Analyzing “Hurricane Fluttershy”

Text version and links:

The Wing Power analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84yWP5UbLu0

My OC is designed by Mizuki Takashima: http://mizuki-takashima.tumblr.com/
Thumbnail art by Jowybean: http://jowybean.deviantart.com/art/When-the-shy-blows-FIM-title-cards-series-343524076?q=gallery%3AJowybean%2F40636445&qo=35

Hurricane Fluttershy is another in an ongoing series of season two episodes which, while really, really good, have a straightforward appeal, meaning my analysis will be short. Honestly, just by writing about this episode, I’m probably going to inspire Drowning In Footwear to make a much longer and more detailed video about it, since it’s his favorite episode of the show, so if you want to hear someone really get into the bones of it, you may have to count on that inevitability.

The most interesting aspect of this episode to me is how it continues the development of the pegasus culture; which is built upon even more in later episodes. While earth ponies and unicorns *could* easily be stereotyped based on the cultures of Canterlot and Ponyville, neither of their races seems to have such a firmly unified culture the way the pegasi do, and the crazy thing about it is that the pegasus culture is different from Equestrian culture on the whole.

It’s been established throughout the series that in Equestria, every pony has a specific destiny and role to fill, which is communicated through their jobs and cutie marks. While ponies are shown to have interests and passions outside of their central duties, for the most part, ponies aren’t expected to fill roles that don’t suit their personal skillset. That is, unless they’re pegasi.

Rainbow Dash does suggest throughout the episode that Fluttershy’s participation isn’t mandatory, and that she won’t be belittled for performing poorly, but it still seems odd that it would even be expected for all of the pegasi in town to collaborate on something that may not be related to many of their skill sets. Back in Winter Wrap Up, which was a Ponyville tradition, Fluttershy was allowed to stay on the ground and fill a role suited to her, but in the Cloudsdale tradition, she’s expected to be a participant regardless of her skill.

This aspect of pegasus culture can likely be traced back the their roots as a militaristic society. As seen in Hearth’s Warming Eve, pegasi appeared to be a warrior culture, not unlike the Spartans who ridiculed their Athenian neighbors for their more diverse skillset. The Wonderbolts themselves are still run in an incredibly militaristic fashion, and it’s implied that all pegasi have to attend flight school in Cloudsdale, regardless of whether or not flight is relevant to their talents.

Because the pegasus culture is so strongly tied to flight, Fluttershy seems to exhibit something akin to a species dysphoria, even expressing at times how she’d rather not be a pegasus, and would rather be a tree. The social stigma attached to a lack of flight capability is powerful and has scarred her for her entire life. It’s hardly surprising that she doesn’t want to participate in an activity which she’d never even be considered for if not for the fact that she happens to have wings, and has to be guilted into participating in.

And that covers all of my analytical points for this episode. I really liked the message that everyone’s contribution counts, because it’s an important thing that a lot of my generation doesn’t seem to understand, i.e. voters, and I enjoyed things like the Rocky montage and all the cool background characters that this episode introduced. If you want to see some truly legit analysis related to this episode, check out this power point video wherein someone breaks down the mathematical formula for determining wing power. It’s pretty intense.

Stay tuned to my channel for more season two videos on the way!