Z Reviews: Double Feature Part 2: How Chrysalis Stole Hearth's Warming Eve · 11:34am Dec 25th, 2014
This time's review will be of This Holiday is Going to be Perfect, authored by Obselescence, reviewed by me, TheifofZ. If you like this review, check my blog for other reviews, or follow this link to go to the post containing the mission statement and a list of all the stories I've reviewed so far.
As always, here's how I'll be doing this; First I'll cover the story idea, and writing style and quality of the story. Next, I'll look at the actual story itself, including character motivation, action (if the story has any), and the general plot. Finally, I'll throw down my egotistical and opinionated rating, declaring exactly how good, or bad, I thought this was. And yes, I will do my best to avoid spoilers for the plot IF POSSIBLE. If the spoiled events are integral to the story, I'll throw down spoiler warnings instead, and ask that you proceed with caution. Always remember, folks. This is all opinion. Disagree with me? Think I'm dead wrong, or spot on? Argue about it in the comments if you want. It's cool. Noone has a truly humble opinion, after all, but make sure you read the review first.
Man, the Grinch was one of my favourite villains when I was younger. I know, contradictory, a child loving someone out to ruin Christmas? But something about how delightfully absurd the entire character was built up to be made him so much more interesting than those whose Christmas he attempted to ruin, and the amazing Villain Song (Included for reference in the Final Note), just sealed the deal. So I was amazed, amused, and another word meaning something along the lines of happy and surprised starting with "am" when I saw this gem pop up in the "Featured" box, and actually saw what it was about. Yeah. Chrysalis steals Hearth Warming. It's a loving send up of the Grinch while also being a hilarious exploration of what Chrysalis did when she found out about the season of selflessness. The writing is a perfect blend of rhyme in the same tone as the story it's parodying and a strict and smooth explanatory style based off a more logical frame of mind. It's a perfect juxtaposition of the heart warming Christmas ideals, and the selfishness and blasé cruelty of Chrysalis, and I know I'm not perfect enough to say for sure, but the grammar was amazing.
The story starts out with Chrysalis freaking out over a huge cloud of positive emotions coming off Ponyville and, after a few amusing misunderstandings, she decides to steal everything related to Hearth's War-ming Eve. Of course, being a Queen of the Changelings means that she has whole flocks of minions to help, and so she uses them to take everything in one night. The entire story is told very tongue-in-cheek, and most of the humour is amazingly well executed. Of course, Chrysalis is very much herself, but most of the story still hews very close to the original tale, even including the infamous "Defective Tree" scene, while keeping to the setting, but the ending is an amusingly deliberate twist on the usual, and was delightfully refreshing to see used.
Overall... I give this story 9 out of 10 moustaches, and 5 out of 5 pleased changelings. ... As we lack a changeling emote, I'll be using changelings disguised as random ponies instead. Since you can't tell the difference, I'm clearly telling the truth.
Any opinions or major points you'd like to make go in the comments below. Advice, Major Corrections, story suggestions, and fan mail can be PM'd to me. ... if I ever get fans. HAH!
Final Note: Oh, man. I really bit off a big one here; reviewing a Moderator's story out of the blue like this. Not even apologetically, no matter how well executed it was. Eh, whatever. Also, I will not deny it; I liked Chrysalis alot, and always felt let down she was never really brought back. She was just majick'd over the horizon and forgotten about, which really doesn't say anything positive about the ponies. No attempts to integrate changelings or anything. So it's always nice to see her getting a day in the spotlight.
Also, here's a link to a youtube video of the Grinch's Villain Song. But I'm not putting the actual video into the review.
Final Final Note: Like I said, Have a wonderful Christmas or other holidays depending on denomination, and a Happy New Year.
A featured story that doesn't involve sex and only follows a single fleeting trend (this time a seasonal one, Christmas)? Makes sense that it's written by a mod. One whom everyone follows out of obedience, no less.
No Christmas miracle this time around, I suppose. This is yet another exemplary show of the sheer hopelesness of the concept.
In any case, Merry Christmas to you and all the other sods that actually celebrate the delectable occasion. Bah, humbug. And not to post too many comments at once, the donut/doughnut issue you've mentioned in the other part of the double feature is better than it seems. Donut is simply an Americanized version of the word, it's more or less accepted in the wide world.
Haha. I like to celebrate Christmas, though I do wish people would feel more in the spirit of it all year round.
I wish less featured stories were so obviously clop, myself, but then again, I am notoriously picky about my reading materials.
And I'm American, myself. I'm not too proud to admit to that label of depressing stereotypes.
But I should hope I have enough common sense to avoid spelling a word wrong, and "Donut" is obviously wrong. Do Nut?
Gray/Grey and Colour/Color are more difficult, but come on. Doughnut? Really?