What is it about this series that compels so many to seek it out, reforming it into their own variation? This is a question that the author of this paper is intending to answer in this paper, entitled An Entirely Called For Analysis Of The Themes In Sharktavia, and with this paper in so doing help young authors plan their own dive into the murky depths of shark-infested waters.

Firstly and most importantly it is important to take note of the titular character herself. Noticeably, she is always named Octavia, NOT Sharktavia--in fact, in occurrences where she retains her mentality after her transformation, Octavia will insist she be called Octavia even if others choose to call her Sharktavia, or regard Sharktavia as a seperat entity or curse. This is of course because of what she represents: Octavia is a high-class mare, the embodiment of all civilization exalts in, every virtue and artistic glamour that ponies devote their lives to. Conversely, the transformed entity of Sharktavia is a representation of the ancient, deep instinct for survival and destruction, a vibrant reminder of how beneath even the most pleasant face is the potential for slaughter; most of the drama in the Sharktavia series comes not from the killing, but from Octavia's struggle to reconcile her idealized self with an unstoppable, uncaring monster within. On the occasions that she succeeds, she becomes truly heroic, proving that the feral instinct has a place even in the high society, and in so doing remains in her Sharktavia form; failures either come from submitting entirely to the Sharktavia instinct, thus being killed or forced from society, or rejecting it entirely, which always results in a "stinger" that reminds everypony Sharktavia is still there.

Secondly is the character of Vinyl Scratch--if Octavia is the hero and Sharktavia the villain, then Vinyl is the link between the two. Vinyl represents Octavia's inner positive self, or at least her inner foil; she is what Octavia is not, and for that reason the story usually starts with some level of conflict between the two. That said, she also represents freedom--freedom from the society that constrains Octavia's artistic side, and often in the Sharktavia series is the one that helps Octavia balance herself and the Shark within. For this reason, they often end up in some form of paring--romantic or otherwise--as Vinyl reaches out and provides a hope for conclusion. Indeed, in many cases Vinyl is the only one able to control Sharktavia, short of Octavia herself. That said, there are times where Octavia rejects Vinyl's actions--in these cases, Vinyl usually has gone too far in the direction of anarchy, or become the very controlling being that Sharktavia rails against.

Thirdly is the on-again-off-again character of Angel Bunny. He is always in a position of power and protection at the start of the work; however, as soon as Sharktavia enters the scene he becomes threatened by her presence. In this case he is a manifestation of the power and control of civilization, being something that cannot be broken by either Octavia or Vinyl; only when Sharktavia unleashes her feral rage does he truly become endangered. Even then, if he is not caught unaware, he will quickly maneuver other characters between himself and the enemy of the series. Angel Bunny represents the gray morality of any Orderly system; even when he is a criminal boss, he treats the war between himself and Sharktavia as a by-the-numbers game of chess, choosing to view his underlings as pawns rather than ponies. That said, he generally spares the innocent--not out of any care for them, but because It Is Expected. Angel Bunny is the opposite of Sharktavia, and just as dangerous in his own right.

All in all, the various Sharktavia stories are the same story, reflected and refracted through so many different forms. A tale of a pony, trapped by society, succumbing to the instincts we all hide, with friends that try to bring her back into balance and enemies that try to force her into the same image she had before.

Also this analysis was entirely uncalled for and you can ignore it if you want.

5287260

I would further submit that the stories themselves address individual conflicts common amongst the Everyman, ones that we, the readers, are intimately familiar with. Anger, greed, redemption, revenge, acceptance, freedom, discovery, self-betterment--all these and more are issues humanity must face on a daily basis. By having our dear Octavia don the rough skin of the shark, we cast light on these areas of our lives that often don't receive as much exposure as they rightly deserve. One issue with doing this is that not everybody likes what they see--the stark, naked truth of our existence as imperfect humans is not one we are all willing to face, which is what makes these stories so very much more important than they seem on the surface. Through the varying tales of Sharktavia, the readers can examine their own troubles and values with a sense of agency, as opposed to having it forced upon them as is wont to happen.

Mmmyes.

5287260
If I ever do write Sharktavia i: Sharktavia Evolved, I look forward to simultaneously following and contradicting these themes.