I Return with a New Chapter · 6:52pm Apr 20th, 2014
So, following my forty-day Lenten vacation from fiction, including ponies, I'm back. It was a rough time: indeed, it was touch-and-go for a while; as some of you may know, I suffer from a heroine addiction, which means I need a regular infusion of depictions of cute girls blowing stuff up or I go through severe withdrawal symptoms. A couple of weeks ago, I ended up in the hospital, and the doctor only revived me by hooking me up to an IV and delivering Girls und Panzer directly to my bloodstream.
But now I'm back, and I see I have a lot of pony to catch up on. The last episode I saw was "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies," and much has happened since then. Besides the show episodes, I have received the latest chapbook (Rarity's), a few comic issues, and the novelization of Rainbow Rocks, of which I'm sure to write a serious review in the near future. I see the "Reflections" comic arc is well underway, which is sure, along with the soon-to-be-released Journal of the Two Sisters, to joss all fan speculations about Celestia except mine, because mine are canon. No, really.
Anyway, I haven't started in on all this pony because I decided to ease my withdrawal symptoms by making an attempt on Winx Club, the Italian magical girl cartoon. The first few episodes kinda sux, but I'm betting on the show getting better, since it must be popular for a reason.
Anyway, look for an analysis of Rainbow Rocks in this space in the near future. But in the meanwhile, have a new chapter:
As someone who watched the entire series every Saturday morning, you are going to be so disappointed.
2028298
Ah man, I almost wish you hadn't told me that. Of course, it might not change my mind: I have a great capacity for enduring suckitude in magical girl cartoons.
Why is it so popular, then?
"It must be popular for a reason".
You fool, you fool. Turn back while you still can.
2028301
Why is Twilight popular?
Wait, stupid question. I could chalk up the bad parts of the series to unoriginal writing, cliches about girls so bad and overused it makes me wince just looking at them, jokes run dryer than the Sahara after only a few episodes, a plot so asinine and riddled with plotholes that it makes swiss cheddar look whole, and overpoweredness up the whazoo.
Good parts could be chalked up to those chicks looking hawt (don't judge me, I was 13).
2028325
Overpoweredness is the bane of all magical girl cartoons and, come to think of it, of G4 of My Little Pony. The problem, really, is rarely too much power; it's actually a lack of defined rules. We aren't told what the magical girls can do or what limits them, and so they and their enemies throw colored light at each other, the effect of which the audience is left to guess. Many times I have watched a magical girl hit by a barrage that looks as if it ought to be fatal, but merely causes her to fall to her knees and mope for a bit before she gets revived by a pep talk.
Same thing in G4: can anyone say, really, what the limit is on Twilight Sparkle's magic? Some feared she would be "overpowered" as a princess. I answer that we didn't know the limit of her powers even before then, and when we saw her actually reverse gravity, it became clear that they were limited only by the plot of the week.
Compare this to G1: each unicorn could "wink," that is, teleport, but not through solid objects, and each unicorn also had one additional, clearly defined magical ability, whether it be telekinesis, telepathy, making wind, blowing bubbles, or whatever.
Say what you will of its quality, but G1 did it right.
2028363
Good point. Hell, she's reversed gravity at this point, and that's when she was still a unicorn. Actually... come to think of it, I'm not sure what exactly Twilight is good at magic wise. I mean, she has telekinesis and teleporting down alright, but other than that there's no magical spell usage that shows what she's particularly good at. You always have your pyro mage, ice wizard, dark warlock, and so on, but for Twilight all we get is that she's good at magic. I guess she could be called a jack of all trades magic wise, but even as a princess there's still no particular magical field she's mastered at.
Oh G5, please introduce this dilemma and make it interesting. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease.
2028298
Ok now I'm curious.
I'm italian, my baby sister watches them all the time, and I see them everywhere;
Should I be concerned they're rotting her brains? She's 5 btw
How much did you write of Rag and Muffin, I wonder?
2028452
Not anymore than Spongebob does.
But if you notice her wearing the skimpiest outfits imaginable that is totally unsuitable for any school environment, then yeah, make her stop watching it.
This was the first year I actually cared about Easter, because it meant you would be able to get back to ponies. Huzzah!
Welcome back!
2028412
I think Twilight is special in that if she can study the magic spell she wants to use then she can, but it doesn't come naturally like with a unicorn that has a cutie mark in the subject. She is the wizard in every DnD game.
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Might I suggest a fun little anime from 2005 called Fushigiboshi no Futagohime. It's unfortunately only in Japan and Italian and English subtitles have to be gotten by less than legit means. However, it actually addressed the limits of a magical girl. The main characters only have a certain amount of power at any given time and once it's gone they can't use their powers until they recharge them. They also start out only being able to do basic spells and need to gain experience to level up which lets them do better spells as well as have more power reserves.
It's also a damn funny show that pokes fun at the magical genre at almost every opportunity. It takes place in a mini Dyson's sphere and actually goes into how such an environment works. Really, it's the world that sells the show.
Anyway, welcome back. I'm afraid I was not as stalwart in my giving up excess salt for Lent, but to err is human.
Welcome back to MLP circulation! Don't forget about that mock paper thing about ponies and their romantic rituals. That has been a hoot and a half and I can't fathom ANY of the negative reviews of it.
