My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Analysis - Hurricane Fluttershy

And finally, after being so distracted with other things, I hope to get back to writing write ups and my own analyses for episodes of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I will post another that I have already done and rather liked, and from there I hope to begin writing some new ones again. So without further ado, here is my next My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Episode Analysis:

Learning new sides to characters is always one of the best parts of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, it’s why Cutie Mark Chronicles is so unanimously loved. Part of the fun of the show is getting to know the characters and learn how they came to be and are. One episode that does this so so well is Hurricane Fluttershy. Not only is it a beautiful insight into Fluttershy’s character, but Hurricane Fluttershy also takes a beautiful message of a dark past of bullying and its effects, and puts a wonderful spin on it to make the entire episode one that perhaps no one will forget, and reminds me time and time again why I love this show and its messages so so much.

We know that Fluttershy is shy, it’s in her name, it defines her entire character. We know others are shy in the real world too, but many times, there’s a reason why some are incredibly shy. With Fluttershy, we always assumed it was just her character, only through this episode do we see that there are more causes here other than simply her genetics and natural ways, and gain a greater understanding of who she is.

But what really makes this revelation about her character great, is the way we see it have effects on not just her, but her friends around her, and the effects of the other things she’s done in the past. Fluttershy has become shy and quiet, and perhaps holds things in when she shouldn’t for others, which results in her outbursts of anger, but at the same time, that nature of being shy and not being honest to help others has allowed people to adore and love her and her ever so kind ways, and has given her tons of wonderful friends who would go to the ends for her, and no I do not mean the mane cast, the friends I am referring to are in fact, her animals.

When Fluttershy is down, and her emotions drive her unable to keep going, who lifts her up, gives her hope, and helps as much as they can to let her overcome this obstacle? The animals! In the same way that Twilight has a special relationship with Spike and her brother, different from her friends, Fluttershy also has a special relationship with her animals, and we finally see the full extent of it in this episode.

Fluttershy has helped her animals countless times to get over their problems, as seen by the beaver who reminds her of when she helped him out in the past with a problem, and she has always done what she can to give them good advice and lift them up when they’re down, something we’ve never seen her do before in the show. And like a true bond and friendship, the animals return this and are there for her when she is in need of help, even using the same advice she gave them when they were down, I found that incredibly touching personally.

I almost find this to be a better stronger relationship than the one Fluttershy has with the rest of the mane 6. Unlike her friends who stick to the hurricane practice and helping the community for the greater good, her animals throw away their duties and places in order to be there for their friend and help her as much as they can. And look how far they go, being there all the way and helping her to keep trying and improving, and being there to watch and cheer her on when she finally takes a second try at the fly. Even when the hurricane itself is being made, the animals are still there, cheering her on, doing everything they can to help, even when Fluttershy’s going to dive in Angel wants to be there to help, and Fluttershy has to tell him it’s too much for him, their dedication to her is amazing.

One of the greatest flaws in Fluttershy’s character has always been her lack of drive and passion. Like most introverts (including myself), she’s quick to run when the going gets tough, and often doesn’t feel the work is worth the effort. This is where the animals fill this void so perfectly, they don’t let her give up, they keep her going and keep pushing her until she’s finally improved and made wonderful progress in overcoming her fears, they complement her perfectly in a way that helps to make her whole.

And what happens after all that trying? She improves, but she isn’t as good as others. I believe some may not have liked this, but I couldn’t have loved this twist more. When you’ve been bullied and never once worked on or practiced on overcoming stage fright, it is no surprise at all that even with a little practice you’re not as good as the average person, you cannot expect say, someone who hasn’t taken Math classes they’re whole life, to take one class and be good as those who have taken many years of Math.

But they improved, and that's what's important. This is something I always tell people who feel down about themselves when they’re not as good as others, when you work at something it’s not about being as good and better than everyone else, it’s about improving and being better against yourself. Fluttershy did improve, and that was what was important, she simply could not see it at the time, which was why again, her fears overcame her and she ran away crying, even though her fears improved. This happens all the time with people who want to be great at something and try real hard, but then aren’t real good, and merely got a bit better. Life takes work, time, and determination, and it’s one of the hardest lessons for everyone to learn and accept, and this episode says that perfectly in how hard it takes Fluttershy to accept it.

I should note that Fluttershy’s wing power seemed to improve again after her second try and the finale with the hurricane, perhaps suggesting that she practiced and worked at it more between the time of those 2 events, and perhaps with the help of her animals? Regardless, the message completely amplifies the point being driven home, and in such a wonderful way too. Fluttershy never did become a better flyer than everyone else, that wasn’t why pegasi were congratulating her at the end, it was because she improved, she didn’t sulk in her low power, she kept at it and stayed determined (thanks in part to her animals), and got better, that’s what’s important, and the end of the episode is when Fluttershy finally accepts this and learns this, as can again be seen in the letter. She learns that it’s not about contributing more than everyone else, and being one of the best, it’s about just contributing something, just having any sort of improvement in general and using your time to grow stronger, that’s what really counts.

My favorite episodes are always those that integrate the message and moral into the plot and its characters so so well, and Hurricane Fluttershy does this perfectly. The episode shows first hand that life is never about being the best, and that often we’re dealt with bad luck that can leave us in terrible situations. But, even those dark clouds have a silver lining, and no challenge is truly impassable, for as long as we give it our best, have the help of our wonderful friends, and above all, as Fluttershy says so well, believe in ourselves, we can do anything.

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Fun Fact: This is the very first MLP: FiM Analysis I ever wrote.