Fic recs, February 28th: Comedy Is Serious Business edition! · 1:37pm Feb 28th, 2019
Happy birthday, Leap Year babies! Only another year before you get to see your shadows again. :)
Illya Leonov's newest reading is boardgamebrony's It Moves Below!
Yes indeed, I may have given up on the other two writing events of 2018, but not Aragon's Comedy (Is Serious Business) contest! Just a few dozen funny fics written by Fimfiction's hopefuls, which should have been a shoe-in formula for a good time. Well, I mean, it was, it was hardly a slog to get through these, but there was a lot less comedy than I anticipated. :B I mean, all you had to do to get a positive review out of me was make me laugh, and yet...
Comedy tag is assumed for all entries, of course, which made some of them really hard to tag. It's amazing. And I actually ordered these in the order I read, not the order they were published, because that's dumb. Of course, if I were really smart, I'd have waited a few days to post this, just to keep the content somewhat regular, but obviously I'm not, and the proof is that next edition will be...
shudder
Beanis
H: 7 R: 13 C: 15 V: 9 N: 3
Partyquest by R5h
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG Adventure
Pinkie Pie has one month to figure out how to throw the most amazing party ever. That means one thing: Going to Equestria!
This is interesting, because it's not really a comedy. Oh sure, it's tagged comedy, and there's a lot of funny stuff that happens, especially in the first half. (Party Favor might be the best part.) But this is actually a story about Pinkie Pie dealing with her problems. Specifically, problems with her family. The way it unfolds will catch you off guard if you're not prepared — what's sent Pinkie running to Equestria is rather dark — but this is really damned clever. Easy to see why it took fourth place!
Highly Recommended
Gee, Tempest, Why Are You So Tall? by Super Trampoline
Reading by André Luc Martinez
Genre: Feghoot
Twilight has a burning question.
(Remember when I reviewed the sequel first?) This is the damn nuttiest feghoot I have ever read. I mean, the characters actually explain it in-text, but you really have to hear it sung in the author's note to get it. Or at least, I did. I was highly amused, though; you can tell Super Trampoline's just throwing things against the wall in his usual Trampolinian manner, but it amazed me what things stuck. Like, there are bits of this that would work as legitimate world-building in something less silly. If you don't mind things like swearing, drinking and real-world references, this is fun.
Recommended If You Enjoy Weird Stuff
The Narrative Cascade by Novel-Idea
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Meta/Shipping/Action
The Arcane Spectrometer is the greatest magi-scientific invention in pony history. So of course it's the reason Twilight and Sunset are stuck in a bad romance narrative now.
What a madcap ride. This is basically just a nonstop string of references, from Doc Brown and the introductory Half-Life sequence to, well, just about every romance novel and movie trope you can think of. And through it all, the characters are intensely aware that what they're going through is just part of the narrative. It was trippy, it was funny, and the shipping was enjoyable. :)
Recommended
All Fairness and Stuff by Guy Fieri
Genre: Random
Okay, so, this is gonna be a really fun contest. I like comedy stories. The only way to really get a "Not Recommended" from me here is going to be if your story does not make me laugh. Enter this attempt at trollfiction that really just doesn't fire on any cylinder. Rather than revel in out of character wackiness, it just throws things at the wall one after another, regardless of whether or not they're funny. I can't say how earnestly this was written, but it just does not work.
Not Recommended
Diplomatic Immunity by GaraTheAuthor
Genre: Historical
Celestia, Luna and Cadence celebrate Twilight's recent diplomatic success with stories of their own less-than-successful missions.
This is a little hit-and-miss, and I wish it had kept them all more in character, especially in terms of the swearing. That said, Luna's story is hysterical, and there's some great sexual and relationship comedy in here. Worth it, on the whole.
Recommended for Laughs
Hay to Pay by I Thought I Was Toast
Genre: Legal?
She may now be the ruler of the Crystal Empire, but Princess Cadence can't just revoke all of Sombra's old laws…
I have a bone to pick with the way this story is structured. I was expecting a legal or possibly linguistic comedy with Twilight discovering over-the-top evil laws. Instead, we start off with some slapstick, move into Twilight and Spike rattling off completely ridiculous laws for a while, then get into a bit of what this story could be, all the while marinated in the never-once-was-funny "tentacle pits" running gag. I mean, magically enforced laws that can't just be broken with a royal edict is a great place to start from, but this never focused on one type of comedy long enough for it to sink in. That's not to say it's bad, the writing is actually impeccable, I just didn't find a lot to laugh about. Though I'm at least pleased to see the list of stupid laws was based on real ones.
Vaguely Recommended
Cipher — Decryption by Thought Prism
Genre: Mystery
Noteworthy hires the Cutie Mark Crusaders to figure out his marefriend once and for all.
You know you're in for a ride when Apple Bloom says she'd come to terms with her mortality ages ago. That said, I will characterize the humor in this as stemming from the CMCs not sounding like themselves, and generalized silliness. Like, the main joke here should have been building up to a big reveal about this pony not even Pinkie Pie knows anything about, or a comedy of errors, not whatever random crap the characters feel like yammering about throughout the story. Or, y'know, Scootaloo recreating the D&D gazebo joke. A comedy doesn't have to always attempt to be funny, after all, and I say this because I'm starting to notice a trend here. The writing is perfectly fine, I was intrigued at the idea of this character, wondering if she's based off an animation error or something, and you really don't need to read the other story to understand this, but this didn't even get a chuckle out of me. What is going on?
Not Recommended
The Quest for Glory by Masterweaver
Genre: Random
Today, Twilight and friends maybe possibly could perhaps quest for glory.
This is about what you would expect from a 1k comedy, save that it presses itself very handily into its wordcount, coming off as fast-paced rather than rushed. Why is Twilight questing for glory? Who cares! This is full of solid running gags and a surprising amount of in-character jokes. I had more than one laugh, and that's really all I ask from this contest.
Recommended
We Learned Some Broken Things by VinylScratched
Review #5500!
Genre: Shipping
Sweetie Belle has learned how to teleport. That's just the start of her troubles.
This is funny, if not super-hilarious, though the real problem is the lack of editing, which is at least addressed in the description. I also have to say it doesn't really build to anything, or rather that its punchline is delivered haphazardly. That's about it, really, it's all right.
Vaguely Recommended
Anon Wants to Die by Ebola-chan Ganbatte
Genre: Dark 2P AiE
You're just really tired of Equestria.
So the question is, do you think suicide can be funny? Are you amused by the idea of someone tying a rope around their neck and flipping off the world as they plunge to a spite-filled death? If so, you might enjoy this, though I feel I've read funnier AiEs. I'll admit I at least laughed at the punchline, and one other joke besides. Needs a little work.
Recommended for Terrible People Only
A Sunday Afternoon by Dreadnought
Genre: Slice of Life
Fluttershy takes her grandmother to a hoofball game.
I think it's telling that chapter two, which is the where the comedy occurs, is less than a thousand words. This could have gone on a big longer, along those lines, but instead the length is filled out with long descriptions of Canterlot and a tedious scene of Fluttershy trying to find her grandmother at her rest home. What this needed was descriptions of Fluttershy's grandmother and their relationship; it wouldn't have changed that the punchline is precisely what you'd think it would be, but more focus on the grandmother's character would have at least given the joke some grounding. I did laugh, so this isn't a complete wash, but it could have been better.
Vaguely Recommended
Please Kill Me by JackRipper
Mature: Death
Genre: Dark
Twilight's having second thoughts about holding her own court.
Our honorable mention garners an M-rating solely for the cover art, so don't let that scare you away. This is… bizarre. I mean, it's a far better 'comedic suicide' fic than the one about Anon, but by the end, I was left somewhat confused. I'm just not sure what the takeaway is here. Something surprising does happen in the middle, but that's about all I can point at. Iunno.
Recommended If You Like Dark Comedy
The Dance of the Court by Orbiting Kettle
Reading by VisualPony
Genre: Political
Jet Set prepares for the Day Court.
This is a couple thousand words of Jet Set and Upper Crust being hilariously callous towards lower-class ponies, and there is something pure and affirming in all the silliness. That said, there's also something more than that going on here. We've all read stories about Celestia dreading yet another dull, soul-crushing session with her noble court; a story about preparations made from the other side was something I never knew I needed until I had it. Suffice to say, this is unexpected as it is layered.
Recommended
We Learned Something Ancient by Matthewl419
Genre: Random
Twilight researches comedy.
I don't get this one. It's one taco shy of being a poster child for bad-random, but I'm just not sure what was supposed to be going on here. Why is Twilight going crazy? Why do they suddenly start swearing? The author doesn't seem to know, either.
Not Recommended
The Secret by Armyidiot
Genre: Spoilers
Wandering into Luna's bedroom one night, Twilight discovers the princess's darkest secret.
This uses the T-word, but I can forgive both that and the sheer amount of meandering Twilight does before finding out the secret because of what the secret is. I of course cannot tell you the genre of this story because that would give it away. That said, for all that I appreciate the central joke, this isn't exactly a funny story, and that joke has existed in this fandom for an awfully long time. This doesn't add anything new to the idea, is what I'm saying. This is only okay.
Vaguely Recommended
How to Dominate Your Neighbor's Lawn by Wallflower Blush
Genre: Random
All's fair in lawn and war.
The situation is random; the comedy is not. This is a hilarious send-up of people who care just a little too much about their lawns, narrated to us by a strongly voiced Roseluck, who just so happens to be one of those people. Moreover, this is set against a backdrop of Tirek ravaging the countryside, and neither Roseluck nor Lyra have cutie marks or magic at the moment. That's not enough to stop Roseluck from petty vengeance against her neighbor, of course! The only other thing I'll mention is that gas-powered lawnmowers were kind of a shock, the one thing you'll really have to let slide to enjoy this, but it's worth it, since one of them talks.
Highly Recommended
The Sunlight Bride by Oroboro
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG Shipping/Story-Within-a-Story
Twilight reads her sick girlfriend a book.
Oh boy, it's like I'm back in the Sunset Shipping contest, gee, I wonder why. :V I'm not sure if non-shippers will get anything out of this, though honestly? I couldn't help feel like this was a sneaky way to justify an AU romance, and if you're a fan of The Princess Bride, you'll likely enjoy the inner story. Thankfully, though it takes some cues from TPB, that doesn't include shoving in references to all the quotable scenes; in fact, the inner story is quite original, despite sharing some trappings with its inspiration. That was a really good decision on the author's part, if only because it means you won't know where the story's headed. The shipping otherwise is cute, and I enjoyed how, shall we say, forward Sunset can be. Mostly, it's all worth it for the horrible in-universe fixfic. That had me rolling. XD
Recommended
A Failure to Plan by Aquaman
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: AU
For centuries, Celestia has been planning for Nightmare Moon's return. And it was all going perfectly until her star pupil went to a party…
Third place! And what a trip this is. Celestia trying again and again to get Twilight to leave Moondancer's party because she kind of needs to save Equestria right now, growing more and more frantic with each attempt. What a clever idea for an AU, and what a hilarious takedown of the pilot. :D Highlights include Celestia playing her own CYOA with memory-changing spells, and a lengthy existential monologue that's just one of the realest looks into Celestia's character I've ever seen. But what made it for me, what pushed this up from R to H, was the epilogue and the bits of canon it links together in the best joke ever. :)
Highly Recommended
A Fishy Situation by Silent Whisper
Sequel to That's not what spooning means!
Review Removed by Request
Sunset Studies Endotherms in Captivity by MythrilMoth
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: EQG
The Rainbooms go to the zoo.
The idea of a human-pet play date gives me life. :) We need more stories about Ray. So this was fun. The jokes aren't all of a kind, ranging from Pinkie being ridiculous to references (mostly from Pinkie), but there was at least one laugh-out-loud moment, along with one really cringey parrot. But yeah, if "The Rainbooms' Animal Misadventures" sounds like fun to you, you'll doubtless have fun with this.
Recommended for EQG Fans
The Secretary by Snowybee
Genre: Political Thriller
A sudden visit from easily-offended foreign dignitaries leaves Celestia and Raven in a tight spot.
This story begins with a scene of Princess Celestia smoking a pipe. Even in an Equestria where smoking is a thing, I found that really odd, and it ended up being just the tip of the iceberg in ways this story rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, of all things, for maybe the first time in my life, I was put off by swearing. There are also long passages of dialogue with no tagging and no way to tell who's talking, which made this murder to listen to, so I had to give up and read it myself. Not to mention I couldn't shake the feeling there were missing words, maybe even entire missing sentences, here and there that really messed up the otherwise tight writing, plus it's not particularly comedic. I don't know, I just generally felt lost while reading this, for all that I might have enjoyed the affected writing style outside the context of "comedy contest". I don't know if it's bad, I just don't know what's going on, period.
Vaguely Recommended
Celestia's Little Shop of Horrors by Maran
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Oversaturated World
Principal Celestia is having trouble with singing plants in her greenhouse.
Anyone remember the EQG short where Twilight made a bunch of plants sing? That was fuckin' weird, mate. This author has taken that short and mashed it up with the equally weird Oversaturated World 'verse to… explore earth pony magic headcanon. Which is a tad disappointing, though we do get to watch Celestia make friends with pony Granny Smith, and that's not nothing. Though their fight in the middle comes out of nowhere. Also, the humor is almost entirely referential, and the lampshade only helps to an extent. The author at least made the smart move of giving us a rundown of the OW at the start of the story because, y'know, contest, not everyone will have read Oversaturated, though it does set a precedent for a few explainy spots. Overall, a little unbalanced, but not bad a piece.
Recommended for Fans of Earth Pony Magic
The Book by Cyrano
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Dark EQG
The thing about evil tomes of ancient power is they need to be kept out of the wrong hands. So this one should be fine with Sweetie Belle, right?
This reminded me of Cutie Mark Crusader Necromancers; no surprise it's always a fun time when the CMCs get ahold of dark magic. This time, we're in the human world (where they're still called the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it's canon), and the stakes are… quite a bit different. Suffice to say, this is a hilarious black comedy. The jokes are all timed well, and only get darker as the story goes on. The plot was surprising, as you think you know where it's going before some complication shows up to send it off on another track. And it all culminates in a really awesome fight scene against an exciting villain. :) This is the author who wrote Suns and Roses for the Sunset Shipping contest; obviously, he's someone worth watching!
Highly Recommended
It's Time to Stop by Doctor Disco
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Character Piece
It's time for Tempest to go to the spa! She hasn't relaxed in… ever.
I'm not sure I would have tagged this comedy, myself. The funny bits are distinctly layered over top the rest of the story. For instance, a suggestion is made that they all tell funny stories to pass the time, and Fluttershy's is definitely funny, but it's also not the story, you know? So what is the story? Tempest dealing with readjusting to civilian life, as it turns out. That's the real draw here, and the author did a superb job portraying it. My only other complaint is some fudging of POV; I liked this!
Recommended for Tempest Fans.
Watch! Watch! by horizon
Genre: Discworld Crossover
Y'know, I might've read Guards! Guards! once upon a time, but I don't really remember it. That sound you just heard was my nerd cred evaporating. :B Anyway, this is our contest winner, and hey, it's got more of everyone's favorite kleptomaniac compulsive liar, Dobbin! :D And that's… I have to be honest, that's pretty much all I liked. This story made me question my dedication to everything I do on this site. Because, I dunno, maybe I was having a bad day or something, but it starts up pretty quickly and just never stops. It's an endless, high-intensity cascade of things happening, and I just wanted a break to sit back and put it all together once in a while. I'm sure, I'm absolutely positive that it is a pitch-perfect imitation of Terry Pratchett's writing, because horizon is that good, and it is funny, but land's sakes, this was not for me. And I fully understand that that is just me.
Recommended for Discworld Fans
Game Day by Baal Bunny
Genre: Slice of Life
Spike and the guys relax and chat after a solid game of Ogres and Oubliettes.
At its core, this is a very show-tone story about Discord messing with people's lives because he doesn't understand anything about anything. And yet, it's pretty great? I mean, it is just the four of them — the O&O Guys' Night team has expanded to include Shining Armor, here — sitting around and talking, but it's refreshing, fun and heartwarming. That's pretty magical.
Recommended
Testy Testing by Razor Blade the Unicron
Genre: Epistolary
Amethyst Star is just concerned about the flashes of light in the castle.
This is a fun bureaucratic comedy about how some of Ponyville's residents operate on a completely different level of concerns from Twilight and her friends. I really appreciate how Amethyst is pretty much just a busybody with a knack for sounding official, while the ways the various shenanigans snowball and intersect with each other keeps the letters fresh and exciting. It does need a round of cleanup for typos, but I had a good time with it.
Recommended
Celestia's Flaming Tits! by Raugos
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Not What It Seems
You'd better watch your mouth around Princess Celestia.
A feghoot is a story that ends on a terrible pun; what do you call it when the pun is in the middle? <.< You should be able to tell from the fact this isn't M-rated that what seems to be going on isn't. Yes, the first half or so is exceedingly crass, but the humor comes from how Celestia handles the crassness, and boy is it funny. The rest is equal parts cute and bizarre, when you get down to it, but I had fun with this and you probably will, too. :)
Recommended
Acts of Random Kindness by Magnetbolt
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Random
Fluttershy wakes up to find she's an alicorn. Again.
Second place! Boy was this funny. Its humor was pretty astonishing, too. Sure, there's at least one reference, some good wordplay, and a remarkable amount of solid fourth-wall jokes. But the bulk of it was… if not subtle, then not in focus. Things like Fluttershy being able to match Rainbow Dash physically because she wrestles bears. I've read stories before where ponies turn into alicorns or draconequui, but never anything like this. It was always surprising at every turn. :)
Highly Recommended
I Cured Death by Paradigm Shift
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Dark
There may be a few bugs left to work out, but Twilight has finally come up with a solution for death!
This might be the funniest dark comedy in the whole contest. It all starts with a solid joke right at the beginning, in the middle of Apple Bloom's funeral, and gaily skips along at a laugh a minute thereafter. A story that can make ponies keeling over dead really funny gets top marks from me. I do so enjoy stories where Twilight blithely ignores the laws of nature, as well as everyone else's understandably horrified reactions.
Highly Recommended
Sunset Sexytimes by shallow15
Read by Fimfiction
Mature: Sex
Genre: EQG
Sunset's powers are going haywire, and the thoughts she's picking up… Let's say they all involve her.
Oh, this was a hoot. :D The only thing I'll say against it is I was hoping the explanation for what's going on would have been funnier, but at least it was unexpected. The fantasies range from cute — AJ's asexual, as it turns out — to laugh-out-loud hilarious, and the author even added in fantasies that don't appear in the story itself, all of which were highly amusing. If you enjoy sexual comedies, don't pass this up!
Recommended
WHERE'S THE SOUP!? by Vertigo22
100th Review of 2019!
Genre: Random
Starlight can't enjoy a snowy day without her soup.
This is a weird, very silly story that tries to jam humor into its every line, often to little effect. Like, let the characters say funny things, or build up funny jokes, or have the narration drolly comment on the absurdity, but trying to do all of it at once, all the time, with no letup? That's a bit much. Not to mention it gets off track frequently. Like, the Rube Goldberg story about an old mare dying was legitimately funny, but it also has nothing to do with the rest of the story, it's just jammed in there for no particular reason. It wasn't bad, per se, but I was mostly nonplussed by the trying-too-hard. At least it wasn't a ponification of At Soup.
Vaguely Recommended
Suncest by Punk Rock Prom Queen
Genre: EQG Shipping
Sunset has found romance online. Just, not with the person she would have thought…
If there's a problem with this, it's that it's not particularly comedic, for all that there are a few good jokes here and there. (You gotta love Sunset throwing shade on her own Photoshop skills.) I mean, the situation is overall amusing, but it's not even a sitcom, and everything's presented very matter-of-factly. That said, this is pretty satisfying as "what about human Sunset?" stories go. Though I suppose I could say it only just gets started when it ends. A continuation wouldn't be out of order.
Recommended for Sunset Fans
Here Comes a New Challenger! by Tumbleweed
Sequel to Seven Girls, Nine Hundred Forty Three Miles, and One Minivan.
Genre: EQG
Sunset and her friends try out the new Tirek game.
This is "characters play video games" done right. The big scene is all the girls playing multiplayer deathmatch together, and almost none of what happens on-screen is described; it's all in their reactions. But I had a good time with this, perhaps enjoying the mistranslations a little too much. Worth noting, it's got nothing to do with its prequel, so don't worry about missing out on anything if you haven't read it!
Recommended
The Most Important Lesson by Alaborn
Genre: Slice of Life
Wew follow the rules in magic lab for a reason.
This is fascinating, because it's set pre-Crsuaders of the Lost Mark, a time period I haven't seen gone back to for quite some time. I have to say, though, for all that starting with the after-incident scene was a good idea, the rest of the story is very unexciting by comparison, just slowly leading up to the first scene in a fairly standard, somewhat rushed manner. Honestly, if this had just been a thousand words of spaghetti incident, I think it would have come out as a more solid comedy. It's still fun, and a bit of a blast from the past.
Recommended for Slice of Life Fans
We Learned Something Obsolete by Lise Eclaire
Genre: Shipping
Blueblood and Rarity go on a date. Sort of.
Oh my god, this is confusing. I thought the tags were going to spoil it, but the 'reveal' happens maybe a thousand words in, so it's not the punchline. Juggling multiple versions of a character is no easy task, and while the author did a good job of it… it's still confusing. But, yeah, it's basically changelings trying to ship ponies and then recreate their dates for… Admittedly, I couldn't quite figure that part out, myself. >.> Well, it's original!
Recommended for Changeling Fans
Breaking (Down The) News by River Road
Sequel to Team Cohesion
Genre: Take That
Rainbow Dash has had it with the tabloid mud-slinging.
The problem with this story is that, if you read it right after the prequel, as I did, the first half or so is pretty much exactly the same story, but not nearly as funny. It rehashes the same format, the jokes aren't as good (okay, Misty ribbing Soarin about the mare thing is a decent running gag, but that's it), and it relies way too much on the footnotes for comedy. If the actual story had started a little sooner, I'd have enjoyed this more, because it's about Rainbow Dash getting fed up and responding to her critics in a manner both mature and clever. Don't worry, it's in character because Twilight helped. :V Anyway, the final scene is what's fun here, so it's at least worth reading for that. (And if you haven't read the original, well, you can probably do fine by it.)
Recommended for Wonderbolts Fans
Daring Do's Adventures in Whackademia by Posh
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Ship-Teasing
Rainbow Dash agrees to be Daring Do's date to some kind of egghead Gala.
I want to start by saying I was a little disappointed. The title suggests wackiness, and the first chapter is one of the single funniest pieces of writing in the whole contest. But chapter two cools everything off in a big way, and though there are good jokes here and there, the comedy wasn't was I was looking for. That said, I'd like to think this was written for a purpose. Specifically, that most of the people who join fandoms like ours on the internet tend to come from academia. And while most of us have taken the show's encouragement to mock the worlds of fashion and high society, when you come down to it, academia is not somehow inherently better. Any situation that demands ambition from its adherents, that turns their eye directly to their own success, is going to breed the worst in people, and that's what Rainbow Dash finds in this story. As for the genre tag I used, come on. D: Rainbow has a thing for Twilight, Daring suggests Twilight and Starlight's relationship isn't as platonic as Rainbow thinks, and this is a story about two ponies going on a date with no romantic overtones? ;_; Cruel. Bottom line, if you read this for the right reasons, you'll find it worthwhile.
Recommended
A Cut Above the Pest by FanOfMostEverything
Genre: Slice of Weird
Zephyr Breeze lands a new job in Manehattan.
The cover art promises Zephyr Breeze butting heads with Babs Seed, the only other character on the show who has a thing for cutting hair, and it delivers. But that's not all that's going on here. A complication arises, and we see that Zephyr has learned something and does have actual skills and, dare I say it, value. At least some part of me is disappointed this wasn't just him getting his flank handed to him by a filly for three-thousand words, but what exists of that is satisfying and amusing. I will say it just kind of ends when I felt it could keep going for a while, but it's still a solid meeting of disparate characters.
Recommended
We Learned Something, Alright by itsyaboiross
Genre: Drunk Ponies
Twilight could write a book, if only her friends weren't so busy drinking.
Spoilers, this is actually kind of a feghoot, and I'm glad it is, because that means there's at least something to it. Otherwise, it seems like the joke isn't so much drunken shenanigans as "ponies being drunk is inherently funny". Which it most certainly is not. I laughed maybe twice, mostly just because nothing happening on the page was comedic.
Vaguely Recommended
Sexorcism by An Intricate Disguise
Read by Fimfiction
Mature: Sex
Genre: 2P Humanized Clop
Hired to please the insatiable Night Empress, you embark on your task with another mission in mind.
The joke here is that 'you' are literally described as being an Adonis, and your presence turns everyone's head. You're like, the peak of human perfection in just about every way, and so of course you're going to banish Nightmare Moon with orgasms and bukkake. <.< I guess that's kind of funny, though the cynical part of me is sitting here going, "Oh sure, all a strong woman needs is a good fucking to get her to settle down," but that part can shut up. The world-building is kind of huh?, but the sex writing is a cut above, so there's that. I just never get too excited about these kinds of stories is all.
Recommended If You Like Porn
Why Won't Everypony Stop Hitting on Rainbow Dash? by TheDriderPony
Read by Fimfiction
Genre: Not What It Seems
It's like everypony around her has a dirty mind or something!
This is just a long string of innuendoes, but their mere presence is happily not the main joke. I was highly amused, but then I am easily amused by such things. :) Even the narration gets in on it! Weirdly, this culminates in a magical explanation; for all that it didn't need one, that does allow for even more ridiculous innuendoes. The only bit I didn't like was the very end, despite in-text justifications. Still fun.
Recommended If You Enjoy Innuendo
A Dictionary Problem by Dreams of Ponies
Genre: Slice of Life
Really, it's more like an addiction.
This story is really funny, and it's thanks to a Spike/Starlight banter that's on point. This is also a very silly story about chest floof. I'm not even sure how things turn out like that, but there you go, that's a thing that happened, along with Starlight's fanfic. The madcap pacing means this never gets dull, nor overstays its welcome. Not the greatest comedy ever, but you could do so much worse!
Recommended
We Learned Something Today! by Cinder Vel
Genre: Drunk Ponies
Vinyl and Octavia have had a full day.
The writing in this is not particularly great, with unnatural dialogue and easy to spot typos, but I'll be darned if it didn't make me laugh. I mean, Vinyl telling a story and portraying the characters in improperly is inherently funny, no matter how you slice it. Amusing as this is, it is kind of hard to read and there's not a whole lot beyond Vinyl's silly accents for her friends. Well, besides the utterly ridiculous situation they get into. It was a little hard to swallow.
Vaguely Recommended
Coffee Hour by moonbutters
Genre: Changeling Fic
Where was Luna during the Canterlot invasion, anyway?
You ever read a story where the author has happened upon something they think is hilarious and you just don't get? In this case, it's a changeling who is only ever called "the Paul". It's just… not that funny. And a lot of the rest of the humor comes from characters being confused about words and getting them wrong over and over again. That said, I was pleased to see an invasion fic told from the changeling perspective; I just haven't seen that many, and if this hadn't been so hellbent on being silly, it might actually have made for a decent drama. I dunno, it just wasn't for me.
Recommended for Changeling Fans Only
Inconvenient by MaxKodan
Sequel to Dappled Shores
Genre: EQG Shipping
All Sunset wanted was a haysadilla.
Gee, Dappled Shores, why does your author let you have two sequels? For two very different contests, no less! I was insatiably amused by how well the story Sunset and Rarity tell weaves back and forth across two different scenes. Just read it, you'll know what I mean. It just keeps spiralling bigger and bigger and bigger, ever out of control. It's an incredible thing to watch. And the best part is it all culminates in a reaffirmation of the Sunsarity relationship started three stories ago. If this isn't my favorite entry in the whole contest, then it's a close second.
Highly Recommended
Cheating on Your Waifu by Czar_Yoshi
Genre: Slice of Life
The gift of a plush Starlight Glimmer is just the start of Spike's problems.
The weird thing about this story, if you think about it, is that it's really about cheating, except it's all the make-believe fantasies of a little boy. Like, there's not even anything untoward about what happens, save if you let it be there. @_@ Whoof, I dunno. I don't want to come down on this one, though, because the writing is excellent and it was, at the very least, adorable. A good end to the contest!
Recommended
It kind of amuses me how abbreviating the Oversaturated World makes discussing it sound like someone stubbed their toe midsentence.
And yeah, I probably could do more with Zephyr in the big city. Chasing after a pigeon that crapped in his mane, running into the Pinkie clone, getting harassed by Diamond Dogs in Barklyn only to be rescued by Babs...
Darn it, you may have prodded me into writing a sequel at some point.
Also, best of luck with the BCU.
You had my attention, now you have my erection.
I'm glad you liked Inconvenient! I wasn't quite as happy with it as I could have been, but looking back it's really not that bad. I do know there are a few things I would absolutely fix up, specifically towards the end. Still, I had some fun writing it, so in the end it was worth it.
Huh, well this caught me off guard. Completely forgot about the contest.
Anyway thank you for reviewing all five, nice to finally see something for the non top ones. Was too long since I read those so can't comment on accuracy. Not surprised by my result, too many issues. Well once again thank you and have a pleasant day.
Wait are you reading and reviewing all of beanis? Do you know about the official reading order? Are you including fanworks? when is the due date?!
That's a valid interpretation. Certainly, yeah, higher education and formal academia are full of pretension, hypocrisy, politicking, and general windbaggery. In fact, this story was inspired by an event I had to go to for credit, back in grad school, in which I sat through a bunch of presentations that ranged from incoherently pretentious, to just uncomfortable.
(Highlights included a black/white video presentation comparing plant life to critical theory... I think...? and another presenter reading a passage from a textbook he wrote, in which he describes his sexual affair with a cocaine-snorting male model in Paris, and fantasizes about having dinner with David Sedaris.)
But I think I fall more in line with DD here. As flawed as that world is, it was a big part of my own life for a long time. There are still moments where I'm nostalgic for it. Y'know?
So, in short, I don't mean for this to be a straight-up condemnation of academia. Just an acknowledgement that it is, as the name suggests, whack.
These are a couple of recurring ideas/gags in my stories. Everypony assumes that Starlight is Twilight's girlfriend and that they're raising Spike together, and the two of them are completely oblivious to it. And I decided that Rainbow should have unrequited feelings for Twilight years ago (basically on a whim; it just came up when I was writing Jelly God).
As for DD and Dashie, uh. I dunno. I think Rainbow's too awed by Daring Do to even have sexual feelings for her. DD probably wouldn't say no, necessarily, but given the disparity in age and maturity, she'd probably have to think about it first.
Thank you for removing the reviews! Sorry, they just... aren't stories I'd recommend anyone to review, and were written for fun and little else. Thanks for all the hard work you put into the other reviews. I hope that when one of my better stories catches your eye, it'll be something worth recommending!
"Not Recommended"
Yeah, just about what I'd give mine, too, tbh. I don't really remember much of writing it, but I think I wrote it specifically to be a bad random... Idk, kinda blocked it out of memory.
Thanks for the thoughts anyway, mate! Never one to turn down a review, regardless of the outcome.
5021266
Suck it. :V
5021288
I think I enjoyed it more than the other Dappled Shores sequel, though that was quite good, too. :)
5021296
I have the reading order, yes. I'm starting phase one and making no promises beyond that!
Glad you enjoyed Partyquest! Also I'm a little surprised that you don't think it's exactly a comedy. It was certainly intended as one, even if it's got darker and more serious overtones than it may appear to.
5021376
Since I read it first, and rather a while back, it's hard to say in the greater context of the contest. :B
Alright, that's a fair critique. I admit I do have a bit of an obsessive need to justify and explain every little thing that happens and tie up every possible loose end... sometimes at the expense of the mood. As for the end... as I recall, it was getting down to the deadline and I'd written myself into a corner. Not entirely happy with it myself. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed the rest of it (including the mare offering promotional passes to the Ponyville "Pirates, Ahoy!" dinner theater.)
5021435
Is that what that was? XD
This is, like, five or six posts' worth of reviews. A huge salute for your tremendous dedication!
This is definitely one of the more unusual reactions I've had to Watch! Watch!, and I'm not quite certain how I could have improved the story given how well it seemed to work for judges and the general audience, but the review is still legit. People bounce off of otherwise-good stories for any of a million different reasons, and sometimes there's just a mismatch. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I've been there as both a writer and a reader, and I know that feel of recognizing in the abstract that there's something to a story that I just absolutely cannot see from my angle.
It's super exciting to see the HRs and Rs throughout the field of competitors, though. I've read some damn fantastic stories from the contest (at least one's in the RCL!) and there are an embarrassing amount of entries worth everyone's time, medal-winner or no. It really is an honor just to be in such good company.
5021789
I guarantee someone is majorly cheesed that I didn't really get your story, and I'm glad it's not you. :)
I'm honored that I Cured Death made it into your top seven. I do enjoy it when others enjoy my comedy.
Based off the few I've already read and the 15 new tabs i have open, this is going to be an awesome selection!
Won't lie: I was so tempted to log on a few days ago just so I could explain my nonsensical soup story. Majin had suggested I partake in the contest and I was hesitant at first. Finally, I gave in and had the plan to go against everything Aragon wanted. In the end, I wrote the dumbest thing I could. I'm shocked you didn't outright hate the damn thing.
5029915
...That explains a few things! Believe it or not, I like it more now! :P
5029956
I'm flattered. It's very far from what I would have liked it to have been (I took an existing idea I have where Starlight had to go on an epic quest to get a can of soup; it would have spanned Manehattan and a few other cities if memory serves me well), but knowing you like it a bit more makes up for that. :)
Thank you for the review!
5146776
Taking a trip down memory lane, I see. :B
5146874
I just love watching you deal with my shitfics XD