gingerninja666 
Kaze ni Nare
You know what. I actually LOVE this episode. Maybe it’s an episode that won’t hold up on repeat viewings or something, but for right now, that was the EXACT type of story I wanted from the Student 6. It’s not really a story about the plot, it’s a story entirely about World building nuggets and showcasing the 6’s chemistry together and I find it wonderful. They’re so great.
Each culture was showcased with like, some level of dignity (or at least somberness). Yaks aren’t all about smashing but they lean into that perception for comedy only so Yona can prove it wrong and she’s awesome. I love her. She is perfectly Yak, but in a package where it’s far more endearing than annoying. Their song made me smile.
Smoulder with the feast of fire, it perfectly sidestepped a fear I saw people have that the dragons will suddenly be retconned to have sentimental holidays. But no, they have a dick measuring competition all to win a material prize, and the previous victor won with the meanest story you can imagine. One interesting thing about this is, given that apparently a hearthswarming has past since the Changelings were redeemed, this means that the last Feast of Fire would’ve happened in front of EMBER. Meaning she had to listen to someone tell that story. Which is hilarious to me. Or maybe SHE was the one who told it.
Ocellus. I like how the Changelings don’t really have holidays like the others. It actually makes sense why they don’t. They’re still growing as a culture, and so they don’t quite get it. She’s adorable.
Sandbar. His story was pathetic, and it was clearly intentionally so. One thing about him that I noticed in this episode. He’s not JUST a pony. In some ways he’s kind of the embodiment of what the other cultures probably think of when they’re told to imagine ponies. At least someone like Smoulder. He’s milquetoast. He tries to sing lame songs. His stories are vapid and go nowhere. He’s never known hardship. And yet they like him anyway. It’s gotta be something to meet someone who fulfils so many of the stereotypes you have for a race, only for that to not ultimately matter in your opinion of them at all.
Silverstream. Everything about that holiday makes sense. It makes sense why it exists, it fits with what we saw of Hipogriffs in Surf and/or Turf. How they seem to adore how awesome they are. And I love that Novo is taking the initiative to have this shit printed out. She wants the rest of the world to know what her kingdom is. To understand it.
And then there’s Gallus. He pretty much carries the entire emotional weight of this story. He’s the clear stand out. He’s the one who learns, he’s the one with the most damage and the most growth. The most snarky and dismissive of all of them was the one who desperately didn’t want his friends to go anywhere. It’s selfish but you feel where he’s coming from. The Griffon holiday was almost profoundly depressing. Just the way he described it. A time when everyone comes together with people they don’t like to eat food they complain about and recieve gifts they hate. It communicates just how lost as a people the griffons were after losing the Idol of Boreas. A realm of bitter people forcing themselves to be together out of some ancient obligation or tradition. And yet Gallus still felt lonely, and like he was missing out no matter how sad the “celebration” really was. Because at the end of the day, those Griffons all had someone to be with. He had no one.
Each culture was showcased with like, some level of dignity (or at least somberness). Yaks aren’t all about smashing but they lean into that perception for comedy only so Yona can prove it wrong and she’s awesome. I love her. She is perfectly Yak, but in a package where it’s far more endearing than annoying. Their song made me smile.
Smoulder with the feast of fire, it perfectly sidestepped a fear I saw people have that the dragons will suddenly be retconned to have sentimental holidays. But no, they have a dick measuring competition all to win a material prize, and the previous victor won with the meanest story you can imagine. One interesting thing about this is, given that apparently a hearthswarming has past since the Changelings were redeemed, this means that the last Feast of Fire would’ve happened in front of EMBER. Meaning she had to listen to someone tell that story. Which is hilarious to me. Or maybe SHE was the one who told it.
Ocellus. I like how the Changelings don’t really have holidays like the others. It actually makes sense why they don’t. They’re still growing as a culture, and so they don’t quite get it. She’s adorable.
Sandbar. His story was pathetic, and it was clearly intentionally so. One thing about him that I noticed in this episode. He’s not JUST a pony. In some ways he’s kind of the embodiment of what the other cultures probably think of when they’re told to imagine ponies. At least someone like Smoulder. He’s milquetoast. He tries to sing lame songs. His stories are vapid and go nowhere. He’s never known hardship. And yet they like him anyway. It’s gotta be something to meet someone who fulfils so many of the stereotypes you have for a race, only for that to not ultimately matter in your opinion of them at all.
Silverstream. Everything about that holiday makes sense. It makes sense why it exists, it fits with what we saw of Hipogriffs in Surf and/or Turf. How they seem to adore how awesome they are. And I love that Novo is taking the initiative to have this shit printed out. She wants the rest of the world to know what her kingdom is. To understand it.
And then there’s Gallus. He pretty much carries the entire emotional weight of this story. He’s the clear stand out. He’s the one who learns, he’s the one with the most damage and the most growth. The most snarky and dismissive of all of them was the one who desperately didn’t want his friends to go anywhere. It’s selfish but you feel where he’s coming from. The Griffon holiday was almost profoundly depressing. Just the way he described it. A time when everyone comes together with people they don’t like to eat food they complain about and recieve gifts they hate. It communicates just how lost as a people the griffons were after losing the Idol of Boreas. A realm of bitter people forcing themselves to be together out of some ancient obligation or tradition. And yet Gallus still felt lonely, and like he was missing out no matter how sad the “celebration” really was. Because at the end of the day, those Griffons all had someone to be with. He had no one.
