YMMV / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S2 E22 "Hurricane Fluttershy"

• Alternate Aesop Interpretation:
  • Even years after the fact, Fluttershy is psychologically damaged by childhood bullying and teasing. Thus this could certainly be seen as a message about how badly that kind of thing can hurt someone.
  • From Dash's failed efforts to break the record; just because you can't be as good as you try, be comfortable with being good enough.
  • Don't ignore small symptoms of illnesses, especially before an major event. It may end up spinning into ruining your chance to win a contest.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: At the end of the episode, are the other pegasi cheering for Fluttershy because they appreciate the help, or are they trying to make amends for the abuse they heaped on her in flight school?
• Character Rerailment:
  • Angel is kinder towards Fluttershy, considering his behavior in his last appearance. He comforts her when she's sad, brushes her mane, and helps coach her as she trains for the tornado making.
  • Similarly, after a lengthy number of Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist roles in the second season, Rainbow Dash has her loyal altruistic nature spotlighted to even larger levels than before.
• Ensemble Dark Horse:
  • The massively-muscled pegasus with the tiny wings, who had fanart within about ten seconds of the preview clip airing. (Subsequently named either Snowflake or Roid Rage by the fandom before getting the canonical name Bulk Biceps.)
  • Flitter, Cloudchaser, Thunderlane, Rumble, and Blossomforth have developed a following as well. The former two especially, with their distinctive designs (Flitter's pink bow and Cloudchaser's Anime Hair mane) likely contributing to that.
• Fan Nickname: Before he was officially named Bulk Biceps, the white overly-muscular pegasus has been named many things, including Horse Power, Big McLargeHooves, Roid Rage, Pumped Up, and Snowflake.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Fluttershy pretends to be sick by painting spots on her body. Earlier she's also disguised as a tree. The same colored spots turn out to be a symptom of a real disease which Fluttershy comes down with, and almost turn her into a tree.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Several months before this episode, there was this piece of fan art shipping Fluttershy and an OC named RGB, whose cutie mark is a tornado.
• Les Yay: When Rainbow Dash is first trying to get Fluttershy confident in her cottage, this exchange occurs, leading to jokes about Fluttershy confirming an alternative choice of lifestyle and Rainbow Dash being overjoyed to hear it.
  Fluttershy: I'll do it.
  Rainbow Dash: You will!?
  Fluttershy: I will.
  Rainbow Dash: You're game!? ^note as part of the joke this is deliberately misheard as "you're gay!?"
  Fluttershy: I'm game.
  Rainbow Dash grabs Fluttershy and flies through the air holding her.
  Rainbow Dash: ALRIGHT!
  • There's also some heartwarming moments between the two like Rainbow Dash's "But I need you!" and Twilight's "Do it for Rainbow Dash!"
• Moe: Rumble◊, Thunderlane's little brother.
  • Also... as usual... Fluttershy.
• Nightmare Fuel: The very Hitchcock-ian scene of Fluttershy feeling everypony's eyes on her.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Angel is seen combing Fluttershy's hair and assisting her training.
• Suspiciously Similar Song: The song that plays during the training montage sounds similar to "You're The Best Around".
• Tear Jerker:
  • One scene that is made all the sadder by the background music:
    Rainbow Dash: Fluttershy, wait! So some punks poked a bit of fun at you and you got stage fright, big deal. You're not gonna go quit just because of that, are you?
    Fluttershy: [sobbing] YEH-HE-HES!!
  • Fluttershy crying her eyes out under a tree while her animal friends comfort her.
  • Fluttershy's elation at competing when Twilight was measuring wingpower... only to be crushed when hers was only 2.3 despite how hard she'd worked.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: The tornado scene.
• The Woobie:
  • Fluttershy was bullied in school, and was shoved off a cloud by her teacher.
  • Rainbow Dash too for having to watch her best friend get bullied back in Flight Camp and fail at making the tornado in front of her idol, Spitfire. It is hard not to applaud her and Fluttershy when the two finally make the tornado.

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