Here we are... in the month of luuuve. Okay, I don't hold the same reverence for Valentine's Day as others, but I'm not against a celebration of romance. Only problem is that today's comic is dealing with a tragedy that is romantic–not romance.
What's the difference, you ask? Stick around and find out!
Synopsis
The city... of Porona. A bustling town and home to two rival party households: The Capulet's Catapults, Cupcakes, and Celebrations and Montague Merriment Makers. Both houses strive to be the number one party planners for the city and vie for the attention of city ruler Princess Cadence. The winner shall be the planner for Princess Flurry Heart's birthday and all the street cred that goes with it. But a sudden meeting at a Capulet party infiltrated by the Montagues changes the trajectory of both houses as Pinkie Pie meets Cheese Sandwich and they begin dreaming of a joint venture.
Both agree that it seems silly to hate one-another based on a rivalry too old for memory. Too bad their extended houses don't feel the same. Pinkie and Cheese meeting in a church alongside Friar Discord, who is pushing the idea of poisons pretty hard and only reigned in by our narrator, Spike. Meanwhile, the two households clash with Capper and Rainbow Dash engaged in a party cannon duel, which only succeeds in making a mess of the city. Princess Cadance calls off any further parties until the two families can learn to work together.
Discord offers the unlikely couple a means to produce a totally safe, unassuming party through a different kind of death: the death of creativity. The Capulets and Montagues arrive at the church to find their two best planners devoid of any excitement or passion. Horrified, the two groups reconcile and even the original two members that seemingly started the feud appear to say that they eloped and are now a couple, just like Pinkie and Cheese.
Art
I've had an odd track record with Jenna Ayoub and her style. Back when Little Fillies hit the scene, I wondered if she was trying to mirror the art style often portrayed at that time. Then came The Unicorn of Odd, which utilized the same art style and so I gave up that train of thought. A quick look at her Behance account shows that she's had experience drawing humans and the Amazing World of Gumball but tends to favor a reductive style when it comes to faces. Just enough detail to establish eyes, nose, and mouth simple shapes helping establish different appearances.
I think this approach works well with drawing humans and she clearly flourishes in the Gumball style with its rounder designs. She also does a good job depicting Ember and Capper, though Discord's sharpened muzzle denotes a more draconic look while leaving behind hints of an equine's feature. The problem is that I don't think her style translates well with the ponies, who are already a simplified design from that of a regular horse. While we're never lacking for energetic expressions and dynamic poses, the ponies' faces are often flattened to almost perfect circles with only a tiny bulge denoting a muzzle. The unfortunate result is that the designs often look flat with no overlapping features to even hint at their true appearance. Because of this, I don't think a lot of people are going to celebrate the style for this comic, and that brings us into the story and its own struggle.
Review
There is a unique conflict here, but it's not the story with which we're familiar. Certainly, the core elements are there in the form of two warring households and star-crossed lovers who seek to breach the divide between them, but the expressions of that struggle are different and restrained, much like Pinkie and Cheese's reduced planning model.
I don't know if these changes are the idea of author Megan Brown, or if she is trying to operate under corporate instructions.
I'm also not sure if this is meant to be a parody of Romeo and Juliet, or just an adaptation that is trying way too hard to remove the more violent aspects for a younger audience. This all leads me to an important question: Why do we write and read tragedies?
A quick search on several sites revealed some interpretations. One statement was: "We want to write a tragedy because it's reflective of real life. In life, we don't always get that happy ending...and fiction should always depict the real world."
I do not agree with this interpretation. I find it far too cynical and limiting. It is true that life doesn't always go the way we wish but it's also true that people can enjoy happy outcomes. Furthermore, we partake of media that does not depict the real world to bolster our own spirits. Comedies, adventure stories, and of course, My Little Pony. These models may not be as "true to life" as some would say, but they satisfy us so long as the positive outcome feels earned. A result of the characters' own efforts. Just as tragedy is often a result of the characters' choices and actions, so too must an optimistic outcome feel like a natural achievement.
Funny enough, a better answer lies with Aristotle, who said: "Through the elicitation of pity and fear, tragedy effects the proper purgation of these emotions."
That's a unique way to talk about catharsis. Rather simply releasing pent up emotions, a tragedy must evoke fear and pity. We know that the characters are at risk of a terrible end and don't want to see it fulfilled, which captivates our attention. This is what Aristotle coined as "tragic wonder". There's an emotional or spiritual transcendence to viewing a tragedy. Far more than a body count, the story should inspire us to consider its themes and their outcomes. We face our fear of death and its consequence, and then push past it to ask bigger questions. It makes us reflect upon our own lives and perspectives, as a real story should.
Which brings us back to our story and narrator Spike's efforts to avoid the standard outcome of Romeo and Juliet. This series is no stranger to having to write around the concept of death in stories like Little Women and The Wizard of Oz. The important aspect there was to remove the character from the story, whether it be through a vacation or just escorting them off-page. Here, however, death is a critical part of the story. It drives characters' motivations and escalates the conflict between the two houses.
Let's consider the odd choice of Capper as a Montague, and Cheese Sandwich's cousin for some reason. I'm not sure why they chose Ember and Capper to round out the household as there were plenty of other ponies like Sunset Shimmer or Mud Briar who could fulfill that role. Capper seems to be a favorite of the comic staff as he's enjoyed far more appearances than any other movie character. But he's the one to deliver Mercutio's famous line: "A plague on your houses!"
His final words where drops his comedic, pun-tactic personality and denounces the hatred between both houses that have poisoned Verona and caught its citizens in the crossfire. Why is Capper–a member of one of those households–saying that when he's not even wounded? There's no impact to the words because all the violence and consequence is gone.
A very powerful theme in Romeo and Juliet is the idea of fate or destiny. It brought these two together as Romeo was able to attend a party by accident, which led to his meeting Juliet. Yet that same force seems to be working towards their demise as miscommunications, accidents, and Romeo's own impulsiveness all contribute to that seemingly inevitable, tragic end. Spike serves as a fourth-wall breaking character who is doing all in his power to subvert that outcome, including challenging Discord.
Speaking of, Discord chose an interesting role for himself. The friar who married Romeo and Juliet didn't do so out of recognition of true love or care for the couple's future. Rather, he thought such a union might quell the ongoing conflict. Much the same way, Discord is using his role to push for the tragic end with a heavy emphasis on poison.
Remember when I said that this story is romantic, but not a romance? To be sure, there are scenes that are absolutely legendary.
"Juliet on the balcony" is an image, but not an action. Our impulsive protagonist, Romeo, was still getting over a breakup with Rosaline when he sees Juliet and switches attractions immediately. By that same notion, Juliet has fallen for him over a few kind words. Neither of them knows the other person. They haven't taken the time to discover one another's quirks, flaws, and outlooks. There is no built trust and thus this often comes off as a superficial attraction and the result of teenage hormones. As a side note, this is why I don't see "The Perfect Pear" as the pony version of Romeo and Juliet. They took the time to get to know one another, screw up, and have a good laugh. They developed the relationship and thus their wedding truly feels earned, because romance is a journey. Romeo and Juliet's wedding is just one step closer to the grave because they're not willing to wait and get to know one another first. Neither Pinkie nor Cheese demonstrates this impulsiveness, which is rather ironic considering the characters.
It's also nice that Cadence and Shining Armor get some spotlight and the chance to rule in a Valentine's day special. Not a huge role, but far better than having to exile somepony after they murdered the ruler's cousin.
I hear some of you saying, "Silver, you comic connoisseur Coleto... isn't this all just parody?" I could go on another tirade about what makes good parody, but let's keep this part shorter. Good parodies are effective at understanding the essence of subject, including its themes. As exemplified by the Capper/Mercutio example, I don't think this story is following the play's themes. It would be funny if, every time Pinkie and Cheese met, some cosmic power would try to kill them with a falling flower pot or they'd constantly have to watch what they drank because Discord was right there in the background. As it is right now, this feels like a story that's trying to look like Romeo and Juliet but has left the core of its story behind. Though there is one tragedy that does shine through.
Spike views his quest to avoid the original's outcome as a victory over William Shakespeare, when in fact Spike has ruined a classic piece of literature and its impact. Spike is the tragic character of this story because his aversion to anything violent has robbed the story of its impact. While I read this, I did fear that the story would go against the original and–sure enough–frustration with this outcome led me to reflect on and research the nature of tragedies and their appeal. So... I'm left scratching my head.
Was this a clever turnaround by Brown or is it unintentional?
Whatever the case, it worked. If you're interested in the genres of parody or tragedy, reading this comic and reflecting on it can help lead to a better understanding of what works. However, a first-time read will likely carry a feeling of disappointment. I didn't find it particularly funny and Ayoub's art style is still a hard sell to the average pony fan. I'm curious to see what people say in the comments on how they all felt about it. So I'll turn the mic over to all of you. Let me know what you thought of this special and I'll catch you with the next issue.
I'm Silver Quill. Thanks for reading!
