MLP: FiM Fan Animations

I haven't posted on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in some time. To make up for this lack of pony, here are two recent released fan animations:

"Snowdrop" by SillyFillyStudios 

and the highly anticipated "Double Rainboom" by FlamingoRich:

I'm a Princess Now! (MLP: FiM Twilight Alicorn Spoilers!)

I know everypony already heard the big news from Entertainment Weekly that Twilight Sparkle will become an Alicorn princess in the season finale. But I overslept when the announcement came and I figured now that I'm up I'd put in my two cents.

First, the big spoilerific pictures:

HT: The HUB FB page

Interesting that Alicorn Twilight doesn't seem to have the supermodel figure like the three other princesses.

“I love when you comb my hair!”



Now to the nitty, gritty details:

First,  the head writer Meghan McCarthy had this to say in the EW article:


“[Twilight] was set up from the very beginning to be on an important journey,” explains MLP head writer Meghan McCarthy. “It’s really about her earning this new status by combining all the things that we’ve seen her learn over the course of the series.”

But don’t worry, Pony fans — though Twilight will undergo a physical transformation, her personality will remain the same. “What we didn’t want to do was change who she is as a character, because she’s certainly someone that everyone’s proud to know and love,” McCarthy says. “I don’t think becoming a princess really changes her; I think it’s going to introduce some new challenges for her.”

Those challenges will include living up to that  lofty new title. In MLP‘s Equestria, “princess” is a designation that’s earned, not freely given — and though princesses have specific leadership roles in pony society, being one really means “being a good pony who shares the gifts that they have been given with others,” according to McCarthy. “We’re building a very unique mythology around being a princess,” she continues. “Every little girl wants to be a princess, and not everybody can get to be a princess — but you can live up to the ideals that should come along with being a princess.”

So,

1. The writers were dropping hints in the first two seasons that Celestia was grooming Twilight for something big, a doozy.

2. Twilight will end up becoming an Alicorn Princess in the season finale, as some of us suspected.

3. Although Twilight will sprout wings and presumably receive a massive magical power boost, her personality will remained unchanged. She'll still be the same eggheaded, OCD Twilight we all know and love.

4. With great power comes great responsibility. Becoming an alicorn princess is no minor promotion; Twilight is now in the same class as Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. How Twilight's relationship to the  Mane Six stands is now an interesting question.  On that topic, Tara Strong, Twilight's VA, posted this tweet:

Assuming Tara's right, wherever Twilight goes, her friends will follow. Also, Morgan Freeman voicing Twilight?!? It sounds like we have some awesome exposition ahead!

Lauren Faust also gave her reaction on her Twitter, though the second line mysteriously disappeared a little while later:

***

As for what I think of this news, well, I'm going to play it safe and wait until February 16, when the season finale airs, to give my final say. If the writers can't handle this big change, then I think it's safe to freak out and consider my future as a Brony:

Could the Rumors Be True? MLP: FiM Princess Coronation Preview

Somepony is going to be crowned as a new princess of Equestria on the MLP: FiM season 3 finale on February 16, probably Twilight Sparkle. But will she turn into an alicorn? I have no idea, as this HUB preview doesn't give away much information other than Twilight finally achieving her destiny, whether or not that involves suddenly sprouting wings... (HT: Equestria Daily)

MLP: FiM Season 3 Preview: Last Four Episodes + Keep Calm and Flutter On Clip

There's only four more episodes to go in Season 3 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Unless I'm mistaken, we'll see the return of Discord, an episode focused on the pets and Spike, and the culmination of Twilight's magical training (I keep hearing rumors about alicorn princess Twilight, but that's just brony speculation at this point).  Oh, and the most recent preview from the HUB assures us of two more things: 1) Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will hoof bump and 2) The Mane Six will use The Elements of Harmony to defeat the final episode villain, whoever that happens to be. (HT: Equestria Daily)

Update:

Entertainment Weekly has a short preview clip from this Saturday's episode "Keep Calm and Flutter On," featuring the return of Discord, voiced by John de Lancie, who played Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation. (HT: Equestria Daily)

On Love and Tolerance: Part 2

I usually like to keep this a family-friendly blog, but this image macro represents the origin of the Brony slogan "Love and Tolerance." (More info here.)

This is a very interesting article critiquing the Brony slogan "Love and Tolerance." I offer a few thoughts below. By no means do they constitute a full response. Perhaps I'll write one in the near future.


I'm in agreement with the author in his critique of the formulation of "love and tolerance" that sees tolerance as "live and let live" or being indifferent to what others say or do. This kind of tolerance doesn't fit with an understanding of love as "willing" or "doing" good by another.

However, I'm thinking the author is limiting his understanding of love to a purely "natural" friendship (philia), as opposed to charity (caritas) as Christians tend to understand love. Philosophers (or at least those following Aristotle) usually understand friendship to be conditional, that is, friendship is exclusive and mutual (we reciprocate our love). If you don't meet the high standards of virtue, then you can't join the club, so to speak. I think C.S. Lewis made this point in his The Four Loves. So eventually, if Gilda or Trixie aren't willing to change their bad habits of being disagreeable and prideful, then they just can't be friends with the Mane Six.

Charity, on the other hand, loves another person for simply existing, however lovable or unlovable their character, even if they are actively opposed to us as enemies. The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show mostly deals with friendship and the struggles needed to attain and maintain that kind of relationship, so there isn't much room for charity, though I imagine the forgiveness of Celestia for Luna and Twilight for Trixie are among the few examples.

I tend to think of tolerance as an allowance for human weakness and error (1). That is, we aren't perfect in being virtuous, in doing the right thing, so we have to coexist in the hopes that people might change.

If you consider love as simply an emotion and not a relationship requiring action (2), then conjoining this diminished understanding of love with a common reading of tolerance as indifference or non-interference reduces L & T to "doing nothing whilst having warm, fuzzy feelings." You might even say it means approving the disagreeable behavior of others.

But, once you understand the nature of both love and tolerance, then you can see that tolerance serves the ends of love, which is wiling the good of another.

***

1. Edward Feser, "Cardinal Virtues and Counterfeit Virtues," considers whether tolerance is a virtue.

2. David S. Oderberg, Moral Theory: A Non-Consequentialist Approach, 52-53

Most Popular Posts of 2012

With a few hours left in 2012, I can still squeeze in another post. I started this blog back in April, with the intention of sharing my thoughts on Catholicism, Philosophy, Theology, and Science Fiction/Fantasy, with a few interludes into the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show that I began watching in February. Now, I haven't exactly kept this mission statement...

Anyway, I've seen a few bloggers in the Catholic blogosphere share their "top 10 most popular posts of 2012," so I decided to include mine, even though I get a fraction of the visitors of well-known Catholic bloggers like Mark Shea, Marc Barnes, and Edward Feser:


1. MLP: FiM Season 3 Spoilerific Post

2. Appletastic MLP: FiM Season 3 Speculation

3. Fluttershy and the Virtue of Friendliness: Part 1

4. Make Some Friends! Lauren Faust on Philia: Part 2

5. MLP and the Virtues

6. Octavia: Behind the Music

7. MLP: FiM Season 3 Preview: The Crystal Ponies

8. MLP: Top Wing (Spoilers!)

9. MLP: FiM Season 3 Extended Preview

10. Discord: The Most Dangerous MLP Villain?

I sense one common thread here among the top ten, but I can't seem to put my finger on it. On an unrelated note, here's a random picture of my favorite pony, Derpy Hooves:

I'm thankful for all the MLP-related visits, but in 2013, I might consider focusing more on the "Catholic" part of "RPG Catholic." Perhaps I can strike a balance between ponies and Catholic philosophy/theology...

This is Muffin Turf!

I don't tend to encourage spray painting on public property, but this MLP graffiti from Argentina is pretty cool and preferable to the typical bleak gang-related stuff we see (HT: Nate Winchester):

Derpy Hooves: One Happy Muffin

Twilight Sparkle & Rainbow Dash

Check out more here & here.

MLP: Top Wing (Spoilers!)

Feel the need... the need for ponies? Well, this probably isn't a surprise, but the Wonderbolt pony Spitfire returns for this Saturday's MLP: FiM episode "Wonderbolt Academy." (Photos HT: DerpyHoovesNews.com)

Rainbow Dash finally gets a chance to join the elite pegasus flight squadron and almost immediately develops a fierce competition with another young hotshot flyer...

I imagine the Top Gun Anthem playing somewhere in the background...

                                                          Update

My Top Gun-MLP mashup video, featuring the Top Gun Anthem and Danger Zone.

Upcoming Attractions III

Just a few previews.

First, here's a clip from Entertainment Weekly for the upcoming MLP: FiM episode "Sleepless in Ponyville" on Saturday. I imagine this episode involving Scootaloo won't be as epic as "Magic Duel." Wait a minute...  Princess Luna sighting!  (HT: Equestria Daily):

                               

The Cutie Mark Crusaders

MLP Facebook page

Applejack with Apple Bloom and Rarity with Sweetie Belle

Princess Luna in Scootaloo's nightmare

Next, a new trailer for Star Trek into Darkness:

Don't forget, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey releases next Friday, Dec. 14:

Bronies and Masculinity

Bronies get a mention on the Feminist Philosophers blog.

The Element of Kindness in a Nutshell

One of the major things on my mind lately is that oft-repeated Brony slogan "Love and Tolerate," especially on how to understand "love" and "toleration" so that the phrase doesn't become "disinterest in what others say or do whilst having warm and fuzzy feelings." I think the nature of love demands more than mere sentiment. If you truly are the friend of another and wish them well (love), you don't adopt a stance of “not giving a shit” about what they do. More on this in a future post...

I've also thought a little about Fluttershy and the virtue of friendliness/amiability she embodies. I've had a few posts on the subject, but I think Rainbow Dash in the first issue of the new My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic nicely summarizes my point:

"Fluttershy! When are you going to learn that you're nice until it's not time to be nice!"

The Great and Apologetic Trixie

I'll have more on Trixie and "Magic Duel," but for now, enjoy this epic sad face:

Twilight, Y U NO forgive me?

Magic Duel Video Preview: Was There Ever Any Doubt?

USA Today just released a preview clip of next week's MLP: FiM episode "Magic Duel," featuring the return of Trixie the Great and Powerful Braggart (HT: Equestria Daily):

Oh, there's also a new image:

                                                             UPDATE

Screenshots from the MLP Wikia:

That black cloak reminds of Luna...

Trixie with a new amulet that makes her 20% more evil

Trixie's new red beam of doom...

It seems Trixie has yet to learn her lesson...

"You and I have unfinished business."

                                                            UPDATE 2

A new clip from the HUB (HT: EqD):

                                                            UPDATE 3

A new clip from Entertainment Weekly:

More on Trixie to come....

Christian Themes in My Little Pony?

While Googling, I chanced upon the blog of Taylor Ramage, a young Christian writer who reviews anime/fantasy books and shows. She also appears to be a "pegasister," that is, a female fan of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon. Taylor's done a series of posts on Christianity and My Little Pony that look interesting:


My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic–Surprisingly Fantastic


Christianity and MLP: Celestia and Luna (On the similarities and differences between the stories of the fall of Luna and the fall of Lucifer)

Christianity and MLP: Pinkie Pie and Christian Stereotypes 

Christianity and MLP: Cutie Marks and Calling

Buy Some Apples! (Spoilers!)

The "One Bad Apple" episode is coming up this Saturday. But I'm a bit more enthusiastic about "Magic Duel" and the return of Trixie. I might just do a post on Trixie and the vice of boasting, which would give me a nice excuse to post more video and pictures of the "Great and Powerful" one.

Anyway, here's a preview video for "One Bad Apple" from the HUB and a promo sticker from GetGlue (HT: Equestria Daily):

          

Babs Seed, cousin of Apple Bloom, bully

                                                           UPDATE

A new song clip from Entertainment Weekly (HT: EqD) :

Rarity Wouldn't be Pleased With This...

I am so frustrated I could just scream:

My enthusiasm for the free-to-play MLP: FiM game waned quickly, after finding out the ridiculous costs (in either time or money) that I'd invest in order to unlock all the ponies and complete the story mode. I simply deleted the game from my iPod and moved on...

Be sure to check out this CNET article for more info on Gameloft's greed.

Too Many Pinkie Pie Previews!

I'm not sure I'll ever get around to reviewing the Season 3 "Crystal Empire" premiere... Meanwhile, the spoiler videos for new episodes of MLP: FiM keep on coming. "Too Many Pinkie Pies" airs tomorrow on the HUB and you can get a glimpse from the HUB here (HT: Equestria Daily):



And from Entertainment Weekly here (HT: DerpyHoovesNews):




I'm pretty amped up, enough to post random Pinkie Pie clips:

Before I go, I should mention the Hot Topic "Hot Minute" commercials, featuring Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash:

One Does Not Simply Trot into Maredor

For Tolkien fans and Bronies, the geekiness is strong with this fanmade video:

MLP: FiM Season 3 Spoilerific Post

I'm thinking of posting a mini-review of the Crystal Empire Season 3 premiere eventually, but for now, enjoy even more Season 3 spoilers (HT: Equestria Daily).

A commercial showing a few upcoming Season 3 episodes:

A commercial for next week's episode "Too Many Pinkie Pies", plus a few screenshots:

One, two, three, four, five Pinkies? That's like five, five, five times the fun!

My Reaction

Pinkie's looking a little G3ish these days. As if we needed more G3 reminders:

A few screenshots from the Season 3 Preview commercial


From the "Magic Duel" episode in which Trixie the Magnificent returns:

Trixie has taken over management of "Trixieville."

Little Applejack and Rarity

UPDATE

Trixie Lulamoon: now with new accessories!

I missed these images of Trixie with an amulet that might play some role in the plot of "Magic Duel." The Brony rumors I've heard online suggest King Sombra is working behind the scenes with Lulamoon.

From "The Wonderbolt Academy":

I guess this means Rainbow Dash finally gets her chance to join the Wonderbolts...

RD with unknown similar-looking pegasus

From "Magic Duel" (confirmed):

What's this? Horses in a show about talking horses?

Twilight shows off her magic skills...

                            

Images of Rarity's Carousel Boutique and AJ's farm from an unknown episode. Things don't look good:

From an unknown CMC episode (HT: Equestria Daily):

The Deluge of MLP: FiM Season 3 Preview Clips Continues!

At this rate, Hasbro will spoil the entire My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Season 3 premiere on the HUB before it even airs. OK, maybe not, but at the very least, they have upped the anticipation for this Saturday:

- I should mention that the Gameloft MLP: FiM game is out now on ITunes for Apple iOS devices (Ipad, Ipod Touch, Iphone), with an Android version coming soon. I've played the game a bit and it's exactly as I expected: farmville with ponies! It's free-to-play, which means there's that micro-transaction business to worry about, but the game seems amusing enough to at least give it a try.

Disclaimer: The fun may vary, especially if you're a lunar princess, in which case, the fun doubles!

UPDATE

The Android version is available now.