Putting this up early so I can link to it/procrastinate on transcribing BronyCon interviews.
This is where we’ll be liveblogging Equestria Girls! The way it works is, we’ll all queue up copies of the movie in whatever format (I actually bought the DVD for this, because I am a good little pony), and at 3p.m. EST we all start watching simultaneously and commenting with anything we feel like saying in response to the movie.
Well… almost anything. Just a couple of rules:
1) If you’re new here, there is a comment policy. It’s a lot of words that basically boil down to “Play Nice.”
2) No spoilers of any kind. That includes content spoilers (“Example Pony dies!”), negative spoilers (“When Example Pony showed up, I thought she was going to hook up with Sample Pony, and I’m still bummed she didn’t”) and even anticipation spoilers (“I still can’t believe what happened to Example Pony!”) Anything which implies anything about something that happens later in the movie is a spoiler, so please don’t post them. If you absolutely MUST say something spoilery, apply the ROT13 filter first.
That’s it! See you all at 3!
Example Pony is going to miss this because he has to work! No actually just me. I will have fun coming in after however.
I'm going to miss this because I don't have the EG dvd and doubt that there's any legal way to watch the movie online.
Aw, too bad you folks wont be able to make it! I hope somebody does–I can do this by myself but it'd be more fun with other people.
5 minutes. Anyone else joining in?
Wow, the main menu music is VILE.
Crud, and it's only like 20 seconds long… it's already looped three times…
Starting in less than a minute…
PLAY!
The Crystal Empire? Nothing good involves the Crystal Empire!
Transformer Pinkie turns into an ice cream truck.
Those crystal trumpet guards are kinda creepy-looking.
The only orange guard. Naturally he makes a big hit with Twilight.
Twilight, you're already undisputed ruler of Ponyville!
Also, lol, how DO pegasi sleep with those things.
AGH NO IT'S THE TERRIBLE MUSIC AGAIN!
Okay, applebucking the credits was cute.
LOL, flashlight helmet.
Oh no, the Nazgul has come! Fortunately Twilight is really asleep in a stable.
Notice how much we're supposed to know going in — the names of the characters, the Crystal Empire storyline, etc. This is clearly aimed at fans.
One would think ONE SIXTH OF THE KINGDOM'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON would have more security.
But one would be wrong.
I wonder whose OC Sunset Shimmer is, and how long they spent looking up Twilight and Sparkle in the thesaurus to make it.
“You'll soon know more about this place than even I do.”
*SHOVE*
*break mirror so Twilight can't come back*
Dammit, Trollestia…
You must go alone Twilight, for reasons that we couldn't be bothered to make up.
Oh wait, RD's got it.
CELESTIA CONTRIVANCE POWERS ACTIVATE!
Lyra is SO jealous right now.
Twelve characters are harder to keep straight than six.
A high school where everyone's weird colors… does Doug go to this school?
Point.
Very true.
Twilight, don't you DARE have a love interest. The Mane Six do not do romance! It's one of Faust's original rules!
Okay, I'll admit human!CMC are adorbs.
This song is meh, though–not ear-searing like the main theme but nothing great.
Sunset Shimmer being mean to Fluttershy? She will SUFFER FOREVER.
How has Sunset Shimmer become school bully in ONLY A DAY!?
Repeating gags from the first episode? Poor show.
Sunset is voiced by Twilight's singing voice.
So wait, if this universe has its own versions of everyone, where is its Twilight?
Also, lol, “Princess” become “Principal.”
Wait, what? That was a weird non sequiter, Celestia.
Fascinating. Current speculation: Sunset is actually Twilight's Shadow archetype brought to life by Sombra's magic. (not really)
PLOT ESTABLISHED
Are Celestia and Luna sisters in this reality? Could mean nepotism….
Seriously how did Sunset set this up in ONE DAY!?
“At CHS everyone sticks with their own kind. Also, people get occasionally killed by wendigos, that kinda bites.”
Oh. Huh. So there IS a Twilight in this universe, she just doesn't go to this school?
There's your parallel Twilight ref
Weird. Applejack is my least favorite Mane Six, but already most likeable of the human!Six.
Body language!
Speaking of body, it REALLY bothers me that they all have the same body type. Twilight should be shorter than the others, Fluttershy taller, Applejack a little bulkier, and Pinkie should be fat!
Oh, Snips and Snails. Is there any Mean Girl you won't tag along after?
…Why are there much younger kids at this school? Is it like grade 6-12 or something?
Who IS this girl?
If this turns into a Pound Puppies crossover I quit.
Okay, this movie is officially awesome. TRIXIE!
I am such an easily manipulated fanboy.
Holy crap, that's a nicer library than my 30,000-student COLLEGE had!
Oh my god the CMC make YouTube videos of themselves singing badly!
I TOLD YOU THEY WERE GEEKS
This montage needs a musical numbber badly.
…future archeologists are going to LOVE yearbooks, aren't they?
Wait, did they establish at some point that Shimmer's been going back and forth between worlds for a while?
Did she kill human!Twilight? Is that where this is going? Because dang.
You're still a jerk, Spike.
NO. That is GROSS Rarity, he is a DOG.
Oh my god, it's an attack ad. That's HYSTERICAL.
Why is APPLEJACK the best one!?
SUNSET SHIMMER IS A
(My entire knowledge of that show is based on ads shown before movies.)
YOU ARE MEAN RAINBOW DASH STOP IT
Okay that was less mean.
..NO. NO ON THE ROMANCE SUBPLOT.
DAMMIT MOVIE YOU WERE STARTING TO WIN ME OVER
Flash Sentry is such a superhero name.
I can't believe this is already as long as a two-part episode. Doesn't feel like it at all. Bravo on the pacing, folks.
The Wonderbolts are the school team. Shoulda seen that coming. Nice.
Rarity you are the best.
Yes, you are all just alike BECAUSE THEY ONLY USED ONE BODY MODEL
I'm not letting this go.
Have to sell the toys somehow
All of us are the same! But different! Be yourself, and sing and dance in unison!
No but seriously this song is okay. Not great, but best so far in the movie.
The toys already look nothing like the character designs in this, though.
Luna buys none of your shit, Sunset.
Oh, wait, she does. Dammit.
…this universe doesn't have Photoshop?
Gee, I wonder who pulled off that amazingly accurate cutting job.
No! No romance subplot!
Thank you for interrupting it, movie.
One body design that is used for all the characters, including Celestia and Luna. Only difference is when you add more joints, you cost more. *Bites tongue*
Yes, because if there's one thing all high school girls hate, it's magical pony princesses.
Pinkie Pie rules.
Wait, Fluttershy rules more.
Yeah, none of the songs in this movie are doing it for. They're all very generic 2000s bubblegum.
My connection crapped out on me.
Re: the similar body type — I know that in the Archie books they kept Betty, Veronica and all the other girls the same figure so that girls won't think to judge their own figures and come up wanting. (Yeah, I know, like girls don't obsess over their figures already — but at least this tame the blame off Archie. Or EQ.)
Jocks helping nerds! Cats and dogs living together! PANDEMONIUM!
Okay, Spike's mustaches made me laugh out loud, first gag in the movie that did.
That musical number was almost as bad as the opening credits though.
Luna is her sister, huh?
Rarity is twerking. That's sublimely ridiculous.
Oh, kidnapping. I was hoping Sunset's plan would hinge on pointing out that Twilight ISN'T REGISTERED AS A STUDENT.
You might think Twilight is exaggerating about Sunset's menace, but imagine 25 years from now when Sunset is the Republican candidate for President.
She hasn't gone to class once.
Wait, what?
WHAT!?
THANK YOU! One does not simply walk into a school. The place should have been on lockdown and the police called.
This is not what I was expecting!
She's creating a mind-controlled army to invade Equestria?
That's AMAZING!
Oh, we're back to being a magical girl show again?
Been a while.
Oh shut your trap Sunset.
No! You do not get to be friends with the human!Mane Six, Sunset!
Celestia is taking all this remarkably calmly.
Also, yes, now is a TERRIBLE time to dance, Flash.
Stop with this subplot!
Okay, RD taking Scootaloo flying was adorable.
WHY IS SUNSET NOT GOING TO JAIL
Have they all just been sitting there for three days?
“What'd you eat?”
“Something called a hamburger. It was made from the flesh of cows.”
*everyone stares in horror*
Evidence?
Okay, the callback to the Pinkie hunch gag *almost* makes the whole romance subplot worth it.
Almost.
Oh hey, another terrible song!
Not your usual standards, Daniel Ingram.
Ingram stated he was trying to make the music reflective of stuff like Glee for the movie (more pop/less musical)
Hmm… overall this movie wasn't bad. The climax was pretty excellent. Everything leading up to that was only okay, except the romance subplot which is WRONG and DOES NOT BELONG IN FIM.
Overall this was about the quality level of a mid-tier episode. It's well above something like “Over the Barrel” or
[interrupted by dancing Ditzy Doo holding a muffin]
…yeah, okay. Pretty decent effort, needed less romance subplot and more CMC.
Deeper thoughts will have to wait until I do my full article after I finish covering Season 3.
McCarthy has stated that the two new characters introduced in the movie will not be in season 4
That would explain it. Ick, Glee.
I'm less bothered by the character, Flash Sentry is a perfectly acceptable Generic High School Popular Boy, than by the entry of romantic elements into the series at all. I *like* having a series for girls where that's not an element, because EVERY OTHER SERIES FOR GIRLS has a strong romantic element. Adding this reduces the ways in which FIM is unique.
Witnesses.
Well, it's not like they're going to mark her absent. She's not enrolled.
Wait, so showing a bunch of different body types as being normal would make girls judge themselves, but only showing one model-thin body type doesn't? In what universe does that make sense?
Oh, right, Archie.
No, I'm saying you could give the characters different body types in the movie and still use one mold for the toys, since the toys look nothing like the characters anyway.
She's probably contemplating turning him into a frog.
Have you seen this comic?
http://mlpegasis4898.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Comic-EQG-Tasting-New-Flavors-387675384#comments
Actually, did you make it a point to avoid all comics with an EQ theme?
Hey, if Zimmerman can walk free…
True. It really shows when all the characters look the same, male or female, until you introduce Bulk and Skull, I mean Snips and Snails. Kinda shoots yourself in the foot when you do that.
Indeed I did.
Bit contrived–hamburgers aren't made from horses. I'm pretty sure serving horse meat would get the school shut down.
This is my only post with more comments than views. Nifty.
The romance subplot has one MAJOR fault in it. Why is the Pony crushing on the Human? I'm okay with pony breeds crossing, but we're talking cross dimensional jumping. Even if there is a inverse counterpart, that's not the character you had your main character fall for. There's also the storyline of Captain of the Royal Guard ending up with a Princess. We've done it and it's being explored in universe, repeating such a story is not necessary. Flash has no flaws in this movie. He's popular, he plays guitar, he drives a nice car, he's conveniently the ex-boyfriend of the plot's villain.
Eh, Twilight's just an inverse furry.
The subplot wasn't handled very well, but I don't think there *is* a way to handle a romantic subplot well within MLP. (Cadance and Shining Armor don't count because their romantic subplot is already over when we meet them–they've hooked up and are getting married from the start.)
Twilight will be at Hu-mane-con with Lyra next year.
The only time we've seen a romantic subplot prior to this was Heart and Hooves day, which was over-the-top wuv. Yet someone with the background ponies keeps placing Big Mac and Cheerilee together. I'm curious what exactly is going on there. It's interesting you bring up Cadance and Shining Armor. The IDW comics 11 and 12 will actually be based around the two of them getting together in some cheesy 80s romcom style, if memory serves correct.
As for this movie's subplot, it wasn't needed. Hell the one thing Flash does useful could have been done by anyone else. And I know exactly who should have uncovered it, the CMCs. Seriously if they are like the CMC of the main show, they could have broken out their Gabby Gums snooping skills and got to the bottom of what was going on, at the same time revealing that Twilight was not enrolled and was somehow a magical princess from another dimension, the latter of which no one would believe but maybe raised some red flags on the whole not enrolled in the school thing.
DANGIT, I forgot which day the liveblog was going to be, and I missed the fun! ARGH!
“Hello, 911? Yeah, this girl turned into a flying demon and crushed the walls of the school and tried to create a brainwashed army of… hello? Hello?”
Apparently (thirdhand rumor, to be fair), if EqG gets a spinoff show, the main character will be Sunset Shimmer, combining the friendship lessons with a redemption arc.
Yes, this movie would be 1000X better if Flash were replaced by CMC investigation scenes.
I don't really consider H&HD a romantic plot, since it's explicitly not about two ponies falling for each other and getting together, but rather about dangerous magic making them act out-of-character. Love potions are a completely different plot type.
Sorry.
I am considering *maybe* doing this with the Season 4 premiere, if I can find some way we can all watch it simultaneously.
She hasn't been going back and forth between worlds. The portal only opens for a few days, once every Celestia-only-knows how long, so Sunset Shimmer has been trapped in the human world all this time. That's why she's reigning mean girl there, and why Twilight has never heard of her in Equestria.
There are only two possibilities for that spinoff: Either it sucks because it's got inferior writing and is just a quick cash-grab, or it pulls a Futurama and causes the parent show to plummet in quality because the creative forces behind both are putting all their love into the new show.
Either way it is not a good idea to risk this for a show that has nothing special to recommend it (unlike Futurama which hybridized two genres that hadn't really be mixed on TV before).
Yeah, I eventually more-or-less figured out that she went to the human world last time the portal was open, then came back to Equestria when it opened this time.
Which, I recall the number “30 moons” being mentioned by Luna. That's two and a half years, which if they're high school seniors and it's mid-spring, would have put her original arrival right around the beginning of freshman year.
Sorry, beginning of sophomore year, not freshman.
Ah well…
I assume the live streams on sites like BronyState would work? Or do you not want to watch the S4 premiere online?
Those are a possibility, but if people are watching in a livestream why would they comment here?
I still maintain that Equestria's lunar cycle is different, since the sun and moon apparently can't be in the sky together (NMM's first attack consisted of refusing to lower it to make way for the dawn), so “30 moons” means something different.
If nothing else, I don't believe that the Apple Family only has a reunion every 7 years.
A lot of people post their comments in separate windows instead of the BronyState chat. If nothing else, we could set up a temporary IRC room; it'd be easier than constantly hitting refresh every 5 seconds.
I don't think Futurama is what wrecked The Simpsons, actually.
It could pull an Angel, though.
Not in some countries, e.g. Japan.
I think there are more than enough cultural cues to locate this school in alternate!North America, though.