAR?!

Her Voice: Oof. Yeah, that's a little annoying. I hate her voice, booing loudly from the stands as I pelt the performer with tomatoes.

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: THIS BITCH HAS WEATHER MAGIC!? Hold on, isn't Princess Celestia a god? Why the fuck is Rarity's opinion being put on the same level as god's? She is the element of air, boom, done.

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: Why isn't she an alicorn? She is literally a weather god, actually I'm going to assume that she IS the weather god because weather doesn't move on its own in ponyville for some reason. The whole thing with the cutie marks sounds like absolutely bullshit level of destiny, they are already predestined, they are just waiting for you to fall into it. This bitch fast apparently. HOW IS THIS THE SAME VOICE ACTOR AS APPLEJACK?!

Pinkie Pie -

Starting Thoughts: The Party Pony? Which is apparently a career option for these mini horses? I know that she marries Weird Al's Ponysona and honestly good for her and him. She is literally pink, I remember that she is pink and has like super curly hair. I thought either she or Rainbow Dash were the main characters for like the longest time.

Her Design: Okay, you've got me, I love her little curly hair. And that in several of these pictures she has decorations in it. Lil balloons as her cutie(?) mark, wait do those marks like decide what the ponies are going to be like? Or do they form out of how the ponies already act? Her destiny was set in stone, damn.

Her Voice: Weirdly addicting voice. I could probably listen to a weird remix on her birthday telegram, it was kind of cute. I would probably go insane if I had to listen to her speak normally though.

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: How did she get a pet alligator? Why is he missing all of his teeth? Please tell me she doesn't feed him sweets, he needs MEAT. Representing the element of laughter just sounds like getting a participation award, so I am giving her the element of fire because she deserves better. Why was including "Ponko Po" so important to start off her wiki?

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: They don't know how she got the alligator either. I love that she is just a professional clown mixed with a party planner. My new favorite career actually. This is a jack of all trades in making people laugh. "She's a party pony, I don't know what you want from me." SHE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE GOD BECAUSE THE 4TH WALL DOES NOT APPLY TO HER. Chaos Magic is exactly what this strange pony deserves.

Apple Jack -

Starting Thoughts: She is a lil cowboy and she is dating Rarity. Quite frankly the only one that I actually remember off of the top of my head. My moirail was making fun of me because she was the only one that I could name starting out. Is my current favorite because I will never actually watch the show and I love that she wears a cowboy hat.

Her Design: SHE HAS FRECKLES?! The hat is as perfect as I thought it would be. She is also a very pleasing color, so this is a 10/10 pony. No notes, and I will not be taking critisism.

Her Voice: Yes. Yes Now This Is Perfection. Love her lil country accent, she is adorable, actually my favorite voice so far. A breath of fresh air.

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: Element of honesty? More like element of earth because she is literally a farmer. Also, love that all of her family seem to be named after different kinds of apples.

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: "Her parents are dead" is not what I was expecting for an opening. Rainbow Dash and Apple Jack are endgame apparently, they are at least living together. SHE HAS A DOG?! I did not internalize that I read she had a dog, whoops. Her cutie mark is an apple, so her personality was always going to be apples. Imagine wanting more out of life, but your destiny mark says 'naw, go pick some apples, punk'. I think Applejack should kill Twilight Sparkle and steal her powers.

Fluttershy -

Starting Thoughts: I'm going to be honest that I have no idea who this is at all. My Moirail says that this is her favorite character, which makes it really bad that I have no idea who she is. I think she is yellow? Maybe she has wings? My thoughts are that I have literally no opinion on her and didn't even know she existed until literally a week ago from writing this.

Her Design: She looks like if Pinkie Pie was drained of all her personality. And pinkness. There are almost no pictures at all where she looks happy, how depressed is this pony?

Her Voice: She sounds like I could bowl her over with a slightly damp sock. That one audio that goes "Oh I wish I could play a little longer", is that her? Is that where that is from?

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: Hold on. There is an element of kindness? Why couldn't she have been the element of water because of her sad wet cat appearance lol.

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: Confirmed for Sad Wet Cat. It took 10 seasons for her to grow a spine; slower than Jonathan Sims, that's impressive. Might as well be Snow White, but in horse format. Has a useful ability, but refuses to use it, until after 10 seasons. "She has a brother, but he sucks" lol. Discord might be in love with her? She really is the Snow White but specifically for chaos gods.

Rarity -

Starting Thoughts: I think she is supposed to be the prim and proper one? I'm 90% sure without looking that she wears makeup and diamonds. Also that she is shipped with Applejack a lot, I don't know if that is canon or if fanon is just right. She is the original purple one in my mind's eye; Twilight Whomst? Probably would be my favorite if I ever actually watched this show.

Her Design: I KNEW SHE WORE MAKEUP! Very proud of myself for calling that one, also her cutie mark is diamonds, so that is cool. I do NOT like the sultry look she is giving in most of these screenshots though. 8/10, could use less of that, thank you very much.

Her Voice: Is she french? Or like that kind of fake french that people that desperately want to sound fancy do? I have no idea, honestly a very mid voice so far, but considering the other contenders she is in good straits.

Thoughts After Reading The Basic Wiki: I guess I'm just supposed to know who Sweetie Belle is. Why does everyone have an actual job except for Twilight Sparkle? Representing the element of generosity is hilarious considering all the diamonds.

Thoughts After My Moirail Ranted About This Pony: Had a real Daphne beginning. Gets no romantic interest at the end, we do like an independant WomPony. Dragons eat gems in this world and Spike is an ungrateful bastard. Surprisingly nice because she makes people things. She had a real Double D moment learning to be sassy at the end. Everyone's parents in this show are either dead or absent, no wonder the elements are all fucked up. Has the most absent parents though, slay queen.

#lost lists by clowncalvary #MLP #My Little Pony #Very fun to learn about this

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

... her rainbow what now? OK I what FiM for the first two seasons plus the first couple of episodes of season 3 so I must ask, the fuck did I miss? Like I know about twilight becoming an alicorn and Discord redeeming himself (and possibly hooking up with Fluttershy) but is their anything else that I missed after leaving the mlp Fandom?

//Ok, so to sum it up... (And I know this because I had to do extensive research on the lore of My Little Pony for this matchup)

//In My Little Pony, there's a thing called the Elements of Harmony which in Equestria are these fabled relics. They bestow great power upon those who are in tune with the Magic of Friendship, having grown from the Tree of Harmony planted by Star Swirl and the Pillars of Equestria, with Fluttershy's specifically being the Element of Kindness.

//During the Season 4 finale when the Ponies fought the Demon Centaur, Tirek, they went to the Tree of Harmony and opened up this sacred chest thing, and it gives Twilight and her friends a powerful magic that transforms them; which isn't named in the series, but it's marketed as "Rainbow Power" on toys and other products. After Tirek absorbed the magic of unicorns, Pegasi, Earth ponies, and the Alicorn princesses, the ponies used this magic to defeat him and return his stolen magic back to its rightful owners.

//As an outsider on this fandom, it's hard to understand everything that goes on, but from the way I look at it, they no longer need to use the Elements of Harmony because they've become the physical embodiment of the Elements themself.

//Consider it as similar to how Goku initially became a Super Saiyan God by combining the strength of six Saiyans with pure hearts, but he subsequently no longer required that to possess the same power since it had been "absorbed into his world" as Beerus put it. While it's not the greatest illustration, it's comparable to the Mane 6 since they have "absorbed" the elements into themselves and are thus not in need of the jewels.

//Ultimately, though, it's only ever seen once, and it was created solely to increase toy sales for the franchise, which is totally understandable.

//Hope that cleared some things up for you, but I bet it didn't, lol

-Mod

#mod #warriors of other worlds arc

[celibibratty]

"For a show called friendship is magic, this was a very toxic friend group(insert mane sixes image)"

For more that i Love the man3 six, i need to agree with that😅, this even was one of the reasons me and marina as kids didn't like/enjoyed friendsh1p 1s m4gic that much(tbh i still dont enjoy fim that much😒), I don't like much this t0xic talk ngl(this too much an ant1 thing), like, it just a cartoon, and sometimes t0xic can be interesting/funny, but anyway i want to complain about fim, so let's complain about it😂, they were so meanies, i hated it, It had various moments on this serie (specially in the first seasons) that they were so annoying with each other and me kid get it mad, i remember the first episode i watch it was one that tw1light wanted to enjoy a winter festival, but she wasn't "good" at anything And it had a moment that she volunter to help appl3jack by pushing a...idk what was the thing but it was a heavy thing that do something with the land, but twil1ght knowing that she wasn't that strong, but also not wanting to lose her only chance of being useful she pushes it Using her magic(but she was doing that in secret) and it had a moment that sp1ke was with applej4ck and seems he Said something like "she is doing great, isn't it?" And appl3jack responded like "Oh, really?"(in a angry/suspicious way) i remember me kid getting so mad with this, What you mean with that appl3jack💢,you don't think tw1light is capable of doing?💢,what its the problem with her using her magic?She is helping!💢Just because she can mess things up, you care more about getting things perfect than make your friend creates a memory with something (it wasn't a very good first impression of the show), another one, argh, this episode i/we hate it by itself, but oh god this moment made me mad, it was one episode where pink1e p1e volunter to babysit those fuckin mr and mrs cake babies, but everybody seems to not Support the idea (which it's okay), but i hate that the way they didnt support it wasn't like"oh, pinkie,you young and you're only Just one pony, taking care of two babies is hard", it was more like"OMG, NO,ITS PINKIE PIE,SHE IS TOO MUCH, SHE WILL HARM OUR BABIES,please, not her", Which this thing with p1nkie's way it's already another "t0xic"thing between the mane sixes in fim,in the show always has one of the man3 sixes that looks judgemental or bothered by pinkie's exagerated reactions/way(specially tw1light),and its kinda mean,like, that's just her way (Me simping for pony life)thats why i love pony life, i love that pinkie pie is loud and crazy as she is, but i dont feel any one of the mane sixes look down on her for it, she is their friend and they love her for it, i also like that pinkie is more than just character That appears to make things chaotic or come with a crowd,in pony life she has goals, she is responsible and sometimes she feels more things than just being the happy and social butterfly pony,(i mean in fim it has some ep that she's like that too💦, but i like more in pony life), Continuing talking about the episode, it has a moment that tw1light appears because she doubt pinkie's ability as if she is not responsible (talking like that doesn't seem that mean, but it anger me at the time) and also pinkie pie got mad by twilight comment, So mad that she even rejects twilight help and kick her out of the house, i feel so bad for pinkie pie in this episode, she cries, SHE CRIES, she cries of frustation, cuz everything was going wrong and she just wanted to prove to everybody that she is capable of doing it And twilight's comment Just made her wanted to prove more, i think it has more moments where the mane sixes are mean with each other in fim

#I was forgetting about this post/text of mine (of course #I forgetting X itter won't let me see my posts anymore😒 #Well now it's in here too✨ #I didn't expected this to get so big💦 #Wish i could remember a mean situation with all of the man3 sixes but i don t watched fim that much #I recommend marina's text cuz she gives a plus she talks about an episode involving rainbow dash and she is the victim of this ep #I remember even i'm as a traumatized kid that I was at the time i mocked a little the shows name ;hmph why the name of this is... #Friendship is magic but it seems to show me more reasons for why friendship sucks😒; #Ironic that friendship is magic is the one that has friendship in the name but i think pony life shows/has better friendship values than fi #ponies discussion

[bailey-dreamfoot]

OK QUICK MINITHEORY WITH SIME RUIN SPOILERS SO BEWARE

funky shit under the cut :>

OK SO

You guys know this weird ass rabbit thing, right? The thing ppl are calling "the Entity."

Well I heard a few other folks comparing it to Glitch Trap, and I don't quite think thats exactly right. My personal theory for what this character is, is it's a manifestation of the Afton Virus that's causing all the Glamrocks to go nuts.

I mean like think about it, We find him in AR while using the Vanny mask - maybe the exact one Vanny wears - covered in wires and other weird shit. Helpy says in RUIN that the V.A.N.N.I network is some sort of employee tool- which, I mean- alright I guess. But concider this, when You first pick up the mask, the eye-lenses on the inside are purple. A universal sign in these games of Afton's presence- in one way or another. So what if one of the things driving Vanessa to be- well Vanny, is the Afton Virus implanting itself in the mask? Or, alternatively- the Afton Virus was transfered from Vanessa, and into the mask when she takes it off? Just as it's transferred from the VR headset to Vanessa in Help Wanted.

IDK, just spitballing.

Something I also found, weird at first when this rabbit thing popped up was- if The Entity is supposed to be the Afton Virus, why isn't it more purple? Now it's kinda got this blue- violet kinda tint. Like there's still purple in there, you can see it on the nose of this model, but blue is much more present. So I have 3 ideas.

1. It's Got something to do with Bonnie.

The only blue rabbit throughout most of the games seems like it'd have ties to a newer blue toned-rabbit popping up, you know? It's also interesting- considering that we finally got glimpses as to what cannon Glamrock Bonnie looked like in RUIN- and tbh just general acknowledgement of him.

2. Someone else is in control.

Admitedly this one isn't super convincing. The gameplay makes it abundantly clear that The Entity (Or as I've decided To call it, Trojan-Trap (get it? bc of the virus? heh.)), and the Mimic- tryna trick Cassie into coming down to the basement by pretending to be Gregory, are NOT WORKING TOGETHER. Neither of them are on our side obviously, but if Trojan-Trap wanted you to get to the basement, he wouldnt impede your progress every 5 minutes with inhibitors. It does however suggest hes tryna get Cassie to become infected by the virus by locking her into the mask. As for the mimic, it shuts down Trojan-Trap at least twice if I'm remembering right. If Afton was in some way in full control of Trojan-Trap, you'd think the child murderer would be trying to, ya know. do that. Idk who else could be maning the virus, but I'm suspicious it's not just whatever's left of Afton that's in control. And I don't think it's Vanny either, because she's represented with red not blue lol (although there is some red present in this design so theres that)

3. Something about Tiger Rock.

So if you're unaware, Tiger Rock is a character in the "Tales from the Pizza-Plex" book series. The jist is, that they are an entity in control of the Pizza-Plex, and are controlled by AI replicas (?) of Charlotte (The Puppet) and Elizabeth (Baby). I'm basing this off a Game Theory Episode covering it- so I recommend you watch that if you wanna know more. The idea is- since Tiger Rock has a Green and a Blue eye, they represent Baby and Charlotte- because eye colors be like that in FNaF. This is also why there are so many Nightmarionne references in the base game of Security Breach- from striped wires, to plushies hidden everywhere, to the face being painted onto the broken staff bots in the basement + the jumpscare noise being present in the staffbot's screams. So humor me- what if The Puppet managed to get some amount of control over the Afton Virus? Granted- we don't know much of why they would want to do that, but maybe they're trying to use it for something besides what Afton made it for. Maybe they wanna use it to try to get any killer-animatronic Afton's ever made disabled or destroyed. IDK, but it's something to chew on.

AND CAN WE PLEASE ACKNLOWLADGE HOW CLOSE THE NAME CASSIE IS TO CASSIDY??

LIKE OH MY GOD

I kept writing Cassidy instead of Cassie while typing this.

Anyway- I wanna call the Entity Trojan-Trap, that's the real take-a-way here.

#i am mentally ill ch 2 #bailey’s ramblings #fnaf ruin #fnaf theory

[eemoo1o-mlpoo]

A New Generation’s Elements of Harmony (Headcanon)

In the name of spoilers, I've added a readmore.

I haven't seen this be done yet (in other words, I'm sorry if it's been discussed), and this is purely an instalment of inspiration.

This subject is a tricky one. We haven't been told about the Elements of Harmony in this new storyline, and the only thing remotely similar is the Crystal of Friendship, or whatever the buck that thing is called.

See? I'm already censoring myself with horse-related puns.

It's also tricky because we've now got five mane characters instead of six. And, last we all checked, the Elements ended up fusing with the Tree of Harmony (who's spirit I'm still convinced is a Draconequus, but whatever, I'm totally over it).

So, I'm ruling out the Element of Magic. Why? Because it's the odd one out in the 'concepts of friendship' doohickey. I mean- to be nicer about it: the 'characteristics of friendship'.

We've heard 'friendship is magic' a multitude of times, but never 'friendship is kindness' or 'friendship is generosity', yaddi-yadda.

Thus: the mane five of generation five (ohh, I see what they did there) all represent the Element of Magic. They brought friendship back, after all, did they not?

Stereotypically, Pipp - as the Rarity of the group - would be generosity, Sunny - Twilight - would be Magic, Zipp - Rainbow Dash - would be loyalty, and Izzy - Pinkie Pie - would be laughter, because they're the 'carbon copies' of the Mane Six from generation four.

In addition to this, I call horsecrap. The only one I agree with is Izzy as laughter. She's eager to make friends - like Pinkie Pie - and finds joy in most things, in contrast to what the magicless unicorns were (like the rest of the Pie Family).

Let's start with Sunny, though: she was unwilling to give up on the idea of friendship with the other two species. This could put her in Twilight's shoes, but here's one much more fitting:

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie tried to fight the manticore in the Everfree back in the second episode. It wasn't until Fluttershy - who hadn't been participating in such - screamed out that they stopped.

The 'screaming out' in generation five is Sunny reuniting the species with her new friends. The 'attacking' is, well, the war that Sprout had prepared, and the 'not participating' is not giving into the nasty rumours that had been spread.

Abbreviated: Sunny is the Element of Kindness.

Now, for Hitch (who I was actually pretty surprised about not being Sunny's brother. I mean, was that just me? They look more like siblings than Applejack and her siblings ever did, or Zipp and Pipp when their mother isn't present. Like, come on, that would have worked so well!).

He's the sheriff - which could put him in line to be Applejack's counterpart. He was pretty blunt with Sunny about her antics at the mall. But, so was Rainbow Dash. I mean, there was a whole thing in the fandom about her and Applejack not deserving their own Elements, but each other's.

Hitch and Zipp could fill those roles perfectly. But, more on her later.

You could put this down to duty, but as her friend, Hitch never gave up on Sunny, even as his and the town's patience began wearing thin. Plus, wasn't his first-or-second line the cutest thing ever "Don't worry, Sunny, we can play the game your way, I don't mind.", basically showing that he was sticking by Sunny when she got upset because of Sprout's own antics.

And, when he eventually found her in Zephyr Heights (which I so desperately want to be connected to Zephyr Breeze, as well as Zipp's full name 'Zephyrina', even if it is just for a joke) and saw that she needed his companionship more than ever, he stuck by her side, even eventually discarding his own beliefs in the process.

First of all: friendship goals. Secondly: if the writers make one of our leading mares a love interest to him I'll... probably keep watching, but still. (I could tell they were trying to set up some sort of chemistry/dynamic between him and Pipp and him and Izzy, sort of making an Edward-Jacob scenario, and I don't quite know how I feel, yet. I mean, if you're going to ship him with anypony, let it be Sprout!).

Thirdly, this would place Hitch in the loyalty division, and to be frank, I think it fits!

Now, for Pipp Petals. Like Izzy, I think she could shimmy into her counterpart's hooves well. She - although first being portrayed as rather neutral about the whole unicorn-and-earth-pony-ordeal - inevitably gave up her shining spotlight to help her sister, Sunny, and Izzy escape the hullabaloo the revealed wires had caused, even after Zipp had left her quite literally hanging there (which kicked Zipp out of the spot as the Element of Loyalty quite easily) in a similar fashion to how Rarity had cut off her tail for Steven Magnet.

Abbreviation: Pipp stays in the generosity slot.

Now, for Zipp:

She gave up almost everything to reveal the truth. Multiple times, she said that she hated living a lie. She wanted to fly, and if deliberately disobeying her mother and revealing the truth was the way to do that, then so be it.

I mean, the sheer pain on her face when she was looking at that Wonderbolts' poster was just... wow. She faced the truth - she told it - despite how much it hurt her.

It reminds me of Discord's spell over Applejack in generation four's second season premiere. Well, in reverse that is.

You could tell that flying was her passion (like Rainbow Dash, but that doesn't make her a complete carbon copy and place her into the role as the Element of Loyalty), and she often ran to the neighbouring mountain range to play out the closest thing she'd get to actually flying: parkour!.

I could be nitpicking, but I recall Applejack facing the truth after running to a far away cherry farm. It was a problem she overcame, like Zipp had to.

In conclusion: the mane five all represent the Element of Magic - as Friendship - with respective Elements of their own. Izzy Moonbow is the Element of Laughter, Sunny Starscout is the Element of Kindness, Hitch Trailblazer is the Element of Loyalty, Pipp Petals is the Element of Generosity, and Zipp Storm is the Element of Honesty.

What do you think? Did I miss anything?

Do you have any alterations you would like to add? I'd love to hear them if you do.

Oh, and Sprout is Starlight Glimmer. Think about it; he totally is.

#my little pony friendship is magic #mlp #my little pony #mlp fim #my little pony fim #mlp headcanon #mlp headcanons #mlp sprout #mlp izzy moonbow #mlp izzy #mlp sunny #mlp sunny starscout #mlp hitch #mlp hitch trailblazer #mlp zipp #mlp pipp #mlp pipp petals #mlp zephyrina #mlp zephyr breeze #mlp ang #mlp a new generation #my little pony ang #my little pony a new generation #headcanon #headcanons #mlp the elements of harmony #mlp the tree of harmony #mlp tree of harmony #mlp draconequus

[lily-orchard-gossip-blog]

I'm not familiar with MLP much so I just looked up the episode (Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep), how is it perceived as suicide related? Honest question; sounds a bit more on the self harm side but idk what Orchard's argument is/was

The suicide thing comes from how Lily talks about self-harm.

So, the video itself is called Self Destruction, and is split into two parts, the first half is about anxiety and how it relates to Fluttershy, while the second half is about Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep.

The first part of that section is her talking about how she felt the episode would have been better if it was a metaphor for depression, as the Tantabuce would then be an external, malevolent being that targets Luna, rather then the reveal that Luna created it herself out of guilt.

Lily then proceeds to talk about self harm, and says that if she found out that someone she knows was committing self injury, she would drag them to a psychiatrics ward against their will. She then comments how she doesn't care is she's hated, but that she just wants them to live by the end of it.

The way she talks about it makes it sound like the person who is harming themselves is about to commit suicide.

Of course, there are a few problems with what she's saying:

Firstly, if the person is an adult, they can just refuse to go into the ward, unless you get them forcefully admitted.

Secondly, Self Harm or also known as self injury, is often not a suicide attempt, but rather a means of coping with intense emotions.

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Common-with-Mental-Illness/Self-harm

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/self-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20350950

What Lily is suggesting is also not what they recommend for people who know someone who is self harming.

What they do recommend is that:

You listen to the person who is hurting themselves.

Offer a non-judgmental ear.

Encourage them to seek help.

Offer them ways to find information.

And to try to be as supportive as you can.

https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/how-to-help-a-friend-who-is-self-harming

https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2018/12/how-to-help-someone-who-self-harms/

Funnily enough, that's what happens in the episode. The mane six listen to Luna in a non judgmental way, they listen to her problems, and the offer her support and promise to help her when she needs it.

Lily then says that the episode treats it as a fun little quirk that's easily solved, and then continues to talk about it as if it's depression, and how medication is important because it's a band aid.

(That last part isn't wrong, it's just jarring how quickly she goes from someone self harming, to linking that to suicide, then back to depression.)

I know she did an addendum, but Self Destruction was the video anon was talking about, and the only one I'm going to cover.

I hope this explains things.

#tw suicide #tw intrusive thoughts #tw self injury #tw self destruction

[ashesandhalefire]

#mrs. white from clue doing flames flames flames on the sides of my face #but it's me going names. name NAMES names. #the carelessness with names in this season's scripts was inexcusable #why is michael calling him manes? why is max calling him guerin? why is nobody proofreading this shit?

Your tags always make me laugh but seriously!! Is that....not what the showrunner is for? To make sure there is continuity in things, especially things as simple as naming conventions? Do they not have character relationship lists of what the relationship is (family/romantic etc), what their interactions are like (strained/in love/BFFs etc) and what the characters call each other (Michael does NOT call Alex "Manes" ever, Liz likes to use Max's full name for emphasis etc)???

They need an Amy Santiago on their team with color coded binders that she hits people over the head with when they try to write big, emotional beat scenes between two characters that don't make sense, or when they put the wrong name in the scrip for what characters usually call each other.

Your other tag about people getting paid for this stuff really hits home. How are they so blasé about this stuff when it's literally their job?

i would love if there was someone with a binder that could just be there to beat the shit out of writers - showrunners included - that clearly aren't paying attention. and, yeah, like you said, there should also be some things that are just generally understood. how characters talk should be consistent! apparently they were too busy coming up with a million entirely unnecessary pop culture references to bother reconsidering why max would spend 38 episodes in a row calling him "michael" and then suddenly switch to calling him "guerin" in the eleventh hour. (and, look, i don't know how it works on set, but at what point are the actors not like... heyyy, quick question, can i take a Liberty here and make an Adjustment?)

and it's even more frustrating that they obviously don't give a shit because there isn't even anyone who calls them out because most reviewers are cowards that need to protect their ability to get actor interviews to generate clicks and the writers generally aren't accessible to fans so it's not like people get on line at cons with their pre-approved questions like "uh, yeah, this one is for alanna - why do you suck at what you do?'

#asks for ts #anonymous #wank for ts #emerges from a fog of Obligations to answer this ask three days later

[interestsofabookwormbitch]

Season 1 Episode 13

Ok, just over 3 hours for the last episode of the season. I'm good with that time. Not so good with where we left off though.

I was so excited to start the next episode I forgot to click it....😑

Yo, I like the intro again. Idk, the opening monologues are usually really good at catching my attention. Even when it's already enthralled.

Look, I 100% get where Michael's coming from, and I get what he wants, but I am way too worried about what Noah could do. I'd also much rather Max put his gun down, cause that's just not it. Hmm if only Noah would die while right now

Michael! Baby! Please. And torture is just worse then dying.

Pfff. I didn't think I'd laugh, but Max just shooting the antidote made me fucking snort. It shouldn't have, but it did.

Also, sidenote... how are they gonna explain Noah's disappearance? Like idk, that's gonna look sketchy.

Michael and Max are on such different sides on how they feel about things, and it's why they keep getting into conflicts. Like I've talked on the whole family and belonging thing before I believe. Michael feels he'll belong amongst aliens, Max feels what they've got is all they need, yada yada. It's still upsetting to see.

Ah shit. Michael please don't. We can't have Noah running around. Because see now that we might get that, I know 100% that it's a bad thing.

Aydgsjzyzyhhzgzydy! See BAD FUCKING IDEA! Shit! Fuck!! Ok, Michael will be ok, but this is most certainly a bad thing.

And now Noah's gonna be healed without anyone watching, he's gonna be running around again. This is not good.

Hey Maria. They didn't tell her anything. Ngl, I kinda thought they would

Wait wait wait wait! That necklace! The flower! Powder! Oh shit, that's supposed connect her family to aliens back in time. Yo that's cool!

I was wondering if it's supposed to protect her from them, and my first thought was how I don't think she was wearing it when Noah jumped in her body, then I realized she was when Isobel influenced her, so I thought it didn't work, then I remembered Isobel got sick from that! It does work!

Liz just went through a lot there lmao. She was about ready to jump on Maria/Michael, then learning about Alex and Michael, and now she's here. Both her friends have something with Michael. Lmao

"If we could choose we wouldn't fall at all," um excuse you, I would most certainly choose to fall in love. So sshh. Lol

Of fucking course it was Manes! Does this man do anything that isn't fucking sick and twisted?

Can we go back to Michael though? He's kinda bleeding out right now.

No? Ok, instead we go to this asshole. Great. Dude, they're planning murder right now, aren't they?

Oh shit, I am very uncomfortable with Liz in here alone.

Ah shit. He's here. Ok, well this isn't good

Oh, she has that dust! Theres gonna be more that'll happen, but at least there's this.

Ok, we're back to the house. I'm a little concerned about getting to Michael, but you know what, once Max sees he will be too, so I should just let it play.

Did it work? I mean, duh it has to, I know he's alive and well later on, but I still get worried.

Ok, but why does Noah have like all their powers? I just realized I never asked that. What's special about him.

Ha "I thought you were the smart sister" he says as he gets outsmarted.

Yeah, Michael may not be the best person to have around right now. I love him, but he's not in a good place right now.

Tell her something she doesn't know.

What is she thinking?

Pffff.....

Oh wait. Liz doesn't know this. Kyle! Why didn't you tell her!?

I am not convinced she's fine. I'm fairly sure she got stabbed, and the more she says she's ok, the more sure I am.

Girl! Go to the fucking hospital! You're human, you can go. There'll be questions, but that's not all that important right now.

Ok, while I don't hate that guy dying, Noah gaining strength is something I do hate.

Ok, she called Kyle. That'll work as well.

Fuck off. I knew she wouldn't be good too. It sucks how she can be controlled. I can't wait til we're completely done with Noah for good.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. I don't like what is happening. Nope not one bit! I keep remembering the picture! Why is Max see through? I don't like this. I am not okay. I know in my heart if he dies he's coming back (hence, see through. He'll still be around to some capacity) but I cannot deal with it if he dies I cannot I cannot I cannot. Nope nope nope.

Yeah, ok, Kyle's right, Liz should be in the hospital, but I also get her reasoning too. At least she has a doctor though.

He knew. Sorry Liz. Oh, she's just understanding about that. Wow ok. I expected her to be mad he didn't tell her. But I guess I should know better.

Hey Michael's up! Hey buddy, look I love you and Alex, and I love that Alex is here, but imma need you to head out and find Max, because he's not doing so hot rn. Also that is your blood actually.

Alex, any of other fucking time I would love this, but right now, I need you to stop. I am sorry, now is really not the fucking time Max is about to fucking die, and I can't say I'm gonna be okay either.

Look, I'm sympathizing with Alex, I feel bad for him, I'm happy he's talking, but I just... not right now. The timing is horrible. I don't even know if Michael could find the other two, so it's not a great situation we're in, but he's the best chance we've got right now of somehow helping, because Max is currently getting the his insides torn up, Isobel is out of commission. I just need some reassurance. Maybe even, idk, going back there in the show?

Bitch if this keeps up this is gonna be the episode I spoil myself for everything in. It is so tempting. Literally the only reason I have not read wiki is because I'm liveblogging. It is killing me. I am actually dying. Most shows I end Googling everything about after 3 episodes. I never wait and anticipate. Even when I watched the Walking Dead, if we weren't on time with the weeks episode, I'd read the episode description before watching.

Ok back to the show.... I don't want to keep watching. Lmao.

Shit! Ok, so, hey, he knows where to go now! And yeah, tomorrow's a great time Alex. Would have been better, but you know.

Oh, he didn't kill them. Well I mean duh. But why?

Who? The aliens are coming back? Oh shit. Ok, who are our aliens? Why wouldn't they be left here?

Saviour? What is all of that. Yo! They have more powers. Yeah, ok, see I don't mind the idea that aliens were the gods. It's fun to think about.

Yes! Ok, Michael's here! But now, um, well, how do we deal with Noah? Cause he's still powerful.

Where's he going? What are you doing Max? Also, I don't like leaving Michael in there alone either. Um, yeah no. Not a good idea.

Ok, I see what you're doing. He's gonna pull a Pikachu. That makes me nervous. But I mean so does anything. The image cover really just puts me on the edge of my seat. Watch it all be some stupid thing that means nothing and I've been freaking out half the season for nothing.

Um, what happened to Michael. You know, Noah coming out of the cave doesn't make me feel good.

Ophiuchus always annoyed me tbh. It throws off all the zodiac. Throws off the patterns, the even levels of everything. Does it even have masculine or feminine aspects? How about fixed, mutable, or cardinal? Whats it's element; fire, water, air, or earth? It doesn't make sense. And if you give it one of any of these the numbers are thrown off. Ophiuchus sucks. Am I trying to distract myself from my worries? Why yes, yes I am.

Ok, Michael's out, which, we knew, but Isobel is now up! So that could be good.

That's a lot of electricity. Yeah, Max is gonna kill him

Isobel? What are you doing? Oh. She did that to break up with him. Ok, fair I guess. It's her life

Take care of who? The only person I can think of is Rosa, but she's dead, so it can't be her.

Oh Michael's up too, and Noah is dead now. Deserves it. We still have half an episode though... hmm. Setting up for next season?

Yes, 'Murica and it's guns.

Kyle is going a little loopy. He should talk to someone.

'Murica! You think someone's going crazy, and instead of not selling him the gun, you sell it cheaper.

Ok, fall out with Noah now.

Isobel☹

Look, I tend to agree that you focus on what you have and try and make the most of it. And I don't think they should be obsessed with their pasts, but I do think they shouldn't ignore them either. There's stuff to learn, and knowing things about who they are would definitely come in handy.

Also, Max definitely feels off. He's overly celebratory me thinks. I worry what this'll entail.

Ok, hmm, this is unsettling. Also definitely got that power boost from killing... I really hope hat nothing bad comes from it.

Don't worry Liz, that's from way before.

They ate still so cute together though. Like ngl.

Lmao, thirsty girl. Oh, first time sleeping together in the season finale.

Yep, says nothing about you Isobel.

Lmao, I mean fair enough. Yeah, her relationship problems definitely took first place in shitty relationships

Michael..... It's not Alex's fault, but like, yeah, his family history would definitely factor in a lot. Most of the trauma the Michael has suffered is at least in part due to the Manes family. That's a really shitty situation to be in.

Oh, is this Noah's cave?

IT'S FUCKING ROSA!? Well ok, I guess it was Rosa he meant afterall. Fuck me.

Wait, how is she even in there? She's human. Can humans be in there? Apparently. It works on everything. Does this mean she's aware of her surroundings though? You know, since his is a defective pod? Or I guess not since she's dead. So she's gonna come back then right? Like they're not gonna have her body there to leave it at that.

Yeah, um, no, you're not gonna see yours. He is though. Yeah.

It's because the mystery was something that was essentially keeping her alive. It was more you could learn about her, and uncover and all that. It was a new side of her you didn't know, something you usually find only while alive

DID HE JUST FUCKING KILL KYLE!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? WHAT THE FUCK DUDE? I was not predicting that at all. The fucking image made me focus on Max (which by the way seems to be a fakeout. Unless something happens next season. I can't really see him dying now. Though tbf, Kyle getting shot came out of left field too, so...)

Oh he's not dead. Well that reaction was for nothing then. Damn. Bulletproof vest I'm assuming. Nice idea.

Ok, went for a vest instead of a gun. I actually like that. Though, Kyle, you may want some kind of back up. Hmm, I mean that works too. I am worried though for Kyle's sanity. He's been through it the last couple days.

Yeah, they definitely have to tell Liz. Idc what they think it'll do to her, but she would want to know.

Max, that's not a good idea. And Noah was stronger because he killed. This is not something you can do.

Michael is 100% right right now. Yes, the best situation would be to take some time, bury her, though also tell Liz. We are not gonna try and bring back the dead. Bad Idea.

Max I don't like that look.

And Michael is visiting Maria right now. Dude, why did they have to have Alex talk to Michael like just the day before. If they didn't I wouldn't be feeling conflicted right now. I'd just say let him be. And then what he said to Isobel. Ugh! I think I'm gonna do a wrap up post about the season later.

I hate love triangles, someone always gets hurt. Usually me.

Ok ok ok. I mean its cute.

Oh, he can play again! I wonder how good that feels!

😬 she's not there Liz.

Max! No! I am scared! This could go so so wrong! Ah shit! Max! Consult people!

This with Liz's speech is giving me mood whiplash.

Isobel is practicing other powers. It's working! Yo that'll be so cool!

Ah shit. And this is what I mean about things hurting. Alex just sitting there waiting. See like I said, if this wasn't an issue, I wouldn't be upset. And same would've went the other way too. Idk, waiting is the worst. Like no matter how I feel about a ship, unless the person is an asshole, watching someone just sit and wait makes me hurt. I know I've never actually experienced that, but like, it's the one thing about relationships and relationship woes that I feel intimately familiar with, despite not dating. Maybe it's a past life thing, left a scar on my soul.

Yeah, um Maria's noticed noticed hand. See, this wouldn't be an issue if people let her in on the secret! Like dude, she's the ONLY one who doesn't know.

Isobel! She did it! Nice! Good for her good for her.

Ok, back to Max, this will not end well. Like either somethings gonna be wrong with Rosa when she comes back, or he's gonna be sick/hurt.

Rosa's back! But, and I'm sorry to brush you off girl, Where's MAX!?

Wait is this gonna be why he's see through!? He's not gonna fucking die in like the last minute of the season right? Like that's not gonna happen. They wouldn't do that. I'm right. Right? Nah. He'll be fine, like that be the worst cliffhanger to leave off on for people who first watched this.

Imagine though, seeing your sister after that. How would that feel. How could you feel?

Ah shit! Nononnonononobobinonkifuzgsgsygzgd they didn't nopenopenopenopenopenoepnoepenodp I refuse I do not accept I do not see he is not dead, episode ended earlier. I do not care. Nothing happened Max is fine. He's ok, he's not dead. Nope nope nope nope.

Well shit guys, kinda weird how that episode was just like a minute of nothing at the end, huh? No but seriously he's not gonna stay dead. There's no fucking way. Impossible. If Rosa came back, Max is gonna come back, so you know what, I'm not even that bothered (you know denial is fun. Even so, I doubt Max could stay dead. He's too important to the plot).

Ok, well I finished season 1. This episode took me so long to watch. I kept pausing way too much, but I'm done now, and probably should head off to get ready for my lift today. Expect a post summing up my thought on the season tonight. Maybe the first episode of season 2 also.

#rnm liveblog #roswell new mexico

[aros001]

Going in blind: Watching season 5 for the first time. Random thoughts.

Episode 1: Well...that dinner got dark. From what other fans have told me apparently Glimmer gets a lot of hate for her decisions during the series and I just find that odd. I was more annoyed with her in the early seasons where her actions were more harmless simply because she had no patience and wouldn't listen because of her immaturity. Season 4 and here though? Even her most reckless and risky actions have at least been fueled by the genuine desire to keep people safe during a very hard situation. Even here, yeah, she tells Prime something it's very bad for him to know but he was going to have Adora and everyone else literally murdered before her eyes if she didn't. I can't really be mad at Glimmer for making a bad choice when it flows logically and fueled by the desire to keep the people she cares about from being slaughtered.

I don't think we've ever seen Catra this completely at the mercy of another person before, save maybe for Shadow Weaver when she was a child. She has nothing to offer that Prime doesn't already possess. Nothing he wants that he can't get for himself. Her relationship with everyone these past few seasons have been either "I'm your commander and you have to do what I say" or "You are my commander and here's the reason you have to keep me around". This time she has nothing to protect herself behind and the only reason she's still around is because Prime might think of a use for her later.

I love having Scorpia on the heroes' side.

Episode 2: That ending though.

I think what helps elevate Entrapta for me and keeps her for being annoying or irritating is that the show really sells that she just genuinely has trouble understanding why she should/shouldn't be doing certain things. It's not stupidity or even pure self-absorption, she just struggles with people and social ques while machines and science is a lot more straightforward. Heck, she was probably able to bond so well with Hordak because work together in the lab was them meeting on a common middle ground she could understand and relax in. The way she's trying to overcome the issue to help save Glimmer reminds me a little of Mob from Mob Psycho 100, feeling a little frustrated in not understanding something that she knows she should be.

Episode 3: Anybody else get a Disney's Hercules vibes at the end there?

Catra: "Besides, O Oneness, you can't beat her! She has no weaknesses! She's gonna kick your...!"

Prime, smiling: "I think she does, little sister." [Strokes Catra's hair] "I truly think...she does."

This episode really sold how completely isolated Catra is. With the sole exception of Glimmer, she's in space, no idea where exactly she is, onboard a ship filled with nothing but Prime and hundreds of cultist clones. Throughout the entire series we've seen Catra push everyone away and now that she's in a situation where she is almost well and truly on her own with no power, freedom, or authority, she seeks out the one other person around to find any sense of comfort in. Despite everything, Catra doesn't like being alone.

Little child Catra lashing out because she didn't want Adora to have any friends other than her kind of reminds me of Glimmer and Bow during the Princess Prom episode. I imagine it's the same mentality. Growing up in isolation, even if in different forms, and finding only that one person they feel thay can really lean on, there is that fear that they'll find someone else they like more and start caring about them less, or even outright stop. The difference is Bow set Glimmer straight, assuring her he'll always be her friend no matter what but he's not going to be just solely dedicated to her. Her fear was understandable but she was not respecting him as a friend either. Adora never really had that with Catra, one because she was much younger and less mature than Bow, and Catra was probably all she had too, to an extent. As we saw season 1, she was always trying to look after her, even when Catra needed to take responsibility for herself. Bow is not Glimmer's keeper, while Adora too often was that for Catra, so Bow and Glimmer have a better foundation of mutual respect while Adora and Catra's dynamic has been really screwed up for a long time.

Kind of tying into that, despite all that's happened between them, the minute Adora hears Catra's in distress she starts panicking and tearing up. The last time they saw each other they were very much enemies and Adora was done reaching her hand out to her. I suppose you could make the argument she's really been hoping all this time that Catra would finally do the right thing for once, just probably didn't expect it to be like this.

Prime better not mind wipe Catra like he did Hordak.

Episode 4: See, calling the heroes the rebellion now makes sense since they are rebelling against the established power, which is Prime.

Love that trick with the reflections, where you can sort of see/sort of can't see She-Ra. A nice little tease for what I imagine will be a big reveal later.

I really like that explanation for what Bow's going through. Last season's finale was the last he'd seen Glimmer and was desperately trying to save her, and he's been consistently worried for her since then. Now that she's safe he's starting to let himself process his other emotions towards her, and I totally get it. It's hard to be mad at someone when you're also terrified over what might be happening to them, even if your anger is justified. While I get why Glimmer last season did what she thought she had to, it was still a big risk that Bow warned her about and she didn't listen, putting them all in danger. This situation and Glimmer's words is a very mature way of handle this topic. He's not wrong for being mad and it's not a contradiction to what we've been seeing from him this season. Humans and emotions are complicated.

Episode 5: SHE HAS PAAAAAAAAANTS!!! (I will miss the cape though)

That almost makes up for them cutting Catra hair. Seriously, that mane was beautiful!

But boy, speaking of Hercules, that return of She-Ra definitely felt like Hercules emerging from the pool of souls to save Meg.

With the one clone being disconnected from the hive mind and having a breakdown over it, that does make me wonder if Hordak has been connected to it. Wasn't he deemed a defect because Prime couldn't connect to his mind? I suppose it's possible that flaw was corrected. Clearly Prime can take over minds other than just his clones, like with Catra. But if he could do that I'm wondering why he just didn't when Hordak was first created and he instead cast him out to Etheria.

Was Catra purring at the end? I swear there was a sound that sounded like purring.

Episode 6: Assimilation is easily one of my biggest fears in fiction, be it zombies, Borgs and Cybermen, Get Out, the freaking Sapphire Dragon from Xiaolin Showdown that scared the hell out of me as a kid! Just the concept of having your free will and autonomy completely ripped away from you, potentially with you still being aware but unable to do anything about it, is horrifying! At least with Prime's chips the process is reversible.

Anyway, in lighter plots, I kind of love Wrong Hordak. He's really funny. I feel bad that he's being deliberately misled, but he really shouldn't be following Prime anyway, so...

I do like that Adora is being a little more tough on Catra. She needs kindness, yes, but she also needs honesty and discipline, the kind that has actual love and care behind it, unlike what she got from Shadow Weaver. Adora is genuinely trying to help so Catra needs to stop acting like a brat and LET HER HELP.

Episode 7: Catra was definitely purring.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume people probably ship Scorpia and Perfuma. Not that I have any problem with that. It's like the Midoriya/Todoroki ship; I don't ship it myself but I totally get why others do. It's a relationship based in mutual respect and one of the characters having a significantly positive effect on the life of the other. As long as the shipper themselves is not horrifically toxic, I don't care.

Also, I don't think I've ever been so intimidated by Mermista before than I was with that one shot of her in silhouette, just before the reveal she was chipped.

Episode 8: Okay, I definitely love Wrong Hordak. Just that realization of his. "Horde Prime...lied to us..." There's just something about it that's so full of character. Obviously he's a brainwashed clone but he was truly devoted to Prime and just to find out that he would keep something so big from them, from the hive mind that's supposed to be so open to him and each other, it destroys everything he ever believed in. It's hilarious to watch him prepare to lead his brothers in a revolt against Prime.

I assume magic is Prime's "weakness" in that he himself cannot control it. Obviously he can control magical beings like Spinnerella and have them use magic but magic itself is too free and too powerful for him to contain and fully fight back against. He's all about order and stillness and magic is basically chaos.

Episode 9: I like to believe the mushroom kingdom they saved is a Mario reference.

Something I like in hero stories is "the power of a name" or "the power of a symbol". Something as simple as Superman's S-shield can have so much weight and meaning behind it just because of the person it's tied to. She-Ra isn't just a powerful warrior to the people of Etheria, she's a hero of legend. We saw it touched on even back in season 1 how much Adora returning She-Ra to the world meant to everyone. She-Ra to them is a symbol of hope. If they have her on their side, then they believe they might be able to win and with that ordinary people can find the strength to fight too. It's something I think the Green Lantern put best with how the Blue Rings of hope supercharge the Green Rings of will but lose a lot of their functions when the greens are not around. Hope is useless if you don't have the will to also act, but in turn hope can give people the will to act. The more hope they have that they can win, the more they will fight to win.

That was the nerdiest comparison I've ever made.

Episode 10: I appreciate a good bad dad joke and that's why I can't approve of "punderstand". It's too much of stretch to flow well. "Ruined" was good though.

I'm less surprised that Scorpia's been chipped and more that she's even alive. She was at the bottom of the ocean when the roof broke and she's a scorpion woman. I don't think water is a very friendly element for her. She's even commented on how good the desert was to her.

I wonder her She-Ra mode is not working for her simply because Adora is exhausted; mentally and physically. I don't think she's ever used the form this continuously before, and she's been doing it without the First Ones' sword that she has experience with. Her new sword and its transformations may be made out of her own energy for all we know. And then there's just the emotional toil of having Catra back in her life while it feels like more and more of the world is being turned against her.

Episode 11: Oh, I'm definitely shipping Hordak and Entrapta.

I think Re:Zero has spoiled me on dark magic. While Micah with his dark magic is a threat, in this show and many others dark magic basically just equates to "spooky, evil, bad stuff" magic that isn't that different from most other kinds of magic other than being either harder to control or more geared towards causing harm. In Re:Zero, dark magic was DARK. It felt unnatural, like a perversion of how their world's magic is supposed to be and that it didn't belong in this reality. Micah's dark magic is basically "I'm attacking you with shadows, oOoOoOo so scary!"

Not really surprised Catra left. She just got Adora back and now she's potentially about to let herself die. Perfuma said it best, letting people in and letting herself be vulnerable is hard. Caring about Adora and watching her die would be a huge blow, so Catra would rather curl back up into her shell and block out Adora again than have to risk taking that hit.

Episode 12: I keep saying it but now having them right next to each other, yeah, Mara's She-Ra outfit is better than Adora's. I don't know, there's just something grander about it. Anyway, on topic, I'm a big fan of superheroes and legacy and all that and I really like Mara's words to Adora. All she did and sacrificed was so that others, especially the next She-Ra, wouldn't have to do the same. It doesn't matter how noble and heroic it is, tragedy is tragedy and anyone who knows that kind of pain doesn't want anyone else to have to go through it.

I'm not surprised by the love confession between Glimmer and Bow. I felt it could go either way with them either hooking up or just staying really good friends, but that in itself is a sign of how good and natural their friendship is. I can easily buy how it would evolve into something more between them. The situation they're in probably helps. When Glimmer was taken they both thought they might never see each other again and that fear and worry probably caused them to reevaluate how they feel about the other. They've been clinging to each other since getting back, as every day could be their last. Something like that is naturally going to push two people together.

Episode 13: So...are there any plans for a season 6? Or a comic continuation like Avatar and Korra got? Because this was a good finale...buuuuuuuuut I feel there are definitely some things that needed a bit more exploration.

This is typically why I like stories with epilogue endings, especially those set some number of years in the future. Little glimpses of what everyone's doing now, allowing the audience to fill in for themselves what happened in-between. There's nothing wrong with this episode but it does just kind of...stop. They beat Prime. Everybody's cheering and happy. Adora suggests they bring magic back to the universe. And...that's it. We don't see anything more. No aftermath, no post-war, nothing. We end on the moment of victory, and while it's not a bad moment it leaves the ending feeling a little incomplete.

It kind of feels like the writers either really had to rush to the ending to make the 13 episode deadline or simply didn't want to address whatever happens with Catra and Hordak now. With the bigger threat of Horde Prime it makes sense why everyone puts aside past issues and works together. But now that the crisis is over, naturally everyone would have to address everything the Horde had done to Etheria for years with Hordak and Catra leading it. Don't get me wrong, I believe that Catra loves Adora, I believe Adora loves her, and I believe Catra wants to be a better person. It's not like I'm saying she needs to be locked up or executed. But she did cause a lot of damage and put Adora especially through hell, and just because Shadow Weaver is the one who screwed her up so bad doesn't mean she doesn't have any responsibility for her own actions. So it just would have been nice to get even a little bit of lip service to show that Catra would be trying to right her wrongs from this point forward, instead of just "Prime's gone, everyone's happy, bye!" At least with Entrapta she seemed to genuinely not understand why what she was doing at the time was wrong and Scorpia, like Adora and Huntara, defected from the Horde to do the right thing despite it being even more part of her upbringing than anyone else. I can't even imagine what happens with Hordak now.

Don't get me wrong, this is far from the worst I've ever seen a redemption handled. I haven't read/watched any of Boruto outside of the movie and Gaiden tie-in but I've read all of Naruto and there is no reason that Orochimaru should just be walking around and casually talking with people after all he's done. Kaiba in the Yu-Gi-Oh manga built an entire theme park to try an murder Yugi and his friends and they bring it up like twice after that arc. Kylo Ren turning back to the light was one of the potential paths for his character, so that made sense in TROS, but they essentially did "He died heroically and therefore totally redeemed himself for every terrible thing he's ever done."; basically a cop-out. Catra's alive and can at least potentially still own up to her actions and work to redeem herself. And I love Steven Universe, but kind of like with Catra nearly killing everyone (including herself) via the unstable portal, fans have naturally pointed out that the Diamonds enslaved and committed genocide on multiple planets and really faced no consequences for that other than "Stop it". Catra's not at the gold standard of redemption stories, which for me is probably Zuko and Endeavor, but she's far from the bottom. I think the best way to describe it is that Catra had as good, if not better, reasons for being so bad and screwed up as Zuko did, just as good step-up for turning good as Zuko did, but she didn't have nearly as much payoff afterwards to make it feel like a full journey like Zuko did.

But enough about all that. Love the basically goddess She-Ra Adora became. Given the emphasis on healing powers with She-Ra we've had, I'm guessing that's essentially how she destroyed Prime. She purified Hordak and Prime was basically an infection within him. I like when heroes snatch victory from the jaws of defeat but I also when there's an implication towards the villain that "Wow. I never stood a chance." She-Ra's power just dwarfs his. Full potential realized by Adora and he was just gone.

Also I don't know how I forgot that Prime could jump into the bodies of his clones but his possession of Hordak got me. I genuinely couldn't think of how he'd survive after Hordak shoved him off the edge (set free by the power of love!).

And even if the ending feels a little incomplete, the episode itself still did well with my emotional investment. I was gripped by during Catra's confession and the tension within the heart.

Season 5 and overall series verdict: I'm very glad I saw this series. Even though its ending falls a little short for me, this was still really good. Seasons 3 was probably my favorite overall but this story had a very good flow to it. It steadily built up bigger each season, with Catra and Hordak being really compelling villains driving the whole thing. Not that Prime was bad. He was a genuine threat and his cult of clones is a good creepy concept. He's just not as good as the other two. I'm sure part of what elevates him up is because I'm thinking of the JL director's cut but Hordak really is just better Steppenwolf. Everything that worked about that character, Hordak is that to an 11.

Given how I've talked about her more than any of the others, Catra is probably my favorite character. Just the damage that girl has been through. I always understood why she was doing what she did, even though there was rarely a moment I'd agree with exactly what she was doing. Again, it's one of the reasons it feels like the series just kind of ended. There's a lot to be seen with Catra's character now, a lot that can be done, and it just feels like a shame to really not show any of it. This isn't a fault of SRPOP itself because so many series, especially animated and anime, are guilty of but it always bugs me when a series ends on two characters hooking. Relationships are interesting, I'd argue more so than the build-up to them, but no writer ever wants to actually explore them after the hook-up. I never cared about Korra and Mako being a couple but I still found their relationship as a couple more interesting and character building than any of the will they/won't they build-up to it. And I actually like the idea of Adora and Catra as a couple. It's a big reason why I'm so happy the Harley Quinn animated series got renewed for a third season, as it otherwise would have just ended on a hook-up between two characters who, like Adora and Catra, love each other but have had a complicated dynamic for a while. I believe Adora and Catra love each other, but they've got a lot of stuff to work out and I want to see that! Catra's got abandonment issues and that in turn caused her to be unhealthily possessive over Adora. Just seeing the two of them try to work through that alone would be fascinating.

Like I suspected early on, Scorpia's my favorite supporting character. Entrapta's a decent 2nd. Took a small dip when it seemed like she was joining the Horde over feeling abandoned by the princesses when they thought she was dead but that picked back up once it was made more clear "Oh, okay, you're not being petty or stupid. You genuinely don't understand." It made her a more interesting character, and I love her and Hordak's relationship.

Least favorite characters...probably Sea Hawk and those three former Horde friends of Adora and Catra. I never hated them but I never cared about what was happening when they were on screen. They fill out the world a bit, they drive the plot, they're not wastes of space, they even get some laughs. There are just so many other characters in the series way more interesting than them.

Biggest surprise for me was definitely Glimmer and Bow. I never thought I'd dislike them but the best friends characters in series like this can kind of go one way or another with how relevant or deep they are. Glimmer especially I was surprised how much I was invested. She really grew a lot as a person throughout the series and I thought the dilemma over the Heart of Etheria was a good one.

Honestly there's a lot more I could talk about but I have only so many words and my thoughts are a jumble right now so I'm going to leave it at that. I will say I really appreciate how supportive you all on this Reddit have been. It's something I hate about some other fandoms I'm in where they basically are so toxic that they make no one else actually want to watch/read the thing they're fans of because they can't help but associate it with them.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o2p6wq/going_in_blind_watching_season_5_for_the_first/

#she ra #she ra spop #random thoughts #reddit repost