Sunset Shimmer

I'm sure this open love letter for Sunset Shimmer is the first of many, as she is my current infatuation and I can't stop thinking about her. Aside from being hot, adorable, and having a large repertoire of facial expressions, it's how sincere she is that sells me by the end of Rainbow Rocks.

I think the sudden craze for Sunset Shimmer stems from what she represents: redemption - that she can make a 180 on her life gives all of us hope for ourselves. We all do things we regret. We all grow from what we used to be... and I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not necessarily proud of what I call 'lesser incarnations' of myself.

Sunset looks back at who she was (as a human from as far as we can see, but I'm sure she's thought of her departure from Celestia's tutelage) and sees the severity and repercussions of her transgressions. Despite initial difficulty in finding acceptance, we see her own up, step in, and regain her confidence. (In this manner, she reminds me of Zuko from Avatar: the Last Airbender after he joins Aang but loses his ability to firebend, then learns about the true nature of his power). Points to Sunny for not slipping back to her old ways, even for a minute!

The difference between the first and second movie is so staggering that if I hadn't seen the first one first ( ) I wouldn't've believed there wasn't some malevolent power possessing her. Sunset goes from raging alpha bitch to a second Fluttershy, too scared to move out of place lest she lose everything. She unsuccessfully tries to help throughout the movie, and has a keen eye to what's going on around her (what else would you expect from somepony who's essentially pre-friend Twilight Sparkle?).

After way too much time thinking, I've reexamined the parts I don't like about Rainbow Rocks climax. My biggest peeve was that the microphone flies out of Twilight's hand and lands unceremoniously at Sunset's feet; I thought that would've been so much better if it went really far but Sunset catches it mid-air. Then she takes her sweet time walking to the center to sing; "Sunset Shimmer! We need you! Give me back the mic!" Seriously a wardrobe change? Yet now that I've thought about it more, I realize that this emotional standstill in the scene (aside to ramp up drama and give the Dazzlings another frame) is that not only is Sunset Shimmer realizing what she needs to do for herself to become a real character again, she's also recognizing the strength in herself and the direness of the situation.

She can't just give the mic back and have the Rainbooms blast them away with their magic - because so much of it has already been drained. They had been using what they had left but it wasn't enough. Sunset Shimmer had to be the one to come up to bat since the Sirens got nothing from her. Sunset Shimmer was immune to the Dazzling's mind control. The Siren magic plays off of interpersonal conflict (part 2 of epiphany), but Sunset was so mired in her own self-doubt and guilt that the only person she could be upset with was herself. Anything she might've attributed to someone else, she already blamed herself.

Plus, it looks like she has a new outfit for the third movie, which I think is kind of brilliant. It shows that she has grown beyond who she was in the first 2 films. I think it's incredibly insightful for her to wear the same thing from first to second, to show that she's still dealing with the fallout of her past.

I hope to see a confident, intelligent Sunset Shimmer putting her skills to good use and not only when necessary to drive the plot. Also, she's snarky and witty. Gotta love it.
Another thing I hope to see in Friendship Games is a scene with someone giving Sunset crap for her former self, her not being cowed by it, and when she opens her mouth to reply she doesn't get a chance to because one of her friends is already giving this jerk a piece of their mind.
And... and I want to see more pony Sunset Shimmer.

PS: sorry for longwindedness to anyone who actually reads this veritable essay.