Ponyfic Roundup 289

Read it Later story count: 218 (nc)

And for a change, Ponyfic Roundup actually appears on the right day of the week. Go me. Anyway, I'm feeling quite cheerful right now, having actually managed to get a supermarket delivery slot within the next 47 years. What better way to celebrate than with another little collection of ponyfic reviews? I suppose with a large collection of ponyfic reviews, but you can't have everything. Here goes:

Flashes on the Horizon by Goblin Scribe
Under the Willow by Orbiting Kettle
A Perfectly Ordinary Day in Ponyville by The Equestrian Gentlecolt

★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0

Well, that was a whole lot of fuf

The first PonyFest Online! convention was a huge success. I'd originally intended to drop in just briefly, but I ended up spending hours there. I believe they had over 4,000 attendees, which is tremendous. The personnel involved had strong links with existing cons, which really showed. I mean, I loved HAHCon, but PonyFest was definitely on another level of slickness and professionalism. Getting guests like Peter New and Big Jim Miller also demonstrated how useful contacts are.

And guess what? They're doing it all again on 25 April!

("Fuf" came out of one of the riff panels. It was one I missed, but I believe it was a typo in a fanfic. Anyway, everyone ran with it and it became the PonyFest meme.)

My Little Repeats 33: "May the Best Pet Win!"

This. This right here. This is how to make me grin like a fool!

S2E07: "May the Best Pet Win!"
Written by Charlotte Fullerton
19 Nov 2011

My original rating: N/A
IMDB score: 7.8

The one with Animation Error Duck.

Thoughts: Aha, this is the sort of episode I could do with right now! For a start, it has a duet between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and their friendship is one of my favourite things in the entire series. (As we'll see later this season...) I enjoy the song a lot, even if it is a bit wordy. I particularly love the way Rainbow's eyes widen as she gets the idea for a contest. We get one of the most famous S2 Derpy cameos, too. Dash herself is a bit on the full-of-herself side this episode, but for the most part I think it's entertaining. Things like the stage talent show for the prospective pets are hilarious, too. Actually, most of the games are at least enjoyable to watch. The one real downside? I don't like the Quarray Eels segment at all – there, Rainbow is actively risking the animals' lives. I'm amazed Fluttershy was okay with it. Anyway, when Dash gets stuck – the fandom used to think this was a 127 Hours reference – it is of course the tortoise (not turtle!) who rescues her, and so Tank enters the show, a good thing as I really like Rainbow's relationship with him. We never do find out the source of the magic powering his rotor, though. I think a high three is about right for this one.

Choice quote: Rainbow: "You would think that, Twilight. And that's why you would never qualify to be my pet."

New rating: ★★★

Next up is "The Mysterious Mare Do Well", long considered one of the least impressive episodes of the pre-ascension seasons. I've never rated it too highly either. Will I this time?

Ponyfic Roundup 288

Read it Later story count: 218 (-3)

Hey, would you look at that? Not only do I have three stories to look at this PR, but they're not stories that are barely over 1,000 words either! Admittedly the beautiful (for March) weather has helped, since despite everything I have managed to spend a bit of time in the back garden reading ponyfic as I'd hoped. The forecast is for much colder, cloudier weather by Saturday, though. Curses.

A Simpler Time by DJLowrider
Spell Check by SirNotAppearingInThisFic
Suri Polomare Plagiarizes Her Final Paper by Quillamore

★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0

Hey look, another holding post

But at least things will be better than last week (by a day) as Ponyfic Roundup will be with you tomorrow!

As you've doubtless seen, the UK has joined the lockdown party. There are various exceptions and so on, but this isn't really the place for those. For practical purposes, not being an essential on-site worker, I'm at home for many weeks to come. That does at least give me a bit less uncertainty, so I should be able to plan the Pony posts very slightly better than before!

My Little Repeats 32: "The Cutie Pox"

There's clearly not much entertainment in Ponyville, judging by all the adults watching!

S2E06: "The Cutie Pox"
Written by Amy Keating Rogers
12 Nov 2011

My original rating: N/A
IMDB score: 7.0

The one with loop-de-hooping

Thoughts: Ah yes, an episode about a worrying disease with (until the end) no known cure. How jolly. Anyway, this has a much lower IMDb rating than any previous S2 ep, and it's certainly not up to their standards – though it's not that bad. In particular, I love how truly happy Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle are when (they think) their friend is the most special pony ever. Apple Bloom's tricks/skills sequences are quite fun as well, and hey, Twist even gets a speaking line! (Her last?) Much earlier on, we have one of the series' best-remembered nods to non-kids' media with the Big Lebowski bowling ponies. We'll see them again, as indeed we will the ending comment about AB's potion-making ability. It's not an amazing episode, despite a good solid role for Zecora (who, unlike ponies, can magically repair at least minor injuries). It's just too bitty, although at least it passes the time. It's hard to say my heart was really in it this time around, given the subject matter. I wonder whether I might have made this a low three a few weeks ago. Highish two now.

Choice quote: Applejack: "My sister's speakin' in Fancy!"

New rating: ★★

Next up is "May the Best Pet Win!", which is one I tend to like more than the fandom average. You may be able to guess why...

Ponyfic Roundup 287

Read it Later story count: 221 (nc)

Once again, I don't have much to say here. I'm deliberately avoiding you-know-what subject, and my life otherwise has been pretty uneventful of late. Maybe I should fill up the gaps by reading more ponyfic! Nah, that's a ridiculous idea, isn't it? Just the pair of stories this time around:

Operation Firework by Crowley
A Friend In Me by TheNewYorkBrony

★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 0 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0