Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXIV · 10:26pm Jan 26th, 2023
So this weekend I decided I wanted to watch a Miyazaki movie, if only because HBO appears to have all of them. Plus I was feeling nostalgic. I’ve seen quite a few, including some of the lesser known ones like Porco Rosso, Pom Poko and The Wind Rises. But it appears I’ve still got some watching to do, because I discovered quite a few I’d not seen before. Rather than rewatch one I’ve not seen in ages, I decided to jump into one I hadn’t seen at all. I ultimately settled on Only Yesterday, a 1991 film that didn’t see an official English release until 2016 as part of its 25th anniversary. It ended up being about a young woman going on vacation in the countryside while vividly remembering both good and bad memories from her childhood.
It was a touching story, a bit quirky with some unusual animation and dialogue yet heartwarming and endearing. It was a great reminder that even when Studio Ghibli does something low key they still deliver high quality. Sometimes I think I like their slice-of-life stories more than their fantastical ones. I kinda-sorta want to go on a Ghibli binge now.
No point behind this, just something that’s been on the mind. There was one other thing that popped into my head this past week though. It was… an idea. Alas, I know I’ll never get to it, so I wanted to share it with y’all and see if anybody would like to jump on it.
While listening to iTunes on the road this past weekend, a song came up where a band, playing live, started ad-libbing all their lines. This resulted in some really goofy and nonsensical lyrics. It got me to thinking about the Rainbooms. So, opening element: the Rainbooms stay as a band after high school and go on tours. At some point in the first year, Rainbow Dash starts doing a little skit at the start of each show.
She describes to the audience what happened at the last show, things which regrettably they can’t do this time. These brief stories are always over the top nonsense everyone knows didn’t really happen, and they always involve Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy did her Dr. Seuss thing.”
“Fluttershy ate fire.”
“Fluttershy fought ninjas while dual-wielding chainsaws!”
“Fluttershy recited all of Hamlet. From memory. In Klingon. Rarity even provided costumes.”
You know, stupid stuff just to get a laugh from the crowd. Fluttershy plays along because it’s all in good fun. That is, until Rainbow unwittingly tells a story that hits way too close to reality, a story that Fluttershy doesn’t appreciate. Exactly what this story is, I couldn’t say. That’s kinda where I get stuck. My immediate thought is something romance-related, like making out with some other member of the band, but meh, that’s too easy.
So yeah, I’m opening this idea up for anyone who wants to give it a go. I’ve got enough projects on my plate without adding another to the pile.
I’ve rambled for long enough, no? Let’s get to the reviews.
Stories for This Week:
Lady No Longer by KingdaKa
Sea of Stars by wishcometrue
Livestream by bahatumay
Burnout by Silent Whisper
A Long Night by INeedSleep
Sunlight by The Albinocorn
Girlfriend Friend by Tangerine Blast
Obsolete by Taialin
I Cast a Deadly Shadow by Horse Voice
My Little Investigations: The Silent Dirge by Metool Bard
Total Word Count: 225,697
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 0
Pretty Good: 7
Worth It: 3
Needs Work: 0
None: 0
Lady No Longer
58,951 Words
By KingdaKa
Dean Cadance has a veritable witch for a boss. That’s not a problem. She leads a very active private life. That’s not a problem. She’s just hit her thirties. That… might be a problem. She’s fallen in lust with Twilight Sparkle. Okay, that is definitely a problem.
My attention was first brought to this series by the story A Friend At The End of The World, which looked like it might make for an interesting read. But as is my usual rule, I wanted to know what came before first. This led to Lady no Longer, which carries with it the porn tag and the author openly calls “smut with a plot”. Still, I was willing to give it a go and see if the plot might make the smut worth putting up with.
The story follows Cadance as her relationship with Twilight – originally as mentor and sister figure – begins to crash devastatingly into lust territory. The promiscuous and lovely dean, who becomes principal after a short time, is well aware that her interest is dangerous for everyone involved and fights hard to quell such feelings. Alas, Twilight doesn’t make that easy, especially when she starts coming to Cadance to help resolve her relationship troubles.
Things devolve rapidly from there. What follows is a torrential relationship in which a selfish, manipulative woman takes advantage of an innocent, naive, and barely legal teenager. When the relationship finally kicks in, it’s treated as something fairly innocent, albeit full of vividly descriptive sexuality. But then Cadance starts asking Twilight to do other things, things she’s not comfortable with. We eventually come to realize that this Cadance is a wretched, evil woman.
I truly mean that. Her final act against Twilight is an atrocious and horrifying thing.
Which goes back to the whole “smut with a plot” thing. I somewhat feel like that’s a mischaracterization. KingdaKa appears to care much more about the plot than the smut. Don’t get me wrong, when the smut happens they try to give it just as much attention and care in the writing as everything else. It’ll certainly get a, ahem, “rise” out of you, provided that lesbianism is a turn on for you. But the plot clearly takes precedence. Heck, the sexuality doesn’t even start until several chapters in.
As a side note, I found the author’s notes regularly promising the smut was eventually coming to be annoying. What, author, do you think that’s the only reason we’re here? I’ll grant that’s probably true for some people but, frankly, if they’re the kind of person you have to keep reassuring that the sex is eventually coming then they probably aren’t the audience you’re writing for. If you wanted that audience you wouldn’t be focusing so hard on the plot.
Said plot is great, provided you’re interested in watching someone implode on their own selfishness and sex addiction. It’s a gradually accelerating tumble down a rabbit hole of Cadance’s own sense of self-worth as she clings to the idea that she’s still desirable as a woman. Innocent little Twilight, freshly eighteen and so deeply in love, is searching for exclusivity and monogamy. Cadance, just hitting her thirties and longing to revisit the throes of youth, wants experimentation, wildness, and all the sex she can get. By the time either of them realize that what they have is toxic it’s far too late for apologies. It’s a wild ride and, in Cadance’s case, thoroughly damning.
Which leads to the one and only issue I have with the story: the conclusion. Cadance did something truly reprehensible. If she’s going to make up for it, she’ll have to work hard. KingdaKa tries to ease this in the epilogue by having a big time jump take place, to the tune of three to five years (the actual time is a bit iffy) and claiming the Cadance has been taking steps to improve as a person. From the perspective of the in-story characters, I’m sure that’s fine. From the perspective of the readers, it seems like a cop-out so that KingdaKa could have a happy ending without the obligatory redemption arc.
I get the desire to end the story on a high note, especially after exactly how low Cadance proved she could go. But to be honest? I feel like a better path for the story would have been to end it on that low note and make the sequel be that redemption arc. Yes, it would have taken longer, but it wouldn’t have felt rushed and might have even made it possible for me to forgive Cadance as Twilight apparently has. Right now it doesn’t feel like she’s earned it at all.
I think the most curious element is how this story does not, in fact, require an AU tag, which I was halfway expecting. Twilight’s parents are divorced? We never even see Twilight’s parents in EqG, so we can’t make any canon claims otherwise. Cadance and Shining aren’t and perhaps never were together? We only ever saw them together one time in EqG, period, and there was absolutely zero indication that they were an item at the time. As audacious as it might sound, there’s nothing whatsoever to tell us that anything in this story can’t be canon.
I enjoyed the story as a whole. Even the sex scenes were effective, showcasing the mood and interests of the characters as the story progressed, although I acknowledge that they could be skipped/skimmed without much lost in terms of plot. It’s one of those “we are our own worst enemies” kind of stories and works that with great effect. Just be prepared for some serious taboos to be broken and for Cadance to spend a good chunk of it as a reprehensible individual.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Sea of Stars
4,336 Words
By wishcometrue
Inexplicably, Sweetie Belle has a latent gift for dream magic, something she only discovered when she went to ask Luna about the topic. Now she is Luna’s apprentice. But Sweetie knows she’s undeserving of such a role. She’s insignificant, small, mortal. There’s nothing special about her at all.
This was a curious piece, coated in description and character. Told from Sweetie’s perspective, much of it possesses a certain self-disdain as Sweetie’s feelings of inadequacy flourish under the pressure of her role. Luckily, Luna knows exactly what to do and say to ease her student into the proper mindset. The end result is a story about accepting one’s fears and concerns just as much as the hopes and successes. Or, to use Luna’s terminology, it’s about knowing oneself.
Overall, I enjoyed this one for its imagery and character work. The one issue I had with it was that the relationship between Sweetie and Luna had to be accepted at the start because the story will make no attempt to show its evolution to the point we see it. A shame, because that’s something I’d have liked to have witnessed directly. It’s a minor nitpick though, and not enough to detract from my enjoyment.
A pleasant piece of friendshipping between Best Princess and Little Marshmallow.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Livestream
15,000 Words
By bahatumay
Pipp Petals has been the star of the internet for her entire life. Now a mare going by the name of Sage Wisdom has started her own streaming channel, offering advice both good and bad to anypony willing to ask a question. Pipp is rapidly becoming a has-been, Sage’s advice is starting to hurt the unity she and her friends worked towards, and she has no idea what to do about any of it.
You’ll know who the villain of this piece is pretty quickly. While the reveal doesn’t happen until it’s some two-thirds over, there are plenty of hints throughout the story, and if that weren’t enough a thorough read-through of the description page will outright spoil it. That being said, I strongly approve of this rendition of the character.
The story can feel slow at the start. A bunch of seemingly unrelated events will happen and it’s easy to wonder what they have to do with Sage Wisdom and Pipp Petals. The ending does somewhat tie it all together, but I can’t help feeling like bahatumay could have moved things along a little more quickly. I also had this sense that things were never really “complete”. A lot of topics are raised that never get explained, even in part. For example, the villain once explains that her powers are limited due to the “stronger magic” of modern ponies, and yet when the final battle occurs there’s no sign of that weakness and no explanation of why it seems to have disappeared.
Even so, I found the overarching story a fun little romp in which Pipp stresses over no longer being Princess of the Nettertubes and the group have to face a real villain for once (he says without having seen much of GEN5). There’s great character work here and a regular stream of amusing moments to keep things from ever feeling too serious. The climactic final fight felt a little rushed, but otherwise I have nothing to complain about regarding how it is written.
An entertaining little read that kinda makes me want to get into Gen5 a little more.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Burnout
1,040 Words
By Silent Whisper
Requested by LH45
Twilight Sparkle discovered a spell that lets unicorns tap into their true potential. It only cost her life. Other unicorns followed in her hoofsteps. Other unicorns died. Except one.
In this curiously gloomy AU, we learn that Twilight Sparkle found a spell to achieve the caster’s idea of perfection. Unfortunately, the sheer euphoria of the spell leads unicorns to cast it constantly, and its cost is the pony’s life… and possibly soul.
The story follows Sweetie Belle as she visits, perhaps for the last time, Carousel Boutique, where her own sister succumbed to the spell’s temptation. It mostly involves her reflecting on the state of the Ponyville after Twilight’s discovery and death, who is at fault, and what she intends to do about it. The story prompts the reader to question the costs of perfection.
It’s an atmospheric, moody piece, and in that aspect it works well. But the real sell here is the mystery of it all. Not that Sweetie is solving a mystery so much as the story gradually unravels the mystery of what’s going on, who Sweetie is in this world, and how she’s formed her decisions. The two elements combine for a piece that the sadficionados will likely enjoy.
The only caveat here is that I feel more could have been done with the premise. I understand and appreciate the kind of story Silent Whisper was going for, but I can’t help to think that a more direct look at the state of Ponyville and its inhabitants would have really driven the point home.
No matter, what we’ve got is plenty good. Give it a go if you’re interested in a moody sadfic.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
A Long Night
4,852 Words
By INeedSleep
Requested by INeedSleep
It’s been years since Nightmare Moon defeated the Element Bearers and set Equestria up with eternal night, as she long dreamed. Now she leaves her protective bunker to explore her kingdom. What’s left of it.
Here INeedSleep has decided to Tell us exactly what would happen if Nightmare Moon won and put Equestria in a state of eternal night.. In the real world sense. While I’ve seen a great many stories discuss this topic, I’m pretty sure this is the first one I’ve seen take an in-depth look at how Nightmare Moon’s world-ending insanity would play out using real-world rules (i.e. plants need sunlight and the sun keeps the world warm). Which is… strange. You’d think I’d have seen this done before. So how did INeedSleep do?
Well… okay. All the events are believable and Nightmare Moon’s sense of guilt is decently done. I particularly like how the author went through the trouble of describing the steady decline of the world, including mentions of how the other side of it is suffering the opposite problem. The overall depiction is certainly plausible and works really well.
I have two issues.
The first is the sudden nature of how the story starts. Nightmare Moon wakes up and apparently on a whim decides “I’mma go outside for the first time in years”. Given her situation and the tone the story is going for, this was the wrong way to go about it. The decision demands more attention, more consideration. As-is? It’s just a decision, with no greater purpose behind it. Not a good way to start what is meant to be a poignant, atmospheric piece. A better way to start the story would have been to either have NMM start off considering the possibility of leaving or, perhaps even better, begin with the door opening.
The other issue I have is the presentation of the story as a whole. It begins with NMM exploring her dead world and then alternates through flashbacks and the present. While I’m willing to admit that my general disfavor of flashbacks is a subjective matter, I really feel this is an example where they don’t work in the story’s favor. If INeedSleep really wanted to create and maintain a gloomy atmosphere, they would have stuck purely to NMM’s present and used Show to depict the state of Equestria rather than spoon-feeding us the facts. If the desire was for us to witness Equestria falling instead, then they should have done that and made NMM’s leaving of the bunker be the final scene instead of the first. As-is, I feel like the story is mixing together two completely different storytelling styles to the detriment of the whole.
None of this is to say that A Long Night is bad. Again, I really like how the author worked to fully realize how Equestria and the nations around it might fall thanks to the sun and moon ceasing their daily motions. That scene where NMM finally admits to her closest advisors that she can’t fix the problem was good, although it would have been far better if we’d have had a chance to witness their faith firsthand so that the crumbling of said faith could be more impactful.
What I’m seeing here is an author with good ideas but who needs to work on their delivery. When the story centers on NMM, it’s largely a bunch of exposition. But when the flashbacks were happening? We got Show over Tell, and in an effective way. Not perfect, there were some things I could nitpick, but those scenes were huge improvements. Had INeedSleep used that style to present the entire story instead of just the flashbacks, this would have easily landed on a higher bookshelf.
For their first FIMFiction story? Not a bad start. Not bad at all. They just need to tweak their methods a little.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Sunlight
48,691 Words
By The Albinocorn
When a vampire fruit bat passes through the portal to the human world, its interests shift towards the red and pumping. One thing leads to another, and now Sunset Shimmer is a vampire. This might not be so bad if she wasn’t looking to drain the blood of every human in town. Her primary target? A certain egghead who has had her attention for reasons other than blood…
Or, to summarize the summary, Sunset goes batty for Sci-Twi. I’m not sorry.
Although this didn’t bring anything new to the vampire genre, it was still a fun read. Sunset rediscovering her villainous roots thanks to her vampiric urges, Lyra and Bonbon becoming a dynamic duo of bloodsucking, Fluttershy demonstrating a talent for the kind of driving usually reserved for video games, Pinkie’s blood being far too sweet for vampiric consumption, stuff like that. Underlying all of it is, of course, the lust that both Sci-Twi and Sunset have been hiding from one another.
Generally well written and sporting copious action and danger for the thrill-seekers among us, this proved an entertaining read from start to finish. I’d like to be more nuanced in my review, but seriously: it’s a vampire-themed adventure, nothing more or less. If that’s what you’re into, then you’ll probably enjoy it.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Long Road to Friendship — WHYRTY?
Firebird Dahlia — Pretty Good
Wawindaji — Pretty Good
Sunset of Time — Worth It
Girlfriend Friend
2,638 Words
By Tangerine Blast
Rarity has called an important meeting to order. She very recently learned that all five of her best friends believe she is dating them and has been for a very long time. This is news to her, and she would like to know how they each got the idea into their cavernous skulls.
I had no idea what to expect going into this, and that Random tag was not encouraging. Fortunately, the end result is something highly amusing. It’s certainly a silly story, but it’s silly in a way that makes sense for the characters, particularly in their early-season depictions. It would be fun to list out all the things the individual characters did wrong, but that’s too spoilery considering it’s the entire joke. Given the twist at the end and the nature of the story, I’m interested to see how the sequel turns out.
A fun little comedy of social errors and ineptitude. Give it a read, it’s worth the ten minutes.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Spark Visions of Twilight — Pretty Good
Recall Memories of Midnight — Worth It
Rarity has invited Spike over to her place for tea. This is an entirely new thing, because she didn’t specify that she wanted his help or a favor. She just wants to see him. After so many years of pining, are his dreams finally becoming a reality? But then he arrives and finds that they won’t be having tea alone…
Referred to as a successor to the ‘L’ trilogy consisting of Listen, Language, and Lust (and presumably set in the same universe), Obsolete has Rarity and Fluttershy in love. Now they just have to inform Spike. The story is told entirely from his perspective and runs the gamut of common issues raised by people critical of the ship, especially in regards to Rarity’s behavior towards Spike throughout the series.
To be honest, I’m pretty sure I’ve never read a story that addressed these issues directly. I’ve seen it come up plenty of times in commentary, but to have a story directly ask “Why does Rarity keep leading him on?” is not something I think I’ve encountered before. Which, considering the amount of Sparity I’ve read, is surprising. Maybe I’m just mis-remembering. I do read a lot of material, after all. Even so, the idea is an easy one, and as such an author will have to bring their A-game to make it worthwhile.
Fortunately, Taialin is more than up to the challenge. The emotions here are raw, and Spike’s pain at finally having his dream crushed is tangible. His emotions get away from him, and I doubt anybody could blame him for that. The story channels that anger and pain and frustration quite well.
Another positive aspect is Fluttershy, who proves herself Best Pony when her friends need her to be. She was great here, working to ensure that a long and beloved friendship doesn’t die by acting as referee to Spike’s and Rarity’s tense heart-to-heart. It was great character work for her, showcasing her best side.
And of course we have Rarity, who hardly comes out looking like a rose but is saved by realizing her sin towards Spike and immediately seeking to resolve the issue. There is, of course, the underlying problem with this: all Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike have done so far is talk. Oh, yes, there’s an apology, and sure, Spike says they can still be friends at the end. But they were mere words. One must wonder if Taialin ever plans to give us a story where we see Rarity’s renewed relationship with Spike in action. There is a sequel, and I do plan on reading it, but I seriously doubt it will address this.
Ultimately, this is a story about Spike and the monumental choice he has to make. Specifically: whether or not he can continue to be friends with Rarity after her treatment of him is fully understood by both parties. It’s touching and emotional, surprisingly so. And yes, I’ve spoiled how it ends, but the fact of the matter is that this is one in which the journey is far more important than the destination.
I am pleased to have read this and look forward to the sequel. I am only disappointed that this was meant to be a trilogy and, given Taialin’s lack of involvement on the site lately, we’ll probably never see that third ‘O’.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Tradecraft — WHYRTY?
Eternity — Pretty Good
Language — Pretty Good
Lust — Pretty Good
Listen — Worth It
I Cast a Deadly Shadow
3,795 Words
By Horse Voice
Gizmo develops a potion that lets him visit the dreams of other ponies. When he realizes just what he can do with this ability, he sets to work righting all the wrongs he perceives have been done against him, with lethal consequences. But Gizmo is not the genius he thinks he is…
Purveyor of dark materials Horse Voice strikes again with this brief tragedy. It largely recounts Gizmo’s descent into psychopathy and serial murder through the medium of dreams, revealing just as much about his twisted mind as his methods. He insists that his actions are the result of years of abuse, but frankly? I don’t buy it. His inglorious end, a moment when he realizes just how stupid he is right when it’s too late to do anything about it, felt much deserved.
Although my favorite part would have to be when he threatens to kill Vinyl Scratch, entirely because of her reaction.
But don’t let my response to the story fool you; this is every bit as dark as you’d expect to see from this author. It’s no Biblical Monsters or Wild Fire (both of which are stories you should read), but it more than holds its own.
Fans of the grim and unpleasant, give it a go.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Biblical Monsters — WHYRTY?
Wild Fire — WHYRTY?
Celestia Hates Us All — Pretty Good
The Savage Way — Pretty Good
Holder's Boulder — Worth It
My Little Investigations: The Silent Dirge
76,094 Words
By Metool Bard
Sequel to My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire
All Octavia wanted to do was enjoy the Manehattan Music Festival. That would be a lot easier without her rambunctious roommate and fellow radio host Vinyl Scratch making a fool of herself. But Octavia’s used to that. What she’s not used to is getting death threats. Somepony out there is trying to kill the festival’s lead musicians, and she’s decided to do something about it. Fortunately there’s a mysterious stranger in a mask who seems intent on helping.
The first thing to point out is that this is not a direct sequel to Wonderbolts Under Fire. Spitfire makes no appearances and there are no links whatsoever between the events of the two stories beyond a reference or two. I don’t find any fault with this. If anything, I like Metool Bard’s way of handling this.
The story largely revolves around self-proclaimed “not a detective” Octavia trying to play the part anyway. Unlike Spitfire, she wasn’t coerced into it by Mare-Do-Well but instead made the decision on her own in defense of her one true love, i.e. music (sorry, Vinyl). This largely involves going around chatting with all her fellow musicians and the festival staff in an attempt to piece together largely circumstantial evidence.
The best news? You know who the villain is. By that I mean a lot of characters appear repeatedly in this story and one of them is the bad guy, it’s just a matter of figuring out which one. This is a huge step up from the previous story, in which it was impossible for the reader to try and figure out the mystery on their own because the villain didn’t exist in the story (or in canon, for that matter) until they were outed. I also give kudos that I was unable to solve the mystery before Octavia, although there was a time or two I mistakenly thought I had.
But there are problems. Let’s start with the writing. This story both begins and ends under the guise that Octavia is retelling the story to us directly. This would have been fine if Metool Bard hadn’t made some blatant narrative mistakes that made it seem like we were directly witnessing the events as they were happening. So which is it, author? Are we watching Octavia actively pursue the case or are we listening to her retelling it? You can’t have it both ways. I might understand if there was some way of knowing that the style of the story changed from one scene to the next, but there’s no way to see that.
Also, comma use. Horrible, horrible comma use. Metool Bard apparently has no idea what an ellipsis is, because they use commas in all the places an ellipsis should be. Every. Single. Time. It’s an eyesore at best and an immersion killer at worst. Let’s ignore the fact that Metool Bard abuses the style that requires an ellipsis enough to make it lose its strength within a chapter or two.
Then there’s the actual mystery, which felt… I guess ‘weak’ is the word I’m looking for? There are plenty of times where something comes up that either is a big clue but isn’t treated as such or, more often, isn’t much of a clue at all but gets treated like a breakthrough. When they finally caught the bad guy, I seriously questioned if their “evidence” would hold up in a courtroom. Seriously, if the villain hadn’t confessed at the last second because of stress I’m sure they’d have gotten off scot-free. Although to be fair, they are clearly unhinged; what kind of person claims they’re going to silence “all music in Equestria” and expects such an impossible threat to be taken seriously?
Less of a criticism and more of a disappointment is the lack of Mare-Do-Well. She shows up regularly and does a few things, but in terms of the mystery it felt like she was largely in the background of this story. Which is kind of a disappointment considering she’s really the only thing connecting it to its predecessor. You’d think she’d have a bigger presence in solving the mystery in the same way she helped Spitfire.
All in all, this didn’t come off quite as well as Wonderbolts Under Fire. It gets points for having the villain be a character the reader can recognize this time, but in terms of the writing and the story itself? It just didn’t work as well for me. It’s still not a bad story on the whole, but neither did it ‘wow’ me. I came out of it with a shrug.
Hopefully the next one will be better. I really hope Metool Bard learned the proper use of commas by then, but given the stories are only a month apart I’m not crossing my fingers.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Truth Hurts — Pretty Good
My Little Investigations: Wonderbolts Under Fire — Pretty Good
Stories for Next Time:
Twilight Takes a DNA Test by Dewdrops on the Grass
Lingering Touch by Spyder27
A Close Call by Jamin P Rose
Inspiration Aftermath by paleowriter
Loqui Veritatem In Caritate by Gay For Gadot
Running Late in Manehatten by Autumnschild
Displacement by hornethead
Devil May Care by horizon
Slaves to Darkness: A Bridle Path story by Penalt
Sunset's Leather Jacket by Tennis Match Fan
Recent Review Map:
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXIX
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXX
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXI
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXII
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXIII
You Are Here
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXV
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXVI
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXVII
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXVIII
Paul's Thursday Reviews CCCXXIX
:D Thanks so much for the review! I’m glad you like my silly little story and I hope you do like the sequel
I'm honestly just happy I got a decent enough review, so yay, thanks! And to pull back the curtains a little, there're just a few things I want to say.
First is that the earlier drafts of the story actually had direct mention of the reason that NMM left, so it wasn't actually just on a whim. It was later chopped off on the recommendation of a friend, but it actually started off with the last of her friends dying and her just realizing that there wasn't anything left for her there. You can sort of see the remnants of it with the starting line emphasizing her being alone. In hindsight, I wish I'd kept it.
The second actually relates to why I wrote it the way I did, and the answer boils down to inexperience. In my first draft of the story which I'd written in one sitting over a few hours, it was just NMM. No flashbacks of any sort. Pure Tell, very little Show. I'm sure you can already see the problem. On advice from another writer that I actually edit for, the flashbacks were a way to add some Show in rather than what I had. Helped that instead of having to rewrite it all, I could just sprinkle those in. Again, I regret not doing a full rewrite in hindsight. Even before I sent the request, I knew this would be one of the points brought up and it's absolutely one of the things I would change if I were to do it again. Even just thinking about it now, a buildup that leads to the opening of the bunker door would've absolutely been far better and I certainly regret not doing it that way.
The last point is just that I was also shocked nobody else had tried something like this before. You'd really think that in a decade, even just a handful of people would consider it more in-depth. When I couldn't find anything, I just decided that I needed to do it myself. Took a surprising amount of research and I ended up having to neglect a few things for it to work—specifically geothermal vents and heat retention by oceans—but I'm happy enough with my portrayal and I'm glad you seem to approve of it!
Again, thanks for the review! I appreciate it and I'll be sure to consider all of that when I get back into writing... eventually. I do still have to deal with normal life, editing for three people, and any surprises.
I feel obliged to point out that neither Pom Poko nor Only Yesterday are Miyazaki flicks. But in any case, OY is a great flick, showing immense nuance and respect in its treatment and depiction of that time of life and the effect of memories. It is also one of the few anime out there that recorded the voices before the animation (for the present-say material), lending a certain realism to the character movements on top of such facial features as cheekbones that you just didn't get in anime then, and not really much more now. There's a tv documentary on the films production from the time that's subbed on YouTube, with quite a bit of fascinating stuff in there (and among other things, watching the Ghibli folks sweet-talk the corporation that owns and finances them for a release date extension, among other things, and in doing an anime that needs to appeal to people who don't see anime – this is all within Japan, so it means something totally different than it does to us foreigners).
I need to get on rewatching and watching much of Ghibli's catalogue myself (it's all on Netflix here). Ever since Princess Mononoke was my gateway drug to anime beyond toy commercial kiddie fare, the immense quality and respect and life of their stuff has always stuck with me (it's probably not much of a surprise that I don't watch a lot of anime – nothing against it at all, I just need stuff free from the common issues). And they're also great inspiration cleansers when struggling with stories. Pixar would always screen a Ghibli film when they had story troubles, with one notable example coming from them having trouble cracking the riverbed action rescue from a bird in A Bug's Life until they rewatched a pivotal action scene from Castle in the Sky that inspired them on the right course to balance the deft blend of adventure tones they needed for the scene, among other things.
…Can you tell I love behind-the-scenes trivia for animated films?
Couple of interesting fics this week, especially that one of Rarity owning up to Spike. Only read Girlfriend Friend before myself, and I liked it a bit more than you did, but we both quite liked it, so it's all good.
Yeah, about the commas. Back when I wrote this, my brain thought that ellipses were meant to denote that a thought was interrupted, not to denote a short pause in the dialogue. You might be disappointed that most of my stories written here have that problem, which I have corrected, thankfully.
I will also note that the story does indeed start with Octavia retelling events, but a short way through, it's apparent that the reader has caught up with her (with her basically saying "now you know what happened and where I stand"). I honestly couldn't tell you why I decided to do it like this.
Only Yesterday was quite good! I gave it a high rating in my blog. Another somewhat little-known Ghibli film I'd suggest is Ocean Waves, if you can find it.
I have heard of several stories that deal with the real physical implications of eternal night, but the only one I can name off the top of my head is a long one that's considered somewhat of a classic: Antipodes.
Oh boy. That first one actually sounds worth reading. I mean, there are so many not-a-good-idea pairings in ponyfic, it's nice to see someone write smut with the intention of exploring just why it's a bad idea in that case. Then again, I already read that one Diamond Tiara incest fic, so maybe I have had my fill of such things. :B
You convinced me on that bahatumay fic though. :D
I ususally don't care for Ghibli movies on the whole, but Castle in the sky and spirited away are some of my favorite animations, though nostalgia might play a big part in that. I first saw both when Toonami ran a Ghibli week twenty years ago blegh when I was about 7. I rewatched both movies later in life because they were just such vivid memories. I then went on to watch more of these movies, and they just got more meh as I went through them and eventually stopped. It's only when you realize Christian Bael voices Howl in the english dub of Moving Castle do you see the kind of money and promotion this particular studio got that frankly better anime of the same era didn't.
I'll have to find this one since it sounds like something I'd really like.
I like most of the movies produced by Studio Ghibli. Spirited Away was my gateway anime that got me started in that world leading to me watching dozens of movies, series, as well as reading a few mangas and lite novels.
You should also check out Ronja, the Robber's Daughter which is a series from Ghibli.
5710785
Well, at least you're aware of many of the issues. Good luck with getting back into writing!
5710796
At least I'll know in the future that you've resolved the comma problem, so I won't have to harp on it when I inevitably review the sequel. I swear my eye twitched every time I saw it.
5710797
Pretty sure I saw Ocean Waves available on HBO. Perhaps I'll give it a go next.
Antipodes, huh? Can't say I've ever heard of it. Looked it up real quick, and it has my attention. Perhaps I shall add it to my to-do list.
5710809
True, except the epilogue (and sequels, if the description are any indication) make it clear that Cadance and Twilight get together in the end anyway. I suppose you could say it was a bad idea at the time.
5710832
Heheh, you're so funny. *polishing rifle* Good one, good one. *loads magazine* Suggesting you don't care for Ghibli movies, as if that's even possible. *prepares a fresh round* Let's get back to being serious, shall we?
Actually, I don't have any argument. I haven't seen a Ghibli movie newer than Howl's Moving Castle. I stopped paying any attention to anime at around that time. There was a very long period where I only watched it when my sister recommended one to me (Madoka Magica being a prime example). I'm planning on getting back into the medium (hence my ongoing rewatch of Princess Tutu).
I think the very first anime I ever saw was some late-night showing of something called Mars, which I barely remember and the title was probably an English bastardization of whatever it was called in Japan. I do remember it being science fiction, but that's all. This was in the early 90's so I wouldn't even have been ten yet, much less have a clue what anime was. My proper introduction to anime, in which I actually knew what the term meant, was Fushigi Yûgi. I thought it was great back in the day, but today I recall it being mediocre. It was also the origin of my first anime crush in the form of Hongo Yui (my otaku sister was a Noriko fangirl).
That Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy concept sounds like it could make for something interesting. I'd assume Rainbow would be bringing up something traumatizing that happened to Fluttershy in the past.
I Cast A Deadly Shadow is one that I've actually read; not sure it's a top favorite of the stories from the Biblical Monsters collection but it is one of the more distinct ones. I think there's just something really unnerving about the idea of being killed in a dream, a situation in which we'd expect to be safe. Gizmo over here trying to be Freddy Krueger in a world where Dream Police isn't just the name of a song. It's saddening to me however that Horse Voice seems to have largely gone dormant.
Speaking of dreams though, that Sweetie Belle as Luna's apprentice one sounds enticing.
I did read another story myself which addressed the bleakness of a world in which NMM won, but unfortunately I can't remember what it was called. It was more about Luna and Celestia and their relationship, but it was a decent read, if a tad out there.
5710904
Was the anime title just "Mars" or was it perhaps "The E.Y.E.S. of Mars"? I heard about that one a while ago, it sounds like it might have been around the right time frame. Fairly mediocre sci-fi flick typical of its time.
@ anyone reading this though, please watch Kiki's Delivery Service if you haven't already, or if you haven't seen it since you were young, I guarantee it will hit different, extremely underrated in the presence of some of the more high-profile Ghibli movies.
Hiya! Thanks for your review of Burnout! Your review was pretty fair, and considering it was mostly just one of those ideas I've had written out for a while and never done anything with until I finally decided to publish what I had because I realized I never really would, I'd say it being worth the time you spent to read it is pretty great! I've written better, but it's still a concept I found interesting, so I'm glad to see it getting a little bit of attention. (I keep writing stories that are... different, but not in a bad way. Mostly just in a way that makes them hard to fit to a genre!) If you like romance, I'd recommend I'd Only Dream Of You or The Dangers of Personal Growth, and there's stuff like The Many Lives of Strawberry Sunrise as well. It depends on what you like. But regardless (because I don't want to swamp you with recommendations and, really, they'd only be requests if they interest you at all; your time is valuable and I don't wanna waste it with something you categorically don't enjoy!), I really appreciate the review! It was a wonderful surprise to log in and get to read, and I appreciate your analysis. It felt like you really got what I was going for, and that's just what a writer dreams of reading!
5710904
You'll have to hit me up on discord later because, boy, do I have recommendations. But for now, I'd say Chainsaw Man, Bocchi the Rock, Ranking of Kings, Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song, and Odd Taxi are some of the best shows of the new decade. (and all have bops for OP songs)
It's always painful to see your old favorites not hold up later on. I was a CW33/Toonami kid when very young, so I had Yugioh, Pokemon, Digimon, DBZ, Beyblade, Kirby, Sonic X, Zatch Bell, and Mar when they would show up, and some days I would stay up super late just to see episodes of Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: SAC, FLCL, and Full Metal Alchemist during the midnight block. At this point, I've seen the last three several times over, but the 'kids shows' save digimon of which I have seen nearly everything of to date, and the last two generations of the pokemon anime which are both actually really good, I haven't watched in decades.
I remember going back and watching through Beyblade in highschool and loving it, so when they did a remaster bluray release, I totally bought it. And then I watched it. and then I was very quickly reminded that this came out and was dubbed by 4kids.
It's pretty rough.
It's actually so rough that I couldn't finish the first episode. The dialogue is actually cringier than Dash's parents in Parental Glideance. My niece and nephews play with the toys that I still have, and every now and again, it's still fun to set one up and watch it spin.
5710983
I should note it wasn’t 4Kids that dubbed Beyblade, but Nelvana, who also did Cardcaptor Sakura and Metabots around the same time. But it’s understandable you’d think that, because it’s subject to many of the same sins as 4Kids’ dubs, just assuming the worst of the audience’s attention spans, and all the mistakes following from there, or for “change for the sake of change”.
For what it’s worth, I had a near-identical experience to yourself revisiting the show, though I’d only ever seen the first twenty or so in my youth (a couple episodes into the arc where they go to America) and a few scattershot ones from the second season. But when I revisited it about eight years ago out of curiosity, I had to stop a handful of episodes in (near the end of the local tournament arc), it was too much. This was before I’d gotten it into my head to just watch the subs over dubs for older anime by default.
Of course, it’s a very toy commercial show anyway, hence why I still haven’t looked into its original version. Eh, maybe someday.
5711005
That's fair. The shows that were on CW33 were not to be trusted for any reason at all.
To be totally honest, I'm not sure if I watched it in sub or dub when I watched it in highschool. I feel like I remember watching the dub, but my problem now is that I can't remember what language I watched any show in. I've half learned Japanese too, so that makes things even more muddy. E.g. I definitely watched the Chainsaw Man sub over the last three months as it was airing, but you'd be hard pressed to find me quoting the actual japanese and not the subtitles I read to go with the scene.
My fear is that, once I finally do become fluent in Japanese, I'll still find it cringey and not be able to watch any of my old nostalgia shows. Already I have to deal with subtitles conflicting with what I hear and it drives me insane. As far as old dubs that do hold up though, Digimon Tamers played it pretty straight and I have seen it more recently than 10 years ago. Aside from Elvis Etamon and Christopher Walken Ice Devimon, it's mostly inoffensive.
I'm actually not dead, and I am as surprised as you are. I'll say it like it is and have to disappoint a lot of people by saying the final "O" is probably not coming. I actually have 25k worth of "O3" lying around, but they're from circa 2018 and end in an unresolvable conflict I would need to retable to make any progress. Plus it's off the heels of a story that received a very mixed response--Obsolete was . . . not popular. I've only ever written because I enjoy writing, so please forgive my lack of continued enthusiasm in writing this particular series.
I am still writing ponyfic though, and it's thanks in part to folks like you who are still around to enjoy them and give balanced and well-informed responses. In any case, thank you for the review!
5710898
I just finished another Ghibli (but not Miyazaki) film I'd never seen, and it's one that got a lot of critical acclaim but that I'd somehow never heard of until last year. It's called The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and it's based on a very old Japanese folk tale. I'd highly recommend it.
I tend to let most of their films just go without saying as good, but fwiw, here's how I rated the ones I've seen (of course, reviews for them can be found in my alphabetical blog index, though a fair number were lumped together in my first one, and I didn't give any summary for those, just the rating):
Castle in the Sky: decent (most people rate it as one of their favorites, but it didn't click with me)
My Neighbor Totoro: good
Kiki's Delivery Service: excellent, and a good example of the story continuing in the credits (apparently it differs from the source novel in one minor-ish way)
Only Yesterday: very good
Ocean Waves: good
Whisper of the Heart: excellent (another great example of the story continuing in the credits)
Princess Mononoke: good
Spirited Away: excellent
The Cat Returns: very good
Howl's Moving Castle: excellent (a lot of people rate this as just okay, and it deviates significantly from the source novel, or so I'm told)
Tales from Earthsea: decent (I've read the books, and this changes a lot)
Ponyo: good
The Secret Life of Arietty: very good
The Wind Rises: good
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya: it'll get into my next blog, but I'm on the fence between very good and excellent
5711255
I saw this one once, but I can't recall if it was something that worked for me.
I grew up with this. My grandmother was of the view that if it was animated, it must be for kids. She had a few that, uh, weren't (see The Sea Prince and the Fire Child), but in this she did well.
I saw this for the first time just today. Not my favorite Ghibli film by any means, but not bad at all. Random fact: Despite having never seen the show until now, I have a small blanket with Jiji on it. It was my sister's but she left it behind when she went to Japan, and hey, free blanket. I always tried to take good care of it though, because it really is a nice blanket.
Yeah, that was last week. Definitely a good one.
Not seen this one yet.
This is my favorite Ghibli film, and the one I've rewatched the most.
I recall enjoying this when it came out. I also learned how to make the same sound the tree spirits make when they do their head rattle.
I rewatched this about a month ago. It's actually the movie that got me interested in revisiting the studio's works. Definitely a good one.
Haven't seen this one yet, but I always wanted to. Maybe after I rewatch Whisper of the Heart.
I remember thoroughly enjoying this one when it first came out. I never read the book either, though.
Not seen this one yet.
Or this one. It's pretty low in my interests, but I may watch it soon just to get it off the list.
I recall when this came out, but I never saw it.
I think I have the DVD of this somewhere. Only saw it once, but I recall enjoying it.
I think I saw this one, but I might be thinking of another movie entirely. Guess I'll have to watch it and find out.
5711095
Not popular, huh? Go figure, I thought it worked well. But "good" and "popular" don't always come in pairs. But who knows; if you're ever feeling inspired, maybe you'll bother to finish it. Not crossing my fingers, but the thought's there.
5710977
I think I'll go with The Dangers of Personal Growth and see what we get. Looking forward to it!
5710909
Can't say with any confidence if that's it or not, but I don't think so. The one I recall watching seemed a lot more... bleak. But then I was just a little kid.
That also feels easy. I mean, it makes sense. Something tragic or something romantic, right? This is another reason why I'd have trouble: I'd want a third option, but I can't think of what said option would be. I know it's inevitable, but I really try to not do what everyone else would do.