• Member Since 8th Apr, 2012
  • offline last seen Oct 20th, 2022

Ciroton


*This space currently for rent*

More Blog Posts176

  • 187 weeks
    2020 Update

    I know I said last time that I would have Chapter 3 up for you by Halloween/New Years, but one of my aunts fell really ill in mid-October and lost her second battle with Cancer in late November, so for a long time now I just haven't been in the mood to write with Chapter 3 nearly completed.

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    2 comments · 410 views
  • 240 weeks
    The Stars That Come At Twilight Chapter 2 - COMPLETE

    Chapter 2 is finally finished and out of preview, so for those of you that ignored it because it's a preview, go ahead, it's all there now! For those that did, I hope this is a good excuse to read it again or something. I don't know. Either way, I'm happy its done.

    Now, I get to have anxiety over Chapter 3! Yaaaay... x.x

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    0 comments · 386 views
  • 266 weeks
    The End of an Era

    This is my commentary on the announced Final Season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If you are disinterested, feel free to skip this entry.

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    2 comments · 580 views
  • 275 weeks
    Poll Results!

    Thank you to all 10 of you who voted. The results were pretty decisive; most of you would rather that I wait until I get a 2rd party to overview my work.

    However, I feel bad not giving you something for Christmas (or whatever holiday near this time that yo celebrate), so I will institute the following.

    PREVIEWS!

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    0 comments · 436 views
  • 278 weeks
    A Poll for the Future.

    Sorry for the silence this past little while. I've been very busy IRL and I needed to get a new computer too (my previous one was an 8 and a half year-old Lenovo G550 whose hard disk started to fail) which meant a whole lot transferring and stuff. Writing wise, things have been going well. I wish I could say the same for editing. I had thought I found someone to help me edit back in July, but

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    4 comments · 434 views
Apr
4th
2014

Episode Review: Leap of Faith · 12:30am Apr 4th, 2014

Happy to say Mezza has had some more progress. Is it close to being out? No, sadly. We'll see since time is money and one of the two is in short supply at the moment. Also, I am going to go out on a limb and say right now that Episodes 25 and 26 are going to be a two-part finale and Twilight will get her key there, most likely. If not, the only likely episode in the lineup is Trade Ya. We'll just have to wait and see. Have a review to tide you over!



This one is a lot like Applejack herself: simple, to-the-point, but can be surprisingly deep when you stop and think about things. I really want to see Applejack developed more, but it seems like, unless they add some unseen quirk or ambition to her, best farmer is going to lag behind the rest of the Mane Six in the interesting department. That said, I have some slight contention here and there in this one, but let's save that for later, shall we? First, we should cover the rather colour-by-numbers plot.


Not that kind of plot, Flim!

Leap of Faith opens with the Apple Family lounging by the old swimming hole on a pleasant summer's day. The siblings are like ducks to the water, but Granny is adamant in remaining a landlubber. Apparently, back in the day, Granny Smith was a daredevil Aquapony and came very close to breaking the world record for High Diving into a pie pan, but she broke so many bones in the attempt that just being near the water gives her the willies. Remember that since it will be important later. After a relaxing day, the family is walking back home when suddenly the survivors of the Battle of Neighpolis waltz past, summoned by the carnival tunes of a tent propped up in the middle of a field. Curious, Applebloom and Granny go to investigate to find the world-famous Flim-Flam brothers! So what do the traveling sales ponies nonpareil have in store for the hapless citizens of Ponyvile? Why, a cure-all tonic! Sweeping the stage with another catchy vandervile number, Granny Smith is sold on the tonic and buys one, despite Applejack's well-placed misgivings.

The next day, the Apple Sisters and their brother Mac are fishing on a steam when Granny Smith comes by... swimming in the water. Stunned, the sibs leap into action and try, but fail to pull the octogenarian out of the water, oh and apparently Mac's yoke also functions as a flotation device. Granny tells the kids not to fuss and that she feels absolutely fine; in fact, she's felt better than she has in years and owes it all to the Flim Flam Brother's Miracle Cure-All Tonic! Applejack, however, smells something fishy and that night, with Applebloom in tow, they go back to the circus tent to see the pony from the demonstration doing the same thing he did before. They run up to him and accuse him, now known as Silver Shill, of swindling, to which he high hoofs it out of there but they catch him. AJ pressures the poor pony with the third degree, but he flees, leaving her to go question the twins herself. However, the terrible twats are ready this time for her and spill the beans about their tonic... but then strike back when they say they noticed how much happier her Granny seemed, somehow knew about the water/aquapony thing, and if her being happy isn't the whole point.

Stymied, Applejack falters in her honest streak and decides that maybe it would be best not to question it so long as it works. The next day, Granny and Bloom are swimming and the youngest apple brings up being an aquapony too. Granny is all for it, but AJ questions if that's a good idea, given Granny's high-diving past. Thankfully, the older pony seems to have no interest in the dive, but is willing to teach applebloom a few tricks. The family then goes over and buys a whole damn crate of the stuff which starts a buying storm that rains money down on the brothers. A while late, Bloom and Granny swim in a Swimming Competition and AJ runs into Silver Shill, who thanks her for helping him make up his mind that honesty is not the best policy and thus earning his first bit as a sales pony. Granny and Bloom win the competition and this spurs the elder to do the high dive again. AJ stops her from killing herself, rainbow eyes happen and comes clean about her lies, the brothers try to win the crowd back, but make a quiet retreat (with all the money, I might add.) when Silver Shill ousts them. He thanks AJ by giving her his first bit (and assure her he'll refund the money), she writes in the journal about how never lying is the best and we have our second-to-last key. The end.


Money is the key to (rainbow) power? VERY subtle, Hasbro. -.-

[youtube=X4W-RycJRKg]

Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic is our new song this episode, and second-to-last song for the season, possibly. It's not as catchy as The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 in my opinion, but it's much more true to the typical conman/conpony style. It's upbeat, boastful, and a happy and handy reminded just how diabolical and brilliant the brothers can be. Although not as great as their last song, it's still very well executed and another addition to Danial Ingram's hit parade that I can see being remixed to death, then remixed into a zombie, then mixed into un-undeath! It's up there for best song of the season for me, that's for sure.


Ham 1 and Ham 2 making a Double Ham Sandwich

The Flim Flam brothers completely nailed it this episode, no exceptions. Before, the line was blurred a bit because people were not sure if they were true con artists or legitimate business ponies who let their hubris and egos get in the way of a quality product. However, this one makes it clear that they are the former and probably would have turned the quality off once they had run the Apples out of town anyway. Although they do not have as much spotlight on them this time around, they make the best use of what time they DO have and leave a memorable impression. Also, the fact that they're irredeemable leaves a good window for them to come back as antagonists next season, unlike a certain Great and Powerful pony.


... And then Silver Shill goes on to found Hoof Locker and makes so many of those he uses them to to pave his driveway.

Now it's on to likes and dislikes! First, off the top of my head, I liked the old-time movie projector style in which the flashback to Granny's aquapony days was done in. It really feels fitting, given the more rustic nature of this episode since we NEVER saw (present) Ponyville proper or any of the other Mane six. Then we have Big Macintosh being a troll by wearing a shark fin on his head. Why can't we see more siblings interact like that? =/ Speaking of, whenever we see him on or near the water, Mac has some kind of flotation device, such as his yoke. Can he not swim? If not, I'd like that to be brought out later on. Lyra almost overshadowed this episode just by her fantastic expressions, especially on the judge's panel and how unimpressed she was. Fanfic writers, prepare for retcons! Oh, and was it just me, or did anyone else like that dramatic inception-like "BWAAAAM" right before the first commercial break?

But nothing is perfect, though, compared to the rest of the episode, this is all rather petty in comparison. For one, the plot itself is rather predictable and one I have named 'The Placebo Effect Episode' since it deals with the power of suggestion and/or the ethics of using phoney cures. Another small complaint I have is right after Granny took the tonic for the second time. I can understand the worry over their last legal guardian, but could NONE of the apples really see that Granny Smith was just fine? I mean, sure throw a life preserver, but AJ KILLED a tree! Is she racist against non-apple trees? (/joke) Also, the idea of a bit for a key... I mean, sure a rubber chicken, but... everything else has been DISTINCT. What's to stop AJ from spending it? They aren't too poor to not misplace it... or are they, after granny spent so much on tonic? o.o Finally, when could horses climb ladders? I feel I'm missing something there. Then again, cartoon ponies.


Oh Lyra... you may not be Derpy or Vinyl, but you're growing on me.

So that does it for this episode. Let's get straight to it. If you were to force me to drink noting but that stupid tonic day and night for a week, aside from giving me indigestion, I'd give this episode a splashing 79/100. It wasn't super fantastic, but I'd watch it again given the chance. The story and moral were predictable, but I enjoyed the ride and that's all that matters. The ride just got a tiny bit bumpy at times.

Next week, Rainbow Dash applies and studies for a test to join the Wonderbolt Reserves! But with her dream being so close, she leaves nothing to chance and takes some very... unorthodox approaches to studying for the big test. Will she pass with flying colours, or wash out? Find out in Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3! You try to think of a pun for that and win an imaginary prize! Until then, this is Ciroton saying, "Now that's a pony of a different colour!"


Young Granny Smith is still adorable. <3

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Comments ( 8 )

................and next week, pinkie pie is giong to rap....................... shakll either cry bitter tears or die from laughter. we shall see.
or should i say this saturday.

kinda hard to think we are already reaching the end of season 4. it started a little shaky but there has been hit after hit since then. and we are even getting at least a fifth season as well. if they can keep up this quality for at least one more season, i would be most satisfied. am a bit worried it might get a bit more dry if it lasts too long, but equestria provides much potential for mystically twisted slice of life episodes and supernatural adventures

I was so happy to see Flim and Flam again and that they are as rotten as we suspected them to be. Their song didn't disappoint either, making this episode pretty much perfect at that point. What came afterwards could have sucked and I wouldn't have cared.

I thought AJ was fine in here, even if I saw the resolution coming as soon as Silver Shill popped up. I didn't even need the second showing to know he was in on it. But, sometimes getting the execution right is better than screwing it up.

We're getting close to the end. Not much longer to find out what's really in that box... :pinkiegasp:

What? There was ever a debate over Flim and Flam not being irredeemable hucksters? Their names are FLIM and FLAM.
Am I the only person in the world who remembers what "Flim-flam" means? The Flim-flam Man? C'mon folks! That's how shysters work, they seem completely honest or (just honest enough, but not too honest to arouse suspicion) just so, then when they've got a foot in the the door they lie and cheat and con their way in, then take you for every cent you're worth and split town.

If people had a hard time seeing that before, I know who I want to play poker with, now.

Money is the key to (rainbow) power? VERY subtle, Hasbro. -.-

:rainbowlaugh:

This sort of opportunism and lack of any sort of empathy pokes a huge-ish hole in the logic of certain authors who have a rep for being full on twelve cylinder wackaloons. Hard to call ponies the master race when some of them as are vulture-like and sociopathic as the hewmons she's condemning.

1980622
It's the world of rationalization. People will find a way to make characters redeemable no matter how evil they are. Especially when shipping/pairing is involved. :moustache:

1980622

I don't know Poker, but I do know Blackjack and Solitaire. =P

1981296

You bring the Blackjack, I'll bring the hookers.


1981085

Yes, and that annoys me. It's fine in the case of like... accidental evil, or just misguidedness. But the ones who choose to do what they do to harm others or profit from the needless suffering of others directly really don't need all that mess. All the NMM and Sombra and Diamond Tiara fanatics out there kind of make me sick, to be honest. >_> A genocidal monster, the king of a slave nation with an unwilling army, and a little twat what emotionally and mentally scars her fellows for life. To say nothing of these guys who attack the wallets and livelihoods of gullible but well-meaning folk. They have fanbases! It boggles the mind.

Yet there's no love for Celestia.

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