Fanfiction Review: Anthropology · 8:32am Mar 1st, 2013
Blogger: http://blogofpony.blogspot.com/2013/03/fanfiction-review-anthropology.html
Since there was no blog post on Wednesday, how about a special one today? It's not like tomorrow's is going to take more than thirty minutes to put together. (/sarcasm) So let's look at one of the all-out most famous fics in the fandom, JasontheHuman's Anthropology, and see if I can dig my grave even deeper!
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SYNOPSIS:
Ever since she was a filly, Lyra has known that humans are real. It would just explain so much about Equestria society, from the technology they use to how the handles on the doors are designed. Her friends and family, however, think they are mere myths, and Princess Luna is rather adamant that they never existed. Is there something even greater going on?
REVIEW:
Anthropology is one of those stories that can be very cleanly divided into three acts, each of which seem to encompass their own theme, characters, and general mood. This is both to the story's benefit and detriment.
The first ten chapters of Anthropology are excellent. The writing is great throughout the story, but JasontheHuman goes beyond simply being technically proficient and shows incredible creativity with a tired concept like Lyra being obsessed with humans. Her beliefs are given actual credence through little oddities in the show itself, and the narrative is woven through the actual episodes, with Lyra sort of just doing her thing while the main plots were running. It also has a fantastic representation of her relationship with Bon-Bon, and avoids so much of the cliché that runs with the two characters. If these chapters encompassed the entire story, or if it kept this sort of style throughout, I would have counted Anthropology as among the absolute greats of the fandom.
But then Lyra finds out she's actually human, and goes to the human world to live with other humans.
I hesitate to apply the term “Jump the Shark” to anything without the benefit of a great deal of hindsight, but the story completely jumps tracks and becomes much worse for it. The world Lyra runs into is almost sickening in how utterly perfect she is. Nobody bothers to actually question this strange person who has absolutely no conception of human society, nor seriously delve into her background for a very, very long time in story terms. Lyra is able to instantly hook up with a rock band and become a hit, meets people who are absolutely wonderful and perfect to her, and anything remotely pony related gets shoved under a bus for ten chapters.
The third act tries to liven things up with Discord breaking into Lyra's world to wreck havoc. There are some good moments, like the Mane 6 reacting to the human world's quirks and everyone's reaction to the chocolate rain mess. But the story continues to meander about for a while before ending on a hideously open conclusion, made even worse by JtH's refusal to do a sequel.
That's what makes me so frustrated with this story. The second act doesn't feel at all like a FiM fanfiction, and instead like some dreamy world a thirteen-year-old girl dreamed up to escape from her harsh real life. It doesn't have to be a hellish nightmare (just look at Chatoyance's comments to see a representation of her serious issues with the human race), but it just doesn't feel real. There are some good ideas sprinkled throughout, but in the end, it just feels boring. And compared to the excellent opening chapters, it's just a real letdown that this was meant to be the meat of the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I will not call Anthropology a bad story, because it really isn't. The writing is great throughout and there are some really good ideas peppered through even the worst parts. Rather, it feels like it lies about itself and tries to claim it'll be a totally different story than it becomes, and not in a very good way. The stuff JtH jokingly considered to be the longest prologue ever was head-over-tails greater than the actual story, which just felt like a really lame story written by an emotionally-confused tween. The three acts feel so at odds with each other that it's a rather jarring experience.
So no, I don't consider this one of the best fanfictions of all time. Here are your fire axes. You may begin chopping away. Just please stay away from the crotch.
A fair review. If people get mad at you over this, they have some pretty serious issues with handling differing opinions.
I've read Anthropogly, and I'm forced to agree with you EVERYWHERE.
Uh... so what do I do with the axe?
... Anyway, I did find that the story seem to have run out of steam just before the Discord arc, especially with how the entire thing was resolved. It was kind of a disappointing end to what could have something more original but that's just me. I didn't mind the leeway Lyra got when she got to Earth, which did fit the tone and idealism of the series. I do agree that it kind of stretch the suspension of belief a little but I understand why it was this way.
Hmmph. I enjoyed it. Gah, I hate it when people point out flaws in stories, films, etc. because I can't look at them the same again! And yet, I also seek out such stuff at the same time...
Fair review is fair, anyway.
I'm not sure Chatoyance's serious Misandry can be constituted as issues with the human race as it is issues with men.
877006 I agree. I wanted more "pre-human Lyra" the instant she became human. I also first read it at around that point too, back when I didn't like the HiE concept.
I have the same thoughts about the story, I actually just skipped most of the parts where she was learning about the human race and just skipped to the Discord parts wishing the Anthropology I grew to love would just come back and end this silly human stuff.
877029
Oh, trust me, she hates the entire human race. She just happens to hate men more than anything else.
Seriously, her comments on that story were...something else. She wanted Lyra to show up in some post-nuclear wasteland where World War III has killed everyone and Lyra learns that humans really, really suck and all that. She eventually just abandoned it because it didn't conform to her views on humans being soulless monsters who are only good if they're turned into mindless pony slaves to the absolute worst Celestia ever penned.
...Oh, Around the Bend is going to be a blast to review...
Can we get a link to said comments?
877035
Except for one of chat's stories showed that the entire world could be peaceful, without being turned into mindless pony slaves.
..It involves turning everyone female and removing testosterone in a very, very Misandrist way that is insulting to chemistry and biology. New Universe Three: The Friendship Virus is the story that shows this.
Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've agreed 100% with an IAH review... of anything. Well 90% I guess the world isn't ending yet afterall.
Lyra and Chatoyance are kinda like opposites if you think about it.
Still need to get around to actually reading this fic, but I guess now when I actually do, I will conceder just stopping after act 1.
Completely fair. I did enjoy the fic, but yes, the second act had real issues and the thrd act, while better, never achieved the greatness of the first.
Mind if I make a request? An author I like really doesn't hve the cover they deserve and maybe a fanfic review will help. Any of Sharaloth's fics will work, but I'd recomend Harmony Theory the most.
Wait. He isn't going to do a sequel? At all? With THAT ending!?
It was screaming for a sequel! What the hell!
But yeah, I can see where you're coming from. Things did feel... "floaty" when she got to Earth. The writing for it overall was awesome, and I did enjoy reading it as it was still going on live, but right now, I'd say that "The Girl with the Lyre Tattoo" is the better Lyra-on-Earth story... at least as far as her being on Earth and interacting with humans goes.
I have never read anthropology. Never could decide on whether or not to.
I still can't!
(Actually, I probably will, just as soon as I clear out some of my backlog.
)
I gotta agree with you. I kept reading because I really cared about that Lyra and wanted to know what happened to her, but the second act really meandered and felt really...off... even the third one with Discord was better, even if it was weaker than the first one.
877058
I did some internet sleuthing, and it looks like she deleted a series of rants that she posted around chapters 16 and 17 of Anthropology.
All I found that remains is this series on another story of hers that spilled out.
But it's got a really catchy song to go with it! //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra2.png
Also, JtH commissioned my favorite humanized Lyra pic that I've ever seen. (Incl. the necklace and guitar from the story.)
I dropped the story about three chapters into the human world, but only because I hope it could actually deliver on those, even though I almost drop it all when I found out of such a change.
Needless to say, it further cemented my opinion that humans in FiM are a fundamentaly flawled concept.
877193
That song is catchy, and good. It's got pep and zazz
But the problem with the fic is that it really lacks that once Lyra learns that she's human. It's just...kind of really dull. You're in a bad place when Discord showing up doesn't liven the story.
If Anthropology had consisted of just the first ten or so chapters, closing with Lyra going to the human world and seeing the Geico sign, that would have been great; it would have been one of the best fanfictions I've ever read.
But the fic just kind of keeps meandering forward from there...
You've got some good points, especially how easy it is for Lyra to slip into human society, but overall I think you're being a bit harsh on it. Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
I enjoyed it for what it was, but yeah, this is a fair assessment.
Id like to see a sequel where Rick James turns into a pony.
(I never read anthropology BTW im just talking out my ass.)
The beginning was definitely the best, but I enjoyed it throughout
Sweet, free fire-axe!
877477
cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/3/36/132Ditto.png/200px-132Ditto.png
I also dropped Anthropology a few chapters into the second act. It just felt bland and predictable.
877060
Wat
I actually like Anthropology, but even I admit that I wouldn't reread it.
877060, 877639
Oh, right, that one.
This is why I never look forward to discussing Chatoyance. I can't deny that she's a very good writer, but SWEET CELESTIA is she screwed up in the head. I know she's had her rough patches in life, but so have I and a lot of others, and we don't wish death on the entire human race - or even one gender - because of it. Hell, 90% of the truly horrendous things people complain about with the Conversion Bureau? She either created them wholecloth or took what was already there and expanded it to horrifying extremes...and was loved for it. The only reason I'm even reviewing Around the Bend in a couple weeks is:
A. It's the only Chatoyance story I've read that isn't directly part of the Conversion Bureau (although said Bureau is sadly a part of her headcanon) and doesn't make me want to throw up.
B. It segues into the topic of Fanon Discontinuity and explaining away plot holes, which is something that needs to be discussed in light of the recent major change in the canon.
That...and she has an insanely loyal fanbase who will very gladly tear you to shreds if you so much as slightly disagree with her...usually because she sent them there. (And from what I've noticed, a couple are also fans of MLA, raising my discomfort levels to maximum.) And then she throws hissy fits and gets people banned if they say something negative about her stories. And she loves to delete any comments that stand counterpoint to her belief that she's the most awesome writer ever, but now that deleted posts show who deleted them and when, she can't get away with it like she used to.
Bottom line, Chatoyance is a horrible human being.
877157
Yep, that's about the gist of it. She wanted a story that said that humans suck, she got a story that says that humans are awesome, and now she thinks it's a waste because it didn't conform to her beliefs as a whole.
877193
That song actually sums up the fic pretty well if you think about it. Lyra spends the song talking about how awesome humans are, going over her fascination with them, and wishing she could be among them. And then she becomes a human and the story entirely stops.
Still, it's actually a pretty fun song.
877677
It doesn't show who deleted them. It only shows who wrote the comment and when it was deleted. I should know. I had about 20 deleted by the wonderful KingofSquirrelz. Apparently, I was "talking too much."
I don't think anybody would disagree that it strayed far away from its premise when they introduced real humans.
. . . . further proof that humans and ponies don't mix
I really liked the resolution of Anthropology though, despite any problems with a good portion of it.
Things really came together in the end, and maybe I'm just oblivious, but I never suspected the role of her human friends until it became very obvious (I'll not spoil the story). So that was a great surprise, at least for me.
When they finally defeated Discord, Lyra's speech was so exciting!
Humans in Equestria is an entire strata of MLP fanfiction.
A lot of is just terrible "oh god, it's a HiE story, I'll pass"
Do you think that Anthropology is the best example of a story of its kind?
Is this the best HiE story?
877677
Wish ya luck in your review man. Good luck with it.
Ehh, I enjoyed this one.
877677
Never read the conversion bureau(To be honest, i always thought it was about that Matt Damon Movie, the Adjustment Bureau and i didn't think that was very good; so meh.), but from the sound of it, this person's mindset reminds me of the bad guys from Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. (the book, now the awesome FPS) It seems to me that this person is just an over reactive radical who seriously needs to take a chill pill. its like with most of theese Eco Pussies as i call them, they need to simmer thier asses out and really think about what they are doing. Most of theese "humans are evil" lobbyist and "save the plannet" people drive expensive cars, take turbo jumbo jets, and buy brand new custom fitting suits. So, unless they are like the Unibomber and sit in a utility-less cabin in the woods. I don't listen to them.
In all actuality, to sumarize what im saying better, is liek with Deer Hunting in michigan. Im not a hunter, but i know people who love hunting and others who hate it. If you step back and look at the facts, more deer die because they get hit by cars on the road than hunter using bows, traps, and firearms. So if you're going to be an eco pussy, please just remove yourself from society and find someone who cares. Everyone has had a "humans R bad" segment in thier lives. but most people move on.
And with her fans, its just like what i found a while back with the Lunar Republic, they are just a horde of ignorance that i havent seen since people lined up outside the secretary of state for the Obama Money stint.(which, i regret to say that im actually from this city but oh well.) if you somuch as not protray woona as the bestest of all ponies, they will murder your piece.
(The obama money video...
)
Did you ever read "It takes a village"?
Also, Jesus Christ, I saw some of the comments saying that Chatoyance is against people in general (and men for some reason), so decided to look at her page, I scrolled down a bit and literally the first line I see is:
and a little later that looking at humanity as William Golding apparently did was not misanthropy but simple awareness.
...
Yikes.
878024
I would like to weigh in here to say that Through The Eyes Of Another Pony is an amazing HiE story, although it may be hard to compare with Anthropology as despite this common ground, they are VERY different types of story.
878024
I actually don't even consider Anthropology a HiE story, since the humans coming over happens so rarely and is only common if you consider the Reveal of Lyra's pass a Retcon. Instead, it's a human who thought she was a pony living in a human world and doing human things.
877677,Hopefully, for your sake, she never sees this. While I personally have a bone to pick with her (She blocked me for simply offering constructive criticism toward her behavior), let's save any further discussion about her for your Around the Bend review. On topic, I started reading that story but never got to the humans part. I liked what I read though and have a friend who liked it.
except that in most fanon portrayals, Lyra doesn't hate her own species with a passion.
877074 Very true,
878223
Same here. I'm just hoping I can make it through Around the Bend without it turning into a Chatoyance hatefest on my part. I like to think of the author and their works as mostly separate beings (it's how I can get through Lovecraft without thinking about how horrifyingly racist he was, even for the time), but it's almost impossible to do that with Chatoyance. She puts everything about herself into her stories...and that's what utterly scares me.
Well, I have to admit that I agree wholeheartedly about this revi- wait, he's never doing a sequel?!
Aww... It felt like the start of something great... Ah well, the opening was great, and while I could've suggested some changes, I can explain a few of the oddities for the human's reactions to Lyra (using my awesome BS skills, not any actually knowledge)
-Lyra, now a half-pony, exudes an aura of Tolerance and Oblivious Behaviour.
-She landed soon after a retrovirus eliminating many high brain functions, which was removed by Discord accidentally. As such, people will start questioning their actions more over the last months.
-She's good at music, which I've seen can make people strangely stupid. Others get more acute, but that's a different angle entirely.
-Discord had been there the entire time, stuck to Lyra like a leech, and was influencing things in her favor to give him more time on earth to work with. After all, if she'd been ambushed by abusive types, attacked by a gang, run down by rednecks, etc. she might've died or been sent back somehow, preventing him from getting his chance.
Anyhow, those're my takes on the subject. any one or two of them would do it.
878024
Human is simultaneously the best HiE story and the worst HiE story. Also the best crackfic and the worst crackfic. "Celestia becomes a zombie" and "the new* Element of Magic is a gaseous alien parasite" are the two most sane elements of the story.
* The story takes place 1000 years in the future of canon MLP, so the Mane Six are all dead
878133
I wish I could give this comment more than one thumbs up. TtEoAP is a great story, and I wish it would update with greater frequency -- I don't care whether the updates are new chapters or more revisions of the old chapters.
I reviewed Anthropology a few months ago, and while I agree with several points in IAH's review, I came to a different overall conclusion.
Also, who's this "Chatoyance?" What is an "oyance," and what does it have to do with cats?
879307
That was a very good review, actually. Much better than the slop I put together.
As for Chatoyance, she's one of the more well-known writers on Fimfiction, especially within Conversion Bureau circles. I say known instead of renowned because you're far more likely to run into someone who absolutely despises her than someone who loves her. Her actual writing is pretty good, albeit with a tendency towards purple prose, and she's certainly prolific, but the actual content...
Okay, here's Chatoyance in a nutshell. She latched onto the Conversion Bureau when it was fairly young and created her own universe based on it. In the Chatoyanceverse, Equestria appears sometime in the near future, humanity has fucked itself up for giggles and because they're the only creatures with no souls, and Celestia is an insane goddess who can get away with genocide because she's an insane goddess. That doesn't even go into the content of the stories themselves, which tend to devolve into tracts about humanity's awfulness and how superior ponies are to us all.
But where Chatoyance really rubs people the wrong way is how she treats anyone who disagrees with her or offers any sort of criticism. In Chatoyance's mind, she is the absolute authority on everything, and if anyone disagrees with her, it's because they're stupid. She clings to her headcanon like a security blanket, and if anything comes along to challenge it, she throws a hissy fit. She routinely deletes comments that dare to speak out against her, and back when she could do this without leaving a trace, she did so with impunity. She's a patronizing, misanthropic jackass, and that's what makes her so damn insufferable. Nobody is good enough to get away with her attitude.
Hope that answered your question.
879385
I hesitated to post the link, because I thought that your review was the one which outshone the other.
I was thinking precisely the same thing, only in reverse.
*ahem* My review of your review is that your review deserves rave review!
I honestly have to agree with you on this. I had to stop reading at chapter fifteen or so because of the reasons you listed.