Fanfiction Review: SKITTISH

(Requested By: JMac)

Welcome to the blog's first (non-Lunaverse) fanfiction review! (Or, if you've somehow stumbled across the Blogger version without knowing of Fimfiction, the first one ever!) No idea if this one's going to work or not, but here goes. Let's look at JMac's SKITTISH.

SYNOPSIS:

During a trip to a cemetery on Nightmare Night, Cheerilee's class find themselves under the guidance of the mysteriously-pale Dusty. The foals learn about the dark tragedies that have befallen the graveyard's permanent residents, including one that might be closer than they think...

REVIEW:

SKITTISH sells itself as an old-fashioned ghost story, and on that front it delivers. This isn't totally different from the kinds of stories kids would tell each other around the campfire, with generic spooky motifs and terrible fates befalling the cast. There is no gore, no swearing, and outside of a single skeleton, nothing in here that hints at the cheap lengths many writers go to in order to provoke scares.

If there is a weakness to the story, it's that the show's characters are not really involved in the fanfiction's narrative. They mostly exist as audience surrogates, a way for Dusty to tell the story without breaking the fourth wall. Cheerilee and Big Macintosh appear in the beginning, but quickly vacate to give Dusty the freedom to work her magic. And while there is some minor payoff with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, most of the foals are just there because they needed to ask the questions and keep the story flowing. Dusty is the real main character, and she is very well realized, especially after you find out about the twist.

As for the horror aspects, I won't say that any of them really scared me. But I don't really think that was the intention. We're treated to a few early stories about spirits wrecking vengeance on the living, but they're framed in such a way that they come across as sideshow attractions at a Halloween festival. When we get to the actual focus, however, we're treated to a much darker tale, and the contrast between the two moods helps the atmosphere tremendously.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a simple but effective story, and one I definitely recommend reading. While the canon characters are a bit marginalized, Dusty herself is an enjoyable figure, and the main feature is a perfect example of a classic ghost story. Don't go in here expecting actual scares, and you'll have a good time.

RATING: Good

Episode Reviews: Swarm of the Century

The Swarm of the Century! Once every hundred years does it come!

The first M. A. Larson episode of the series, as well as one of the most manic stories the show has conceived. We shall see how this one holds up.

A Study of Ponies: Comparisons Between the Show and Real-Life Horses

One of Lauren Faust's goals with Friendship is Magic was to reintroduce the idea that the ponies are...well, ponies. The original G1 cartoon followed this principle to an extent, but subsequent series gradually moved more and more towards the characters just being humans in pony suits, capable of standing on two legs and holding objects in their hooves without difficulty. And while FiM has adopted more anthropomorphic traits as its run has continued, there are still numerous real-life behaviors and movements that are emulated by the cast.

And that's what this post is about: cataloging what traits are exhibited and how they impact the ponies and our works.

Episode Reviews: Bridle Gossip

Today's episode introduces us to a new character, a non-pony who would go on to become a major supporting character throughout the rest of the series. But how did her first appearance go, and does it still hold up after two years? We're about to find out as we look back at "Bridle Gossip."

On Rarity

Yes, I know I didn't have a blog post scheduled today, but this came up and I had to address it.

Episode Reviews: Look Before You Sleep

Ah, the sleepover. Such a milestone in a young girl's life, or at least that's what television, movies and literature want us to believe. So of course, the new My Little Pony has to tackle the issue itself. So let's take a look at "Look Before You Sleep" and see if this series can pull it off.

Episode Reviews: Just for Sidekicks

And so we get another Spike episode. Let's prepare for the suck as we get into “Just for Sidekicks.”

Episode Reviews: Dragonshy

At long last, our first adventure episode since the Pilot. There's a dragon that needs to be dealt with, and Princess Celestia has entrusted our mares with the great responsibility of telling him to leave. But can Fluttershy stop being...shy? Let's find out with "Dragonshy."

Episode Reviews: Boast Busters

While the show has had its fair share of antagonists over the years, no single one of these has earned quite as large and devoted a fandom as Trixie. She's gotten her own toys, had a return episode, and probably has more fanfics and fanart than any other character in the show. But what about her first episode itself? Does it hold up after two years? Let's take a look at "Boast Busters."

Episode Reviews: Griffon the Brush-Off

Today's episode brings another new feature to the table: the first non-supervillain antagonist. But will Gilda's gruff awesomeness be able to keep the episode fresh after so long? Let's find out as we look at "Griffon the Brush-Off."

Let's Watch the Other Hub Shows (Part 1?)

I had a large blog post for today...but I need to do a lot more research before I feel comfortable posting it. (To the curious, it's about real-life horse behaviors the ponies emulate in the show and fanfiction and tips on using it.) So in the meantime, let's do something that isn't really pony-related, but I've wanted to do for a while: looking at some of the other shows on the Hub. So...feel free to ignore this if you want. Just be back for the review on Saturday, k? The preview makes it look promising.

So...let's start.

Episode Reviews: Applebuck Season

The fourth episode of the show was the first one to turn the focus onto one specific character, and surprisingly enough, that character was Applejack. Yes, the pony everyone loves to ignore, who barely gets an episode, was the first one to have one centered on examining her character and her flaws. But does it still hold up? Well, let's find out as we look at "Applebuck Season."

Darkness Induced Audience Apathy

After a great deal of willpower and just forcing myself through it, I finally finished shortskirtsandexplosions' "Background Pony." And for the most part, it's earned its hallowed place in the fandom's halls; it's incredibly well-written, even beautiful and poignant in several places. But here's the thing. You see how I started this paragraph? I should never have to say that about a great piece of fiction. Everything about the story just felt draining, and after a good while I really didn't give a damn about any of the characters or the crap Lyra was getting shoved through.

Fortunately, TV Tropes, that eternal enemy of productivity, has a term for just such a feeling: Darkness Induced Audience Apathy.

Episode Reviews: Ticket Master

(First posted on Fimfiction September 15, 2012)

The third episode of Friendship is Magic is the first time we got to see the slice-of-life format that would come to dominate the series. Once again, let's see how well the episode actually holds up.

Spike's Portrayal in the Series

Well...this is a bit of a rant, so feel free to skip if you want. Either way, I feel I have to say something.

Episode Reviews: Pilot (Friendship is Magic/Elements of Harmony)

(Originally posted on Fimfiction August 27th, 2012)

Below the break, we take a look at the very first two episodes of Friendship is Magic. Have those episodes held up all these years later, especially compared to the rest of the show? Or are they antiquated relics of an earlier production time? Let's find out...

Well...here we go...

Welcome to this...blog...thing here.

Sorry, I'm just...trying to feel my way through all this, so feel free to tell me if I'm doing it wrong. Point is, this is my no doubt pointless blog for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and its related fan content. If you have no idea who I am, join the club. But I've been a member of the community for almost two years now, and I've done quite a few blog posts over on Fimfiction, so...hey, this might work.

So what's this all about? Well, pretty much anything pony related that I can think of. I'm thinking of bringing over some of the old Fimfiction posts, cleaning them up and making them at least look more professional. Beyond that, the scope is more or less limitless. There's fan fiction and writing tips to cover, episodes and other official merchandise to review, and just about anything else I feel like looking over at the time. I hope you all can find something to enjoy over here. And I'll still be trying to keep up the Fimfiction blog, so if you don't like this one there's always an alternative.

So...um...that's the first post.

...Man, I'm off to a bad start already.