My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic:: READ POST 11156/PAGE 558

[Snatcher2047]

*cough*

[Legendary Emerald]

There is a presidential candidate in New Hampshire running on the platform of "Free Ponies for everyone". I shit you not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFXXAuDK1Ao

[Celestia]

There is a presidential candidate in New Hampshire running on the platform of "Free Ponies for everyone". I shit you not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFXXAuDK1Ao

[Snatcher2047]

I'd so vote for that guy if... AND ONLY IF... he wore that boot on his head during his entire presidency. PONIES4EVERY1. That's a campaign I can stand by.

[PeanutButterDimond]

Celestia is a princess because Vermin Supreme is the queen.

Edited January 29, 2012 by PeanutButterDimond

[Applejack1973]

This was one of the best FiM episodes.

[Old dead account]

Good to see AJ didn't get overshadowed in this episode. Pretty good overall episode though not as good as baby cakes.

One thing though, ...did they seriously try to replicate a nude scene at the beginning? I realize that it was just for humor but when you've seen the deeper hellholes of the fanbase it takes a whole new form altogether.

Also, Fluttershy sleeps naked is now canon.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Prince Solaris

[Kuzu]

Good to see AJ didn't get overshadowed in this episode. Pretty good overall episode though not as good as baby cakes.

One thing though, ...did they seriously try to replicate a nude scene at the beginning? I realize that it was just for humor but when you've seen the deeper hellholes of the fanbase it takes a whole new form altogether.

Also, Fluttershy sleeps naked is now canon.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Shadic Claus

[Applejack1973]

Yay at least Applejack was not so overshadowed but she could at last had a song.

One of the best FiM episodes beside The Last Roundup and Sisterhooves Social.

I see some ApplejackxTwilight.

[SuperStingray]

One thing I like about this episode is how it didn't play the whole "Man vs. Machine" with man obviously being superior and all that jazz, the machine itself was working fine, the operators of said machine were the nasty ones.

This. While industrial production techniques have less tenderness and thought put into each individual product, the quality and effectiveness of the assembly line is no less valid than the effort put into the individual products traditional of old country crafting and labor. If the Cider Squeezy wasn't an unreasonable purchase for the farm on Flim and Flam's terms, I wouldn't be opposed to it's use considering the demand for the cider vastly overwhelms whatever difference in quality there may have been.

[Emperor Robrainiac]

So attended my my first brony screening at a college my friend attends... It was awesome.

We started off by showing off our Pony merch... or swag as they jokingly called it, and we set up a computer to watch several episodes (Applebuck Season, Dragonshy, The newest episode, and Lesson Zero.) on a big screen. Then, after lunch, we began to draw ponies on the sidewalk with chalk on the center of the campus.

Oh, and speaking of Vermin Surpreme, we wrote a message to vote for him (Cause everyone will get free ponies!) Fun times.

And since no one will care about my day, I think I'll post my impressions here.

Fun episode... Alcohol is canon!!! XD XD

Nah, I'm sure it's meant to be ordinary cider, but I love how much they resemble beer (Foam, mugs and all)

And great new antagonists for this episode... Does this make their song the first villain song in the show? Anyways, I enjoyed them alot.

Good to see AJ didn't get overshadowed in this episode.

Yay at least Applejack was not so overshadowed but she could at last had a song.

Really? Cause aside from her hilarious letter to Celestia (Which made the entire group, including me, burst into laughter) I didn't find AJ very memorable in this episode. It seemed to be more of an Apple family centered episode rather than Applejack herself.

Maybe it's just me and I need to watch the episode again, I dunno.

EDIT: Oh and On my way home from the meetup, I bought me a Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, complete with a Spike and Princess Celestia... YAY!!! I HAVE ALL OF THE MANE SIX!!!

Edited January 29, 2012 by the ORIGINAL recolor

[Kuzu]

This. While industrial production techniques have less tenderness and thought put into each individual product, the quality and effectiveness of the assembly line is no less valid than the effort put into the individual products traditional of old country crafting and labor. If the Cider Squeezy wasn't an unreasonable purchase for the farm on Flim and Flam's terms, I wouldn't be opposed to it's use considering the demand for the cider vastly overwhelms whatever difference in quality there may have been.

It wasn't even about quality, Flim-Flam's cider was just as good(if not better) than the Apples, you can tell by how Granny Smith reacted when she had one, and the Apples weren't even opposed to the machine itself, they would've happily accepted their help if their deal wasn't so incredibly biased in [Flimflam's] favor and would've put them out of business. Basically, Flimflam's greed is what did them in, and their incredibly insensitive remarks about effectively bankrupting an innocent family, had they been fair they would've been set for life.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Shadic Claus

[Celestia]

And great new antagonists for this episode... Does this make their song the first villain song in the show? Anyways, I enjoyed them alot.

First male song, too. If only Discord had gotten a song, that would have been so awesome. ;_;

[SuperStingray]

If only Discord had gotten a song, that would have been so awesome. ;_;

Based on the premise of his character, this probably qualifies as his theme song.

[Kuzu]

I have to say, if wasn't for the fact they were greedy swindlers, the Flim-Flam Bros. would be pretty swell guys.

[Old dead account]

Y'know, I decided I'm gonna make a real effort to go to BroNYCon this summer. Just checked the googlemaps and apperently its at least a 25 hour drive from where I live to there so I figure I'll just buy a plane ticket. Same price, less fatigue. I'll be honest though, I've never even attended an Anime con so this'll be quite an experience if I can save up the money to go. Has anyone here gone to it or wants to go to this next one? If you've gone what's it like?

[Applejack1973]

Really?

Applejack refused help in Applebuck Season and here she begs for help and calls her friends for family.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Applejack1973

[CoffeeGrunt]

I wish I could go to BroNYCon...stupid Atlantic Ocean...

Thankfully, things are getting better over here. Asda, (aka Wal-Mart UK,) has started stocking blind bags. After a quick snatch-and-grab today, I present to you my first merchandiseseseses!

Random background colt, sadly. I really wanna name him GrapeKeister:

...And then in the other bag:

...

[Kuzu]

*Lives in New York City*

*Forgot about BroNYcon*

Well fuck me, guess I better go this year.

[CoffeeGrunt]

You live in fucking New York and you forgot?

Dude, I am infinitely jealous of your non-chalant taking for granted up such awesome proximity for that event! xD

[Kuzu]

You live in fucking New York and you forgot?

Dude, I am infinitely jealous of your non-chalant taking for granted up such awesome proximity for that event! xD

College kind of takes priority over ponies, I'll definitely go this time though.

[DaBatGuy]

I went to the last BroNYCon since I realized it was only a 10 minute subway ride from home and had a blast. I almost felt guilty knowing that some bronies came from across the country only to get denied access because they didn't preregister. Now that Faust and Q are announced I desperately want to go to the next BroNYCon but unfortunately my summer job might have to take priority over it.

[Applejack1973]

My collection includes a poster, and Applejack and Rarity figures.

[gato]

MY NOT SO LITTLE REVIEW: Overanalysing nonpareil!

Nonpareil, and that's exactly the reason why, you see

Nobody else in this whole place will give you such a chance to be where you need to be

And that's a new world, with some really long posts

Fresh thought and ready for share

More words than you can read in all your days of thinking

not really. 8D

Episode 41: The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.

Chapter:

We surprisingly start in Fluttershy's cottage, where the meek pegasus is happily asleep until she gets awakened by Rainbow Dash (crashing into houses, but at least she knocked first this time!). Fluttershy is confused about this abrupt entrance and why is her friend in such a rush...

It turns out today is Cider season! Where the Apple family sells the delicious beverage to the public, Rainbow wants to get there quick because she usually never gets to try the drink! And that's all because of one single pony... Dinkleberg Berry Punch Pinkie Pie!... Actually, it's just a mix of events, for starters Rainbow doesn't seem to usually go to Sweet Apple Acres so early (since getting there was a special plan she devised this year) and there is also Pinkie who seems to buy cider in abnormal quantities (I feel like putting a bathroom joke here), and the rest of the ponies in Ponyville (and who knows what other places).

Now, before we continue, I'll like to talk to you about the cider itself, I'm well aware in the USA the regular cider is alcohol free... But that doesn't seem to be the case in the rest of the world (I'm informed is not the same in Europe, and I can tell it's not like that in South America either). Since the studio is North American based I can tell they are using the non-alcoholic variant (especially taking in mind the fermentation process that simply doesn't happen in what we've seen in this chapter, of course, we are talking about a place where things like zap apples exists so...), but there are some things that bother me a little...

First, why do they serve them in tankards? I'm not sure how you USers or Europeans do, but we don't use such things with cider (in any variant), we mostly use tankards for beer. (and I can't erase such association from my head)

Second, those reactions pony make to the drink... I mean...

Don't judge me!

What am I supposed to think about this? That the cider is really really good?

...

Okay, that actually makes sense... But I still can't erase the beer thing from my head! >_>

Therefore, for the purpose of being funny to myself and obnoxious and annoying to the rest of you I'm going to headcanon the cider as alcoholic and have fantasies about a pony Oktoberfest while doing so (which would be possible (even without alcohol) if the Apples managed to mass produce the drink).

Okay so, things go as usual until the booze runs out and Rainbow is not pleased with this (neither are the other ponies who were left with nothing), apparently this is a recurrent problem whenever cider season comes, Applejack informs them that this is as much as her family can produce... but as this was happening something appears in front of the ponies... Some really weird contraption that looks like a carriage that moves by itself! From it 2 ponies appear and present themselves (in catchy song form) as the Flim Flam brothers, traveling salesponies nonpareil! (I've learned another word today :V) And it's amazing machine to make an equally amazing cider in enough quantities to satisfy the whole town and in just a fraction fo the time the Apples take to do it, The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000!!!

Introductions done and earworm introduced n my head, the brothers proceed to offer the Apples a deal, they'll allow them to use these amazing piece of magitek in exchange of a share of the gainings.... a 75% of them... Less than impressed by this deal the Apples refuse their proposal (I find interesting that was Big Mac the one who said this, is this a little hint at how it's he the one actually running the farm?), the twins don't take this too kindly and decide to compete with the farmers, threatening to drive them out of business...

The next day the Apples run out of juice... Again! The Flim Flams return and try to sell their own but AJ quickly stops them, arguing that they are not allowed to sell anything made with SAA products, the brothers then claim that they will find another farm and make way more cider than what the farmers could ever produce! Apple Bloom gets annoyed about this and starts arguing with the salesponies, the discussion escalates until Flim calls granny Smith a chicken... After this they make a bet, whoever gets to produce more barrels in an hour get to be the only provider of the zone.

Once the contest starts the match seems to be in favor of the brothers, they can produce 3 barrels of cider for each one the Apples make, seeing this clear disadvantage Twilight decides to even the field and ask the mayor if they can join (as honorary family members, that's heartwarming), the mayor consults the twins and they arrogantly claim to have no problem with this, then she asks AJ and she is happy to receive some help from her family! (d'aaaawwwww) The mane 6 start working and manage not only to catch up but surpass the salesponies! Flim and Flam realizes this and try to increase the power of their invention, but that just makes the thing suck the whole trees instead of just the apples and the weird mix of fruit, trunk and other things can't pass their machine's quality control, as a desperate measure, the brothers turn off the control and let the device make cider out of anything that catches...

Rainbow notices this and suggest AJ to also stop the quality check and make as much cider as possible but the Apples don't want to make something that's not good enough... Sadly, this integrity is what ends up sealing their defeat. At the end of the competition the brothers have managed to win by an ample margin and start celebrating and mocking the losing side (nice sportsmanship there bros), they also decide to plan the demolition of the whole barn and rebuild it as Flim Flam Fields (wait, what!?), the Apples resign themselves and get ready to pack things and leave (WHAT!? When did this happen? I don't remember any of them betting the whole barn)... The rest of ponyville doesn't seem to happy about this but AJ encourages them to buy cider from the rightful winners of the competition.

The ponies drink the Flim Flam beverage... But it turns out the thing is awful, turning off the quality control turned out what would be sparkling and delicious cider into... Something... Anyway, the brothers try save some face and offer to low the price of "whatever they just did" but Ponyville doesn't want any of it! Seeing that what they did is not wanted, fearing some sort of riot and totally forgetting that they had some barrels of perfectly good cider stored between all of their junk, the salesponies decide to make a graceful exit to the next town.

With the brothers out the Apples can go back into business, and that's not all, all this competition made the farmers produce enough cider for all of Ponyville except for Rainbow Dash!

Applejack writes her hilarious letter (that I'll proceed to tear apart later) and the chapter is over.

Now there is a thing that has been bothering me about this chapter, The Apple family says that if they don't get enough profits out of the cider they will not be able to survive the winter... They say this despite being the only providers of apples of the region and most likely the only producers of Zap Apple Jam in Equestria... And despite all of this at the end of S1 they weren't able to pay for the granny's hip replacement (and I like to think this is the reason they haven't hired any help yet despite the fact that having some extra hooes would make wonders for their production and future profits)...

Exactly how is this supposed to work?

I mean... Where do all those bits go? Keeping the farm running must be expensive (even more considering you have a bunch of pigs leaving there who don't seem pay you in any way), and we've seen the family doing a lot of charity like using hard earned prize money to help repair some Ponyville buildings (which sadly seems to have become a disaster zone (at least) ever since Twilight moved there). but this still confuses me in many ways... You would think one of the founding families of the town would be able to survive a not so good season... Maybe they just suck at business (the Rich family seems to be doing fine).

I hope after everything they do at least they have a say in whatever decision the government takes (and maybe they do, AJ had no problems to get a venue (or at least the props) ready for her little quarrel with Rainbow Dash in Fall Weather Friends)...

Characters:

Twilight didn't get to do a lot but it's nice to see some bits of her still there, like her skills for organisation and how she considers an honorable member of the Apple family (i believe AJ claimed this before, I don't remember how many times but the only time I can think right now was in the very first episode)

I'm a bit confused as to why didn't she picked the fruits like she did in Applebuck Season and leave AJ and Fluttershy helping with the quality control to increase the production speed though.

Poor Rainbow, this episode was incredibly cruel to her. ;_;

She tried to wake up early and get to be the first place (for once) in the line for the cider only to be beaten by Pinkie (again) and a bunch of ponies who joined her.. After a long and tedious wait she finally gets her turn but the Apples run out of juice! And the episode makes quite clear that this isn't the first time Rainbow suffers from this, to make things worse, Pinkie will not shut up about how awesome the drink was!... Then the Flim Flam brothers appear and honestly you can't blame Rainbow for wanting to take this opportunity... Too bad the farmers refuse the brother's offer. D:

The next day the Apples run out of cider (AGAIN!) and this time Dash didn't even get near the stand... Luckyly, the brothers appear again and offers everypony what they produced yesterday, and just when Rainbow is finally going to get her drink Applejack drops it!

After that you see Dash drinking whatever she can from the dirt, while crying! What kind of sick joke is this!? A rather funny one *hoof'd*

And yet after all of this she still stands for her friends when they need her. (I would also like to add something I forgot at the beginning, there was NO reason for her to wake up Fluttershy and take it to SAA, so why did she do this? To ensure Fluttershy also gets her own share of cider... And she even let Shy be before her and get the lass tankard! Thats gotta be worth at least 10 respect points)

At the end of the episode you expect she finally is going to get something to drink, especially after Apple Bloom's claims of having enough cider to share with the whole town... But she doesn't!!! I can't rell you how much I'm swearing... I mean... If I was in her place I would be so. FREAKING. MAD! Lucky for her that Pinkie decided to share something for once. (you don't even listen to your own damn songs! YES! I STILL MAD FOR DASH!)...

Rainbow was awesome in this chapter... I feel for what she had to go through... Mad respect for her and not going in a glorious rampage of revenge for this... Stay awesome!

Applejack:

Dear Princess Celestia:

Your faithful Subject, Applejack.

Okay, hilarious letter aside I can't shake the feeling that AJ was not so in the right as I would like to think... For starters Celestia's orders in Lesson Zero was for the mane 6 to report about their findings about the magic of friendship when and only when they discover something about it, AJ's letter telling us she learned nothing at all goes against this. (and I'm not saying there wasn't a lesson here, I'm saying that AJ was not the right pony to write the letter).

The other problem I have is that AJ is quite a silly pony if she didn't get to learn anything about this encounter, what about the little lesson in economics, competition, production and labor? This is pretty much telling us that the next Cider season the Apples are going to repeat the same mistakes they make every year (and Rainbow will be left without her drink! D: ). But I guess I can let that go since it doesn't concern the magic of friendship.

Other than that I don't really feel she had many moments. >_>

Pinkie made me think about Dinkleberg...

Now, I haven't been following Fairly Oddparents for a while but the last time I saw that guy was the overly simpatic neighbor who unintentionally annoyed Timmy's dad to no end with his success in life... And that's pretty much what I got from Pinkie here, how she unintentioally shoves in Rainbows face over and over again how did she got before and how did many other ponies got before and how much she drinks (that she doesn't share... Nor rare ) and how delicious that cider is (that Rainbow will never be able to drink)...

I wanted to punch Pinkie here, I know it's all in good cartoonish fun but still... >_>

Rarity was credit to the team.

Other than that she didn't do anything.

And we found out some interesting tidbits about Fluttershy, for starters we can see how fast she can fly while being unaware of it, that or Rainbow pushed her really really hard (I'm actually going with this theory ).

we've also found out that she is some sort of woodpecker... That or she shaked the branches enough for the Apples to fall, but that's not as fun as the first option.

Also, now we know she sleeps nekkid hurr durr.

And now we got to talk about the Flim Flam brothers. I might get some frowns for bringing this up but watching these brothers and their incredible intelligence and their bombastic and cheery attitude but also watching how incompetent, arrogant and shortsighted they seem to be... I can't stop thinking about a certain scientist from another series... I'm not sure if you heard about him... Egghead or something like that...

Now, this is as far as similarities go, Eggmen seems to be driven by the desire for recognition while the brothers are more moved by greed... the doctor might also be a bit more megalomaniac. And while the brothers invention seems to meet with the approval of all Ponyville (sans granny Smith) some of the many back stories of the Sonic series says Robotnik's first attempts at being a good scientist and work for the good of humanity didn't go so well...

Actually I think there is another similarity here, if the brothers wouldn't be so greedy their machine would do a great service to the community and I don't really think Eggsy cares about getting some little scientific recognition anymore (He already did some good, he is one of the most important manufacturers of the EX gears that everyone loves so much in the Riders series, and I bet that if he tried again he would be able to sell most of his inventions... I mean... Who wouldn't love an Eggpawn in the house!?)... What I am trying to say is that they could do good, but they chose not to.

Changing topics a little, I find interesting how the brothers got introduced compared to the likes of trixie and Gilda, the females got pretty much introduced as jerks to the mane cast (if they really were or not "bad" is a topic often discussed in the bronydom), here we see the brothers entering as nice ponies with a magical and musical solution to the Apple's problems, then we find out how ruthless and careless (for other ponies) they can be...

I also wonder if fanon will treat this 2 in any similar way to S1 antagonists (even Douche had it's share of fanfics).

I guess only time will tell... (incredibly depressing backstory or not these guys have some serious potential for some comedy sci-fi fics)

tl;dr:

What can I say.

I freaking love cider!!!1!

...

Annnnd here is a little (maybe mean spirited) comic that reflects about a topic that I forgot to mention while writing this.

At least she is no longer a blank flank...

Anyway, all in all a good chapter, a lovely song and an interesting spin in what many expected to be yet another "man vs. machine" aesop.

Maybe there were some things that bothered me a little and I'm not such a big fan of the letter (nor the way Dash was treated) but nothing that managed to ruin the whole thing for me, I would personally put this chapter in the same place as May The Best Pet Win.

p.d: I bet this post is a freaking mess.

Edited January 30, 2012 by gato

[Tall-Guy91]

Ah BroNYcon (or Brony Con as it's called now because it's not in New York for the next con lol XD), it was a shame I couldn't go to the last one but, I am so planning to go to the June/July one.

Already booked mine and a friends con tickets and now we just got to get the flights and hostel booked and then we are ready to party....PINKIE PIE STYLE AWWWW YER!!!!!

If any of you Super Sonic Bronies are planning on going to the June/July con, then I shall most probably see you there as well HOORAH!!!!